Integrated ultrasonic testing and cathodic protection measurement probe

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10234375-B2
Application number	US-201615342791-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 3, 2016
Priority date	Sep 15, 2016
Publication date	Mar 19, 2019
Grant date	Mar 19, 2019

Abstract

This application discloses integrated probes and probe systems, which can be attached to the robotic arms of a remotely operated vehicle to perform both cathodic protection (CP) voltage measurements and ultrasonic testing (UT) thickness measurements at an underwater surface. In some embodiments, the integrated probe system couples an inner and outer gimbal together such that one or more electrically conductive legs pass from the outer gimbal through the inner gimbal. These legs are arranged about an ultrasonic sensor which extends from the front surface of the inner gimbal. When the integrated probe contacts the underwater surface, both the ultrasonic sensor and at least one leg contact the surface, thereby providing substantially simultaneous CP and UT measurements.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. An integrated probe suitable for performing cathodic protection voltage readings and ultrasonic testing thickness measurements at an underwater surface substantially simultaneously, comprising:
an outer gimbal having a front surface and a rear surface;
an inner gimbal coupled to the outer gimbal to provide at least one degree of freedom, the inner gimbal having a front surface defining a cavity therein, and the inner gimbal shaped to define one or more ingresses that pass crosswise between the front and rear surfaces of the inner gimbal;
a sensor housing seated in the cavity of the inner gimbal;
an ultrasonic probe disposed within the sensor housing, the ultrasonic probe having a transducer crystal and a flexible membrane arranged about the transducer crystal, and a couplant disposed within a gap between the flexible membrane and the transducer crystal; and
one or more legs, each having an electrically conductive tip and a subsea housing containing a reference electrode, each leg extending longitudinally away from the outer gimbal via the one or more ingresses and arranged about the ultrasonic probe,
wherein the one or more legs are passively adjustable in response to a force imparted when the one or more legs contact the underwater surface.

2. The integrated probe according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more ingresses are defined by the inner gimbal to be indentations formed along a circumference of the inner gimbal.

3. The integrated probe according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more ingresses defined by the inner gimbal to be apertures transversely formed through a cross-section of the inner gimbal.

4. The integrated probe according to claim 1 , wherein at least one leg passes through an ingress defined by the inner gimbal along a circumference of the inner gimbal, and at least one leg passes through an ingress defined by the inner gimbal as an aperture transverse to the inner gimbal.

5. The integrated probe according to claim 1 , further comprising an articulated carrier having a first end integrally formed with the rear surface of the inner gimbal and a ball caster disposed at a second end, wherein the ball caster couples to the outer gimbal to provide the at least one degree of freedom to the inner gimbal.

6. The integrated probe according to claim 5 , wherein the articulated carrier is conically shaped, in which the first end tapers toward the second end.

7. The integrated probe of claim 5 , the outer gimbal being a static base defining a c-channel groove sized and shaped to couple with the ball caster.

8. The integrated probe according to claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive tip is made of stainless steel.

9. The integrated probe according to claim 1 , wherein the outer gimbal includes a c-channel groove centrally formed at the front surface of the outer gimbal.

10. The integrated probe according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more legs are arranged about the ultrasonic probe as two pairs of diametrically opposed legs.

11. The integrated probe according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one degree of freedom is provided by one or more rotational joints coupling the inner gimbal to the outer gimbal.

12. The integrated probe according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one degree of freedom is provided by one or more rotational joints coupling the outer gimbal to an external carrier.

13. An integrated probe suitable for performing cathodic protection voltage readings and ultrasonic testing thickness measurements substantially simultaneously, comprising:
an ultrasonic sensor body;
an ultrasonic testing cable disposed at a first end of the ultrasonic sensor body;
an ultrasonic probe disposed at a second end of the ultrasonic sensor body;
a housing defining an aperture therethrough, wherein the aperture is centrally located in the housing and wherein the ultrasonic probe is seated in the aperture, the housing further including an electrically conductive portion; and
conductive leads connected to and extending from the electrically conductive portion.

14. The integrated probe according to claim 13 , wherein the ultrasonic probe comprises an ultrasonic element and a flexible membrane adjacently spaced about the ultrasonic sensor body to define a gap between the ultrasonic element and the flexible membrane, wherein the gap is filled with a couplant.

15. The integrated probe according to claim 13 , wherein the housing is entirely electrically conductive.

16. A system for performing cathodic protection voltage readings and ultrasonic testing thickness measurements at an underwater surface substantially simultaneously, comprising:
a remotely operated underwater vehicle having a measuring arm;
an end effector disposed at a free end of the measuring arm;
an integrated probe for measuring cathodic protection voltage and ultrasonic testing thickness measurement coupled to the end effector, wherein the integrated probe includes:
an outer gimbal having a front surface and a rear surface;
an inner gimbal coupled to the outer gimbal to provide at least one degree of freedom, the inner gimbal having a front surface defining a cavity therein;
a sensor housing seated in the cavity of the inner gimbal;
an ultrasonic probe disposed within the sensor housing, in which the ultrasonic probe includes a flexible membrane arranged about a transducer crystal such that a gap is defined therebetween and filled with a couplant; and
a voltage electrode communicatively coupled to a reference electrode, wherein the voltage electrode is disposed at an electrically conductive portion of the inner gimbal, and the reference electrode is disposed within the remotely operated underwater vehicle.

17. The system according to claim 16 , wherein the reference electrode is a silver/silver chloride half cell.

18. The system according to claim 16 , wherein the inner gimbal is shaped to define one or more ingresses that pass crosswise between the front and rear surfaces of the inner gimbal, and the electrically conductive portion comprises one or more legs, each having an electrically conductive tip and extending longitudinally away from the outer gimbal via the one or more ingresses and arranged about the ultrasonic sensor, wherein the one or more electrically conductive legs are passively adjustable.

19. The system according to claim 18 , wherein the voltage electrode is one or more of the electrically conductive tips of the one or more legs.

20. The system according to claim 16 , further comprising a signal processor communicatively coupled to a data acquisition unit, wherein both are disposed within the remotely operated underwater vehicle, and wherein the signal conditioner is also communicatively coupled to the integrated probe.

21. An integrated probe suitable for performing cathodic protection voltage readings and ultrasonic testing thickness measurements at an underwater surface substantially simultaneously, comprising:
a probe carrier having at least one degree of freedom relative to a static base, the probe carrier having a rear surface coupled to the static base and a front surface having an electrically conductive portion and defining a cavity therein;
a sensor housing seated in the cavity of the probe carrier; and
an ultrasonic probe disposed within the sensor housing, the ultrasonic probe having a transducer crystal and a flexible membrane arranged about the transducer crystal, and a couplant disposed within a gap between the flexible membrane and the transducer crystal.

Assignees

• Saudi Arabian Oil Co

Inventors

• Abdellatif Fadl
• Al-Saiari Hamad
• Outa Ali
• Amer Ayman
• Patel Sahejad
• Obedan Ameen
• Trigui Hassane

Classifications

• G01N29/226

  Handheld or portable devices · CPC title

• G01B17/02 Primary

  for measuring thickness · CPC title

• G01N17/02 Primary

  Electrochemical measuring systems for weathering, corrosion or corrosion-protection measurement · CPC title

• G01B17/025

  for measuring thickness of coating · CPC title

• G01N29/225

  Supports, positioning or alignment in moving situation · CPC title