Pipeline crack detection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10060883-B2
Application number	US-201514873140-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 1, 2015
Priority date	Oct 1, 2015
Publication date	Aug 28, 2018
Grant date	Aug 28, 2018

Abstract

A method includes emitting an ultrasonic signal into a test specimen from a transducer, receiving a first reflected ultrasonic signal from the test specimen, wherein the first reflected ultrasonic signal is reflected from a feature in the test specimen and the first reflected ultrasonic signal is internally reflected within the test specimen three times prior to being received, and determining a threshold depth of the feature in the test specimen based on receiving the first reflected ultrasonic signal.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
emitting, via a transducer, an ultrasonic signal into a test specimen;
receiving, via the transducer, one or more echoes from the test specimen, wherein the one or more echoes comprise reflections of the ultrasonic signal;
defining a half-skip coverage area, wherein the half-skip coverage area returns a half-skip echo of the one or more echoes when a feature extends into the half skip coverage area;
defining a one-skip coverage area, wherein the one-skip coverage area returns a one-skip echo of the one or more echoes when the feature extends into the one-skip coverage area;
defining a one-and-a-half skip coverage area, wherein the one-and-a-half-skip coverage area returns a one-and-a-half-skip echo of the one or more echoes when the feature extends into the one-and-a-half skip coverage area;
determining the feature extends into the half-skip coverage area of the test specimen when the half-skip echo is returned, wherein the half-skip echo is a first reflection of the ultrasonic signal reflected off the feature and internally reflected within the test specimen one time;
determining the feature extends into the one-skip coverage area of the test specimen when the one-skip echo is returned, wherein the one-skip echo is a second reflection of the ultrasonic signal reflected off the feature and internally reflected within the test specimen three times;
determining the feature extends into the one-and-a-half-skip coverage area of the test specimen when the one-and-a-half-skip echo is returned, wherein the one-and-a-half echo is a third reflection of the ultrasonic signal reflected off the feature and internally reflected within the test specimen five times; and
determining a threshold depth of the feature in the test specimen based on determining the feature extends into the half-skip coverage area, the one-skip coverage area, the one-and-a-half-skip coverage area, or a combination thereof.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the test specimen is a section of pipe.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the feature is a notch or a crack extending from an exterior wall of the section of pipe.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the feature is a notch or a crack extending from an interior wall of the section of pipe.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the threshold depth is determined to be greater than a predetermined threshold based on determining the feature extends into the half-skip coverage area, the one-skip coverage area, the one-and-a-half-skip coverage area, or a combination thereof.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the predetermined threshold is based on a thickness of the test specimen, a width of the transducer, an incidence angle of the emitted ultrasonic signal to the test specimen, and a propagation angle of the ultrasonic signal within the test specimen.

7. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
applying a first set of parameters to determine the threshold depth of the feature in response to determining that the feature extends into the one-skip coverage area.

8. The method of claim 7 , comprising:
applying a second set of parameters to determine the threshold depth of the feature in response to determining that the feature extends into the half-skip coverage area and the one-skip coverage area.

9. The method of claim 8 , comprising
applying a third set of parameters to determine the threshold depth of the feature in response to determining that the feature extends into the one-skip coverage area and the one-and-a-half-skip coverage area.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the threshold depth of the feature is determined irrespective of an amplitude of the first, the second, or the third reflected ultrasonic signal.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising executable instructions that when executed cause a processor to:
define a half-skip coverage area, wherein the half-skip coverage area returns a half-skip echo when a feature extends into the half skip coverage area;
define a one-skip coverage area, wherein the one-skip coverage area returns a one-skip echo when the feature extends into the one-skip coverage area;
define a one-and-a-half skip coverage area, wherein the one-and-a-half-skip coverage area returns a one-and-a-half-skip echo when the feature extends into the one-and-a-half skip coverage area;
determine a feature extends into the half-skip coverage area of a test specimen when the half-skip echo is returned, wherein the half-skip echo is a first reflection of an ultrasonic signal emitted into the test specimen, reflected off the feature, and internally reflected within the test specimen one time;
determine the feature extends into the one-skip coverage area of the test specimen when the one-skip echo is returned, wherein the one-skip echo is a second reflection of the ultrasonic signal reflected off the feature and internally reflected within the test specimen three times;
determine the feature extends into the one-and-a-half-skip coverage area of the test specimen when the one-and-a-half-skip echo is returned, wherein the one-and-a-half-skip echo is a third reflection of the ultrasonic signal reflected off the feature and internally reflected within the test specimen five times; and
determine a threshold depth of the feature in the test specimen based upon determining the feature extends into the half-skip coverage area, the one-skip coverage area, the one-and-a-half-skip coverage area, or a combination thereof.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11 , comprising executable instructions that when executed cause the processor to apply a first set of parameters to determine the threshold depth of the feature in response to determining that the feature extends into the one-skip coverage area.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12 , comprising executable instructions that when executed cause the processor to apply a second set of parameters to determine the threshold depth of the feature in response to determining that the feature extends into the half-skip coverage area and the one-skip coverage area.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the threshold depth is determined to be greater than a predetermined threshold based on determining the feature extends into the half-skip coverage area, the one-skip coverage area, the one-and-a-half-skip coverage area, or a combination thereof.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the threshold depth of the feature is determined irrespective of an amplitude of the first, the second, or the third reflected ultrasonic signal.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 , comprising executable instructions that when executed cause the processor to apply a third set of parameters to determine the threshold depth of the feature in response to determining that the feature extends into the one-skip coverage area and the one-and-a-half-skip coverage area.

17. An ultrasonic pipeline inspection data analysis system comprising:
a processor;
communication circuitry; and
a display;
wherein the ultrasonic pipeline inspection data analysis system is configured to:
define a half-skip coverage area, wherein the half-skip coverage area returns a half-skip echo when a feature extends into the half skip coverage area;
define a one-skip coverage area, wherein the one-skip coverage area returns a one-skip echo when the feature extends into the one-skip coverage area;
define a one-and-a-half skip coverage area, wherein the one-and-a-half-

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Giese Jochen Uwe
• Robinson Andrew
• Blust Markus Holger
• Goldmann Christian Alexander

Classifications

• G01N29/4436

  with a reference signal (amplitude comparison G01N29/48) · CPC title

• G01N29/07 Primary

  by measuring propagation velocity or propagation time of acoustic waves · CPC title

• G01N29/265

  by moving the sensor relative to a stationary material · CPC title

• G01N2291/105

  two or more emitters, two or more receivers · CPC title

• F16L55/26

  Pigs or moles, i.e. devices movable in a pipe or conduit with or without self-contained propulsion means · CPC title