Abstract: For method of utilizing a nondestructive evaluation method to inspect a steel material comprising at least one hysteretic ferromagnetic material and/or at least one nonhysteretic material to identify one or more material conditions and/or one or more inhomogeneities in steel material, the method can comprise the steps of: interrogating the hysteretic ferromagnetic material and/or the nonhysteretic material with an input time varying magnetic field; scanning the steel material and detecting a magnetic response and/or acoustic response over time from the hysteretic ferromagnetic material and/or the nonhysteretic material; determining a time dependent nonlinear characteristic of the received magnetic response and/or acoustic response; and correlating the time dependent nonlinear characteristic of the received magnetic response and/or acoustic response to the one or more material conditions and/or one or more inhomogeneities in steel material.

Abstract: A pipeline inspection assembly includes a test pipe including at least one weld and one or more synthetic weld flaws, and a pipeline inspection device mountable to the test pipe and movable relative thereto. The pipeline inspection device includes a detection device operable to detect the one or more synthetic weld flaws as the pipeline inspection device moves along a length of the test pipe. A performance of the pipeline inspection device is assessed based on a comparison of a detected characteristic of the one or more synthetic weld flaws and a known characteristic of the one or more synthetic weld flaws.

Abstract: For method of utilizing a nondestructive evaluation method to inspect a steel material comprising at least one hysteretic ferromagnetic material and/or at least one nonhysteretic material to identify one or more material conditions and/or one or more inhomogeneities in steel material, the method can comprise the steps of: interrogating the hysteretic ferromagnetic material and/or the nonhysteretic material with an input time varying magnetic field; scanning the steel material and detecting a magnetic response and/or acoustic response over time from the hysteretic ferromagnetic material and/or the nonhysteretic material; determining a time dependent nonlinear characteristic of the received magnetic response and/or acoustic response; and correlating the time dependent nonlinear characteristic of the received magnetic response and/or acoustic response to the one or more material conditions and/or one or more inhomogeneities in steel material.

Abstract: Provided is a method of utilizing a nondestructive evaluation method to inspect/screen steel components (like plates), steel metal pipes, and seam welds and girth welds of the pipes to identify material phases and assess material qualities. The method includes: providing a DC magnetic field from a magnet to a steel plate, pipe, or weld composed of at least one hysteretic ferromagnetic material followed by scanning the plate, pipe, or weld and recording magnetic responses from two or more suitable sensors disposed at locations with different magnetic field strengths in the regions of interest configured to receive magnetic responses; and correlating all the said received magnetic responses to one or more material qualities and/or material phases of the plate, pipe, or weld. The one or more material qualities includes regions of higher hardness, regions of metal loss, regions of surface cracks, amount of undesirable phases, and combinations thereof.