Field Instrumentation & Monitoring

Field Assessment, Monitoring, and Testing Services

Real-world problems can’t always be examined in a laboratory – that is why we offer a wide array of field assessment, monitoring, and testing services in a number of industry sectors. Our engineers and technicians are highly experienced in conducting field services in a variety of extreme and challenging site conditions around the world.

By using the most advanced field assessment and testing methods, we are able to effectively determine the operating conditions of equipment and structures. We use this information to diagnose problems, evaluate operating performance, determine compliance, and recommend improvements.

Our measurement and monitoring expertise extends well beyond the laboratory. In the field, our engineers and technicians use the most advanced data acquisition systems and installation techniques to accurately monitor and collect data related to a variety of equipment, components, devices, and processes. We also provide a wide range of remote monitoring and measurement solutions including cellular phone / satellite monitoring and real-time posting of data on a secured website, for those who need reliable equipment monitoring data to be accessible from anywhere and at anytime.

Instrumentation

The instrumentation that we use is varied as the industries that we serve and the applications that we monitor. Examples of instrumentation include strain gages, pressure transducers, accelerometers, thermocouples, and displacement transducers. On occasion, specialized instrumentation is designed for unique applications where off-the-shelf technologies do not exist.

The use of good quality, high precision instruments is critical; however the challenge does not always lie in the capability of instrumentation for most engineering applications. It is necessary to have engineers with knowledge and experience in signal processing and data acquisition, as well as mechanics of offshore systems involved in the program. Our engineering combines decades of knowledge and experience in these areas, allowing for a comprehensive solution for structural monitoring and integrity management.

Systems

In addition to the instruments used to make the measurements themselves, we utilize specific systems that both capture and store the measured data. The systems themselves can be temporary or designed for long-term applications. Depending on the information that is being collected, data can be collected at specific rates, even at high speed levels up to 100,000 scans per second.

Putting the Data to Work

Knowing at what rate to scan is critically important and is often based on feedback provided by Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) at Stress Engineering Services who might have requested that the measurements be made in the first place.

Once the data has been collected, it must be processed and analyzed based on the specified requirements of the designated SME. The data must be processed in a matter that permits the SME to made decisions regarding the integrity of a particular systems or component. This is another excellent example of why a multi-disciplined approach is required for solving the industry’s toughest problems.