Scanning method and apparatus comprising a buoyancy material for scanning an underwater pipeline or a process vessel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10845320-B2
Application number	US-201916375359-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 4, 2019
Priority date	Nov 2, 2011
Publication date	Nov 24, 2020
Grant date	Nov 24, 2020

Abstract

Disclosed herein are a scanning method and apparatus suitable for scanning a pipeline or process vessel in which a beam of gamma radiation from a source is emitted through the vessel to be detected by an array of detectors which are each collimated to detect radiation over a narrow angle relative to the width of the emitted radiation beam.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of inspecting an underwater pipeline to determine wall thickness or information about contents of the underwater pipeline, the method comprising:
providing a gamma radiation source and an array of detector units on an apparatus that comprises buoyancy material;
interposing the underwater pipeline between the gamma radiation source and the array of detector units so that radiation emitted by the gamma radiation source passes along a plurality of paths through a portion of the underwater pipeline and impinges upon the array of detector units;
acquiring data at a plurality of radially offset positions around the underwater pipeline to acquire density data at a variety of angles through the underwater pipeline; and
presenting a representation of the underwater pipeline or contents of the underwater pipeline using the density data.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
rotating at least one of the gamma radiation source and the array of detector units around a circumference of the underwater pipeline when acquiring data.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is hinged so that the apparatus is configured to be opened and closed around the underwater pipeline.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the representation is a representation of a composition or contents of the underwater pipeline.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein presenting a representation of the underwater pipeline comprises building the representation using tomography algorithms.

6. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising detecting a void in the underwater pipeline.

7. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising detecting a crack in the underwater pipeline.

8. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising detecting wall thinning in the underwater pipeline.

9. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising detecting a gas hydrate within the underwater pipeline.

10. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising detecting scale within the underwater pipeline.

11. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising detecting a change in a density relative to a reference value.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the reference value is a calculated value.

13. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the reference value is a value from an adjacent portion of the underwater pipeline.

Assignees

• Johnson Matthey Plc

Inventors

• Bowdon Christopher
• Featonby Paul
• Howstan James Stephen
• Jackson Peter
• James Kenneth
• Ronchi Emanuele

Classifications

• G01T1/29

  Measurement performed on radiation beams, e.g. position or section of the beam; Measurement of spatial distribution of radiation · CPC title

• G01T1/202

  the detector being a crystal · CPC title

• G01N23/18 Primary

  Investigating the presence of flaws defects or foreign matter · CPC title

• G01N23/046 Primary

  using tomography, e.g. computed tomography [CT] · CPC title

• G01T1/2019

  Shielding against direct hits · CPC title