JP3349437B2 - Ultrasonic testing probe with telescopic sensor - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ultrasonic flaw detection probe suitable for use in performing, for example, an ultrasonic flaw detection test on a heat transfer tube of a heat exchanger, and more particularly, to an ultrasonic flaw probe having a sensor portion thereof configured to be extendable. It relates to a flaw detection probe.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Ultrasonic flaw detection is widely used as one of the main techniques for nondestructive inspection of steel structures and the like.
In an ultrasonic inspection for a heat transfer tube of a heat exchanger, an insertion probe is used to detect a flaw from inside the heat transfer tube. As the interpolating probe, a water immersion type probe is generally used in which water is used as a couplant to make an ultrasonic pulse generated from a sensor incident on a heat transfer tube, and the sensor performs non-contact inspection with the sensor. You. In addition, a rotary probe that rotates either a sensor or a mirror (ultrasonic reflecting mirror) for inspecting the entire circumferential direction of the heat transfer tube is generally used as the interpolating probe.

FIG. 12 is a side view showing a conventional rotary ultrasonic flaw detection probe. As shown in FIG. 12, a sensor 1 is fixed to the tip of the probe, and a mirror 2 is attached to the sensor 1. And at a predetermined angle θ with the probe axis direction. The mirror 2 is rotatable around a probe axis via a holder 7.
It is attached to. The case 6 has a built-in motor (not shown) that drives the mirror 2 to rotate in the circumferential direction via the holder 7. A plurality of centering springs 3 are provided on the outer periphery of the probe to align the probe when the probe is inserted into the heat transfer tube to be inspected (to align the probe axis with the heat transfer tube axis). Have been.
Further, the probe is provided with a water injection port 4 for supplying water as a couplant as described above, at a more distal end side than the water seal 5. The water seal 5 is provided on the outer periphery of the probe, and prevents water filled around the sensor 1 and the mirror 2 from leaking to the outside by being in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the heat transfer tube. The above-described predetermined angle θ is set to approximately 45 degrees in the case of vertical flaw detection in which ultrasonic waves are perpendicularly incident on the surface of the subject (the inner peripheral surface of the heat transfer tube), and is set to an arbitrary angle. In the case of oblique flaw detection using oblique ultrasonic waves, 45
The angle is set differently from the degree.

When performing an ultrasonic inspection for a heat transfer tube using the conventional rotary ultrasonic inspection probe configured as described above, the probe is inserted into a predetermined position in the heat transfer tube to be inspected, and then the injection is performed. Water is supplied through the water outlet 4. At this time, the probe is centered by the centering spring 3 so that its axis coincides with the axis of the heat transfer tube. Also,
The water supplied from the water inlet 4 is filled as a couplant between the heat transfer tube and the sensor 1 or the mirror 2 on the probe tip side in the heat transfer tube on the probe tip side of the water seal 5. In this state, the mirror 2 is driven to rotate by the motor in the case 6 so that the ultrasonic pulse generated from the sensor 1 is made incident on the entire inner peripheral surface of the heat transfer tube, and the ultrasonic pulse is generated in the entire circumferential direction of the heat transfer tube. A non-contact flaw inspection is performed for

[0005]

By the way, the scanning in the tube axis direction by the probe as described above is performed by inserting a probe installed at a position approximately several meters to several tens of meters away from the tip portion (sensor portion) of the probe. This is generally performed using a drawing / drawing device (not shown). Therefore, the positioning accuracy in the tube axis direction is not very high. Therefore, there has been a problem that it is not possible to perform a precise inspection requiring high positioning accuracy and high resolution in the tube axis direction using the conventional ultrasonic testing probe.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has a sensor portion telescopic type capable of performing high-precision flaw detection inspection by enabling high-accuracy scanning with high positioning accuracy and high resolution. An object of the present invention is to provide an ultrasonic testing probe.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a telescopic ultrasonic inspection probe according to the present invention (claim 1) is provided with a sensor unit for performing ultrasonic inspection inspection of a tubular object. The probe body has a distal end side and is inserted into the tubular object, and the probe body has a proximal end side.
A holding mechanism installed on the outer periphery to fix the probe main body to the inner peripheral surface of the tubular subject at the time of ultrasonic flaw inspection, and a tube portion of the tubular subject in the tube axis direction by driving the sensor portion to expand and contract with respect to the probe main body. With a telescopic mechanism to scan to
The telescopic mechanism is formed with a motor fixed to the probe body, a ball screw rotatably driven by the motor while being supported by the probe body, and a female screw screwed with the ball screw and provided integrally with the sensor unit. And a fitting that can move in the tube axis direction of the tubular subject with the rotation of the ball screw.
At this time, the holding mechanism is expanded outward by expanding.
Prepare a bag to be dispensed, inflate the bag, and
Pressing the probe body against the inner peripheral surface
(Claim 2).

