JP2013190392A - Thickness measuring apparatus and thickness measuring method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a thickness measuring apparatus and a thickness measuring method efficiently measuring a thickness of piping arranged in a plant.SOLUTION: The thickness measuring apparatus 20 includes a thickness measuring section 2 and a thickness arithmetic section 21. The thickness measuring section 2 includes: a memory 9; a clock generating section 7 which outputs a clock signal; an ultrasonic wave transceiver 3 which transmits an ultrasonic wave in the thickness direction of a pipe 1 and receives a reflection wave of the ultrasonic wave; a pulse generating section 11 which outputs a control voltage for transmitting the ultrasonic wave; a waveform measuring section 8 which measures an electric signal output from the ultrasonic wave transceiver 3 and stores measurement data in the memory 9; a radio section 10 which outputs the measurement data stored in the memory 9 to the thickness arithmetic section 21; a measurement control section 6 which controls the pulse generating section 11 and the waveform measuring section 8; and a power supply section 12 which creates electric power by utilizing environment energy. The thickness arithmetic section 21 calculates the thickness of the pipe 1 on the basis of the received measurement data.

Description

  Embodiments described herein relate generally to a thickness measuring device and a thickness measuring method for measuring the thickness of a pipe.

  As a thickness measuring device for measuring the thickness of a pipe installed in equipment in a plant from the outside of the pipe, a technique using ultrasonic waves is known.

  In the pipe inspection method and apparatus, a piezoelectric ultrasonic transducer is disposed on the back side surface of a pipe having a lining on the surface of the pipe main body, and the thickness of the pipe from the piezoelectric ultrasonic transducer is determined. An ultrasonic pulse is emitted in the direction to detect an ultrasonic multi-reflection echo from the boundary between the pipe body and the lining, and the attenuation constant of the peak value of this ultrasonic multi-reflection echo is calculated. It is disclosed that the state is estimated.

  In addition, in the electromagnetic ultrasonic measurement device, one or a plurality of sensor units that transmit the electromagnetic ultrasonic wave to the inspection object and receive the electromagnetic ultrasonic wave, and the electromagnetic ultrasonic wave at the sensor unit at a predetermined time interval. A control unit for controlling the transmission / reception timing of the sound wave and storing information on the thickness or defect of the inspection object included in the received electromagnetic ultrasonic wave, and a sensor unit and a calculation control device are housed along the inspection object itself. A configuration including a measuring device main body formed to be movable is disclosed.

JP 2006-276032 A JP 2005-290204 A

  Pipings installed in equipment in the plant and through which high-temperature fluid flows are covered with a heat insulating material. To measure the thickness of the piping, a scaffold is installed and the heat insulating material covering the piping is removed. Therefore, it is necessary to install a sensor such as an ultrasonic probe on the pipe surface. In addition, until such measurement work is started and finished, there is a problem that it actually takes time and man-hours for incidental work such as installation and removal of scaffolds, removal and restoration of heat insulating materials. In addition, it is necessary to prepare a power source for the measuring device that operates the sensor, and perform wiring work such as wiring of the power source and signal lines. If power supply and signal lines are required, these operations must be performed for each measurement.

  The problem to be solved by the embodiment of the present invention is to provide a thickness measuring device and a thickness measuring method for efficiently measuring the thickness of a pipe.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, a thickness measuring apparatus according to an embodiment is a thickness measuring apparatus that includes a thickness measuring unit and a thickness calculating unit and measures the thickness of a pipe. The thickness measuring unit of the thickness measuring device includes a memory, a clock generating unit that outputs a clock signal at a predetermined time interval, and ultrasonic waves from the outer peripheral surface of the pipe toward the inside in the thickness direction of the pipe. An ultrasonic transmitter / receiver that receives the reflected wave of the ultrasonic wave and outputs an electric signal corresponding to the reflected wave, and a pulse that outputs a control voltage for causing the ultrasonic wave transmitter / receiver to transmit the ultrasonic wave A generator, a waveform measuring unit that measures the electrical signal output from the ultrasonic transceiver and stores the measured measurement data in the memory, and a wireless signal can communicate with the thickness calculator. There is a radio unit that outputs the measurement data of the reflected wave stored in the memory to the thickness calculation unit, and the pulse generation unit, and after the control voltage is output, based on the clock signal Previous A measurement control unit that controls the waveform measurement unit so as to measure an electrical signal; and a power supply unit that generates electric power using predetermined environmental energy, wherein the thickness calculation unit is wirelessly connected to the wireless unit. The measurement data transmitted as a signal is received, and the thickness of the pipe is calculated based on the received measurement data.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, the thickness measurement method of the embodiment includes a power supply unit that generates electric power using predetermined environmental energy and an ultrasonic transceiver that can transmit and receive ultrasonic waves. Thickness of the thickness measuring device which is provided so that the thickness measuring unit and the thickness calculating unit can be wirelessly communicated with each other, and measures the thickness of the pipe This is a measurement method. The thickness measuring method includes a clock output step in which the thickness measuring unit outputs a clock signal at a predetermined time interval, and the ultrasonic transmitter / receiver is disposed on the inner side in the thickness direction of the pipe from the outer peripheral surface of the pipe. An electrical signal output step of transmitting an ultrasonic wave toward the receiver, receiving the reflected wave of the ultrasonic wave and outputting an electric signal corresponding to the reflected wave; and the thickness measuring unit transmits the ultrasonic wave from the ultrasonic transceiver A voltage control step for outputting a control voltage for transmitting the data, and a measurement data storage step for the thickness measurement unit to measure the electrical signal output from the ultrasonic transceiver and to store the measured measurement data And a data output step in which the thickness measurement unit outputs the stored measurement data of the reflected wave to the thickness calculation unit, and the thickness calculation unit is wirelessly connected to the thickness measurement unit. Communication A receiving step of receiving said measurement data, said thickness computing unit, characterized in that it comprises a and a thickness calculating step of calculating the thickness of the pipe on the basis of the measurement data received.

  According to the embodiment of the thickness measuring device and the thickness measuring method according to the present invention, the thickness of the pipe can be efficiently measured.

The block diagram which shows the whole structure of 1st Embodiment of the thickness measuring apparatus which concerns on this invention. The schematic diagram which shows the condition where an ultrasonic wave propagates in the inside of piping. The figure which shows the timing relationship of the transmitted wave and reflected wave of an ultrasonic wave. The flowchart which shows the whole processing flow of a thickness calculating part. The flowchart which shows the whole processing flow of a thickness measurement part. The block diagram which shows the structure of the power supply part of 2nd Embodiment of the thickness measuring apparatus which concerns on this invention. The figure which shows the example of installation to piping of the thickness measuring apparatus of 2nd Embodiment. The figure which shows the other example of installation to piping of the thickness measuring apparatus of 2nd Embodiment. The block diagram which shows the whole structure of 3rd Embodiment of the thickness measuring apparatus which concerns on this invention. The figure which shows the ultrasonic output control processing of the thickness measuring apparatus of 4th Embodiment. The figure which shows the waveform measurement process of the thickness measuring apparatus of 4th Embodiment. FIG. 12 is a continuation diagram of FIG. 11 showing a waveform measurement process of the thickness measuring apparatus according to the fourth embodiment. The figure which shows the reflected wave return time calculation process of the thickness measuring apparatus of 6th Embodiment. The block diagram which shows the whole structure of 8th Embodiment of the thickness measuring apparatus which concerns on this invention.

