System, apparatus, and method for corrosion mapping of a flange joint

A method for inspecting a flange member, comprising:

• mounting an inner diameter of an inner arc portion of an inspection assembly support ring to the flange member, wherein the inspection assembly support ring includes the inner arc portion and an outer inspection assembly mount portion rotationally coupled to the inner arc portion with a plurality of bearings interposed therebetween, the inner arc portion having an inner diameter structured to mount on the flange member;
• engaging an inspection assembly having an ultrasonic (UT) sensor mounted on a pivot arm with a tapered surface of the flange member, wherein the inspection assembly is mounted on the outer inspection assembly mount portion, and the UT sensor is structured to interrogate a tapered surface of the flange member and to acquire UT interrogation data therefrom;
• and
• interrogating the tapered surface of the flange member with the UT sensor while the UT sensor rotates around the flange member to acquire the UT interrogation data therefrom.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a processor comprise:

• instructing an ultrasonic (UT) sensor to interrogate a flange member while the UT sensor rotates around a tapered surface of the flange member, wherein the UT sensor is included on a pivot arm of an inspection assembly, the UT sensor structured to interrogate the tapered surface of the flange member and to acquire UT interrogation data therefrom, and wherein the inspection assembly is mounted on an outer assembly mount portion of an inspection assembly support ring, the inspection assembly support ring having an inner arc portion and the outer inspection assembly mount portion, the inner arc portion having an inner diameter structured to mount on the flange member, and the outer inspection assembly mount portion rotationally coupled to the inner arc portion with a plurality of bearings interposed therebetween;
• receiving the UT interrogation data from the UT sensor, wherein the UT interrogation data includes a plurality of sound path distances;
• determining a plurality of thicknesses of a sealing surface of the flange member based on the plurality of sound path distances and a taper angle of the tapered surface of the flange member;
• and
• generating, as a degradation description, a corrosion mapping representing a thickness of a flange sealing surface of the flange member and having an azimuthal component and a radial component, wherein the corrosion mapping is configured to be displayed on a display device.