JP2023036092A - Ultrasonic probe and method for ultrasonic flaw detection - Google Patents

Abstract

To suppress the size of an ultrasonic probe.SOLUTION: The ultrasonic probe according to at least one embodiment includes: a first wedge member; a second wedge member different from the first wedge member; an acoustic isolation board between the first wedge member and the second wedge member, the acoustic isolation board acoustically isolating the first wedge member and the second wedge member from each other; a transmission element in the upper surface of the first wedge, the transmission element including a plurality of piezoelectric elements; a reception element in the upper surface of the second wedge, the reception element including a plurality of piezoelectric elements; and a housing located across the acoustic isolation board and over the first and second wedge members, the housing covering the transmission element and the reception element.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2B

Description

The present disclosure relates to an ultrasonic probe and an ultrasonic flaw detection method.

Inspecting the inside of a subject is widely performed by performing ultrasonic flaw detection on the subject. In ultrasonic flaw detection, for example, a flaw detection image is generated based on the reflected waves of ultrasonic waves transmitted to the subject, and the presence or absence of flaws inside the subject and the position of the flaw can be determined from the generated flaw detection image (Patent Reference 1).

JP 2011-141124 A

For example, if the object to be tested is a relatively thick plate member or pipe, a longitudinal wave ultrasonic wave is used to detect an area relatively far along the plate thickness direction from the surface of the object to be tested where the probe is placed. Then, it is conceivable to inspect a region relatively close to the surface along the plate thickness with a creeping wave.
In this case, in the conventional ultrasonic flaw detection, a region relatively far from the surface of the object to be tested on which the probe is arranged along the direction of plate thickness is detected with ultrasonic waves of longitudinal waves, and the region along the thickness is detected. Different probes are generally used for flaw detection in areas relatively close to the surface using creeping waves.
Therefore, in the conventional ultrasonic flaw detection, it is necessary to change the probe and perform the ultrasonic flaw detection twice.

Therefore, in order to eliminate the need to change the probe and re-install it on the test object, we compared the There is a demand for a probe that can detect flaws in a close target area with a single probe.
However, in such a probe, if one probe is used to transmit and receive ultrasonic waves, various noise echoes are generated in the wedge member when an attempt is made to generate a creeping wave. Therefore, the wedge member had to be relatively large. Therefore, when another member or the like is arranged close to the surface of the object to be tested, interference between the other member and the probe prevents the probe from being arranged on the surface of the object to be tested. , ultrasonic flaw detection cannot be performed.

At least one embodiment of the present disclosure aims at suppressing the size of the ultrasonic probe in view of the above circumstances.

(1) An ultrasonic probe according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure,
a first wedge member;
a second wedge member different from the first wedge member;
an acoustic isolation plate disposed between the first wedge member and the second wedge member to acoustically separate the first wedge member and the second wedge member;
a transmission element including a plurality of piezoelectric elements disposed on the upper surface of the first wedge;
a receiving element including a plurality of piezoelectric elements disposed on the upper surface of the second wedge;
a housing straddling the acoustic isolation plate and arranged over the first wedge member and the second wedge member to cover the transmitting element and the receiving element;
Prepare.

(2) An ultrasonic flaw detection method according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure,
A step of using the ultrasonic probe according to any one of claims 1 to 11 to detect a flaw detection region of the flaw detection target with longitudinal ultrasonic waves;
using the ultrasonic probe to detect flaws with creeping waves in a region that is at least partially different in depth from the flaw detection region;
Prepare.

According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the size of the ultrasound probe can be suppressed.

1 is a side view of an appearance of an ultrasound probe according to some embodiments; FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an ultrasonic probe according to an embodiment when viewed from the side; FIG. FIG. 2B is a diagram schematically showing a cross section taken along line IIb-IIb of FIG. 2A. FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an ultrasound probe according to another embodiment when viewed from the side; FIG. 3B is a diagram schematically showing a cross section taken along the line IIIb-IIIb of FIG. 3A. FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the first wedge member, the second wedge member and the acoustic isolator; FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically showing a state of ultrasonic inspection using probes according to some embodiments; 4 is a flow chart showing a processing procedure in an ultrasonic flaw detection method using a probe according to some embodiments;

Several embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, etc. of the components described as the embodiment or shown in the drawings are not meant to limit the scope of the present disclosure, but are merely illustrative examples. do not have.
For example, expressions denoting relative or absolute arrangements such as "in a direction", "along a direction", "parallel", "perpendicular", "center", "concentric" or "coaxial" are strictly not only represents such an arrangement, but also represents a state of relative displacement with a tolerance or an angle or distance to the extent that the same function can be obtained.
For example, expressions such as "identical", "equal", and "homogeneous", which express that things are in the same state, not only express the state of being strictly equal, but also have tolerances or differences to the extent that the same function can be obtained. It shall also represent the existing state.
For example, expressions that express shapes such as squares and cylinders do not only represent shapes such as squares and cylinders in a geometrically strict sense, but also include irregularities and chamfers to the extent that the same effect can be obtained. The shape including the part etc. shall also be represented.
On the other hand, the expressions "comprising", "comprising", "having", "including", or "having" one component are not exclusive expressions excluding the presence of other components.