[0008] In addition, according to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a retractable ultrasonic inspection probe having a sensor portion for performing an ultrasonic inspection of a tubular object at a distal end side of a probe body. A holding mechanism for fixing the probe body to the tubular subject during ultrasonic flaw detection, and a tube axis direction of the tubular subject by driving the sensor unit to expand and contract with respect to the probe body. And a first motor fixed to the probe body and a first motor fixed to the probe body.
A first ball screw that is rotationally driven by the motor, a second motor that is fixed to the sensor unit side, a second ball screw that is rotatably driven by the second motor while being supported by the sensor unit side, A first female screw and a second female screw which are respectively screwed with the second ball screw; and a slider which is movable in the tube axis direction of the tubular subject with the rotation of the first ball screw and the second ball screw. It is characterized by having.

At this time, the slider has two parts which are rotatably connected around an axis perpendicular to the tube axis direction of the tubular subject, and the two parts are connected to the first female screw and the first female screw. Second female threads may be formed respectively (claim 4 ).

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. [A] Description of First Embodiment FIGS. 1 to 5 show a retractable ultrasonic inspection probe for a sensor unit according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing an extended state, FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing a contracted state, and FIGS. 4 (a) and 4 (b) each show a case forming a probe of the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a side sectional view showing a use state of the probe of the first embodiment in the heat transfer tube.

FIG. 1 shows an ultrasonic inspection probe for a telescopic sensor of the first embodiment, for example, for performing an ultrasonic inspection of a heat transfer tube (tubular test object; see reference numeral 19 in FIG. 5) of a heat exchanger. As described above, the sensor section 17 is provided at the distal end side of the probe main body 18 and is inserted into the heat transfer tube 19 as shown in FIG. In the sensor unit 17, the sensor 1 is fixed, and the mirror 2 is disposed so as to face the sensor 1 and form a predetermined angle θ with the probe axis direction.
The mirror 2 is mounted on the case 6-1 so as to be rotatable around the probe axis via the holder 7. Case 6-1
Has a built-in rotation motor 8 for driving the mirror 2 to rotate in the circumferential direction via a holder 7. Note that the above-mentioned predetermined angle θ is the surface of the subject (the inner peripheral surface of the heat transfer tube 19).
In the case of vertical flaw detection in which ultrasonic waves are incident perpendicularly, the angle is set to approximately 45 degrees, while in the case of oblique flaw detection in which oblique ultrasonic waves are incident at an arbitrary angle, the angle is set to a different angle from 45 degrees.

A holding bag 13 as a holding mechanism for holding and fixing the probe body 18 to the heat transfer tube 19 at the time of ultrasonic flaw detection is provided on the outer periphery of the base end side of the probe body 18. The holding bag 13 is made of rubber so as to be able to protrude outside the probe main body 18, and is connected to an external water supply / drainage device (not shown) via a water supply / drainage pipe 14. Therefore, by supplying water to the holding bag 13 through the water supply / drainage pipe 14 and keeping the pressure at a constant level,
As shown in FIG. 5, the holding bag 13 expands and projects outward from the probe body 18 and is pressed against the inner peripheral surface of the heat transfer tube 19, so that the probe body 18 is fixed and held on the heat transfer tube 19. ing. The holding bag 13 of the present embodiment includes:
It also functions as a water seal 5 (see FIG. 12) of the conventional probe. Further, the probe main body 18 is provided with a water inlet 4 for supplying water as a couplant at a more distal end side than the holding bag 13.

The sensor unit 17 and the probe body 1
A plurality of centering springs for aligning the probe (aligning the probe axis with the axis of the heat transfer tube) when the probe of the present embodiment is inserted into the heat transfer tube 19 to be inspected are provided on the outer periphery of 8. Three are provided. The sensor unit extendable type ultrasonic flaw detection probe of the first embodiment is provided with an extendable mechanism for scanning the heat transfer tube 19 in the tube axis direction by driving the sensor unit 17 to extend and retract with respect to the probe main body 18. .

