Also known as: AE, AET, acoustic emission.
How it works
When a crack grows or a leak forms, energy is released as a burst of high-frequency sound that travels through the structure. Piezoelectric sensors detect the bursts; software counts, characterises and triangulates them. Results are graded against criteria that separate significant sources from noise.
Where it is used
Pressure vessels during hydrotests, atmospheric storage tank floors (corrosion activity without emptying the tank), bridges, composite structures and fibre-reinforced vessels.
AE in AMPS
AE monitoring is often repeated on the same asset over years. In AMPS every asset and job carries a QR code. Scanning it opens the asset page and the history of jobs performed on it, assets can hold sub-assets, and jobs can be grouped, for example per shutdown. Previous reports are therefore one scan away for the next test.