FIG. 1 is a side view of the appearance of an ultrasound probe according to some embodiments.
FIG. 2A is a schematic cross-sectional view of the ultrasonic probe according to one embodiment when viewed from the side.
FIG. 2B is a diagram schematically showing a cross section taken along line IIb-IIb of FIG. 2A.
FIG. 3A is a schematic cross-sectional view of an ultrasound probe according to another embodiment when viewed from the side.
FIG. 3B is a diagram schematically showing a cross section taken along line IIIb-IIIb of FIG. 3A.
FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the first wedge member, the second wedge member and the acoustic isolator.

The ultrasonic probe 1A shown in FIG. 2A and the ultrasonic probe 1B shown in FIG. ) is an ultrasonic probe. In the following description, when the ultrasonic probe 1A shown in FIG. 2A and the ultrasonic probe 1B shown in FIG. It may also be called probe 1 or simply probe 1 .

The probe 1 according to some embodiments includes a first wedge member 11, a second wedge member 12 different from the first wedge member 11, and between the first wedge member 11 and the second wedge member 12 An acoustic isolator 13 is disposed to acoustically separate the first wedge member 11 and the second wedge member 12 .
The probe 1 according to some embodiments includes a transmitting element 15 including a plurality of piezoelectric elements arranged on the upper surface 11u of the first wedge member 11, and arranged on the upper surface 12u of the second wedge member 12. , and a receiving element 16 including a plurality of piezoelectric elements.
The probe 1 according to some embodiments straddles the acoustic isolation plate 13, is arranged over the first wedge member 11 and the second wedge member 12, and covers the transmitting element 15 and the receiving element 16. A housing 20 is provided.

The upper surface 11u of the first wedge member 11 and the upper surface 12u of the second wedge member 12, when viewed from the thickness direction of the acoustic isolation plate 13 (hereinafter referred to as the first direction Dr1) as shown in FIGS. , the extending direction of the acoustic isolation plate 13 and along the extending direction of the lower surface 11d of the first wedge member 11 and the lower surface 12d of the second wedge member 12 (hereinafter referred to as the second direction Dr2). It is inclined with respect to the lower surface 11d of the first wedge member 11 and the lower surface 12d of the second wedge member 12 so as to approach the lower surface 11d of the first wedge member 11 and the lower surface 12d of the second wedge member 12 as it goes from one side to the other side. ing.

In addition, let the said one side of 2nd direction Dr2 be the front, and let the said other side be the rear.
The first direction Dr1 and the second direction Dr2 are orthogonal. A direction perpendicular to both the first direction Dr1 and the second direction Dr2 is defined as a third direction Dr3.
The first direction Dr1 is a direction orthogonal to the paper surface in FIGS. 1, 2A, and 3A, and is the horizontal direction in FIGS. 2B and 3B.
The second direction Dr2 is the left-right direction in FIGS. 1, 2A, and 3A, and the direction orthogonal to the paper surface in FIGS. 2B and 3B.
The third direction Dr3 is the vertical direction in FIGS. 1, 2A, 2B, 3A and 3B.

For example, an ultrasonic probe that can detect a relatively distant region and a relatively near region along the plate thickness direction Drt from the surface Tas of the test object Ta on which the ultrasonic probe is arranged with one ultrasonic probe In the contactor, if the transmitting element and the receiving element are arranged on one wedge member, various noise echoes are generated in the wedge member when a creeping wave is generated. Therefore, in the ultrasonic probe, the wedge member had to be relatively large.
When the size of the wedge member increases, there is also the problem that the amount of attenuation of ultrasonic waves in the wedge member also increases.

According to the probe 1 according to some embodiments, the acoustic isolation plate 13 is arranged between the first wedge member 11 and the second wedge member 12, and the transmitting element 15 is arranged on the first wedge member 11. However, by arranging the receiving element 16 on the second wedge member 12, the influence of the above-described noise echo in the receiving element 16 can be efficiently suppressed. As a result, the volume of the first wedge member 11 and the volume of the second wedge member 12 are larger than the volume of the one wedge member compared to the case where the transmitting element and the receiving element are arranged in one wedge member. Total volume can be reduced.

Further, according to the probe 1 according to some embodiments, the housing 20 covering the transmitting element 15 and the receiving element 16 straddles the acoustic isolation plate 13 and is arranged between the first wedge member 11 and the second wedge member. 12, the size of the housing 20 can be made relatively small.
Therefore, according to the probe 1 according to some embodiments, it is possible to perform flaw detection with longitudinal waves and flaw detection with creeping waves with one ultrasonic probe 1, and in the flaw detection target Ta, A single ultrasonic probe 1 can detect flaws from a region relatively far from the surface Tas to a region relatively close to the surface. According to the probe 1 according to some embodiments, the size of the first wedge member 11 and the second wedge member 12 can be suppressed, and the size of the ultrasonic probe 1 can be reduced. It becomes possible.

