JP2014106028A - System and method for inspecting wall thickness of boiler tube - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a system and method for inspecting the wall thickness of a boiler tube in which measurement accuracy is improved in a wall-thickness measuring position of the boiler tube.SOLUTION: A system for inspecting the wall thickness of a boiler tube comprises: a portable unit including a wall-thickness measuring probe, an ultrasonic receiver, a synchronous signal receiver, and an angle sensor that can measure the tilt of the wall-thickness measuring probe to a boiler wall; a fixed unit including a first ultrasonic transmitter, a second ultrasonic transmitter, and a synchronous signal transmitter; a wall-thickness display unit capable of being carried by a worker and displaying wall-thickness measurement results measured with the wall-thickness probe; a computing unit for obtaining a position of the wall-thickness probe by computing on the basis of a distance measuring signal measured with the ultrasonic receiver and the tilt of the wall-thickness measuring probe measured with the angle sensor; and a position coordinate display unit capable of being carried by a worker and displaying the position of the wall-thickness probe obtained by the computing unit.

Description

  The present disclosure relates to a boiler pipe thickness inspection system and a wall thickness inspection method.

In the boiler pipe constituting the wall of the boiler furnace (boiler wall), thinning occurs due to the operation of the boiler. For this reason, a boiler is stopped regularly or irregularly, and the thickness inspection of a boiler pipe is performed according to it.
For example, in Patent Document 1, the thickness inspection position is measured using a receiver integrated with the thickness gauge probe while the thickness of the boiler tube is checked using the thickness gauge probe, and the wall thickness is measured. It is described that the inspection result of the thickness and the measurement result of the inspection position are displayed on the mobile PC. Specifically, the receiver receives sound waves transmitted from two or more transmitters, and the position coordinates of the receiver are calculated based on the arrival time of the sound waves and the position coordinates of the transmitter. Desired.
On the other hand, Patent Document 2 describes that a boiler serving as a reference point for measuring an inspection position is provided in a boiler.

JP 2012-132844 A JP2012-132845A

When inspecting the wall thickness of a boiler tube, it is necessary to find the part where the wall thickness is the thinnest. For this purpose, the thickness measurement is performed at a plurality of circumferential positions while moving (rotating) the thickness gauge probe in the circumferential direction along the outer peripheral surface of the boiler tube. In this case, the inclination of the thickness gauge probe with respect to the boiler wall changes according to the circumferential position, and the inclination of the receiver for position measurement also changes. When the inclination of the receiver increases, there is a problem that the measurement accuracy of the inspection position is lowered.
Therefore, at least one embodiment of the present invention aims to provide a boiler tube thickness inspection system and a wall thickness inspection method in which the measurement accuracy of the thickness measurement position of the boiler tube is improved.

  According to at least one embodiment of the present invention, a thickness gauge probe for measuring the thickness of a boiler tube constituting a boiler wall, an ultrasonic receiver capable of receiving a ranging signal, and receiving a synchronization signal A synchronous signal receiver, a portable unit having an angle sensor capable of measuring an inclination of the thickness gauge probe with respect to the boiler wall, a first ultrasonic transmitter capable of transmitting the ranging signal, and The second ultrasonic transmitter, a fixed unit having a synchronization signal transmitter capable of transmitting the synchronization signal, and the operator can carry it, and the thickness measurement result by the thickness gauge probe can be displayed. A thickness indicator, a distance measurement signal measured by the ultrasonic receiver, and an inclination of the thickness gauge probe measured by the angle sensor. An operator for calculating the position and an operator A portable, wall thickness inspection system of the boiler tube, characterized in that it comprises a position coordinate indicator capable of displaying the position of the wall thickness meter probe obtained by the arithmetic unit is provided.

  According to this configuration, the inclination of the thickness gauge probe with respect to the boiler wall is measured by the angle sensor. The measurement position can be measured with high accuracy by calculating the position of the thickness gauge probe in consideration of the measured inclination, that is, the measurement position of the thickness.

  In one embodiment, the fixed unit has a support device that can be attached to the boiler wall and can support the first ultrasonic transmitter, the second ultrasonic transmitter, and the synchronization signal transmitter. The boiler tube thickness inspection system further includes a scale having three reference points whose relative positional relationships are known.

  According to this configuration, the ultrasonic velocity can be measured by using the three reference points of the scale. And the position measurement can be performed with high accuracy by using the measured ultrasonic velocity.

  In one embodiment, the fixed unit has a support device that can be attached to the boiler wall and can support the first ultrasonic transmitter, the second ultrasonic transmitter, and the synchronization signal transmitter. The synchronization signal transmitter is an infrared transmitter that transmits an infrared synchronization signal as the synchronization signal, and is supported by the support device so as to be displaceable.

  In this configuration, the infrared transmitter is supported to be displaceable. The infrared transmitter has directivity in the direction of infrared irradiation, and the range in which data can be transmitted and received is limited between the infrared transmitter and the infrared receiver depending on the directivity and intensity of the infrared light. When infrared rays cannot be transmitted and received, synchronization cannot be established between the first ultrasonic transmitter and the second ultrasonic transmitter and the ultrasonic receiver, and position measurement cannot be performed. In this configuration, by changing the position of the infrared transmitter without changing the position of the support device, the infrared transmitter can be arranged in a range where infrared can be transmitted and received, and the position measurable range can be expanded. Can do.

  In one embodiment, the fixed unit has a support device that can be attached to the boiler wall and can support the first ultrasonic transmitter, the second ultrasonic transmitter, and the synchronization signal transmitter. The interval between the first ultrasonic transmitter and the second ultrasonic transmitter is variable.

  In this configuration, the interval between the first ultrasonic transmitter and the second ultrasonic transmitter is variable. The first ultrasonic transmitter and the second ultrasonic transmitter have directivity in the direction of ultrasonic irradiation, and between the first ultrasonic transmitter and the second ultrasonic transmitter and the ultrasonic receiver, Depending on the directivity of the ultrasonic wave, the range in which transmission and reception can be performed is limited. If ultrasonic waves cannot be transmitted or received, position measurement cannot be performed. In this configuration, by changing the interval between the first ultrasonic transmitter and the second ultrasonic transmitter without changing the position of the support device, the ultrasonic receiver is arranged in a range where ultrasonic waves can be transmitted and received. The position measurement range can be expanded.

  In one embodiment, the fixed unit has a support device that can be attached to the boiler wall and can support the first ultrasonic transmitter, the second ultrasonic transmitter, and the synchronization signal transmitter. The first ultrasonic transmitter and the second ultrasonic transmitter can be attached to either the support device or the boiler wall.

  In this configuration, the first ultrasonic transmitter and the second ultrasonic transmitter can be attached to either the support device or the boiler wall. For this reason, for example, even if a support device cannot be attached to the boiler wall due to the presence of an obstacle, the first ultrasonic transmitter and the second ultrasonic transmitter can be attached to the boiler wall. For this reason, it is possible to reduce an area in which the position cannot be measured in the boiler wall.

  In one embodiment, the boiler tube thickness inspection apparatus further includes a temperature sensor capable of measuring the temperature of the atmosphere, and an alarm device capable of generating an alarm based on a change in temperature measured by the temperature sensor.

  In this configuration, the temperature of the atmosphere can be measured by the temperature sensor. The speed of the ultrasonic wave changes depending on the temperature of the atmosphere, and the position measurement accuracy also changes according to the temperature change. In this configuration, the temperature change of the atmosphere can be known by an alarm, and the operator can appropriately cope with the decrease in position measurement accuracy.

  In one embodiment, the boiler tube thickness inspection apparatus further includes a temperature sensor capable of measuring the temperature of the atmosphere, and the computing unit considers the temperature measured by the temperature sensor, and the thickness meter search is performed. It is comprised so that the position of a touch element may be calculated.