  Hereinafter, a thickness measuring device and a thickness measuring method according to an embodiment of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings. Here, the same or similar parts are denoted by common reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted. Each of the following embodiments described here will be described by taking an example of piping provided in a plant such as a power plant.

[First Embodiment]
First, a first embodiment of a thickness measuring apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of the thickness measuring apparatus according to the first embodiment, FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a situation in which ultrasonic waves propagate in a pipe, and FIG. 3 shows ultrasonic transmission waves. It is a figure which shows the timing relationship of reflected waves.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the thickness measuring device 20 includes a thickness measuring unit 2 and a thickness calculating unit 21. Further, the thickness measurement unit 2 includes an ultrasonic transceiver 3, a measurement control unit 6, a clock generation unit 7, a waveform measurement unit 8, a memory 9, a radio unit 10, a pulse generation unit 11, and a power supply unit 12. The ultrasonic transceiver 3 includes an ultrasonic transmission unit 4 and an ultrasonic reception unit 5.

  In the thickness measurement unit 2, an ultrasonic transmitter / receiver 3 that transmits and receives ultrasonic waves is in close contact with the surface of the pipe 1. The pipe 1 to be measured is, for example, iron or stainless steel, and a liquid or gas flows in the pipe 1. In FIG. 1, the pipe 1 shows a cross section perpendicular to the fluid flow direction (longitudinal direction of the pipe 1).

  The measurement control unit 6 controls each unit in the thickness measurement unit 2. Specifically, as will be described later, the measurement control unit 6 controls the clock generation unit 7, the waveform measurement unit 8, the radio unit 10, the pulse generation unit 11, and the power supply unit 12 according to a predetermined control processing procedure.

  The pulse generator 11 outputs a pulsed voltage to the ultrasonic transmitter / receiver 3 and transmits / receives ultrasonic waves in the ultrasonic transmitter / receiver 3. In the pulse generator 11, the voltage output timing and the like are controlled by the measurement controller 6.

  The ultrasonic transmission unit 4 of the ultrasonic transceiver 3 generates ultrasonic waves (or electromagnetic ultrasonic waves). As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the generated ultrasonic wave propagates in the thickness direction of the pipe 1 from the surface of the pipe 1 as an ultrasonic transmission wave Tx. The thickness of the pipe 1 is a thickness dx as shown in FIG.

  The ultrasonic transmission unit 4 is, for example, a piezoelectric ultrasonic transducer, an electromagnetic wave ultrasonic transducer, or the like. When receiving the pulse voltage from the pulse generator 11, the ultrasonic transmitter 4 generates an ultrasonic wave with this power. For example, a pulse voltage having a width of several hundreds ns is output from the pulse generator 11 to the ultrasonic transmitter 4. When this pulse voltage is input to the ultrasonic transmission unit 4, an ultrasonic wave is generated accordingly, and a transmission wave Tx thereby propagates from the outer peripheral surface of the pipe 1 toward the inner peripheral surface.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the ultrasonic receiver 5 of the ultrasonic transceiver 3 receives the reflected wave Rx with respect to the ultrasonic transmission wave Tx described above via the outer peripheral surface of the pipe 1. The ultrasonic receiver 5 is, for example, a piezoelectric ultrasonic receiver, an electromagnetic wave ultrasonic receiver, or the like.

  As shown in FIG. 2A, the ultrasonic transmission wave Tx output from the ultrasonic transmitter 4 propagates the thickness (thickness dx) from the outer peripheral surface of the pipe 1, and the inner peripheral surface of the pipe 1. When the boundary is reached, a part of the boundary is reflected to become a reflected wave Rx. The reflection angle of the reflected wave Rx is an angle corresponding to the incident angle with respect to the boundary surface of the transmission wave Tx. Further, when the reflected wave Rx propagates through the inner peripheral surface of the pipe 1 and reaches the outer peripheral surface of the pipe 1, a part of the reflected wave Rx is further reflected on the outer peripheral surface. Thereafter, such reflection is repeated a plurality of times, and the reflected wave Rx attenuates.

  The ultrasonic receiver 5 receives this reflected wave Rx and converts it into an electrical signal. The ultrasonic receiving unit 5 outputs the converted electric signal to the waveform measuring unit 8. In FIG. 2 (a), the reflected wave Rx reflected twice at the boundary of the inner peripheral surface of the pipe 1 is received by the ultrasonic wave receiving unit 5. However, even if one reflection is received, it is 3 degrees or more. A reflection may be received.

  Note that the ultrasonic transmission unit 4 and the ultrasonic reception unit 5 may be configured by any one of the ultrasonic transmission unit 4 and the ultrasonic reception unit 5. In this case, as shown in FIG. 2B, the transmission wave Tx and the reflected wave Rx are multiple-reflected at the same point.

  Furthermore, the ultrasonic transmission unit 4 can receive ultrasonic waves and the ultrasonic reception unit 5 can function so as to transmit ultrasonic waves.

  The waveform measuring unit 8 receives the electrical signal output from the ultrasonic receiving unit 5. The waveform measuring unit 8 measures the time interval when the reflected wave Rx reaches the ultrasonic wave receiving unit 5 or the digital conversion value (digital data) of the electric signal based on the input electric signal. The waveform measurement unit 8 stores these measurement data in the memory 9.

  The waveform measurement unit 8 is, for example, an analog / digital converter (A / D converter) or a peak detection circuit. In the case of an A / D converter, the converted digital data is stored in the memory 9. In the case of a peak detection circuit or the like, the time interval from the peak value of the reflected wave Rx to the next peak value is stored.

  The clock generation unit 7 supplies a measurement clock serving as a time reference in the thickness measurement unit 2. This measurement clock is, for example, a pulsed voltage signal output with a predetermined time interval (predetermined frequency). The measurement clock is used, for example, as a sampling clock when an A / D converter is used in the waveform measurement unit 8 and for measuring a waveform such as a peak interval when a peak detection circuit is used.

  The measurement clock is also used when the measurement control unit 6 adjusts the time such as the trigger timing Tg (shown in FIG. 3) of the pulse voltage output to the ultrasonic transmission unit 4, for example.

  The wireless unit 10 reads the measurement data regarding the reflected wave Rx stored in the memory 9 and transmits the read measurement data to the thickness calculation unit 21 via wireless communication.