The probe 1 according to some embodiments may include a single substrate 17 including the transmitting element 15 and the receiving element 16, like the ultrasonic probe 1A shown in FIG. 2B. good.
That is, in the ultrasonic probe 1A shown in FIG. 2B, a single substrate 17 includes a plurality of elements (vibrators) as the transmitting elements 15 and a plurality of elements (vibrators) as the receiving elements 16. ) are formed. For example, in the substrate 17 shown in FIG. 2B, the transmitting element 15 and the receiving element 16 are arranged on one piezoelectric element composite (substrate 17). In the ultrasonic probe 1A shown in FIG. 2B, the transmitting element 15 and the receiving element 16 are arranged so as to contact different wedges with the acoustic isolation plate 13 interposed therebetween.
According to the ultrasonic probe 1A shown in FIG. 2B, compared to the case where the transmitting element 15 and the receiving element 16 are provided on different substrates, the volume of the substrate 17 is larger than the total volume of the different substrates. becomes easier to reduce.

In the probe 1 according to some embodiments, like the ultrasonic probe 1B shown in FIG. 3B, the first substrate 18 including the transmitting element 15 and the receiving element 16 are included. and a second substrate 19 different from 18 .
That is, in the ultrasonic probe 1B shown in FIG. 3B, a plurality of elements (vibrators) as the transmitting elements 15 are formed on the first substrate 18, and the receiving elements 16 are formed on the second substrate 19. A plurality of elements (oscillators) are formed as. For example, in the first substrate 18 and the second substrate 19 shown in FIG. 3B, the transmission element 15 is arranged on one piezo element composite (first substrate 18), and the other piezo element composite (second substrate 19 ) is arranged with the receiving element 16 . In the ultrasonic probe 1B shown in FIG. 3B, the transmitting element 15 is arranged so as to be in contact only with the first wedge member 11, and the receiving element 16 is arranged so as to be in contact only with the second wedge member 12. .
According to the ultrasonic probe 1B shown in FIG. 3B, for example, even if the upper surface 11u of the first wedge member 11 and the upper surface 12u of the second wedge member 12 exist on different planes, the first substrate 18 and a second substrate 19 can be placed on the respective upper surfaces 11u, 12u.

That is, in the probe 1 according to some embodiments, when the surface Tas of the test object Ta is a circumferential surface such as a cylinder or a circular pipe, the lower surface 11d of the first wedge member 11 and the The lower surface 12d of the second wedge member 12 may have a circumferential surface aligned with the surface Tas. In this case, in the ultrasonic probe 1B shown in FIG. 3B, the upper surface 11u of the first wedge member 11 and the upper surface 12u of the second wedge member 12 are inclined so as to follow the circumferential surfaces of the lower surfaces 11d and 12d. You may let In this case, the upper surface 11u of the first wedge member 11 and the upper surface 12u of the second wedge member 12 exist on different planes.

As described above, when the surface Tas of the test object Ta is a circumferential surface, it is assumed that the radius of curvature of the circumferential surface differs depending on the test object Ta. Specifically, when the flaw detection target Ta is a circular pipe or the like, it is necessary to perform flaw detection on the flaw detection target Ta having different pipe diameters.
Therefore, a plurality of first wedge members 11 and second wedge members 12 having different radii of curvature of the lower surfaces 11d and 12d are prepared in accordance with the radius of curvature of the circumferential surface. The first wedge member 11 and the second wedge member 12 may be exchanged.

In a plurality of first wedge members 11 and second wedge members 12 having lower surfaces 11d and 12d with different curvature radii, the upper surfaces 11u and 12u may be inclined according to the curvature radii of the lower surfaces 11d and 12d. In this case, if the radii of curvature of the lower surfaces 11d and 12d change, the angles at which the upper surfaces 11u and 12u are inclined also change.

Therefore, in the ultrasound probe 1B shown in FIG. 3A, the first substrate 18 is preferably supported by the housing 20 so as to be swingable. The second substrate 19 is preferably supported by the housing 20 so as to be swingable independently of the first substrate 18 .
Specifically, for example, as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the first substrate 18 is held by the first holding member 31 and the second substrate 19 is held by the second holding member 32 . For example, as shown in FIG. 3A, the first holding member 31 is pivotally supported by the housing 20 so as to be swingable about an axis AX parallel to the extending direction of the upper surface 11u, and the second holding member 32 is attached to the upper surface 12u. It is preferably pivotally supported by the housing 20 so as to be swingable about an axis AX parallel to the extending direction.
As a result, even if the angle between the upper surface 11u of the first wedge member 11 and the upper surface 12u of the second wedge member 12 changes, the substrates 18 and 19 can be easily arranged on the upper surfaces 11u and 12u.

In addition, in the probe 1 according to some embodiments, the lower surfaces 11d and 12d of the wedge members 11 and 12 may be curved surfaces as described above, but may be flat surfaces.

Further, in the probe 1 according to some embodiments, the housing 20 is detachably attached to the first wedge member 11 and the second wedge member 12 by fastening members such as bolts (not shown). may
Further, for example, in the ultrasonic probe 1B shown in FIG. 3A, the first holding member 31 and the second holding member 32 are respectively fastened to the first wedge member 11 and the second wedge member 12 by bolts (not shown). The housing 20 may be fixed to the first wedge member 11 and the second wedge member 12 via the first holding member 31 and the second holding member 32 .