  In this configuration, the measurement position is calculated based on the temperature measured by the temperature sensor. The speed of the ultrasonic wave varies depending on the temperature of the atmosphere. In this configuration, by calculating the measurement position in consideration of the temperature, the measurement position can be calculated in consideration of the speed change of the ultrasonic wave, and the position measurement accuracy is improved.

  In one embodiment, the fixed unit is attachable to the boiler wall, and a support device capable of supporting the first ultrasonic transmitter, the second ultrasonic transmitter, and the synchronization signal transmitter; And two reference planes that intersect each other and that are used to align the support device with a reference point provided on the boiler wall.

  In this configuration, the support device can be positioned with high accuracy with respect to the boiler wall by attaching the support device to the boiler wall so that the point where the two reference surfaces intersect with the reference point of the boiler wall. it can. As a result, the position measurement accuracy can be improved.

In one embodiment, the boiler tube thickness inspection apparatus further includes a position coordinate take-in switch for storing in the storage device the position of the thickness gauge probe calculated by the calculator.
In this configuration, the position measurement result can be stored in the storage device by operating the position coordinate registration switch. According to this configuration, the thinnest part is found by moving (rotating) the thickness gauge probe in the circumferential direction along the outer periphery of the boiler tube, and the thickness measurement result of the part can be easily stored in the storage device. It can be memorized.

  Further, according to at least one embodiment of the present invention, a thickness gauge probe for measuring the thickness of a boiler tube constituting a boiler wall, an ultrasonic receiver capable of receiving a ranging signal, a synchronization signal A receivable synchronization signal receiver, a portable unit having an angle sensor capable of measuring the inclination of the thickness gauge probe with respect to the boiler wall, and a first ultrasonic transmission capable of transmitting the distance measurement signal, respectively. And a second ultrasonic transmitter, a fixed unit having a synchronization signal transmitter capable of transmitting the synchronization signal, and an operator can carry the thickness measurement result by the thickness gauge probe. Based on the displayable thickness indicator, the distance measurement signal measured by the ultrasonic receiver, and the inclination of the thickness gauge probe measured by the angle sensor, the thickness gauge probe A calculator for calculating the position of the child, Thickness of a boiler tube using a boiler tube thickness inspection system, which can be carried by a contractor and includes a position coordinate indicator capable of displaying the position of the thickness gauge probe obtained by the calculator. Relative of the ultrasonic receiver with respect to the first ultrasonic transmitter and the second ultrasonic transmitter using a scale having at least three reference points whose relative positional relationships are known. Ultrasonic waves propagate from each of the first ultrasonic transmitter and the second ultrasonic transmitter to the ultrasonic receiver in an arrangement step for determining a specific arrangement and the arrangement determined in the arrangement step. And a sound speed measuring step of measuring a time required for the operation and calculating a speed of the ultrasonic wave based on the time. A method for inspecting a wall thickness of a boiler tube is provided.

  In this configuration, the ultrasonic velocity is calculated based on the temperature measured by the temperature sensor. The speed of the ultrasonic wave changes depending on the temperature of the atmosphere, and when the temperature change is not taken into account, the position measurement accuracy changes with the temperature change. In this configuration, the velocity of the ultrasonic wave is obtained by calculation based on the temperature, and the position measurement is performed with high accuracy by performing the position measurement using the velocity of the ultrasonic wave obtained by the calculation.

In one embodiment, the boiler tube thickness inspection method further includes a step of positioning the fixed unit with respect to a position where the thickness measurement is performed by the thickness gauge probe.
According to this configuration, by positioning the fixed unit with respect to the position at which the wall thickness measurement is performed, the work of providing the marker on the boiler wall can be reduced, and the worker can work efficiently. .

  According to at least one embodiment of the present invention, a boiler tube thickness inspection system and a wall thickness inspection method with improved measurement accuracy at a boiler tube thickness measurement position are provided.

It is a perspective view showing the outline appearance of a boiler furnace. It is a figure for demonstrating the structure of the inner wall of a boiler furnace. It is a block diagram which shows the schematic structure of the thickness inspection system of the boiler pipe of one Embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows roughly the external appearance of the portable unit in FIG. It is a top view which shows roughly the external appearance of the portable unit of FIG. It is a side view which shows roughly the external appearance of the fixed unit in FIG. It is a top view which shows roughly the external appearance of the fixed unit of FIG. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the display content of the contour figure display part in FIG. It is a figure which shows a part of boiler wall of the test object by the wall thickness inspection system of the boiler pipe | tube of FIG. It is a figure which shows the state in which the fixing unit was attached to the boiler pipe of the boiler wall of FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating a mode that a portable unit is rotated around a boiler pipe | tube. It is a top view which shows roughly the scale applied to the thickness inspection system of the boiler pipe of one Embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the arrangement | positioning method of the portable unit for the sound speed measurement using the scale of FIG. It is a figure which shows roughly the receivable range of the synchronizing signal of an infrared transmitter in the thickness inspection system of the boiler pipe of one Embodiment. In the boiler tube thickness inspection system according to an embodiment in which the position of the infrared transmitter is variable, the change in the range in which the synchronization signal can be received when the infrared transmitter is displaced relative to the support rail is schematically illustrated. FIG. It is a figure which shows schematically the receivable range of the ranging signal of the 1st ultrasonic transmitter and the 2nd ultrasonic transmitter in the thickness inspection system of the boiler pipe of one Embodiment. In the wall thickness inspection system for a boiler tube according to an embodiment in which the distance between the first ultrasonic transmitter and the second ultrasonic transmitter is variable, the first ultrasonic transmitter and the second ultrasonic transmitter are attached to the support rail. FIG. 6 is a diagram schematically showing a change in a receivable range of a synchronization signal when the position is relatively displaced. It is a figure for demonstrating a part of structure of the thickness inspection system of the boiler pipe of one Embodiment which has a temperature sensor. It is a figure for demonstrating the structure of the mobile PC which has a position coordinate taking-in button applied to the thickness inspection system of the boiler pipe of one Embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the usage method of the position coordinate taking-in button of FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating the thickness measurement and position measurement method in case one marker is provided with respect to several measurement division. It is a figure for demonstrating the thickness measurement and position measurement method in case one marker is provided with respect to several measurement division using the thickness inspection system of the boiler pipe of one Embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the structure of the portable unit which has the adapter of a modification applied to the thickness inspection system of the boiler pipe of one Embodiment. FIG. 24 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line XXIII-XXIII in FIG. 23. It is a figure which shows roughly the fixed unit provided with the position measurement possible range display unit applied to the thickness inspection system of the boiler pipe of one Embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the function of the position measurement possible range display unit of FIG. It is a figure showing roughly the composition of the thickness inspection system of the boiler tube of one embodiment which has synchronizing means other than infrared rays. It is a figure for demonstrating the navigation function of the thickness measurement position which the thickness inspection system of the boiler pipe of one Embodiment has. It is a figure for demonstrating the navigation function of the thickness measurement position which the thickness inspection system of the boiler pipe of one Embodiment has. FIG. 30 is a contour diagram schematically showing a measurement result obtained by measuring the thickness around the deslagger portion of the boiler wall with the boiler wall thickness inspection system of FIG. 29. FIG. 31 is a contour diagram obtained by interpolating the thickness of the unmeasured region in the contour diagram of FIG. 30 with the thickness around the unmeasured region.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the dimensions, materials, shapes, and relative arrangements of the components described in this embodiment or shown in the drawings are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, but are merely illustrative examples. Only.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing the external appearance of a boiler furnace 10. The boiler furnace 10 burns fuel inside and generates steam using the generated heat. As shown in FIG. 2, the inner wall (boiler wall) of the boiler furnace 10 includes a plurality of boiler tubes 12 arranged in parallel to each other and a flat plate-shaped flap 14 that connects the boiler tubes 12 to each other.