  Measurement data as described above is stored in the memory 9. The memory 9 stores data including measurement data. The memory 9 is, for example, a volatile memory, a nonvolatile memory, or a combination thereof. For example, when a non-volatile memory is provided, measurement parameters required for the memory 9 are stored.

  FIG. 3 shows the timing relationship between the transmission wave Tx and the reflected wave Rx of the ultrasonic wave to be measured.

  In FIG. 3, the timing at which pulsed voltage output control is performed on the pulse generator 11 by the measurement controller 6 is defined as a trigger timing Tg. The trigger timing Tg indicates that the pulse output control is performed on the pulse generator 11 by the measurement controller 6 at the transmission time t0. Note that an ultrasonic transmission wave Tx is transmitted from the ultrasonic transmission unit 4 at the transmission time t0.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the transmission wave Tx causes the ultrasonic signal P1 to propagate from the outer peripheral surface of the pipe 1 in the plate thickness direction substantially from the transmission time t0. This ultrasonic signal P1 reaches the boundary of the inner peripheral surface of the pipe 1 and is reflected. The reflected wave Rx by the ultrasonic signal P1 is composed of a plurality of reflected wave signals.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the reflected wave Rx includes, for example, a first reflected wave B1 that first reaches the outer peripheral surface of the pipe 1. The detection time during which the first reflected wave B1 is detected or received via the ultrasonic wave receiver 5 is a time t1 shown in FIG.

  Moreover, it is 2nd reflected wave B2 which reaches | attains the outer peripheral surface of the piping 1 second, and detection time is also the time t2 shown in FIG. Hereinafter, similarly, the third reflected wave B3, the fourth reflected wave B4, and the fifth reflected wave are detected, and their detection times are times t3, t4, and t5 shown in FIG. In the example of FIG. 3, five reflected wave components are shown, but the number is not limited to this.

  The power supply unit 12 generates power from heat, light, vibration, wind power, electromagnetic waves, and the like. Specifically, the power supply part 12 produces | generates electric power by the electric power generation using the temperature gradient of the surface temperature of the piping 1, and temperature other than that, for example. Such thermoelectric power generation is realized by using a temperature gradient between the surface of the pipe 1 and other portions by using a Peltier element. In addition, solar power generation generates power using a solar panel, for example, using light from an illumination lamp in a plant facility as an energy source.

  The generated power is supplied to the measurement control unit 6, the clock generation unit 7, the waveform measurement unit 8, the memory 9, the radio unit 10, and the pulse generation unit 11.

  The energy sources existing around the thickness measuring unit 2 include, for example, thermal radiation from a pipe (Peltier element), light from lighting in a facility (solar panel), vibration energy due to mechanical vibration (piezoelectric element), wind power Energy (wind power such as fans and blowers), electromagnetic energy supplied by electromagnetic coupling, electromagnetic induction, and the like. In the following, these are referred to as environmental energy.

  The power supply unit 12 is, for example, a solar panel for light (illumination lamps, etc.) existing around the thickness measuring unit 2, a Peltier element for heat radiation of the pipe 1, a piezoelectric element for mechanical vibration, and a wind power generator for wind power. The electromagnetic wave is configured to generate electric power using an antenna. These configurations may be selected in advance according to environmental conditions in the plant, or a plurality of combinations thereof may be used.

  The thickness calculation unit 21 receives the measurement data of the reflected wave Rx transmitted from the thickness measurement unit 2, calculates the propagation time of the reflected wave Rx, and obtains the thickness dx of the pipe 1. The thickness calculation unit 21 can communicate with the thickness measurement unit 2. The communication means is, for example, wireless communication.

  The carrier frequency of wireless communication is determined in advance according to environmental conditions such as the distance between the thickness calculating unit 21 and the thickness measuring unit 2, and each has a wireless circuit corresponding to the communicable carrier frequency.

  The thickness calculator 21 receives the measurement data transmitted from the wireless unit 10. Based on the received measurement data, the thickness calculator 21 receives, for example, the trigger timing Tg transmitted ultrasonically by the ultrasonic transmitter 4 and the reflected wave Rx reaches the ultrasonic receiver 5 as shown in FIG. The propagation time is obtained from the time difference between the measured times t1 to t5. Thereby, the thickness calculation unit 21 calculates the thickness dx of the pipe 1 based on the obtained propagation time and the propagation speed of the ultrasonic wave stored in the pipe 1 in advance.

  4 and 5 show a processing flow of the thickness measuring apparatus 20 of the first embodiment. In particular, FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the overall processing flow of the thickness calculator 21, and FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the overall processing flow of the thickness measurement unit 2.

  First, the overall processing flow of the thickness calculator 21 shown in FIG. 4 will be described. When the measurement process of the thickness calculation unit 21 is started, the thickness calculation unit 21 transmits a measurement start command to the thickness measurement unit 2 (step S11).

  Next, the thickness calculation unit 21 waits for a response from the thickness measurement unit 2 because it performs a wireless response request communication or has a rule that is transmitted at regular time intervals (step S12). And when the response from the thickness measurement part 2 is received (Yes of step S12), the thickness calculating part 21 advances a process to step S13. On the other hand, when a response cannot be received from the thickness measurement part 2 (No of step S12), the thickness calculating part 21 advances a process to step S17.

  Subsequently, the thickness calculation unit 21 checks whether or not the measurement data from the thickness measurement unit 2 has been received (step S13). When the measurement data has not been received (No in step S13), the thickness calculator 21 advances the process to step S17.

  On the other hand, when the measurement data is received (Yes in step S13), the thickness calculator 21 stores the received measurement data in the memory (step S14).

  Next, the thickness calculator 21 calculates the thickness dx of the pipe 1 based on the measurement data (step S15). After the calculation, the thickness calculator 21 outputs the calculation result of the calculated thickness dx of the pipe 1 (step S16). After outputting the calculation result, the thickness calculator 21 ends this processing flow.

  On the other hand, in step 17, the thickness calculator 21 determines whether to continue retrying transmission (step S17). When retrying transmission (Yes in step S17), the thickness calculator 21 returns the process to step S11.

  When the transmission is not retried (No in step S17), the thickness calculator 21 notifies the outside according to the abnormal content such as measurement impossibility (step S18). After the abnormality notification, the thickness calculator 21 ends this processing flow.

  The overall processing flow of the thickness measuring unit 2 shown in FIG. 5 will be described. When the measurement process of the thickness measurement unit 2 is started, the wireless unit 10 of the thickness measurement unit 2 waits for a command transmitted from the thickness calculation unit 21 (step S21). If no command is received (No in step S21), the wireless unit 10 continues to wait until a command is received from the thickness calculator 21.

  On the other hand, when a command is received (Yes in step S21), the measurement control unit 6 collates the received command (step S22).

  Further, the measurement control unit 6 checks whether or not the collated command is a measurement start command (step S23). When the collated command is not a measurement start command (No in step S23), the measurement control unit 6 advances the process to step S28.