(About cable)
The probe 1 according to some embodiments may include a cable 35 in which signal lines s connected to the transmitting element 15 and the receiving element 16 are bundled. Note that the signal line s is omitted in FIG.
In the probe 1 according to some embodiments, the cable 35 protrudes rearward from the housing 20 when viewed from the first direction Dr1. When viewed from the first direction Dr1, the angle difference between the projecting direction Drc of the cable 35 from the housing 20 and the second direction Dr2 is preferably within 15 degrees. 1, 2A, and 3A, the angle difference between the projection direction Drc of the cable 35 from the housing 20 and the second direction Dr2 is 0 degrees. The projecting direction Drc of the cable 35 from the body 20 is parallel to the second direction Dr2.

In the probe 1 according to some embodiments, the projecting direction Drc of the cable 35 from the housing 20 relatively approaches the second direction Dr2 when viewed from the first direction Dr1. As a result, even when another member or the like is arranged close to the surface Tas of the flaw detection target Ta, interference between the other member and the cable 35 becomes difficult, and flaw detection in a narrow space is possible. becomes. Further, since the surface Tas of the test object Ta and the cable 35 are less likely to interfere with each other, the position where the cable 35 protrudes from the housing 20 can be easily brought closer to the surface Tas of the test object Ta. As a result, the height of the housing 20, that is, the distance from the surface Tas of the flaw detection target Ta can be suppressed, so interference between the other member and the cable 35 is further reduced.

For example, consider a case where the flaw detection object Ta is a cylinder or a circular pipe, a plurality of cylinders or circular pipes are arranged at intervals in the radial direction, and the distance between adjacent cylinders or circular pipes is relatively small. Even in such a case, according to the probe 1 according to some embodiments, the cable 35 is less likely to interfere with the adjacent circular pipe. Flaw detection can be performed while moving along the In addition, according to the probe 1 according to some embodiments, the height of the housing 20 can be suppressed as described above, so that the housing 20 is less likely to interfere with adjacent cylinders and circular pipes. Flaw detection can be performed while moving the element 1 along the circumferential direction of a cylinder or a circular pipe.

FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically showing the state of ultrasonic inspection using the probe 1 according to some embodiments.
For example, when the test object Ta is a cylinder or a circular pipe, the second direction of the probe 1 according to some embodiments is made to coincide with the direction of the axis AXc of the cylinder or pipe that is the test object Ta. , the probe 1 may be placed on the test object Ta so that the first direction Dr1 faces the circumferential direction of the cylinder or circular tube that is the test object Ta. Then, it is preferable to perform flaw detection while moving the probe 1 along the circumferential direction.
In the example shown in FIG. 5, when the flaw detection target Ta is a circular pipe 51, an example of inspecting for the presence or absence of flaws generated in the vicinity of the welded portion 52 in the circumferential direction of the circular pipe 51 is shown. there is

In the example shown in FIG. 5, for example, the probes 1 are arranged at two locations separated from each other in the direction of the axis AXc of the circular tube 51 with the welded portion 52 interposed therebetween. Then, ultrasonic flaw detection is performed while moving the two probes 1 in the circumferential direction of the circular pipe 51 .
In FIG. 5 , the ultrasonic flaw detector 55 is configured so that the scanning plane of electronic scanning called sector scanning is along a plane extending along the axis AXc direction of the circular tube 51 and the plate thickness direction of the circular tube 51 . to scan.
In the example shown in FIG. 5 , the probe 1 is attached to a moving device 56 of the probe 1 . The moving device 56 is configured to be able to move the probe 1 in the circumferential direction of the circular tube 51 manually or by a driving force such as a motor. Note that the moving device 56 shown in FIG. 5 can move the probes 1 so that the positions of the two probes 1 in the circumferential direction do not deviate from each other and the separation distance in the direction of the axis AXc does not change. It is configured.

(Regarding the dimensions of each wedge member 11, 12)
As shown in FIGS. 2A and 3A, in the probe 1 according to some embodiments, the distance between the upper surface 11u and the lower surface 11d of the first wedge member 11, that is, the distance along the third direction , the distance h1 between the lower surface 11d and the position of the upper surface 11u farthest from the lower surface 11d among the upper surfaces 11u is the dimension L1 of the first wedge member 11 in the second direction Dr2 when viewed from the first direction Dr1. should be smaller than
Similarly, the distance between the upper surface 12u and the lower surface 12d of the second wedge member 12, that is, the distance along the third direction, is the distance between the lower surface 12d and the upper surface 12u farthest from the lower surface 12d among the upper surfaces 12u. The distance h2 to the position is preferably smaller than the dimension L2 of the second wedge member 12 in the second direction Dr2 when viewed from the first direction Dr1.
As a result, the height of each wedge member 11, 12, that is, the distance from the surface Tas of the test object Ta is suppressed, and flaw detection in a narrow space becomes possible.

