Ultrasonic testing apparatus for pipe or tube end portion and method of setting initial position of probe holder

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9442096-B2
Application number	US-201213654749-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 18, 2012
Priority date	Sep 9, 2010
Publication date	Sep 13, 2016
Grant date	Sep 13, 2016

Abstract

An ultrasonic testing apparatus includes an ultrasonic probe disposed under an end portion of a pipe laid in the horizontal direction to face the pipe end portion. The probe transmits ultrasonic waves to the end portion of the pipe and receives the ultrasonic waves therefrom. A probe holder housing the probe includes a coupling medium reserver part which surrounds a space between the probe and the end portion of the pipe to contain a coupling medium W. The coupling medium reserver part includes a part body 21 into which the coupling medium is supplied; an annular bellows part, which is attached to the upper side of the part body to internally communicate with the part body, and an annular spacer 23 attached to the upper side of the bellows part, the upper surface of the annular spacer being a flat horizontal surface.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An ultrasonic testing apparatus for a pipe or tube end portion, comprising:
an ultrasonic probe which is disposed under the end portion of a pipe or tube laid in the horizontal direction to face the pipe or tube end portion, the ultrasonic probe transmitting ultrasonic waves to the end portion of the pipe or tube and receiving the ultrasonic waves therefrom; and
a probe holder housing the ultrasonic probe which is disposed under the end portion of the pipe or tube to face the pipe or tube end portion and following the pipe or tube rotating in a circumferential direction,
the probe holder comprising a coupling medium reserver part which surrounds a space between the ultrasonic probe and the end portion of the pipe or tube to contain a coupling medium therein, and
the coupling medium reserver part comprising:
a coupling medium reserver part body into which the coupling medium is supplied;
an annular bellows part which is attached to an upper side of the coupling medium reserver part body so as to internally communicate with the coupling medium reserver part body, and can expand and contract vertically, the coupling medium supplied to the coupling medium reserver part flowing into the annular bellows part; and
an annular spacer which is attached to the upper side of the bellows part, and at least an upper surface of the annular spacer being a flat horizontal surface, the coupling medium flowing from the annular bellows part to the annular spacer, and a film in contact with the pipe or tube end portion being formed by the coupling medium raised beyond the upper surface of the annular spacer, wherein
the coupling medium reserver part body comprises a coupling medium supply port for supplying the coupling medium into the coupling medium reserver part body and a coupling medium spraying nozzle configured for spraying the coupling medium toward the ultrasonic transmitting/receiving surface of an ultrasonic probe.

2. The ultrasonic testing apparatus for a pipe or tube end portion according to claim 1 , wherein the coupling medium reserver part further comprises a tubular member which is attached to a lower surface of the spacer and is fitted in the bellows part.

3. The ultrasonic testing apparatus for a pipe or tube end portion according to claim 1 , wherein the coupling medium reserver part body is provided with the coupling medium supply port for supplying the coupling medium in a tangential direction of a predetermined arc around a vertical center axis, and a coupling medium discharge port for discharging the coupling medium in the tangential direction of the arc.

4. The ultrasonic testing apparatus for a pipe or tube end portion according to claim 1 , wherein
the ultrasonic testing apparatus further comprises a pre-immersing device installed on the probe holder and a control unit; and
the control unit reciprocates the probe holder relative to the pipe or tube along the axial direction of the pipe or tube rotating in the circumferential direction, sprays the coupling medium from the pre-immersing device toward the pipe or tube when the probe holder moves forward in the pipe or tube testing range of the pipe or tube end portion, and stops the spraying of coupling medium from the pre-immersing device when the ultrasonic testing is performed while the probe holder moves backward in the pipe or tube testing range of the pipe or tube end portion.

5. The ultrasonic testing apparatus for a pipe or tube end portion according to claim 4 , wherein
the coupling medium reserver part body comprises the coupling medium spraying nozzle for spraying the coupling medium toward the ultrasonic transmitting/receiving surface of the ultrasonic probe; and
the control unit sprays the coupling medium from the coupling medium spraying nozzle toward the ultrasonic transmitting/receiving surface of the ultrasonic probe when the probe holder moves forward in the pipe or tube testing range of the pipe or tube end portion, and stops the spraying of coupling medium from the coupling medium spraying nozzle when the ultrasonic testing is performed while the probe holder moves backward in the pipe or tube testing range of the pipe or tube end portion.

6. The ultrasonic testing apparatus for a pipe or tube end portion according to claim 1 , wherein the ultrasonic testing apparatus further comprises a nozzle for spraying purge air toward a portion on an outer surface of the pipe or tube which is located on the upstream side in the direction of rotation of the pipe or tube with respect to a portion on the outer surface of the pipe or tube, which is in contact with the coupling medium staying in the coupling medium reserver part, the portion on the outer surface of the pipe or tube being located in a range not larger than 180 degrees in the circumferential direction of the pipe or tube with respect to a lowest portion of the pipe or tube.

7. A method of setting the initial position of a probe holder which the ultrasonic testing apparatus according to claim 1 has, wherein
the ultrasonic probe comprising a first ultrasonic probe and a pair of second ultrasonic probes; the probe holder houses the first ultrasonic probe for propagating ultrasonic waves in the wall thickness direction of the pipe or tube and the pair of second ultrasonic probes disposed with the first ultrasonic probe being held therebetween to propagate ultrasonic waves in the circumferential direction of the pipe or tube, the first ultrasonic probe and the pair of second ultrasonic probes being positioned, at the initial position of the probe holder, in the probe holder so that the incident points of ultrasonic waves transmitted from the first ultrasonic probe and the pair of second ultrasonic probes to the pipe or tube substantially coincide with each other; and
the method comprises:
a step of adjusting the relative position in a vertical direction of the probe holder with respect to the pipe or tube so that in the state in which the probe holder does not follow the pipe or tube, a testing signal obtained by the first ultrasonic probe is displayed on an A scope, and the distance between the first ultrasonic probe and the pipe or tube which is determined by the A scope coincides with a target value, and
a step of forming artificial flaws extending in the pipe or tube axial direction in a pipe end portion, and of adjusting the relative position in the horizontal direction intersecting at right angles to the pipe or tube axial direction of the probe holder with respect to the pipe or tube so that in the state in which the probe holder does not follow the pipe or tube, when the pipe or tube is rotated in the circumferential direction, the flaw signal intensities obtained by the pair of second ultrasonic probes each fall within a fixed range.

Assignees

• Fujiwara Kenji
• Kubota Hiroshi
• Obata Tomoyuki
• Yamano Masaki
• Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corp

Inventors

• Fujiwara Kenji
• Kubota Hiroshi
• Obata Tomoyuki
• Yamano Masaki

Classifications

• G01N29/22 Primary

  Details {, e.g. general constructional or apparatus details} · CPC title

• G01N2291/056

  Angular incidence, angular propagation · CPC title

• G01N29/225

  Supports, positioning or alignment in moving situation · CPC title

• G01N29/043 Primary

  in the interior, e.g. by shear waves · CPC title

• G01N29/28

  providing acoustic coupling {, e.g. water (impedance matching G10K11/02)} · CPC title