  On the other hand, when the collated command is a measurement start command (Yes in step S23), the measurement control unit 6 outputs a pulse to the pulse generation unit 11 in order to output the ultrasonic wave from the ultrasonic transmission unit 4 to the pipe 1. Is output (step S24).

  After outputting the pulse output control command, the measurement control unit 6 outputs a waveform measurement command of the reflected wave Rx output from the ultrasonic wave reception unit 5 to the waveform measurement unit 8, and the waveform measurement unit 8 that has received this command. Starts measuring the waveform of the reflected wave Rx (step S25).

  After this measurement, the waveform measurement unit 8 stores measurement data regarding the waveform measurement of the reflected wave Rx in the memory 9 (step S26). The measurement control unit 6 sends transmission data including the measurement data stored in the memory 9 to the wireless unit 10.

  Next, the radio unit 10 transmits the transmission data sent from the measurement control unit 6 (step S27). After data transmission, the measurement control unit 6 returns the process to step S21. Thereafter, the processes of steps S21 to S29 are repeated.

  On the other hand, if the received command or data cannot be collated, the measurement control unit 6 checks, for example, whether the number is less than a predetermined number of retries (step S28). If the number of retries is less than the predetermined number and if a retry is to be performed (Yes in step S28), the process returns to step S21 to re-receive data.

  In step S28, when retry is not performed (No in step S28), the measurement control unit 6 sends data indicating abnormality notification to the wireless unit 10 (step S29), and the process proceeds to step S27. After data transmission, the measurement control unit 6 returns the process to step S21. Thereafter, the processes of steps S21 to S29 are repeated.

  Here, the main configuration of the thickness calculation unit 21 shown in FIG. 1 may include, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a monitor, and the like. . In this case, for example, a program for executing the thickness calculation processing as described above is stored in the ROM, and the processing of the thickness calculation unit 21 shown in FIG. 4 is executed by the CPU, RAM, etc. according to the program. Will do.

  In the case of the configuration of the above example, the operator may input a measurement condition such as a measurement start time and the number of measurements from a keyboard, a mouse, or the like. Moreover, the structure which the thickness calculating part 21 inputs / outputs those measurement conditions, a measurement result, etc. via LAN etc. may be sufficient.

  According to the thickness measurement device of the first embodiment, the power consumed in the thickness measurement unit 2 is obtained from environmental energy such as light, heat, vibration, wind power, and electromagnetic waves existing around the thickness measurement device 20. be able to. It is not necessary to connect the thickness measuring unit 2 to an external power supply device. Further, by outputting the measurement data to the thickness calculation unit 21 via wireless communication, it is not necessary to connect a signal line cable from the thickness measurement unit 2 to the thickness calculation unit 21. Thereby, the thickness measuring part 2 can be permanently installed on the pipe surface. As a result, it is possible to reduce work time and man-hours for installing the sensor for each measurement work.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment of the thickness measuring apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 6 to 8.

  The overall configuration of the thickness measuring apparatus of the second embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment. That is, it is a block diagram shown in FIG. Furthermore, in the thickness measurement apparatus of the second embodiment, the configuration of the power supply unit 12 shown in FIG. 1 is as shown in the block diagram of FIG.

  7 and 8 are diagrams showing examples of installation of the thickness measuring device according to the present embodiment on a pipe. 7 and 8 are longitudinal sectional views along the longitudinal direction of the pipe 1. The thickness measuring device in FIG. 7 is 20a, the thickness measuring device in FIG. 8 is 20b, and in FIGS. 6 to 8, the same reference numerals are assigned to the same components as those in the first embodiment. In the following, redundant description is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the power supply unit 12 of the thickness measuring unit 2 stores a power generation unit 121 that generates power using ambient environmental energy such as light, heat, vibration, wind power, and electromagnetic waves, and power generated by the power generation unit 121. And a secondary battery 122.

  The electric power generated in the power generation unit 121 is stored in the secondary battery 122. The power stored in the secondary battery 122 is supplied to, for example, the measurement control unit 6, the clock generation unit 7, the waveform measurement unit 8, the memory 9, the radio unit 10, and the pulse generation unit 11 illustrated in FIG. 1.

  The secondary battery 122 is, for example, a lithium ion secondary battery or a lithium ion polymer secondary battery. Further, instead of the secondary battery 122, a capacitor having a storage capacity sufficient for supplying power in the thickness measuring unit 2 may be used. Further, the secondary battery 122 and a capacitor may be used in combination.

  With the above configuration, the thickness measurement unit 2 can store the power generated by the power generation unit 121 at any time, and the power required for the operation of the thickness measurement unit 2 can be stored without receiving power from an external power source. Can be self-sufficient.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an installation example of the thickness measuring device 20a on the pipe 1 when the Peltier element 121a is used in the power generation unit 121 illustrated in FIG.

  In FIG. 7, for example, high-temperature gas or liquid flows through the pipe 1, and the outer peripheral surface of the pipe 1 reaches a high temperature of 100 (° C.) or more during operation of the plant. The surface of the pipe 1 is covered with a pipe cover 31 that is a heat insulating material.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the thickness measurement unit 2 is installed, for example, between the pipe 1 and the pipe cover 31. In this case, the Peltier element 121a of the power supply unit 12 is attached so that one end of the Peltier element 121a is in close contact with the surface of the pipe 1 as the high temperature side, and the other end is attached other than the surface of the pipe 1 as the low temperature side. .

  For example, a radiating fin or the like is attached to a housing or the like having the thickness measuring unit 2, and the other end of the Peltier element 121a is attached to the radiating fin in close contact with the radiating fin. As a result, the Peltier element 121 a generates power due to the temperature gradient between one end and the other end of the Peltier element 121 a and is stored in the secondary battery 122.

  In addition, the ultrasonic transceiver 3 that transmits and receives ultrasonic waves is installed so as to be in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the pipe 1 as described above.

  The thickness calculator 21 is installed at a position away from the pipe 1 and the pipe cover 31 and at a position where wireless communication with the thickness measuring unit 2 is possible.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an installation example of the thickness measuring device 20b on the pipe 1 when the solar panel 121b is used in the power generation unit 121 illustrated in FIG.

  In FIG. 8, the outer peripheral surface of the pipe 1 is covered with a pipe cover 31 that is a heat insulating material. As shown in FIG. 8, the thickness measuring unit 2 is installed, for example, between the pipe 1 and the pipe cover 31. Similarly to the case of FIG. 7, the ultrasonic transceiver 3 is installed so as to be in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the pipe 1.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 8, an illuminating lamp 32 is provided in a facility in the surrounding environment of the pipe 1, and the solar panel 121 b is arranged outside the pipe cover 31 so as to be able to receive light from the illuminating lamp 32. It is installed on the surface of the piping cover 31. The generated electric power is stored in the secondary battery 122 in the thickness measuring unit 2 from the solar panel 121b through the panel wiring 123b.

