Inductosense successfully pilots the WAND-Online service, enabling fully digitalised thickness monitoring of a remote shale gas well pad.

UK based Inductosense develops and manufactures ultrasonic sensor technologies for internal corrosion and erosion monitoring.

The WAND-Online service enables accurate, real-time wall‑thickness measurements accessible at the customer’s desk via the cloud-based iDART software, reducing their need for personnel on-site: WAND sensors are installed on the surface of pipework or vessels. The low-profile design allows them to be embedded underneath coatings, insulation or composite repair. WAND Remote Data Collectors (RDCs) acquire the thickness and temperature measurements from the sensors at pre-defined intervals. The data is then sent via Bluetooth 5.0 to the Gateway which in turn transmits the data via 4G to the iDART software. Using the iDART software the user can access the data and also configure the RDCs.

WAND-Online is simple to set up, does not require an onsite WiFi network, provides accurate, trendable wall-thickness data without personnel needing to be on‑site.

The customer, a US based gas production company, piloted the WAND-Online service to monitor erosion on sand filters and gas processing units at a remote shale gas well pad. Due to the location, the customer required a solution that did not rely on an on-site wireless infrastructure. The sand erosion rate could not be accurately monitored using conventional methods, a permanently installed solution was required to provide precise and repeatable thickness data, enabling the customer to accurately determine the rate of erosion.

The successful pilot provided the customer with more reliable data and considerable cost savings. Considering the cost of the WAND-Online service, the upfront sensor and installation costs, the customer saw a return of their investment within 1 month.

Chris Begent, Commercial Director at Inductosense, said “The WAND-Online service is the result of several years of hard work from our engineering team, particularly Dr. Shani Lu, IoT Manager at Inductosense. We are all very excited to be bringing this development to our customers and celebrating a successful pilot. WAND-Online is an easy-to-use service that has proven to be very impactful for our customer. A further 2 pilot deployments will be conducted on well pads in the USA before the service will be launched to market upon completion of this pilot phase later this year.”

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