As shown in FIGS. 2B and 3B, in the probe 1 according to some embodiments, the distance between the upper surface 11u and the lower surface 11d of the first wedge member 11 (that is, the distance h1) and the second wedge member 12 is smaller than the sum (W1+W2) of the dimension W1 of the first wedge member 11 and the dimension W2 of the second wedge member 12 along the first direction Dr1. good.
As a result, the height of each wedge member 11, 12, that is, the distance from the surface Tas of the test object Ta is suppressed, and flaw detection in a narrow space becomes possible.

As shown in FIGS. 2B and 3B, in the probe 1 according to some embodiments, the distance (that is, the distance h1) between the upper surface 11u and the lower surface 11d of the first wedge member 11 is along the first direction Dr1 It is preferably smaller than the dimension W1 of the first wedge member 11 . Similarly, the distance (i.e., distance h2) between upper surface 12u and lower surface 12d of second wedge member 12 is preferably smaller than dimension W2 of second wedge member 12 along first direction Dr1.
As a result, the height of each wedge member 11, 12, that is, the distance from the surface Tas of the test object Ta is further suppressed, and flaw detection in a narrow space becomes possible.

As shown in FIGS. 2B and 3B, in the probe 1 according to some embodiments, the dimension Wc of the housing 20 along the first direction Dr1 is equal to the dimension Wc of the first wedge member 11 along the first direction Dr1. and the dimension W2 of the second wedge member 12 (W1+W2).
For example, when the surface Tas of the test object Ta is a circular cylinder, a circular pipe, or the like, the larger the dimension Wc of the housing 20, the greater the distance between the end of the housing 20 in the first direction Dr1 and the test object. The distance between the object Ta and the surface Tas tends to increase. Therefore, when a plurality of cylinders or circular tubes are arranged at intervals in the radial direction and the intervals between the adjacent cylinders or circular tubes are relatively small, the end portion of the housing 20 and the flaw detection target in the first direction Dr1 The distance between Ta and the surface Tas should be as small as possible.
According to the probe 1 according to some embodiments, by making the dimension Wc of the housing 20 along the first direction Dr1 smaller than the sum (W1+W2) of the dimension W1 and the dimension W2 as described above, , the distance between the end of the housing 20 and the surface Tas of the test object Ta in the first direction Dr1 can be suppressed. This enables flaw detection in a narrow space.

Note that the upper surface 20u of the housing 20 may be parallel to the first direction Dr1 when viewed along the second direction Dr2. The curved surface may be such that the center of the radius of curvature is located below the upper surface 20u in the figure along the third direction Dr3 when viewed from above.

(Regarding the scanning range of ultrasonic waves)
In the probe 1 according to some embodiments, the first wedge member 11 and the transmitting element 15 transmit longitudinal ultrasonic waves propagating in the test object Ta at a first refraction angle θ1 or more and a second refraction angle θ2. It is possible to scan within the following range and to output a creeping wave whose refraction angle range at least partially overlaps with the range of the second refraction angle θ2 to less than the third refraction angle θ3.
The first refraction angle θ1 is preferably 30 degrees, the second refraction angle θ2 is preferably 84 degrees, and the third refraction angle θ3 is preferably 89 degrees.
As a result, a single ultrasonic probe 1 can detect flaws in the flaw detection target Ta from a region relatively far from the surface Tas to a region relatively close to the surface Tas.

(About flaw detection)
An ultrasonic flaw detection method using the probe 1 according to some embodiments will be described.
FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing a processing procedure in an ultrasonic flaw detection method using the probe 1 according to some embodiments.
An ultrasonic flaw detection method according to one embodiment includes a step S1 of detecting a flaw detection region in a flaw detection target Ta with ultrasonic waves of longitudinal waves using the probe 1 according to some embodiments, and several implementations. and step S2 of performing flaw detection with creeping waves on a region at least partially different in depth from the flaw detection region using the probe 1 according to the embodiment.
In the ultrasonic flaw detection method according to one embodiment, either step S1 or step S2 may be performed first.

Hereinafter, an ultrasonic flaw detection method according to an embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
In step S1 of performing flaw detection with longitudinal ultrasonic waves, the ultrasonic flaw detector 55 controls the two probes 1 so as to detect flaw detection regions in the flaw detection target Ta with longitudinal ultrasonic waves. The flaw detection in step S1 for flaw detection with longitudinal ultrasonic waves is performed until the probe 1 is moved once in the circumferential direction of the circular tube 51 manually or by a driving force such as a motor.
The flaw detection data obtained in step S<b>1 for flaw detection using longitudinal ultrasonic waves is stored in a storage device (not shown) of the ultrasonic flaw detector 55 .

In step S2 of performing flaw detection with creeping waves, the ultrasonic flaw detector 55 controls the two probes 1 so as to detect flaws in the flaw detection region of the flaw detection target Ta with creeping waves. The flaw detection in step S2 for flaw detection with creeping waves is performed until the probe 1 is moved once in the circumferential direction of the circular tube 51 manually or by a driving force such as a motor.
The flaw detection data obtained in step S2 of flaw detection with creeping waves is stored in a storage device (not shown) of the ultrasonic flaw detector 55. FIG.