The telescopic mechanism in the first embodiment includes a telescopic motor 9, a ball screw 10, gears 11a and 11b, and a metal fitting 12. Here, the telescopic motor 9 is fixed to the probe body 18 side. Also,
The ball screw 10 is arranged in parallel with the axial direction of the probe main body 18 and is supported by a bearing (not shown) on the probe main body 18 side. The ball screw 10 extends and contracts via gears 11a and 11b. It is connected to a motor 9 and is driven to rotate by the telescopic motor 9.

The gear 11a is provided with a rotating shaft 9 of the telescopic motor 9.
a, the gear 11b is attached to the ball screw 1
No. 0 is attached to the tip of the probe body 18 side, and these gears 11a and 11b mesh with each other. The fitting 12
It is attached to the case 6-1 via the pedestal 15 and is fixed to the sensor unit 17. The metal fitting 12 has a female screw 12 screwed into the ball screw 10 from the sensor section 17 side.
a is formed. Therefore, the metal fitting 12 (that is, the entire sensor unit 17) can move in the tube axis direction of the heat transfer tube 19 with the rotation of the ball screw 10.

The outer periphery of the above-described expansion and contraction mechanism is
A case 6-1 fixed to the probe body 18 and a case 6-2 fixed to the probe body 18 side cover the probe body 18 so that the sensor unit 17 can expand and contract. Cases 6-1 and 6-2 are respectively shown in FIG.
As shown in (a) and (b), the case 6-1 is formed at the base end side (probe body 18 side) of the case 6-1 so that a flange portion 6 a protrudes inward. A flange portion 6b is formed on the tip side (the sensor portion 17 side) of -2 so as to protrude outward.

Also, as shown in FIGS.
-1 is externally fitted to the tip side of the case 6-2, and the flange 6
In the state where the inner peripheral surface of a contacts the outer peripheral surface of the case 6-1 and the outer peripheral surface of the flange portion 6b contacts the inner peripheral surface of the case 6-2, the case 6
-1 slides with respect to the case 6-2. Further, a rubber seal (rubber packing) 16 is interposed at an overlapping portion between the case 6-1 and the case 6-2,
The rubber seal 16 has a waterproof function of preventing water from entering the inside of the cases 6-1 and 6-2 in order to protect the motors 8 and 9 and the like.

Since the sensor type telescopic ultrasonic flaw detection probe according to the first embodiment of the present invention is constructed as described above, when the ball screw 10 is rotated forward by the telescopic motor 9, as shown in FIG. 17 moves to the left in the figure to extend the probe, and when the ball screw 10 is reversed by the telescopic motor 9, the sensor unit 17 moves to the right in the figure to move the probe as shown in FIG. It will be in a contracted state.

At this time, the outer circumferences of the rotation motor 8 and the expansion / contraction motor 9 are always covered by two cases 6-1 and 6-2 provided so as to be slidable with each other. Therefore, in combination with the waterproof function of the rubber seal 16, even if the sensor unit 17 expands and contracts, it is possible to reliably prevent water supplied as a couplant between the probe and the heat transfer tube 19 from entering the inside of the probe. it can.

When an ultrasonic inspection for the heat transfer tube 19 is performed by the sensor unit telescopic ultrasonic inspection probe of the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. After being inserted to the position, water is supplied from an external water supply / drainage device to the holding bag 13 through the water supply / drainage pipe 14 to maintain the pressure at a constant level. The probe body 18 is pressed against the inner peripheral surface of the heat transfer tube 19 to fix and hold the probe main body 18 to the heat transfer tube 19. By fixing the probe main body 18 to the heat transfer tube 19 in this manner, it is possible to greatly increase the positional accuracy of the sensor unit 17 and contribute to realizing a precise inspection.

After fixing the probe main body 18 to the heat transfer tube 19, water is supplied through the water inlet 4. At this time,
The sensor unit 17 and the probe main body 18 are centered by the centering spring 3 so that their axes coincide with the axes of the heat transfer tubes 19. The water supplied from the water inlet 4 is
The heat transfer tube 19 on the probe tip side with respect to the holding bag 13 is filled as a couplant between the heat transfer tube 19 and the sensor 1 or the mirror 2. In this state, the mirror 2 is driven to rotate by the rotation motor 8 in the case 6-1 so that the ultrasonic pulse generated from the sensor 1 is transmitted to the heat transfer tube 19.
Of the heat transfer tube 19 in a non-contact manner.