FIG. 3 schematically shows a configuration of a boiler pipe thickness inspection system (hereinafter also simply referred to as a thickness inspection system) according to an embodiment of the present invention. The wall thickness inspection system is a system for inspecting the wall thickness (wall thickness) of the boiler tube 12.
Specifically, the thickness inspection system includes a portable unit 16, a thickness measurement controller 18, an interface 20, a mobile PC (personal computer) 22, and a fixed unit 24.

[Portable unit]
The portable unit 16 includes a thickness gauge probe 26 as an inspection device for inspecting the boiler tube 12, an ultrasonic receiver 28 for measuring the position of the thickness gauge probe 26, and an infrared receiver. 30 and an angle sensor 32.
FIG. 4 schematically shows the appearance of the portable unit 16, and the thickness gauge probe 26 has an axis, and has an ultrasonic incident / exit surface at one end. The thickness gauge probe 26 has a function of emitting an ultrasonic wave along the axis from the incident / exit surface and receiving a reflected wave of the ultrasonic wave at the incident / exit surface.

  When measuring the thickness of the boiler tube 12, the thickness gauge probe 26 is arranged so that the axis is orthogonal to the outer peripheral surface of the boiler tube 12 and one end is in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the boiler tube 12. The The thickness gauge probe 26 is connected to the thickness measurement controller 18 via a cable, and the thickness gauge probe 26 is controlled by the thickness measurement controller 18.

The ultrasonic receiver 28, the infrared receiver 30, and the angle sensor 32 are attached to a cylindrical adapter 34 made of, for example, plastic or metal, and are fixed to the thickness gauge probe 26 via the adapter 34. Yes. The ultrasonic receiver 28, the infrared receiver 30, and the angle sensor 32 are each connected to the interface 20 via a cable, and the interface 20 is connected to the mobile PC 22 via a cable.
The angle sensor 32 can detect the azimuth of the axis line of the thickness gauge probe 26 and is configured by, for example, a magnetic sensor or a gyro.

  In the present embodiment, the portable unit 16 has a positioning block 36, and the positioning block 36 is attached to the thickness gauge probe 26. FIG. 5 is a plan view schematically showing the portable unit 16, and the positioning block 36 has two reference surfaces 36a and 36b orthogonal to each other, and uses an angle formed by the reference surfaces 36a and 36b. Thus, the thickness gauge probe 26 can be accurately arranged at a desired position.

[Wall thickness measurement controller]
Referring to FIG. 3 again, the wall thickness measurement controller 18 is a portable measurement control device, and includes a wall thickness display unit (wall thickness display) 42 and a wall thickness take-in button 44. Under the control of the thickness measurement controller 18, the thickness gauge probe 26 emits an ultrasonic wave and receives a reflected wave of the ultrasonic wave. The wall thickness measurement controller 18 calculates the wall thickness of the boiler tube 12 based on the time required from the output of the ultrasonic wave to the reception of the reflected wave, and displays it on the wall thickness display unit 42 made of, for example, liquid crystal.

  The thickness measurement controller 18 is connected to the mobile PC 22 via a cable. The thickness capture button 44 is a button for transmitting the measured thickness to the mobile PC 22. When the thickness acquisition button 44 is pressed, the thickness displayed on the thickness display section 42 is transmitted to the mobile PC 22.

[Fixed unit]
The fixed unit 24 includes a first ultrasonic transmitter 46, a second ultrasonic transmitter 48, and an infrared transmitter 50 for measuring the position of the thickness gauge probe 26. The infrared transmitter 50 is a synchronization signal transmitter capable of transmitting an infrared synchronization signal, and the first ultrasonic transmitter 46 and the second ultrasonic transmitter 48 are synchronized with the synchronization signal of the infrared transmitter 50, Ultrasonic distance measurement signals (distance signals) can be transmitted.
The ultrasonic receiver 28 and the infrared receiver 30 of the portable unit 16 are a distance measurement signal receiver and a synchronization signal receiver that can receive a distance measurement signal and a synchronization signal, respectively, and the ultrasonic receiver 28 and the infrared receiver. The distance measurement signal and the synchronization signal received by 30 are input to the mobile PC 22 via a cable.

Here, FIG. 6 schematically shows the appearance of the fixed unit 24, and the fixed unit 24 supports the first ultrasonic transmitter 46, the second ultrasonic transmitter 48, and the infrared transmitter 50. A support device 52 is provided.
The support device 52 includes a prismatic support rail 54 and support legs 56 fixed to both ends of the support rail 54. The support leg 56 is made of, for example, a magnet base, and the support device 54 is detachably attached to the boiler tube 12.

  The first ultrasonic transmitter 46 and the second ultrasonic transmitter 48 are fixed to both end portions of the support rail 54, and the infrared transmitter 50 is fixed to the center portion of the support rail 54. The first ultrasonic transmitter 46, the second ultrasonic transmitter 48, and the infrared transmitter 50 can each emit a distance measurement signal or a synchronization signal in a direction orthogonal to the axis of the support rail 54. In other words, the first ultrasonic transmitter 46, the second ultrasonic transmitter 48, and the infrared transmitter 50 are arranged along the boiler wall in a state where the fixing unit 24 is attached to the boiler tube 12. A ranging signal or a synchronizing signal can be emitted in the direction in which the boiler tubes 12 are arranged.

The fixed unit 24 has one or more reference points for positioning the fixed unit 24 with respect to the boiler pipe 12, and in the present embodiment, has two reference points. In the fixed unit 24, the relative positions of the first ultrasonic transmitter 46 and the second ultrasonic transmitter 48 with respect to the reference point are known.
In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the first ultrasonic transmitter 46 and the second ultrasonic transmitter 48 have reference surfaces 46a, 46b, 48a, 48b orthogonal to each other, and the reference surface 46a. , 46b, 48a, and 48b form a reference point.

〔interface〕
The interface 20 is a machine-machine interface for the mobile PC 22 to perform measurement by controlling the ultrasonic receiver 28 and the infrared receiver 30.
[Mobile PC]
The mobile PC 22 is a tablet PC, for example. The mobile PC 22 includes a ranging signal display unit 58, a calculation unit 60, a position coordinate display unit 62, a storage unit 64, and a contour diagram display unit 66.
[Distance signal display section]
The ranging signal display unit (ranging signal display) 58 is constituted by a part of the liquid crystal panel. The ranging signal display unit 58 displays the ranging signal received from the ultrasonic receiver 28 via the interface 20 so that the operator can confirm the ranging signal received by the ultrasonic receiver 28.
Note that the ultrasonic receiver 28 starts receiving the distance measurement signal with the synchronization signal received by the infrared receiver 30 as a trigger. Accordingly, the time change of the distance measurement signal with the reception time of the synchronization signal as the origin is displayed on the distance measurement signal display unit 58.

[Calculation section]
A signal (angle signal) output from the angle sensor 32 is also input to the mobile PC 22 via the interface 20. The calculation unit (calculator) 60 calculates the position of the portable unit 16 based on the angle signal and the distance measurement signal. The calculation unit 60 is configured by a CPU (Central Processing Unit).

Specifically, the calculation unit 60 determines the arrival time of the distance measurement signal from the first ultrasonic transmitter 46 and the distance measurement signal from the second ultrasonic transmitter 48 based on the temporal change in the reception intensity. Determine the arrival time. Then, the calculation unit 60 calculates the distance between each of the first ultrasonic transmitter 46 and the second ultrasonic transmitter 48 and the ultrasonic receiver 28 based on the arrival time of the distance measurement signal and the sound speed.
Here, the first ultrasonic transmitter 46 and the second ultrasonic transmitter 48 are installed at predetermined position coordinates in the XY plane parallel to the boiler wall. Therefore, if the distance between each of the first ultrasonic transmitter 46 and the second ultrasonic transmitter 48 and the ultrasonic receiver 28 is obtained, the position coordinates of the ultrasonic receiver 28 in the XY plane can be obtained. .