According to the ultrasonic flaw detection method according to one embodiment, flaw detection with longitudinal waves and flaw detection with creeping waves can be performed without exchanging the probe 1, and in the flaw detection target Ta, comparison is made from the surface Ta It is possible to detect flaws without exchanging the probe 1 from an area far from the target to an area relatively close to the surface. According to the ultrasonic flaw detection method according to the embodiment, it is possible to omit the replacement work of the probe 1 between the flaw detection using the longitudinal wave and the flaw detection using the creeping wave, and the inspection can be performed efficiently.

The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and includes modifications of the above-described embodiments and modes in which these modes are combined as appropriate.

The contents described in each of the above embodiments are understood as follows, for example.
(1) The ultrasonic probe 1 according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a first wedge member 11, a second wedge member 12 different from the first wedge member 11, the first wedge member 11 and the second an acoustic isolation plate 13 disposed between the wedge member 12 to acoustically separate the first wedge member 11 and the second wedge member 12; a transmitting element 15 including elements; a receiving element 16 including a plurality of piezoelectric elements disposed on the upper surface 12u of the second wedge member 12; and a housing 20 arranged over the member 12 and covering the transmitting element 15 and the receiving element 16 .

According to the configuration (1) above, the acoustic isolation plate 13 is arranged between the first wedge member 11 and the second wedge member 12, the transmitting element 15 is arranged on the first wedge member 11, and the second wedge is arranged. By arranging the receiving element 16 on the member 12, the influence of the noise echo described above in the receiving element 16 can be efficiently suppressed. As a result, the volume of the first wedge member 11 and the volume of the second wedge member 12 are larger than the volume of the one wedge member compared to the case where the transmitting element and the receiving element are arranged in one wedge member. Total volume can be reduced.
Further, according to the above configuration (1), the housing 20 covering the transmitting element 15 and the receiving element 16 straddles the acoustic isolation plate 13 and extends over the first wedge member 11 and the second wedge member 12. Since they are arranged, the size of the housing 20 can be made relatively small.
Therefore, according to the above configuration (1), it is possible to perform flaw detection with longitudinal waves and flaw detection with creeping waves with one ultrasonic probe 1, and in the flaw detection target Ta, relatively from the surface Tas A single ultrasonic probe 1 can detect flaws from a distant area to an area relatively close to the surface Tas. According to the configuration (1) above, the size of the first wedge member 11 and the second wedge member 12 can be suppressed, and the ultrasonic probe 1 can be miniaturized, so flaw detection in a narrow space is possible.

(2) In some embodiments, in the configuration of (1) above, the first wedge member 11 and the transmitting element 15 transmit longitudinal ultrasonic waves propagating in the test object Ta at a first refraction angle of θ1 or more. Scanning is possible within a range of the second refraction angle θ2 or less, and a creeping wave that overlaps at least a part of the refraction angle range of the second refraction angle θ2 or more and less than the third refraction angle θ3 can be output. Good to have.

According to the configuration (2) above, in the flaw detection target Ta, flaw detection is possible with one ultrasonic probe 1 from a region relatively far from the surface Tas to a region relatively close to the surface.

(3) In some embodiments, in the configuration of (2) above, the first refraction angle θ1 may be 30 degrees, the second refraction angle θ2 may be 84 degrees, and the third refraction angle θ2 may be 84 degrees. The refraction angle θ3 may be 89 degrees.

According to the configuration (3) above, in the flaw detection target Ta, flaw detection is possible with one ultrasonic probe 1 from a region relatively far from the surface Tas to a region relatively close to the surface Tas.

(4) In some embodiments, in any one of the above configurations (1) to (3), a single substrate 17 including the transmitting element 15 and the receiving element 16 may be provided.

According to the configuration (4) above, compared to the case where the transmitting element 15 and the receiving element 16 are provided on different substrates, it becomes easier to make the volume of the substrate 17 smaller than the total volume of the different substrates. .

(5) In some embodiments, in any one of the configurations (1) to (3) above, the first substrate 18 including the transmitting element 15 and the receiving element 16 are included, and the first substrate 18 is A different second substrate 19 may be provided.

According to the above configuration (5), for example, even if the upper surface 11u of the first wedge member 11 and the upper surface 12u of the second wedge member 12 are present on different planes, the first substrate 18 and the second substrate 19 are separated from each other. can be placed on the respective upper surfaces 11u, 12u.

(6) In some embodiments, in the configuration of (5) above, the first substrate 18 may be swingably supported by the housing 20 . The second substrate 19 is preferably supported by the housing 20 so as to be swingable independently of the first substrate 18 .