In the ultrasonic probe according to the present embodiment, the sensor unit 17 is fixed to the heat transfer tube 19 and the sensor unit 17 is connected to the probe main unit by using the above-described telescopic mechanism. By performing the expansion and contraction drive with respect to 18, scanning in the tube axis direction can be performed with high positioning accuracy and high resolution. That is, as described above, when the telescopic motor 9 is operated, the gears 11a,
11b rotates the ball screw 10 via the ball screw 1
The entire sensor unit 17 is pushed out of the probe main body 18 via the metal fitting 12 and the pedestal 15 by one pitch of the ball screw 10 for one rotation of 0, or is pulled back to the probe main body 18 side, and the sensor unit 17 expands and contracts. I do.

Accordingly, by moving the sensor section 17 while expanding and contracting the operation of the rotation motor 8, the incident point of the ultrasonic wave emitted from the sensor 1 moves spirally on the inner peripheral surface of the heat transfer tube 19. Thus, the entire inner peripheral surface of the heat transfer tube 19 can be inspected. Here, the pitch of the ball screw 10 used for the expansion and contraction mechanism is manufactured very finely and precisely, and is rotationally driven by the rotation motor 9 rotating at a low speed, so that the positioning accuracy and resolution in the tube axis direction can be extremely increased. it can.

As described above, according to the sensor unit extendable ultrasonic flaw detection probe according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the extensible mechanism of the sensor unit 17 (extractable motor 9, ball screw 10, The probe body 18 is provided with gears 11a, 11b and metal fittings 12).
The sensor section 17 is driven to expand and contract while being fixed and held in the heat transfer tube 19 to perform scanning in the tube axis direction. By combining the extension mechanism and the holding mechanism in this manner, it is possible to perform scanning in the tube axis direction with high positioning accuracy and high resolution, and to realize a precise flaw detection inspection.

In the first embodiment described above, the outer periphery of the telescopic mechanism between the sensor unit 17 and the probe body 18 is covered by the two cases 6-1 and 6-2.
As a structure for covering the outer periphery of the expansion and contraction mechanism and ensuring waterproof performance, a telescopic structure including three or more cases may be used, or a bellows structure as used in the second embodiment (see FIGS. 6 to 8). 30) may be used.

[B] Description of Second Embodiment FIGS. 6 to 11 and FIG. 13 show a sensor part extendable ultrasonic flaw detection probe as a second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a side view showing a part thereof cut away, FIG. 7 is a sectional side view of a main part showing an extended state, and FIG. 8 is a sectional side view of a main part showing a contracted state. In addition, the sensor unit telescopic ultrasonic flaw detection probe of the second embodiment is provided with a bending mechanism and a lock mechanism / unlock mechanism, as shown in FIG.
(B) is a side view and a front view showing the slider, respectively, FIG. 10 (a) is a plan view showing a straight state of the slider, FIG. 10 (b) is a plan view showing a bent state of the slider, 11A is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing an unlocked state, FIG. 11B is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing a locked state, and FIG. 13 is a bending mechanism and a lock mechanism / unlocking mechanism of the second embodiment. FIG. 7 is a schematic plan view for explaining the function and effect of the present invention. In the drawings, the same reference numerals as those described above indicate the same or almost the same portions, and thus detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The retractable ultrasonic flaw detection probe according to the second embodiment is also provided, for example, in a heat exchanger tube 19 of a heat exchanger (see FIG. 5).
As shown in FIG. 6, a sensor section 17 is provided at the distal end of the probe main body 18 and inserted into the heat transfer tube 19 in order to perform the ultrasonic inspection. As in the first embodiment,
In the sensor unit 17, the sensor 1 is fixed, and the mirror 2 is disposed so as to face the sensor 1 and form a predetermined angle θ with the probe axis direction. The mirror 2 is mounted on the case 6-4 so as to be rotatable around the probe axis via a holder 7. The case 6-4 includes a holder 7.
And a rotation motor 8 for driving the mirror 2 to rotate in the circumferential direction via the motor.