  Then, the calculation unit 60 considers the inclination of the axis of the thickness gauge probe 26 based on the angle signal of the angle sensor 32, and determines the thickness of the thickness gauge probe 26 from the position coordinates of the ultrasonic receiver 28. The position coordinates of the sound wave incident / exit surface, that is, the position coordinates of the inspection position of the thickness are obtained by calculation.

(Position coordinate display section)
The position coordinate display unit (position coordinate display) 62 is constituted by a part of the liquid crystal panel. The position coordinate display unit 62 displays the position coordinates displayed by the calculation unit 60.
[Storage section]
The storage unit 64 is configured by a storage device such as a hard disk, for example. In the present embodiment, when the thickness acquisition button 44 is pressed and the mobile PC 22 receives the measurement value of the thickness, the storage unit 64 measures the received measurement value of the thickness and at the time of reception. The position coordinates are stored in association with each other.

[Contour map display]
The contour diagram display unit (contour diagram display) 66 is constituted by a part of the liquid crystal panel. The contour diagram display unit 66 displays a contour map (contour diagram) of the thickness based on the measured thickness value and the position coordinate data stored in the storage unit 64.
As shown in FIG. 8, the contour diagram display unit can display a contour map superimposed on an image or drawing of the boiler wall. Image data or drawing data of the boiler wall is prepared in advance and stored in the storage unit 64.

  The mobile PC 22 only needs to have a display unit that can visually display the measurement result of the wall thickness, and the display format is not limited to the contour map. For example, the mobile PC 22 may have a display unit that displays the measurement result of the wall thickness as a staged chroma diagram, or may have a display unit that displays the measurement result of the wall thickness using a colored symbol.

  Alternatively, the mobile PC 22 may include a display unit that displays a range in which the thickness measurement results are similar to each other with lines having arrows at both ends extending over the range. Alternatively, the mobile PC 22 displays so that a region where the thickness measurement result is within a predetermined range (allowable region) and a region where the thickness measurement result is outside the predetermined range (unallowable region) can be identified. You may have a display part to do. For example, the display unit may display the area where the measurement result of the thickness is within a predetermined range and the area where the measurement result of the thickness is outside the predetermined range in different colors.

  In the present embodiment, the wall thickness measurement controller 18, the interface 20 and the mobile PC 22 are separate units. However, an operator having the functions of the wall thickness measurement controller 18, the interface 20 and the mobile PC 22 can be carried. A measurement controller may be used.

〔how to use〕
Hereinafter, the usage method of the thickness inspection system of the boiler pipe of one Embodiment mentioned above is demonstrated.
FIG. 9 is a diagram schematically showing a part of the boiler wall to be inspected. The boiler wall is a side wall, and a plurality of boiler tubes 12 are arranged apart from each other in the horizontal direction, and each boiler tube 12 extends in the vertical direction. In the vicinity of the boiler wall, scaffolds 70 are assembled at intervals of 2 m for workers.

The boiler tube 12 is provided with a marker 72 serving as a reference point for position measurement. In the present embodiment, the plurality of markers 72 are provided at predetermined intervals in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction.
In the present embodiment, the boiler wall thickness inspection is performed in units of measurement sections by dividing the inspection area of the boiler wall into a plurality of measurement sections. A dotted-line rectangle in FIG. 9 indicates one measurement section 74. For example, the measurement section 74 has a width of 2 m in length and 3 m in width. A marker 72 is provided for each measurement section 74.

  FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the fixing unit 24 is attached to the boiler pipe 12. The fixed unit 24 is positioned with respect to the boiler tube 12 with the marker 72 as a reference point. In the present embodiment, the fixed unit 24 is arranged so that the angle formed by the orthogonal reference surfaces 46a and 46b coincides with the marker 72 and the support rail 54 is along the vertical direction using a laser level. The relative positions of the first ultrasonic transmitter 46 and the second ultrasonic transmitter 48 with respect to the angle formed by the reference surfaces 46 a and 46 b are known, and positioning the fixing unit 24 with respect to the marker 72 is not possible. This corresponds to positioning the first ultrasonic transmitter 46 and the second ultrasonic transmitter 48 with respect to the marker 72.

After the fixed unit 24 is arranged, the wall thickness measurement and the position measurement of the boiler pipe 12 are performed in the measurement section 74.
The wall thickness measurement is executed for each boiler pipe 12 at a predetermined interval in the axial direction of the boiler pipe 12. Specifically, at each position in the axial direction of the boiler tube 12, as shown in FIG. 11, the thickness gauge probe 26 is brought into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the boiler tube 12 and around the axis of the boiler tube 12. The thickness gauge probe 26 is rotated. Then, while the thickness gauge probe 26 is rotated, the thickness display section 42 of the thickness measurement controller 18 is viewed to find the thin portion having the smallest thickness.
Then, the worker presses the thickness import button 44 in a state where the thickness of the thin portion is displayed on the thickness display portion 42, and transmits the thickness value from the thickness measurement controller 18 to the mobile PC 22. To do.

  In the mobile PC 22, the measurement of the position coordinate where the thickness measurement is performed is repeatedly performed at predetermined intervals during the thickness measurement, and the measurement coordinate display unit 62 displays the latest measurement result of the position coordinate. That is, the distances L1 and L2 between each of the first ultrasonic transmitter 46 and the second ultrasonic transmitter 48 and the ultrasonic receiver 28 are measured, and the inclination θ of the axis line of the thickness gauge probe 26 is determined. Based on the distances L1 and L2 and the inclination θ, the position coordinates of the thickness measurement position are calculated. In other words, the mobile PC 22 corrects the deviation Δp of the ultrasonic incident / exit surface of the thickness gauge probe 26 from the ultrasonic receiver 28 in the arrangement direction of the boiler tubes 12 based on the inclination θ, so The position coordinates of the measurement position are calculated.

Then, when the mobile PC 22 receives the thickness value from the thickness measurement controller 18, the mobile PC 22 stores the received thickness value in the storage unit 64 in association with the position coordinate value measured at the time of reception.
The contour diagram display unit 66 updates the contour map at an appropriate time interval, and each time it is updated, the newly stored thickness value is added to the contour map.
Note that the measured position coordinates are relative position coordinates based on the position coordinates of the marker 72.

  According to the above-described boiler pipe thickness inspection system, the angle sensor 32 measures the inclination of the thickness gauge probe 26 with respect to the boiler wall. Considering the measured inclination, the measurement position can be measured with high accuracy by calculating the measurement position for the thickness measurement.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made. In the following description of the embodiments, the same or similar configurations as those of the preceding embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is simplified or omitted.
For example, the boiler wall thickness inspection system of one embodiment that can be combined with one or more other embodiments may further include a scale 75 as shown in FIG. The scale 75 is used for measuring the speed of sound.

  The scale 75 has three or more reference points, and in this embodiment, has a first reference point 76a, a second reference point 276b, and a third reference point 76c. The scale 75 is an L-shaped scale, for example, and has a long side and a short side orthogonal to each other. The first reference point 76a is provided at the tip of the long side, the second reference point 76b is provided at the tip of the short side, and the third reference point 76c is provided at the corner where the long side and the short side are orthogonal to each other. Is provided. The relative positional relationship between the reference points 76a, 76b, and 76c is known.

In order to measure the sound velocity of the ultrasonic wave, the scale 75 is arranged with the first reference point 76a aligned with the marker 72 with the fixed unit 24 aligned, for example, as shown in FIG. . At this time, the long side of the scale 75 is horizontally arranged using a laser level.
Then, the portable unit 16 is arranged in alignment with the second reference point 76b using the angle formed by the reference surfaces 36a and 36b, and the first ultrasonic transmitter 46, the second ultrasonic transmitter 48, and A distance measurement is performed using the ultrasonic receiver 28.

Next, the portable unit 16 is arranged in alignment with the third reference point 76c using the angle formed by the reference surfaces 36a and 36b, and the first ultrasonic transmitter 46 and the second ultrasonic transmitter 48 are arranged. And the distance measurement is performed using the ultrasonic receiver 28.
That is, distance measurement is performed at two positions, the second reference point 76b and the third reference point 76c. Note that the order of distance measurement may be reversed, and distance measurement may be performed first at the third reference point 76c.