For example, when the flaw detection target Ta is a circular pipe 51, the shape of the lower surfaces 11d and 12d and the angle formed by the upper surface 11u of the first wedge member 11 and the upper surface 12u of the second wedge member 12 are different depending on the diameter of the pipe. The first wedge member 11 and the second wedge member 12 may be changed. In this case, according to the configuration (6) above, even if the angle between the upper surface 11u of the first wedge member 11 and the upper surface 12u of the second wedge member 12 changes, the substrates 18 and 19 are arranged on the respective upper surfaces. easy to do

(7) In some embodiments, in any one of the above configurations (1) to (6), a cable 35 in which signal lines s connected to the transmitting element 15 and the receiving element 16 are bundled is provided. I hope you are. The upper surface 11u of the first wedge member 11 and the upper surface 12u of the second wedge member 12 are in the extending direction of the acoustic isolator 13 when viewed from the thickness direction (first direction Dr1) of the acoustic isolator 13. The lower surface 11d of the first wedge member 11 and the lower surface 12d of the second wedge member 12 extend from one side to the other in the extending direction (the second direction Dr2). The lower surface 11 d of the first wedge member 11 and the lower surface 12 d of the second wedge member 12 are inclined so as to approach the lower surface 12 d of the second wedge member 12 . It is assumed that the cable 35 protrudes from the housing 20 toward the other side when viewed from the thickness direction (first direction Dr1). When viewed from the thickness direction (first direction Dr1), the projecting direction Drc of the cable 35 from the housing 20, the extending direction of the acoustic isolation plate 13 and the lower surface of the first wedge member and the second wedge The angle difference with the direction (second direction Dr2) along the extending direction of the lower surface of the member is preferably within 15 degrees.

According to the above configuration (7), when viewed from the thickness direction (first direction Dr1), the projecting direction Drc of the cable 35 from the housing 20 is the extending direction of the acoustic isolation plate 13 and is the first direction. It is relatively close to the extending direction (second direction Dr2) of the lower surface 11d of the first wedge member 11 and the lower surface 12d of the second wedge member 12. As shown in FIG. As a result, even when another member or the like is arranged close to the surface Tas of the flaw detection target Ta, interference between the other member and the cable 35 becomes difficult, and flaw detection in a narrow space is possible. becomes. Further, since the surface Tas of the test object Ta and the cable 35 are less likely to interfere with each other, the position where the cable 35 protrudes from the housing 20 can be easily brought closer to the surface Tas of the test object Ta. As a result, the height of the housing 20, that is, the distance from the surface Tas of the flaw detection target Ta can be suppressed, so that the other member and the cable 35 are less likely to interfere with each other.

(8) In some embodiments, in any one of the above configurations (1) to (7), the distance (distance h1) between the upper surface 11u and the lower surface 11d of the first wedge member 11 is When viewed from the thickness direction (first direction Dr1), the first direction (second direction Dr2) in the extending direction of the acoustic isolation plate 13 and along the extending direction of the lower surface 11d of the first wedge member 11 (second direction Dr2) It is preferably smaller than the dimension L1 of the wedge member 11 . The distance (distance h2) between the upper surface 12u and the lower surface 12d of the second wedge member 12 is the extending direction of the acoustic isolation plate 13 when viewed from the thickness direction (first direction Dr1) and is the second wedge It is preferably smaller than the dimension L2 of the second wedge member 12 in the direction along the extending direction of the lower surface 12d of the member 12 (second direction Dr2).

According to the configuration (8) above, the height of each wedge member 11, 12, that is, the distance from the surface Tas of the test object Ta is suppressed, and flaw detection in a narrow space becomes possible.

(9) In some embodiments, in any one of the configurations (1) to (8) above, the distance (distance h1) between the upper surface 11u and the lower surface 11d of the first wedge member 11 and the second wedge member The distance (distance h2) between the upper surface 12u and the lower surface 12d of the acoustic isolator 12 is the dimension W1 of the first wedge member 11 and the dimension W2 of the second wedge member 12 along the thickness direction (first direction Dr1) of the acoustic isolation plate 13. and the sum (W1+W2).

According to the configuration (9) above, the height of each wedge member 11, 12, that is, the distance from the surface Tas of the test object Ta is suppressed, and flaw detection in a narrow space is possible.

(10) In some embodiments, in the configuration of (9) above, the distance (distance h1) between the upper surface 11u and the lower surface 11d of the first wedge member 11 is the thickness direction (first direction) of the acoustic isolation plate 13. It is preferably smaller than the dimension W1 of the first wedge member 11 along Dr1). The distance (distance h2) between the upper surface 12u and the lower surface 12d of the second wedge member 12 is preferably smaller than the dimension W2 of the second wedge member 12 along the thickness direction (first direction Dr1) of the acoustic isolation plate 13. .

According to the configuration (10) above, the height of each wedge member 11, 12, that is, the distance from the surface Tas of the test object Ta is further reduced, and flaw detection in a narrow space becomes possible.

(11) In some embodiments, in any one of the above configurations (1) to (10), the dimension Wc of the housing 20 along the thickness direction (first direction Dr1) of the acoustic isolation plate 13 is It is preferably smaller than the sum (W1+W2) of the dimension W1 of the first wedge member 11 and the dimension W2 of the second wedge member 12 along the thickness direction (first direction Dr1) of the acoustic isolation plate 13 .

According to the configuration (11) above, the height of the housing 20, that is, the distance between the end of the housing 20 and the surface Tas of the flaw detection target Ta in the first direction Dr1 is suppressed. Flaw detection becomes possible.