  According to the second embodiment, by storing the generated power in the secondary battery 122, even when sufficient power cannot be obtained from environmental energy such as heat and light, the power stored in the secondary battery 122 is used. The thickness measurement (thickness measurement) of the pipe 1 becomes possible. For example, when measuring the thickness when the plant is shut down, even if the surface temperature of the pipe 1 decreases and sufficient heat energy cannot be obtained, the power stored in the secondary battery 122 is used to Thickness measurement is possible.

  As described above, in addition to the effect of the first embodiment, by using the stored power even when the surrounding environmental energy is not sufficient, the thickness (thickness) of the pipe can be stably measured. Can do.

[Third Embodiment]
Next, a third embodiment of the thickness measuring apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of the thickness measuring apparatus according to the third embodiment. In FIG. 9, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted below.

  The main difference between the thickness measuring apparatus of the third embodiment and the thickness measuring apparatus of the first embodiment is that a switch 13 is provided as shown in FIG. In FIG. 9, the thickness measurement device 20c is used, and the waveform measurement unit 8 (FIG. 1) of the first embodiment is an A / D conversion unit (analog / digital conversion unit) 8a.

  In the thickness measuring unit 2 of the thickness measuring device 20 c, a switch 13 is provided between the power source unit 12 and the power source lines of the pulse generator 11, the A / D converter 8 a, the memory 9, and the radio unit 10. The measurement control unit 6 is always connected so that power can be supplied from the power supply unit 12.

  The switch 13 turns the switch on or off according to the control of the measurement control unit 6. The measurement control unit 6 turns on the switch 13 periodically or during operation such as when measuring the thickness of the pipe 1. When the switch 13 is on, power is supplied from the power supply unit 12 to the measurement control unit 6, clock generation unit 7, A / D conversion unit 8 a, memory 9, radio unit 10, and pulse generation unit 11.

  In addition, the measurement control unit 6 turns off the switch 13 periodically or during standby when the thickness measurement of the pipe 1 is not performed. When the switch 13 is off, power is supplied from the power supply unit 12 to the measurement control unit 6, and power is supplied to the clock generation unit 7, A / D conversion unit 8 a, memory 9, radio unit 10, and pulse generation unit 11. Not supplied.

  As described above, according to the third embodiment, when the pipe 1 is not subjected to the thickness measurement process, the main power supply line in the thickness measurement unit 2 is turned off so that the thickness at the standby can be obtained. The power consumption in the measurement unit 2 can be suppressed.

[Fourth Embodiment]
Next, a fourth embodiment of the thickness measuring apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 2, 3, and 9 to 12. FIG. FIG. 9 used in the following description is an example of a block diagram showing the overall configuration of the thickness measuring apparatus of the fourth embodiment. In the fourth embodiment, the switch 13 shown in FIG. It is not an element.

  When the pulse generation unit 11 outputs a voltage in a pulse shape, a transmission wave Tx is output from the ultrasonic transmission unit 4 of the ultrasonic transceiver 3 as shown in FIG. This transmission wave Tx is reflected on the surface of the inner peripheral surface of the pipe 1 to generate a reflected wave Rx. The reflected wave Rx is repeatedly reflected and attenuated between the inner peripheral surface and the outer peripheral surface of the pipe 1. In the thickness measuring apparatus 20c shown in FIG. 9, this is one measurement. The thickness measuring device 20c repeats this measurement a plurality of times (N times, where N is an integer of 2 or more) at a predetermined interval. That is, the thickness measurement apparatus 20c collects N times of measurement data of the reflected wave Rx in N measurements.

  FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the relationship between the trigger timing Tg, the transmission wave Tx, and the reflected wave Rx when N = 4 times of ultrasonic waves are transmitted. As shown in FIG. 10, the ultrasonic wave signals P1a, P1b, P1c, and P1d are output at every ultrasonic transmission time t0a, t0b, t0c, and t0d by the measurement control unit 6 of the thickness measuring apparatus 20c. In response to the ultrasonic signals P1a, P1b, P1c and P1d, a reflected wave Rx as shown in FIG. 10 is generated. For example, the first reflected wave by the ultrasonic signal P1a is B1a, and the other first reflected wave by the ultrasonic signal P1b is B1b.

  In the conventional thickness measurement apparatus, when the reflected wave Rx generated by the transmission wave Tx transmitted in one measurement is A / D converted to obtain the measurement data of the reflected wave Rx, the sampling theorem is satisfied. The reflected wave Rx must be sampled with the first sampling frequency fs that is highly conditioned. The first sampling frequency fs is larger than, for example, the Nyquist frequency for the frequency region of the ultrasonic signal component to be measured.

  However, in the thickness measuring apparatus 20c of the present embodiment, the second sampling frequency (which is sufficiently lower than the first sampling frequency fs) is measured by measuring the reflected wave Rx generated by the transmission wave Tx of a plurality of measurements. Sampling can be performed at a downsampling frequency fd.

  For example, it is assumed that the thickness measurement apparatus 20c performs measurement a plurality of times (N times). In this case, the downsampling frequency fd of the A / D conversion unit 8a = first sampling frequency fs ÷ N.

  For this purpose, the measurement control unit 6 controls the measurement start timing and waveform measurement (sampling timing) of the reflected wave Rx in a plurality of (N) measurements. The measurement control unit 6 reflects on the A / D conversion unit 8a while shifting the sampling start time of the A / D conversion unit 8a for each measurement with a delay time Δt = 1 ÷ fs with reference to the transmission time t0 shown in FIG. The wave Rx is sampled. The A / D conversion unit 8 a stores A / D conversion data (measurement data) of the reflected wave Rx at each measurement time in the memory 9.

  In the thickness measurement of the pipe 1, as shown in FIG. 10, sampling is performed at a downsampling frequency fd lower than the first sampling frequency fs, and the measurement data of the reflected wave Rx is connected by a plurality of times (N times). Can be used.

  The measurement controller 6 sends the measurement data for N times stored in the memory 9 to the thickness calculator 21 via the wireless unit 10. The thickness calculation unit 21 receives the measurement data for N times, connects the measurement data of the reflected waves Rx of each measurement (interpolates), and calculates the propagation time from the group of interpolated reflected waves Rx. .

  FIGS. 11 and 12 are diagrams illustrating an example of processing in which the reflected wave Rx is A / D converted with N = 4 times. Hereinafter, the waveform measurement method of the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

  When the first sampling frequency is fs, FIGS. 11 and 12 show examples in which the second sampling frequency of the A / D converter 8a is fs ÷ 4 (= downsampling frequency fd).

  In the first measurement, as shown in FIG. 10, the ultrasonic transmission unit 4 outputs an ultrasonic transmission signal P1a at the transmission time t0a. The reflected wave Rx by the transmission signal P1a is received by the ultrasonic receiver 5 of the ultrasonic transmitter / receiver 3. In the ultrasonic receiver 5, the received reflected wave Rx is converted into an electric signal. The ultrasonic receiver 5 outputs the converted electrical signal to the A / D converter 8a.

