A new microwave method for on-site integrity monitoring of pipelines

In this work, an innovative system for structural health monitoring of metallic pipes is presented. The proposed system relies on exploiting the pipeline as a waveguide for the propagation of an electromagnetic (EM) signal. By analyzing the reflected signal, it is possible to assess the possible presence of anomalies or damage in the pipe.The innovative aspect of the proposed monitoring system is that the EM test signal is injected in the pipeline/waveguide through a coaxial/waveguide transition that is made on the surface of the pipe. In practical applications, this strategy would allow to connect more easily to operating, buried pipes.To characterize the propagation of the EM signal in such conditions and to verify the changes on the reflected signal provoked by variation of the conditions of the pipe, experimental tests were carried out and a dedicated processing strategy was developed. The obtained results, although preliminary, confirmed that the proposed method holds unexplored potential to be used as a structural health monitoring solution.