  The ultrasonic receivers 28 are arranged at two positions whose relative positional relations are known, and at each position, between the first ultrasonic transmitter 46 and the second ultrasonic transmitter 48 and the ultrasonic receiver 28. If distance measurement is performed, even if the support rail 54 is tilted from the vertical direction, the sound speed can be obtained by calculation based on the distance measurement result. And the measurement position can be measured with high accuracy by measuring the measurement position of the wall thickness using the obtained sound velocity.

  In the boiler tube thickness inspection system of one embodiment that can be combined with one or more other embodiments, the relative position of the infrared transmitter 50 with respect to the support rail 54 may be variable. The synchronization signal emitted from the infrared transmitter 50 has directivity, and the synchronization signal propagates with a certain extent as shown by a one-dot chain line in FIG. Further, since the synchronization signal is attenuated, the propagation distance of the synchronization signal is limited. For this reason, even if the distance between the fixed unit 24 and the portable unit 16 is too short or too long, the reception intensity of the synchronization signal is lowered and synchronization cannot be achieved. For this reason, there are areas where position measurement is impossible in the vicinity and in the vicinity of the fixed unit 24.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 15, by changing the position of the infrared transmitter 50 in the direction orthogonal to the support rail 54, the range in which the ultrasonic receiver 28 can receive the synchronization signal is expanded and the position can be measured. The range can be expanded. For example, by arranging the infrared transmitter 50 on the same side as the portable unit 16 with respect to the support rail 54, the synchronizable range can be moved far from the support rail 54. By arranging the infrared transmitter 50 on the side opposite to the unit 16, the synchronizable range can be moved to the vicinity of the support rail 54.
The infrared transmitter 50 can be attached to the support rail 54 by a support means such as a telescopic mechanism such as an articulated arm or a slide mechanism including a rod and a slider that can slide with respect to the rod.

  In the boiler tube thickness inspection system of one embodiment that can be combined with one or more other embodiments, the distance between the first ultrasonic transmitter 46 and the second ultrasonic transmitter 48 on the support rail 54 is May be variable. The distance measurement signals emitted from the first ultrasonic transmitter 46 and the second ultrasonic transmitter 48 have directivity, and the distance measurement signal propagates with a certain extent as shown by a one-dot chain line in FIG. Since the spread of the distance measurement signal is finite, if the measurement position is too close, the reception intensity of the distance measurement signal is lowered and the measurement accuracy is lowered. For this reason, in the vicinity of the fixed unit 24, there is a measurement impossible region where the measurement accuracy of position measurement is low.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 17, if the distance between the first ultrasonic transmitter 46 and the second ultrasonic transmitter 48 can be reduced, the overlapping of the distance measurement signals increases, and the measurement impossible region is reduced. That is, by changing the interval between the first ultrasonic transmitter 46 and the second ultrasonic transmitter 48, the measurable region for position measurement can be expanded.
Even when the interval between the first ultrasonic transmitter 46 and the second ultrasonic transmitter 48 is variable, the relative positional relationship between the first ultrasonic transmitter 46 and the second ultrasonic transmitter 48 is known. It shall be.

In the boiler tube thickness inspection system of one embodiment that can be combined with one or more other embodiments, the first ultrasonic transmitter 46 and the second ultrasonic transmitter 48 include the support device 52 and the boiler wall. It may be possible to attach to either. In this case, even if the support device 52 cannot be attached to the boiler wall due to the presence of an obstacle, the position measurement is performed by attaching the first ultrasonic transmitter 46 and the second ultrasonic transmitter 48 directly to the boiler wall. It can be carried out. As a result, it is possible to reduce an area in which the position cannot be measured in the boiler wall.
In this case, for example, the first ultrasonic transmitter 46 and the second ultrasonic transmitter 48 can be fixed to the boiler tube 12 using a magnet base.

In addition, the boiler tube thickness inspection system of one embodiment that can be combined with one or more other embodiments may further include a temperature sensor 78 as shown in FIG. The temperature sensor 78 is connected to the mobile PC 22 via the interface 20. The temperature sensor 78 can measure the temperature of the atmosphere in the boiler furnace 10 where the thickness measurement is performed.
The speed of the ultrasonic wave varies depending on the temperature of the atmosphere. Therefore, when the distance between the first ultrasonic transmitter 46 and the second ultrasonic transmitter 48 and the ultrasonic receiver 28 is obtained by calculation based on the sound speed and the arrival time of the distance measurement signal, the ambient temperature changes. The error increases. And when the error of distance becomes large, the measurement accuracy of a thickness measurement position will also fall.

If the temperature sensor 78 capable of measuring the temperature of the atmosphere is provided, it is possible to notify the worker of changes in the temperature of the atmosphere, and the worker can take appropriate measures. Therefore, in this embodiment, the mobile PC 22 includes an alarm display unit 80 and an alarm sound output unit 82 as alarm means (alarm device) for notifying an operator of a temperature change.
The alarm display unit 80 is constituted by a part of the liquid crystal panel, and displays an alarm composed of characters and figures representing the temperature change when the temperature change occurs. The worker can recognize the alarm visually and take an appropriate response.

The alarm sound output unit 82 is constituted by a speaker, and outputs an alarm sound indicating a temperature change when a temperature change occurs. The worker can recognize the alarm by hearing and take an appropriate action.
Note that when the alarm means measures the sound speed of the ultrasonic wave using the scale 75 and calculates the position coordinates using the measured sound speed, the temperature has changed by ± 2 ° C. or more compared to the measurement of the sound speed. Sometimes it is preferable to output an alarm. That is, it is preferable that the alarm unit outputs an alarm when the temperature is out of the allowable range. Further, the temperature sensor 78 may be installed anywhere as long as the temperature of the atmosphere can be measured. For example, the temperature sensor 78 is fixed to the interface 20.

  However, the allowable value of the temperature change for determining whether to output an alarm is not limited to 2 ° C., and may be changed according to the measurement accuracy required for position measurement. In this case, the operator may manually input the allowable temperature change value into the mobile PC 22, or the operator may manually input the measurement accuracy required for position measurement into the mobile PC 22, and the calculation unit 60 may be input. You may obtain | require by calculating the allowable value of a temperature change based on measurement accuracy.

In addition, in the boiler tube thickness inspection system of one embodiment that can be combined with one or more other embodiments, when the temperature sensor 78 is provided, the calculation unit 60 considers the change in sound velocity due to the change in ambient temperature. Then, the position coordinates of the thickness measurement position may be calculated. The speed of sound v is expressed by the following formula using specific heat ratio κ, gas constant R, temperature T, and molecular weight M:
v = (κRT / M) ^ 0.5 (1)
Can be represented by By using this formula (1) and correcting the sound velocity v as needed, the measurement accuracy of position measurement can be improved.

  In the boiler tube thickness inspection system of one embodiment that can be combined with one or more other embodiments, the calculation unit 60 may calculate the variation in the measurement result of the position coordinates. The alarm means may output an alarm when the variation becomes large, that is, an alarm may be output when the variation is out of the allowable range. The size of the variation is determined by determining whether the maximum value of the variation in the position measurement result when the actual thickness measurement position is the same or whether the standard deviation exceeds a predetermined maximum allowable value. be able to.

The maximum value Dmax of the variation is expressed by the following equation, where (xi, yi) is the measurement result of N position coordinates within the latest fixed time (where i = 1 to N):
Dmax = MAX [MAX (xi-xm), MAX (yi-ym)] (2)
(However, i = 1 to N, and xm and ym are average values of xi and yi, respectively.)
Represented by By using the alarm display unit 80 or the alarm sound output unit 82, it is possible to notify the operator that the maximum variation value Dmax exceeds the predetermined maximum allowable value Dt.