  In FIG. 10, for example, the first reflected wave B1a that reaches first in the reflected wave Rx of the first measurement is assumed. Similarly, the first reflected wave B1b that arrives first in the reflected wave Rx of the second measurement, the first reflected wave B1c of the third measurement, and the first reflected wave B1d of the fourth measurement are also used. The first reflected waves B1a to B1d correspond to the first reflected wave B1 shown in FIG. The same applies to the other second reflected waves B2 to B5.

  In FIG. 11, the measurement control unit 6 causes the clock generation unit 7 to output the first clock (ClkA) immediately after the time ta from the transmission time t0a of the first measurement. For each timing with the first clock as a reference, the A / D converter 8a indicates that the electrical signal corresponding to the first reflected wave B1a has been A / D converted (SampA).

  Further, the measurement control unit 6 causes the clock generation unit 7 to output the second clock (ClkB) immediately after the time tb from the transmission time t0b of the second measurement. It shows that the electrical signal corresponding to the reflected wave B1b is A / D converted (SampB) by the A / D converter 8a at each timing based on the second clock.

  Similarly, the third clock (ClkC) is output immediately after time tc from the third transmission time t0c. The electrical signal corresponding to the first reflected wave B1c is A / D-converted (SampC) at each timing based on the third clock. Similarly, the fourth clock (ClkD) is output immediately after time td from the transmission time t0d of the fourth measurement. The electrical signal corresponding to the first reflected wave B1d is A / D converted (SampD) at each timing with the fourth clock as a reference.

  For example, when the sampling interval ts = 1 / fs corresponding to the first sampling frequency fs which is a high frequency is set, the clock generation unit 7 has a relationship of tb−ta = tc−tb = td−tc = ts. The time for generating the fourth clock from the first clock with respect to the reference transmission time t0 (t0a to t0d) is adjusted. For example, for this purpose, the clock generator 7 adjusts the time difference by using, for example, a delay circuit or a delay element having the delay time ts, and based on the measurement clock of the second sampling frequency which is fs / 4 or based thereon. The clock is output to the A / D converter 8a.

  In the example of FIGS. 10 to 12, N = 4 (times) is measured a plurality of times. However, when N is an integer and the sampling frequency is fs ÷ N, the thickness measuring unit 2 is connected to the ultrasonic transceiver 3. The reflected wave Rx from the first to the Nth time is measured while shifting the sampling start time for each measurement by the sampling interval (1 ÷ fs) with reference to the transmission time t0 when the pulse is output. That is, the A / D conversion unit 8a stores the digital data in the memory 9 for each of a plurality of measurements (N times). Accordingly, the propagation time of the reflected wave Rx can be obtained with the same accuracy as the high first sampling frequency by using the low second sampling frequency.

  The thickness calculator 21 connects the measurement data for N times of the reflected wave Rx. For example, in the measurement of N = 4 shown in FIG. 11, as shown in FIG. 12, the measurement data sampled at the first clock (ClkA) to the fourth clock (ClkD) is interpolated as SampA + SampB + SampC + SampD.

  The thickness calculator 21 calculates the propagation time of the reflected wave Rx based on the interpolated reflected wave Rx measurement data. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the thickness calculator 21 calculates detection times t1 to t5 of the reflected wave Rx from the first reflected wave B1 to the fifth reflected wave B5 by a predetermined calculation, and the time of this detection time The thickness of the pipe 1 is calculated from the interval and the ultrasonic wave propagation speed at the pipe 1 thickness.

  As described above, according to the fourth embodiment, the power consumption when measuring the thickness of the pipe can be reduced by lowering the sampling frequency of the analog-digital converter. Further, by reducing the power consumption, it is possible to cover the power with a secondary battery having a smaller capacity, and the size of the housing for housing the thickness measuring unit 2 is reduced, thereby improving the installation property to the pipe. be able to.

  In the example of the present embodiment, the A / D conversion unit 8a shown in FIG. 9 is configured as one analog-digital converter, but may be configured as a plurality (N) of analog-digital converters. . In this case, the plurality of analog-digital converters, for example, measure the sampling start times of the first to Nth analog-digital converters by a sampling interval (1 ÷ fs) based on the transmission time t0 by one measurement. The reflected wave Rx is measured using the second sampling frequency while shifting. By interpolating these measured data, the propagation time of the reflected wave Rx can be obtained with the same accuracy as that of the high first sampling frequency using the low second sampling frequency as described above.

[Fifth Embodiment]
Next, a fifth embodiment of the thickness measuring apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 9 used for the following description is an example of a block diagram showing the overall configuration of the thickness measuring apparatus of the fifth embodiment. In the fifth embodiment, the switch 13 shown in FIG. It is not an element.

  The A / D converter 8a of the thickness measuring unit 2 performs A / D conversion on the electrical signal of the reflected wave Rx, and stores the A / D converted data in the memory 9 as measurement data. This measurement data is transmitted to the thickness calculator 21 via the radio unit 10. The thickness calculator 21 uses the measurement time t of the reflected wave Rx from this measurement data and the A / D conversion value x (t) for each measurement time t to obtain the center of gravity Σ (t of the waveform of the reflected wave Rx. Xx (t)) ÷ Σx (t) is calculated. The measurement time t corresponds to the sampling clock width of the A / D conversion unit 8a.

  For example, in the case of the reflected wave Rx as shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of centroids corresponding to the first reflected wave B1 to the fifth reflected wave B5 are calculated. The thickness calculator 21 calculates the return time of the reflected wave Rx by obtaining the time interval between the plurality of centroids. Thereby, the thickness of the pipe 1 can be calculated.

  According to the fifth embodiment, the return time of the reflected wave Rx can be calculated even if the sampling frequency of the analog-digital converter is lowered and the number of measurement data points is reduced, and the power consumption during thickness measurement is reduced. it can. Thereby, power can be covered with a small capacity secondary battery in the thickness measuring unit 2, and the dimension of the thickness measuring unit 2 can be reduced to improve the installation property to the pipe.

[Sixth Embodiment]
Next, a sixth embodiment of the thickness measuring apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 9 used in the following description is an example of a block diagram showing the overall configuration of the thickness measuring apparatus according to the sixth embodiment. In the sixth embodiment, the switch 13 shown in FIG. It is not an element.

  The A / D converter 8a of the thickness measuring unit 2 performs A / D conversion on the electrical signal of the reflected wave Rx, and stores the A / D converted data in the memory 9 as measurement data. This measurement data is transmitted to the thickness calculator 21 via the radio unit 10. From this measurement data, the thickness calculator 21 measures the measurement time t of the reflected wave Rx, the A / D conversion value x (t) for each measurement time t, the number M of measurement data, and the reference reflected wave b ( t) is used to calculate a time τ in which the correlation function w (τ) = Σ (x (t + τ) × b (t)) ÷ M is maximum. The thickness calculator 21 calculates the return time of the reflected wave Rx from the calculated time τ.