(12) An ultrasonic flaw detection method according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure uses the ultrasonic probe 1 having any one of the above configurations (1) to (11) to detect a flaw detection region in the flaw detection target Ta. Step S1 of performing flaw detection with longitudinal wave ultrasonic waves, and Step S2 of performing flaw detection with creeping waves on a region at least partially different in depth from the above-described flaw detection region using the ultrasonic probe 1. .

According to the method (12) above, it is possible to perform flaw detection with longitudinal waves and flaw detection with creeping waves without exchanging the probe 1, and in the flaw detection target Ta, a region relatively far from the surface Ta , it becomes possible to detect flaws up to a region relatively close to the surface without exchanging the probe 1 . According to the above method (12), it is possible to omit the replacement work of the probe 1 between the flaw detection with the longitudinal wave and the flaw detection with the creeping wave, and the inspection can be performed efficiently.

1, 1A, 1B Ultrasonic probe 11 First wedge member 12 Second wedge member 13 Acoustic isolation plate 15 Transmitting element 16 Receiving element 17 Substrate 18 First substrate 19 Second substrate 20 Case 31 First holding member 32 second holding member 35 cable

Claims (12)

a first wedge member;
a second wedge member different from the first wedge member;
an acoustic isolation plate disposed between the first wedge member and the second wedge member to acoustically separate the first wedge member and the second wedge member;
a transmitting element including a plurality of piezoelectric elements disposed on the upper surface of the first wedge member;
a receiving element including a plurality of piezoelectric elements arranged on the upper surface of the second wedge member;
a housing straddling the acoustic isolation plate and arranged over the first wedge member and the second wedge member to cover the transmitting element and the receiving element;
An ultrasonic probe comprising a The first wedge member and the transmitting element are capable of scanning longitudinal ultrasonic waves propagating in the flaw detection object within a range of a first refraction angle θ1 or more and a second refraction angle θ2 or less, and can output a creeping wave whose range at least partially overlaps with the range of the second refraction angle θ2 or more and less than the third refraction angle θ3.
The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1. The first refraction angle θ1 is 30 degrees,
The second refraction angle θ2 is 84 degrees,
The third refraction angle θ3 is 89 degrees,
The ultrasonic probe according to claim 2. a single substrate including the transmitting element and the receiving element;
The ultrasonic probe according to any one of claims 1 to 3. a first substrate including the transmitting element;
a second substrate that includes the receiving element and is different from the first substrate;
comprising
The ultrasonic probe according to any one of claims 1 to 3. the first substrate is swingably supported by the housing;
The second substrate is supported by the housing so as to be swingable independently of the first substrate.
The ultrasonic probe according to claim 5. A cable in which signal lines connected to the transmitting element and the receiving element are bundled,
When viewed from the thickness direction of the acoustic isolator, the upper surface of the first wedge member and the upper surface of the second wedge member are in the extension direction of the acoustic isolator and the lower surface of the first wedge member and the upper surface of the second wedge member. The first wedge member is arranged so as to approach the lower surface of the first wedge member and the lower surface of the second wedge member from one side to the other in the extending direction of the lower surface of the second wedge member. inclined with respect to the lower surface and the lower surface of the second wedge member,
the cable protrudes from the housing toward the other side when viewed from the thickness direction;
When viewed from the thickness direction, the projection direction of the cable from the housing and the extension direction of the acoustic isolator, which is the extension of the lower surface of the first wedge member and the extension of the lower surface of the second wedge member. The angle difference with the direction along the existing direction is within 15 degrees,
The ultrasonic probe according to any one of claims 1 to 6. The distance between the top surface and the bottom surface of the first wedge member is the extension direction of the acoustic isolation plate and the extension of the bottom surface of the first wedge member when viewed from the thickness direction of the acoustic isolation plate. smaller than the dimension of the first wedge member in the direction along the existing direction,
The distance between the upper surface and the lower surface of the second wedge member is along the extending direction of the acoustic isolation plate and the extending direction of the lower surface of the second wedge member when viewed from the thickness direction. less than the dimension of the second wedge member in a direction;
The ultrasonic probe according to any one of claims 1 to 7. The distance between the top surface and the bottom surface of the first wedge member and the distance between the top surface and the bottom surface of the second wedge member are the dimension of the first wedge member along the thickness direction of the acoustic isolator. less than the sum of the dimensions of the second wedge member;
The ultrasonic probe according to any one of claims 1 to 8. the distance between the upper surface and the lower surface of the first wedge member is smaller than the dimension of the first wedge member along the thickness direction of the acoustic isolator;
the distance between the top surface and the bottom surface of the second wedge member is less than the dimension of the second wedge member along the thickness direction of the acoustic isolator;
The ultrasonic probe according to claim 9. The dimension of the housing along the thickness direction of the acoustic isolator is smaller than the sum of the dimension of the first wedge member and the dimension of the second wedge member along the thickness direction of the acoustic isolator. ,
The ultrasonic probe according to any one of claims 1 to 10. A step of using the ultrasonic probe according to any one of claims 1 to 11 to detect a flaw detection region of the flaw detection target with longitudinal ultrasonic waves;
using the ultrasonic probe to detect flaws with creeping waves in a region that is at least partially different in depth from the flaw detection region;
An ultrasonic flaw detection method comprising:

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