The standard deviation σ of the variation is
(Where i = 1 to N, li is the path length ((xi ^ 2 + yi ^ 2) ^ 0.5), and lm is the average value of the path length). The operator can be informed that the standard deviation σ exceeds the predetermined maximum allowable value σt by using the alarm display unit 80 and the alarm sound output unit 82.
Therefore, the operator can quickly recognize that the maximum value Dmax and the standard deviation σ of the variation exceed the maximum allowable values Dt and σt, and temporarily stop the wall thickness measurement work, Appropriate measures such as increasing the outputs of the ultrasonic transmitter 46 and the second ultrasonic transmitter 48 can be taken.
Note that the value of N can be set appropriately. For example, when N is set to 15, position measurement is performed 15 times at 1/30 second intervals at the same position, and the maximum value Dmax and standard deviation σ of variation can be obtained by 15 position measurements.

In addition, the boiler wall thickness inspection system of one embodiment that can be combined with one or more other embodiments compares the wall thickness measurement results performed in the past with the wall thickness measurement results this time, When an abnormality is found in the wall thickness measurement result, such as an increase, the alarm display unit 80 or the alarm sound output unit 82 may be used to issue an alarm to notify the operator of the abnormality. For this purpose, the thickness measurement results performed in the past are stored in the storage unit 64 in advance.
According to this configuration, the operator can quickly grasp the abnormality of the wall thickness measurement result and can take an appropriate response.

In addition, the boiler tube thickness inspection system of one embodiment that can be combined with one or more other embodiments compares the wall thickness measurement result with a preset allowable value, and the wall thickness measurement result indicates the allowable value. The alarm display unit 80 or the alarm sound output unit 82 may be used to issue an alarm when it falls below the permissible range, thereby notifying the operator of the abnormality.
According to this structure, even if there are many measurement points of thickness measurement, the operator can recognize quickly the location where thickness is thin.

  In addition to comparing the size between the wall thickness measurement result and the preset allowable value, the size is compared between the thinning amount and the allowable value of the thinning amount, and the thinning amount exceeds the allowable value. An alarm may be issued when the number is exceeded. Alternatively, the ratio obtained by dividing the thinning amount by the allowable value of the thinning amount is compared with the allowable value of the ratio, and an alarm is issued when the ratio exceeds the allowable value. May be. According to such a configuration, even when the allowable value of the thinning amount varies depending on the location, an alarm can be accurately issued according to the allowable value of the thinning amount.

  Moreover, as shown in FIG. 19, the position coordinate taking-in button 84 may be provided in the boiler pipe thickness inspection system of one embodiment that can be combined with one or more other embodiments. The position coordinate capture button 84 is configured by a part of the monitor of the mobile PC 22, and when the position coordinate capture button 84 is pressed, the position coordinate of the thickness measurement position displayed on the position coordinate display unit 62 is When the thickness take-in button 44 is pressed, it is stored in the storage unit 64 in association with the measured thickness value transmitted from the thickness measurement controller 18.

  In this configuration, it is not necessary to simultaneously acquire the measurement value of the wall thickness and the measurement value of the position coordinate, and the measurement of the wall thickness and the measurement of the position coordinate can be performed separately while shifting the time and place. For example, as shown in FIG. 20, it is assumed that the thin portion of the boiler tube 12 is at a position inclined by an inclination θ with respect to the normal of the boiler wall. Even in such a case, as shown by a one-dot chain line in FIG. 20, the portable unit 16 is arranged (in a standing state) so that the axis of the thickness gauge probe 26 is orthogonal to the boiler wall. Position measurement can be performed.

Thus, position measurement can be performed at the center in the width direction of the boiler tube 12 by performing position measurement in the state where the portable unit 16 is erected. According to such position measurement, it is impossible to obtain information on the circumferential position in the boiler tube 12 for the wall thickness measurement position, but the boiler tubes 12 can be reliably connected without using the function of the angle sensor 32. Can be distinguished.
In this case, both a mode for calculating the position coordinates in consideration of the inclination θ measured by the angle sensor 32 and a mode for calculating the position coordinates without considering the inclination θ measured by the angle sensor 32 can be executed. The mobile PC may be configured so that the operator can select any mode and execute it. Furthermore, the mobile PC 22 may be configured to selectively execute a mode in which an operator manually inputs position coordinates.
In this case, either the thickness measurement or the position measurement may be performed first. That is, the position measurement may be performed after finding the thin portion by the thickness measurement, or the thin portion may be found by performing the thickness measurement after the position measurement.

  In the above-described embodiment, one marker 72 is provided for each measurement section 74 of the boiler wall. However, only one marker 72 may be provided for a plurality of measurement sections 74. In this case, first, the fixed unit 24 is positioned with respect to the marker 72, and the portable unit 16 is moved in the measurement section 74 including the marker 72 to measure the thickness. Then, a temporary marker 86 is created with a mark at one of the thickness measurement positions where the position coordinates are measured during the thickness measurement.

  Then, after the thickness measurement in the measurement section 74 including the marker 72 is completed, the fixed unit 24 is positioned with respect to the temporary marker 86 as shown in FIG. Then, the wall thickness is measured in the new measurement section 74 including the temporary marker 86, and another temporary marker 86 is created in the same manner as described above. By repeating this, even if there is one marker 72, position measurement can be performed for a plurality of measurement sections 74. If the number of markers 72 can be reduced, the work of providing the markers 72 in advance can be reduced, and the time required for thickness measurement can be shortened.

In the embodiment described above, the portable unit 16 has the adapter 34. However, the boiler pipe thickness inspection system according to one embodiment that can be combined with one or more other embodiments is shown in FIG. You may have the adapter 88 as shown in FIG. The adapter 88 is compatible with a plurality of types of thickness gauge probes 26 having different outer diameters. Specifically, the adapter 88 has a block 92 having a through hole 90, a screw 94 that passes through the block 92 and protrudes into the through hole 90, and the ultrasonic receiver 28 and the infrared receiver 30 are attached to the block 92. Mounting plate 95. The adapter 88 is fixed to the thickness gauge probe 26 by the tip of the screw 94 and the wall surface of the through hole 90 sandwiching the thickness gauge probe 26.
The block 92 and the mounting plate 95 are made of metal or resin, and a mounting portion for mounting the ultrasonic receiver 28 and the infrared receiver 30 may be integrally provided in a part of the block 92.

In this embodiment, a part of the wall surface of the through hole 90 constitutes a V-shaped groove 96 extending in the axial direction of the through hole 90. The screw 94 is disposed so that the tip of the screw 94 faces the V-shaped apex of the groove 96 in the radial direction of the through hole 90.
In this configuration, the distance Dc between the center of the through hole 90 and the center of the thickness gauge probe can be grasped in advance, and the position coordinates of the thickness measurement position are obtained by calculation in consideration of the distance Dc. be able to. In this configuration, the ultrasonic receiver 28 and the infrared receiver 30 can be attached to a plurality of types of thickness gauge probes 26 via the adapter 88. For this reason, the operator does not need to replace the adapter 88 every time the thickness gauge probe 26 is changed, and can work efficiently.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 25, a boiler tube thickness inspection system that can be combined with one or more other embodiments includes a position-measurable range display unit (hereinafter, referred to as a position-measurable range display unit) that displays a position-measurable range. 98 (also referred to as a range display unit).
The range display unit 98 includes a near-side boundary indicator 100 and a far-side boundary indicator 102 attached to the fixed unit 24, respectively. Each of the near-side boundary indicator 100 and the far-side boundary indicator 102 includes, for example, an array in which a plurality of light emitting elements are arranged in a row.