  FIG. 13 shows an example of a reflected wave return time calculation process by the thickness calculator 21.

  The thickness calculator 21 stores the reference reflected wave b (t) as reflected wave table data 22 in advance. The reflected wave table data 22 stores in advance a data group serving as a reference for correlating with the reflected wave Rx in accordance with conditions such as the material of the pipe 1. As shown in FIG. 13, for example, the thickness calculator 21 detects the peak from the correlation function w (τ), obtains the times t11 to t51 corresponding to the peak, and uses this result to calculate the reflected wave Rx. Calculate the return time.

  In the above example, the case of the cross-correlation function is shown. For example, the time τ when the autocorrelation function w2 (τ) = Σ (x (t + τ) × x (t)) ÷ M is maximum is obtained and obtained. The return time of the reflected wave Rx may be calculated from the time τ.

  According to the sixth embodiment, the return time of the reflected wave Rx can be calculated even if the sampling frequency of the analog-digital converter is lowered and the number of measurement data points is reduced, and the power consumption during thickness measurement is reduced. it can. Thereby, power can be covered with a small capacity secondary battery in the thickness measuring unit 2, and the dimension of the thickness measuring unit 2 can be reduced to improve the installation property to the pipe.

[Seventh Embodiment]
Next, a seventh embodiment of the thickness measuring apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 9 used in the following description is an example of a block diagram showing the overall configuration of the thickness measuring apparatus of the seventh embodiment. In the seventh embodiment, the switch 13 shown in FIG. It is not an element.

  The A / D converter 8a of the thickness measuring unit 2 performs A / D conversion on the electrical signal of the reflected wave Rx, and stores the A / D converted data in the memory 9 as measurement data. This measurement data is transmitted to the thickness calculator 21 via the radio unit 10.

  The thickness calculator 21 performs waveform fitting from the measurement data based on the measurement time t of the reflected wave Rx and the A / D conversion value x (t) for each measurement time t. In waveform fitting, an approximate curve that minimizes an error with respect to measurement data is obtained. The approximate curve is determined in advance. The peak time is obtained from the result of the waveform fitting, and the return time of the reflected wave Rx is calculated. Also, by interpolating the measurement data, the peak time can be obtained even when there is a peak between the measurement data. Similarly, the function to be interpolated is determined in advance.

  According to the seventh embodiment, the return time of the reflected wave Rx can be obtained even when the sampling frequency of the analog-digital converter is lowered to reduce the number of measurement data points, and the power consumption during thickness measurement can be reduced. . Thereby, power can be covered with a small capacity secondary battery in the thickness measuring unit 2, and the dimension of the thickness measuring unit 2 can be reduced to improve the installation property to the pipe.

[Eighth Embodiment]
Next, an eighth embodiment of the thickness measuring apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 14 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of the thickness measuring apparatus according to the eighth embodiment. In FIG. 14, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted below.

  A thickness measuring apparatus 20d shown in FIG. 14 includes a waveform measuring unit 8b as the waveform measuring unit 8 of the first embodiment shown in FIG. Further, the waveform measurement unit 8 b includes a peak detection unit 14 and a peak count unit 15.

  The peak detector 14 detects the waveform peak of the electric signal of the reflected wave Rx output from the ultrasonic receiver 5. For example, the peak detector 14 detects the respective peaks of the first reflected wave B1 to the fifth reflected wave B5 of the reflected wave Rx shown in FIG.

  The peak counting unit 15 counts the peak of the reflected wave Rx detected by the peak detecting unit 14 with the measurement clock. As the measurement clock, the clock of the clock generator 7 or a clock based thereon (for example, a divided clock) is used.

  Specifically, the peak counting unit 15 starts counting the measurement clock output from the clock generation unit 7 based on the trigger timing Tg of the ultrasonic transmission wave Tx. When the peak detector 14 detects the peak of the electrical signal output from the ultrasonic receiver 5, the peak counter 15 stores the count value of the measurement clock at the time of detection. The count number of the measurement clock corresponds to the propagation time of the reflected wave.

  For example, the peak detector 14 detects the peak detection time (referred to as t1) of the first reflected wave B1 from the transmission time t0 shown in FIG. Further, the peak detector 14 detects the peak detection time (referred to as t2) of the second reflected wave B2, which is the next peak, from the peak detection time t1 of the first reflected wave B1. The same applies to the other peak detection times t3 to t5.

  For the detection times t1 to t5, the peak count unit 15 counts the measurement clock. The peak count unit 15 stores the counted value in the memory 9 as measurement data. This measurement data is transmitted to the thickness calculator 21 via the wireless unit 10.

  According to the eighth embodiment, since the propagation time of the reflected wave Rx can be measured without using an analog-digital converter with large power consumption in the thickness measurement unit 2, power consumption during thickness measurement can be reduced. Can do. Thereby, power can be covered with a small capacity secondary battery in the thickness measuring unit 2, and the dimension of the thickness measuring unit 2 can be reduced to improve the installation property to the pipe.

[Ninth Embodiment]
Next, a ninth embodiment of the thickness measuring apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In addition, FIG. 1 used for the following description is an example of a block diagram showing an overall configuration of a thickness measuring apparatus according to the ninth embodiment.

  The waveform measuring unit 8 of the thickness measuring unit 2 performs A / D conversion on the electrical signal of the reflected wave Rx, and stores the A / D converted data in the memory 9 as measurement data. Alternatively, the waveform measuring unit 8 detects the peak value of the reflected wave Rx. Measurement data at the time when the peak value is detected is stored in the memory 9. The specific configuration of these waveform measuring units 8 is as shown in the above-described embodiments (fourth embodiment and eighth embodiment).

  In the thickness measuring apparatus 20 of the present embodiment, the waveform measuring unit 8 calculates the propagation time of the reflected wave Rx using the measurement data stored in the memory 9. As a result, when the propagation time of the reflected wave Rx calculated from the radio unit 10 is transmitted as data, the data transmission amount can be reduced as compared with the case where A / D conversion data of the reflected wave Rx is transmitted. Thereby, since the amount of data transmitted from the wireless unit 10 is reduced, the communication time by the wireless unit 10 can be shortened.

  Note that the method of calculating the propagation time of the reflected wave Rx of the thickness measurement unit 2 can use the centroid detection processing, waveform peak detection processing, correlation function processing, and the like described in the above embodiment.

  According to the ninth embodiment, in addition to the effects of the first embodiment, the amount of data transmitted by wireless communication is reduced, and the communication time of wireless communication is shortened, thereby reducing the power consumption during thickness measurement. Can be reduced.