A holding bag 13 similar to that of the first embodiment is provided on the outer periphery of the base end side of the probe body 18 as a holding mechanism for holding and fixing the probe body 18 to the heat transfer tube 19 at the time of ultrasonic inspection. ing. Also in the second embodiment, the probe main body 18 is provided with a water inlet 4 for supplying water as a couplant at a more distal end side than the holding bag 13, as well as the sensor section 17 and the probe main body 1.
A plurality of centering springs 3 are provided on the outer periphery of 8.

Also, the sensor unit 17 is connected to the probe main body 1 of the telescopic ultrasonic flaw detection probe according to the second embodiment.
A telescopic mechanism is provided for scanning the heat transfer tube 19 in the tube axis direction by driving the telescopic device 8 to expand and contract. The telescopic mechanism according to the second embodiment includes a high-speed motor 21, a first ball screw 22, gears 23a and 23b, a low-speed motor 24,
It has a ball screw 25, gears 26a and 26b, and a slider 27.

Here, the high-speed motor (first motor) 21
Is built in the case 6-3 on the probe main body 18 side and fixed to the probe main body 18 side. 1st ball screw 2
The first ball screw 22 is arranged in parallel with the axial direction of the probe main body 18 and is supported by a bearing (not shown) on the probe main body 18 side.
Is connected to a high-speed motor 21 via gears 23a and 23b, and is driven to rotate at high speed by the high-speed motor 21. The gear 23a is attached to the tip of the rotating shaft 21a of the high-speed motor 21, and the gear 23b is
The ball screw 22 is attached to the tip of the probe body 18 side, and these gears 23a and 23b mesh with each other.

The low-speed motor (second motor) 24 is
It is built in the case 6-4 on the sensor unit 17 side, and is fixed to the sensor unit 17 side via the pedestal 15. The second ball screw 25 is connected to the sensor unit 17 in the axial direction (the first ball screw 2).
2), and is supported by a bearing (not shown) on the sensor section 17 side. The second ball screw 25 is connected to the low-speed motor 24 via gears 26a and 26b. The rotation is driven by a low-speed motor 24. The gear 26a is attached to the tip of the rotation shaft 24a of the low-speed motor 24,
b is attached to the tip of the second ball screw 25 on the sensor unit 17 side, and these gears 26a and 26b are meshed.

The slider 27 according to the present embodiment is similar to the slider 27 shown in FIGS.
Although not shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, as shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B and FIGS.
7-1 and 27-2. These two portions 27-1 and 27-2 are connected to a pin (rotation axis) 28 orthogonal to the tube axis direction (probe axis direction) of the heat transfer tube 19.
Thus, a bending mechanism capable of bending the slider 27 in the tube axis direction by rotatably connecting the pins 27 to each other is configured.

As shown in FIGS. 9 (a) and 9 (b) and FIGS. 10 (a) and 10 (b), the portion 27-1 is provided with an upwardly projecting portion 27a. A first female screw 29a screwed with the first ball screw 22 is formed. Further, as shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, the portion 27-2 is provided with a downwardly projecting portion 27b, and the second ball screw 25 is screwed into the projecting portion 27b. A female screw 29b is formed. Therefore, the first ball screw 2
The second ball screw 25 and the second ball screw 25 are connected by a slider 27 so that the slider 27 can move in the tube axis direction of the heat transfer tube 19 with rotation of at least one of the first ball screw 22 and the second ball screw 25. Has become.

Further, the slider 27 of this embodiment has
A lock mechanism / unlock mechanism as shown in FIGS. 11 (a) and 11 (b) is provided. A hole 27c is formed in one part 27-1 of the slider 27 so as to face the other part 27-2, and a pin 31 is fitted in the hole 27a. This pin 31 has a hole 31 for a spring 32.
a is formed, one end of the spring 32 is fitted into the hole 31a, and the other end of the spring 32 is connected to the portion 27-1 (hole 2).
7c), and the spring 32 urges the pin 31 against the portion 27-2.

Then, as shown in FIG. 11 (b), at the appropriate position of the other portion 27-2 forming the slider 27,
A hole 27d into which the pin 31 can be fitted is formed,
A release button 33 is provided to release the locked state in which the pin 31 is fitted in the hole 27d. This release button 3
Reference numeral 3 denotes an operation unit 33a which is pressed from the outside, and a pin 3
1, an extruding portion 33c capable of pushing the pin 31 out of the hole 27d, an operating portion 33a and an extruding portion 33c.
And a rod-shaped connecting portion 33b for connecting. The push-out portion 33c and the operation portion 33a are formed at upper and lower ends of the connection portion 33b so as to protrude in a flange shape.