As shown in FIG. 26, the near-side boundary indicator 100 can display a near-side boundary line 104 composed of bright lines parallel to the support rail 54 on the wall surface of the boiler wall. An area closer to the fixed unit 24 than the near-side boundary line 104 is a position measurement impossible area.
Further, the fur-side boundary indicator 102 can display a fur-side boundary line 106 formed of bright lines parallel to the support rail 54 on the wall surface of the boiler wall. The far-side boundary line 106 is located farther than the near-side boundary line 104 with respect to the fixed unit 24, and an area farther than the far-side boundary line 106 is a position measurement impossible area.

  The operator can visually recognize the near side boundary line 104 and the far side boundary line 106, and can perform the thickness measurement in a position measurable region between the near side boundary line 104 and the far side boundary line 106. For this reason, position measurement can always be performed corresponding to the thickness measurement.

  Moreover, the thickness inspection system for the boiler tube according to the above-described embodiment serves as a synchronization unit for synchronizing the first ultrasonic transmitter 46 and the second ultrasonic transmitter 48 with the ultrasonic receiver 28. The boiler tube thickness inspection system according to one embodiment, which includes the infrared transmitter 50 and the infrared receiver 30 but can be combined with one or more other embodiments, is a medium other than infrared as a carrier for a synchronization signal. May be used, and synchronization may be achieved using radio waves or electrical signals.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 27, the fixed unit 24 may be provided with the radio wave transmitter 108 and the electric signal transmitter 110, and the portable unit 16 may be provided with the radio wave receiver 112 and the electric signal receiver 114. In this case, synchronization can be achieved by transmitting and receiving an infrared synchronization signal between the infrared transmitter 50 and the infrared receiver 30, and a radio wave synchronization signal between the radio wave transmitter 108 and the radio wave receiver 112. Can be synchronized by transmitting and receiving, and synchronization can be achieved by transmitting and receiving an electrical signal synchronization signal between the electrical signal transmitter 110 and the electrical signal receiver 114.

  In this configuration, in order to use different synchronization means, for example, the fixed unit 24 may be provided with a synchronization means switch 116, a synchronization means automatic selector 118, and a synchronization means selection switch 120. The synchronization means switch 116 is constituted by, for example, a relay or the like, and has a function of turning on any of the infrared transmitter 50, the radio wave transmitter 108, and the electric signal transmitter 110 and turning off the rest.

The synchronization means automatic selector 118 is constituted by, for example, a microcomputer or the like, selects an optimum synchronization means according to the situation, and turns on the selected synchronization means via the synchronization means switch 116.
For example, the synchronization means automatic selector 118 selects and turns on the radio wave transmitter 108 when the infrared transmitter 50 and the infrared receiver 30 cannot synchronize, and synchronizes with the radio wave transmitter 108 and the radio wave receiver 112. When not available, the electrical signal transmitter 110 is configured to be turned on.

  The synchronization means selection switch 120 is a switch for the operator to manually select the synchronization means. The synchronization means selection switch 120 has, for example, four positions of automatic selection, infrared, radio wave, and electrical signal. When the synchronization means selection switch 120 is set to automatic selection, the synchronization means automatic selector 118 is automatically set. Select a synchronization means. On the other hand, when the synchronization means selection switch 120 is set to any position of infrared rays, radio waves, and electrical signals, any one of the infrared transmitter 50, the radio wave transmitter 108, and the electrical signal transmitter 110 correspondingly corresponds thereto. Turned on.

  The electric signal transmitter 110 and the electric signal receiver 114 need to be connected by a communication cable. When it is detected that the communication cable is connected, the electric signal is given priority over other synchronization means. The transmitter 110 may be configured to turn on automatically.

  According to this configuration, the automatic synchronization means selector 118 automatically selects the optimal synchronization means for synchronizing the first ultrasonic transmitter 46 and the second ultrasonic transmitter 48 and the ultrasonic receiver 28. To choose. For this reason, even if an operator is not conscious of the synchronization means, synchronization can be stably achieved. As a result, the worker can proceed with work efficiently without being bothered by the setting of the synchronization means.

Moreover, according to this structure, the communication cable which connects between the fixed unit 24 and the portable unit 16 can be eliminated by selecting infrared rays or a radio wave as a synchronization means. When inspecting the thickness of the boiler tube 12, the operator wears protective clothing, dust masks, gloves, etc., and has poor eyesight and movement, so if there is a communication cable, it will be accidentally caught on the communication cable. There is a possibility that the communication cable is broken or the fixing unit 24 is pulled and broken.
In this configuration, by eliminating the communication cable, an operator can act without paying attention to the communication cable and the fixed unit 24, and the possibility of being caught by the communication cable and breaking the fixed unit 24 can be eliminated.

  On the other hand, if the use of radio waves is prohibited by the management regulations of the boiler furnace 10 in consideration of the influence on other precision equipment, the operator operates the synchronization means selection switch 120. By doing so, it is possible to easily select synchronization means other than radio waves.

  Further, in the boiler pipe thickness inspection system of one embodiment that can be combined with one or more other embodiments, the calculation unit 60 next performs the thickness measurement based on the measurement result of the thickness and the measurement result of the position measurement. You may have the navigation function (guidance | derivation function) which instruct | indicates to a worker the position (measurement candidate position) which should measure thickness. That is, the calculation unit 60 may constitute a measurement candidate position determination unit that determines a measurement candidate position.

For example, when one thin part is found, it is necessary to investigate the shape and spread of the thin part in order to repair the thin part. When conducting such an investigation, while predicting the shape and spread of the thin-walled part, narrow the measurement interval in a region where the change in thickness is large, and widen the measurement interval in a region where the change in thickness is small. Therefore, the shape and spread of the thin wall portion can be accurately investigated with a small number of measurements.
If you are an experienced worker, you can accurately predict the shape and spread of the thin-walled part, so you can investigate the shape and spread of the thin-walled part with a small number of measurements, but if you are an inexperienced worker, The shape and spread cannot be accurately predicted as experienced workers, the number of measurement points increases, and the investigation takes time.

Therefore, by instructing the worker on the position where the wall thickness is to be measured next by the navigation function, even an inexperienced worker can complete the survey in a short time.
For example, the X axis is set in a direction parallel to the axis of the boiler tube 12, and the Y axis is set in the arrangement direction of the boiler tubes 12 orthogonal to the axis of the boiler tube 12. As shown in FIG. 28, the interval in the X-axis direction is Δx, the interval in the Y-axis direction is Δy, and a plurality of measurement positions Pmn (where m and n are integers) within the XY plane. Assume that wall thickness measurement is performed in a grid pattern.

Here, with respect to the X-axis direction, the thickness Tij at the measurement position Pij (xi, yj) (where i and j are arbitrary integers) and the thickness at the position P (i + 1) j (xi + 1, yj). When the difference Δt in the thickness T (i + 1) j exceeds a preset threshold value Δtth, the calculation unit 60 is an intermediate between the position Pij (xi, yj) and the position P (i + 1) j (xi + 1, yj). The operator is instructed to perform additional thickness measurement at the additional thickness measurement position (measurement candidate position) Pa1. The interval between the additional thickness measurement position Pa1 and the measured measurement position Pij (xi, yj) is set to, for example, half of the measured distance Δx.
Note that the operator can instruct thickness measurement at the additional measurement position Pa1 by, for example, displaying an indicator such as a cursor on an image of a boiler wall, a design drawing, or a contour drawing.

When the additional thickness measurement is performed at the additional thickness measurement position Pa1, the calculation unit 60 calculates the thickness Ta1 at the additional thickness measurement position Pa1 and the measured thicknesses Tij, T (i + 1) on both sides. ) The difference Δt from j is further calculated. For example, if the difference Δt in the thickness between the position Pij (xi, yj) and the additional thickness measurement position Pa1 exceeds the threshold value Δtth, the calculation unit 60 instructs the measurement at the additional thickness measurement position Pa2. To do. The calculation unit 60 instructs additional thickness measurement until the thickness difference Δt between adjacent measurement positions becomes equal to or less than the threshold value Δtth.
However, when the interval between the additional measurement positions is half of the measured interval Δx, the minimum interval Δxmin between the additional thickness measurement positions may be set in advance. In this case, it is possible not to instruct additional measurement below the minimum interval Δxmin.