[Other Embodiments]
As mentioned above, although some embodiment of this invention was described, these embodiment is shown as an example and is not intending limiting the range of invention. For example, the present invention can be applied to facilities having similar piping other than plants such as power plants. Moreover, you may combine the characteristic of each embodiment. Furthermore, these embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the invention described in the claims and equivalents thereof as well as included in the scope and gist of the invention.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Pipe, 2 ... Thickness measurement part, 3 ... Ultrasonic transmitter / receiver, 4 ... Ultrasonic transmission part, 5 ... Ultrasonic reception part, 6 ... Measurement control part, 7 ... Clock generation part, 8, 8b ... Waveform measurement Unit, 8a ... A / D conversion unit, 9 ... memory, 10 ... radio unit, 11 ... pulse generation unit, 12 ... power supply unit, 13 ... switch, 14 ... peak detection unit, 15 ... peak count unit, 20, 20a, 20b, 20c, 20d ... thickness measuring device, 21 ... thickness calculation unit, 22 ... reflected wave table data, 31 ... piping cover, 32 ... illumination lamp, 121 ... power generation unit, 121a ... Peltier element, 121b ... solar panel, 122 ... secondary battery, 123b ... panel wiring

Claims (12)

A thickness measuring device comprising a thickness measuring unit and a thickness calculating unit, and measuring the thickness of a pipe,
The thickness measuring unit is
Memory,
A clock generator for outputting a clock signal at a predetermined time interval;
An ultrasonic transmitter / receiver that transmits ultrasonic waves from the outer peripheral surface of the pipe toward the inside in the thickness direction of the pipe, receives the reflected wave of the ultrasonic wave, and outputs an electric signal according to the reflected wave;
A pulse generator for outputting a control voltage for causing the ultrasonic transceiver to transmit the ultrasonic wave;
A waveform measuring unit that measures the electrical signal output from the ultrasonic transceiver and stores the measured measurement data in the memory;
A wireless unit that is capable of communicating with the thickness calculator through a radio signal, and that outputs the measurement data of the reflected wave stored in the memory to the thickness calculator;
A measurement control unit for controlling the waveform measurement unit to control the pulse generation unit and measure the electrical signal based on the clock signal after the control voltage is output;
A power supply unit that generates power using predetermined environmental energy,
The thickness calculation unit receives the measurement data transmitted from the radio unit as a radio signal, and calculates the thickness of the pipe based on the received measurement data. The thickness measurement apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the power supply unit includes at least one of a capacitor and a secondary battery. The predetermined environmental energy includes thermal energy from the pipe,
The power supply unit includes a Peltier element, one end of the Peltier element can be attached to the surface of the pipe, and the other end can be attached to other than the surface of the pipe. The thickness measuring apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the Peltier element generates electric power by a temperature gradient, and the power supply unit generates electric power. The predetermined environmental energy includes illumination light or natural light,
The said power supply part is equipped with a solar panel, The said solar panel generates electric power with the said illumination light or natural light, and the said power supply part produces | generates electric power. The Claim 1 thru | or 3 characterized by the above-mentioned. Thickness measuring device. The thickness measurement unit is connected to a power supply line to which power is supplied from the power supply unit, and connects between the pulse generation unit, the waveform measurement unit, the memory and the radio unit, and the power supply unit. And a switch provided between the detachable power supply lines,
The measurement control unit is configured to connect the switch periodically and in a first period for measuring the wall thickness of the pipe, and to disconnect the switch in a second period other than the regular period and the first period. The thickness measuring device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein The waveform measuring unit is an analog-digital converter that converts the electrical signal output from the ultrasonic transceiver corresponding to the reflected wave into digital data,
The measurement control unit uses the first sampling frequency as the first sampling frequency when the first sampling frequency fs of the analog-digital converter is higher than a Nyquist frequency capable of restoring the reflected wave to be measured. The frequency fs ÷ N (N is an integer of 2 or more), the ultrasonic wave is transmitted N times from the ultrasonic wave transmitter / receiver, and the sampling start time is set for the ultrasonic wave transmission / reception for each of the N times of measurement. The measurement is performed by converting the electrical signal for N times at the second sampling frequency into digital data by the waveform measuring unit while shifting by the time interval (1 ÷ fs) with respect to the time for outputting the control voltage from the machine. The thickness measuring device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the thickness measuring device is stored in the memory as data. The waveform measurement unit
A peak detector for detecting a peak of the reflected wave received by the ultrasonic transceiver;
A peak count unit that counts the peak occurrence time of the reflected wave detected by the peak detection unit based on the clock signal, and stores the counted peak occurrence time in the memory;
The thickness measuring apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the peak count unit stores the peak occurrence time in the memory as the measurement data. The thickness calculator calculates the propagation thickness of the reflected wave by calculating the center of gravity of the reflected wave at predetermined intervals for the measurement data of the reflected wave, and calculates the thickness of the pipe. The thickness measuring device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the thickness measuring device is characterized. The thickness calculator has data of a reference reflected wave serving as a reference for the reflected wave in advance, and for the measurement data of the reflected wave, a time when the peak of the reflected wave occurs at a predetermined interval is set as the reference reflected wave. The thickness measurement apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the thickness of the pipe is calculated by obtaining from a time when the correlation function with the data becomes maximum. The thickness calculating unit calculates an approximate curve from the measurement data of the reflected wave, calculates a time when the peak of the reflected wave occurs from the approximate curve, and calculates the thickness of the pipe. The thickness measuring device according to any one of claims 1 to 5. The waveform measurement unit reads the measurement data stored in the memory, obtains the propagation time of the reflected wave using the read measurement data, and uses the obtained propagation time of the reflected wave as measurement data in the memory. Save and
The thickness measurement apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the wireless unit outputs the measurement data to the thickness calculation unit. A thickness measurement unit having a power source unit that generates electric power using predetermined environmental energy and an ultrasonic transmitter / receiver capable of transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves, and a thickness calculation unit, the thickness measurement unit and the thickness A thickness measuring method of a thickness measuring device that is installed so as to be able to wirelessly communicate with each other, and measures the thickness of a pipe,
The thickness measuring unit outputs a clock signal at a predetermined time interval; and
The ultrasonic transmitter / receiver transmits an ultrasonic wave from the outer peripheral surface of the pipe toward the inner side in the thickness direction of the pipe, receives the reflected wave of the ultrasonic wave, and outputs an electric signal corresponding to the reflected wave An electrical signal output step;
A voltage control step in which the thickness measuring unit outputs a control voltage for transmitting ultrasonic waves from the ultrasonic transceiver; and
The thickness measurement unit measures the electrical signal output from the ultrasonic transceiver, a measurement data storage step for storing the measured measurement data,
The thickness measuring unit includes a data output step for outputting the measurement data of the stored reflected wave to the thickness calculating unit, and
The thickness calculating unit receives the measurement data from the thickness measuring unit via wireless communication; and
A thickness calculating step in which the thickness calculating unit calculates a thickness of the pipe based on the received measurement data.

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