Similarly in the Y-axis direction, the wall thickness Tij at the measurement position Pij (xi, yj) (where i and j are arbitrary integers) and the wall thickness at the position Pi (j + 1) (xi, yj + 1). When the difference Δt of Ti (j + 1) exceeds a preset threshold value Δtth, the calculation unit 60 adds an intermediate thickness between the position Pij (xi, yj) and the position Pi (j + 1) (xi, yj + 1). The operator is instructed to perform additional thickness measurement at the measurement position Pa3. The interval between the additional thickness measurement position Pa3 and the measured measurement position Pij (xi, yj) is set to, for example, half of the measured distance Δy.
Note that the interval between the additional measurement position and the measured measurement position may be determined according to the magnitude of the thickness difference Δt, in addition to being half the measured interval Δy.

  With this navigation function, the operator can accurately perform additional wall thickness measurements in areas with large wall thickness changes and interpolate wall thickness data to quickly create contour diagrams that accurately indicate the shape and extent of thin sections. Can be created.

Moreover, in the boiler tube thickness inspection system of one embodiment that can be combined with one or more other embodiments, the coordinate system used when executing the navigation function is not orthogonal coordinates, as shown in FIG. Polar coordinates may be used.
In this case, the X axis of the orthogonal coordinates in FIG. 28 may be replaced with the R axis of the polar coordinates, and the Y axis of the orthogonal coordinates may be replaced with the angle θ. The navigation function using polar coordinates as shown in FIG. 29 is effective when a circular opening such as the deslagger portion 122 is provided in the boiler wall as shown in FIG.

FIG. 30 is a contour diagram schematically showing the result of wall thickness measurement using the polar coordinate navigation function as shown in FIG. As can be seen from FIG. 30, by using the navigation function, it is possible to accurately grasp the shape and spread of the thin portion around the deslagger portion 122 while leaving a considerable number of unmeasured regions.
FIG. 31 is a contour diagram created by the calculation unit 60 by substituting an appropriate value for the unmeasured region in the measurement result of FIG. 30 based on the thickness around the unmeasured region.

  According to at least one embodiment of the present invention, a boiler tube thickness inspection system and a wall thickness inspection method with improved measurement accuracy of a boiler tube thickness inspection position are provided.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Boiler furnace 12 Boiler tube 14 Flap 16 Portable unit 18 Wall thickness measurement controller 20 Interface 22 Mobile PC
Reference Signs List 24 Fixed unit 26 Thickness gauge probe 28 Ultrasonic receiver 30 Infrared receiver 32 Angle sensor 34 Adapter 42 Thickness display 44 Thickness take-in button 46 First ultrasonic transmitter 48 Second ultrasonic transmitter 50 Infrared transmitter 52 Support device 58 Ranging signal display unit 60 Calculation unit 62 Position coordinate display unit 64 Storage unit 66 Contour diagram display unit 72 Marker 74 Measurement section

Claims (11)

Thickness gauge probe for measuring the thickness of a boiler tube constituting a boiler wall, an ultrasonic receiver capable of receiving a ranging signal, a synchronous signal receiver capable of receiving a synchronous signal, and the boiler wall A portable unit having an angle sensor capable of measuring the inclination of the thickness gauge probe with respect to
A fixed unit having a first ultrasonic transmitter and a second ultrasonic transmitter each capable of transmitting the ranging signal, and a synchronization signal transmitter capable of transmitting the synchronization signal;
A thickness indicator that can be carried by an operator and that can display a measurement result of the thickness by the thickness gauge probe;
An arithmetic unit for calculating a position of the thickness gauge probe based on a distance measurement signal measured by the ultrasonic receiver and an inclination of the thickness gauge probe measured by the angle sensor. When,
A position coordinate indicator that can be carried by an operator and can display the position of the thickness gauge probe determined by the computing unit;
A boiler pipe thickness inspection system comprising: The fixed unit can be attached to the boiler wall, and has a support device capable of supporting the first ultrasonic transmitter, the second ultrasonic transmitter, and the synchronization signal transmitter,
The boiler pipe thickness inspection system according to claim 1, further comprising a scale having three reference points whose relative positional relationships are known. The fixed unit can be attached to the boiler wall, and has a support device capable of supporting the first ultrasonic transmitter, the second ultrasonic transmitter, and the synchronization signal transmitter,
2. The boiler tube according to claim 1, wherein the synchronization signal transmitter is an infrared transmitter that transmits an infrared synchronization signal as the synchronization signal, and is supported to be displaceable by the support device. Wall thickness inspection system. The fixed unit can be attached to the boiler wall, and has a support device capable of supporting the first ultrasonic transmitter, the second ultrasonic transmitter, and the synchronization signal transmitter,
The boiler pipe wall thickness inspection system according to claim 1, wherein an interval between the first ultrasonic transmitter and the second ultrasonic transmitter is variable. The fixed unit can be attached to the boiler wall, and has a support device capable of supporting the first ultrasonic transmitter, the second ultrasonic transmitter, and the synchronization signal transmitter,
The boiler pipe thickness inspection system according to claim 1, wherein the first ultrasonic transmitter and the second ultrasonic transmitter can be attached to either the support device or the boiler wall. A temperature sensor capable of measuring the temperature of the atmosphere;
The boiler pipe thickness inspection system according to claim 1, further comprising an alarm capable of generating an alarm based on a change in temperature measured by the temperature sensor. A temperature sensor that can measure the temperature of the atmosphere is further provided.
2. The boiler pipe according to claim 1, wherein the calculator is configured to calculate a position of the thickness gauge probe in consideration of a temperature measured by the temperature sensor. 3. Wall thickness inspection system. The fixing unit is
A support device that can be attached to the boiler wall and can support the first ultrasonic transmitter, the second ultrasonic transmitter, and the synchronization signal transmitter;
2. The boiler tube according to claim 1, further comprising two reference surfaces intersecting each other, which are used to align the support device with respect to one reference point provided on the boiler wall. Thickness inspection system.   The boiler wall thickness inspection system according to claim 1, further comprising a position coordinate take-in switch for causing a storage device to store the position of the thickness gauge probe calculated by the calculator. . Thickness gauge probe for measuring the thickness of a boiler tube constituting a boiler wall, an ultrasonic receiver capable of receiving a ranging signal, a synchronous signal receiver capable of receiving a synchronous signal, and the boiler wall A portable unit having an angle sensor capable of measuring the inclination of the thickness gauge probe with respect to
A fixed unit having a first ultrasonic transmitter and a second ultrasonic transmitter each capable of transmitting the ranging signal, and a synchronization signal transmitter capable of transmitting the synchronization signal;
A thickness indicator that can be carried by an operator and that can display a measurement result of the thickness by the thickness gauge probe;
An arithmetic unit for calculating a position of the thickness gauge probe based on a distance measurement signal measured by the ultrasonic receiver and an inclination of the thickness gauge probe measured by the angle sensor. When,
Membrane of a boiler tube using a boiler tube thickness inspection system comprising a position coordinate indicator that can be carried by an operator and can display the position of the thickness gauge probe obtained by the computing unit. A thickness inspection method,
A scale having at least three reference points whose relative positional relationships are known is used to determine a relative arrangement of the ultrasonic receiver with respect to the first ultrasonic transmitter and the second ultrasonic transmitter. The placement process;
Measuring the time required for ultrasonic waves to propagate from each of the first ultrasonic transmitter and the second ultrasonic transmitter to the ultrasonic receiver in the arrangement determined in the arrangement step; A sound velocity measuring step for calculating the velocity of the ultrasonic wave based on
A boiler tube thickness inspection method comprising:   The boiler wall thickness inspection method according to claim 10, further comprising a step of positioning the fixed unit with respect to a position where the thickness measurement is performed by the thickness gauge probe.