The portion 27-2 has a hole 27e communicating from the hole 27d to the space below the portion 27-2.
It is formed to have a smaller diameter than that. The connecting portion 33b of the release button 33 penetrates this hole 27e,
The pushing part 33c at the upper end of the connecting part 33b is housed in the hole 27d, while the operating part 33a at the lower end of the connecting part 33b is
2 below. Further, a spring 34 for urging the release button 33 downward is provided between the lower surface of the portion 27-2 and the upper surface of the operation portion 33a.

In the present embodiment, the pin 31 and the hole 27d are divided into two parts 27-1 in a state where the slider is straight as shown in FIGS. 9 (a), 9 (b) and 10 (a).
And 27-2 are arranged to be locked. Therefore, the two parts 27-1 and 27-2 are shown in FIG.
As shown in (b), when the slider 27 is bent, the lock 27 is in an unlocked state in which the slider 27 can freely rotate around the pin 28. However, when the slider 27 is straight, the pin 31 is fitted into the hole 27d and automatically. Is locked.

It should be noted that the slider 27 of the present embodiment has the configuration shown in FIG.
(A), (b) and the bending mechanism shown in FIGS. 10 (a), (b) and the locking mechanism shown in FIGS. 11 (a), (b).
Although a lock release mechanism is provided, illustration of these mechanisms is omitted in FIGS. 6 to 8. Also,
Also in FIGS. 9A and 9B and FIGS. 10A and 10B, the illustration of the lock mechanism / unlock mechanism is omitted.

As shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, the outer periphery of the above-described expansion / contraction mechanism is a case 6-4 fixed to the sensor section 17 side.
The probe body 1 is connected to the case 6-3 fixed to the probe body 18 by a bellows structure 30.
8 is covered so as to be able to cope with both the expansion and contraction operation of the sensor unit 17 with respect to the actuator 8 and the bending operation of the slider 27 by the bending mechanism.

Since the retractable ultrasonic inspection probe according to the second embodiment of the present invention is configured as described above, the first ball screw 22 and the second ball screw 25 are correctly rotated by the high-speed motor 21 and the low-speed motor 24, respectively. When the sensor unit 17 is rotated, the sensor unit 17 moves to the left in the figure to extend the probe, while the high speed motor 21 and the low speed motor 24 reversely rotate the first ball screw 22 and the second ball screw 25, respectively, as shown in FIG. Then, as shown in FIG. 8, the sensor unit 17 moves rightward in the figure, and the probe is in a contracted state.

The slider 27 can be bent around the pin 28 by a bending mechanism as shown in FIG. 10B, so that the axial direction of the sensor unit 17 is aligned with the axial direction of the probe body 18. In a state where the probe is bent at an appropriate angle, it is possible to insert the sensor unit extendable ultrasonic inspection probe into the heat transfer tube 19. At this time, FIG.
As shown in FIG.
If the side pin 31 is not fitted into the hole 27d formed on the other part 27-2 side, the parts 27-1 and 27-2
Reference numeral 7-2 denotes a state in which the sensor unit 17 is rotatable about the pin 28. The sensor unit 17 can be bent at an arbitrary angle with respect to the axial direction of the probe main body 18.

As shown in FIG. 11 (b), the spring 3 is inserted into a hole 27d formed at an appropriate position of the portion 27-2.
When the pin 31 is fitted by receiving the biasing force of 2, the portion 27-
The rotation of the first and 27-2 around the pin 28 is locked, and the angle between the axial direction of the probe body 18 and the axial direction of the sensor unit 17 is fixed. Such a locked state
The release can be performed by pressing the release button 33 and pushing the pin 31 out of the hole 27d against the urging force of the springs 34 and 32.

Further, in the ultrasonic probe for telescopic sensor of the second embodiment, the rotation motor 8 and the high-speed motor 2 are used.
1 and the outer periphery of the low-speed motor 24
-4 and the bellows structure 30 interposed between the cases 6-3 and 6-4. Therefore, even if the sensor portion 17 expands and contracts, or the axial direction of the sensor portion 17 is bent with respect to the axial direction of the probe main body 18, water supplied as a couplant between the probe and the heat transfer tube 19 remains. In addition, it is possible to reliably prevent intrusion into the inside of the probe.

When an ultrasonic inspection of the heat transfer tube 19 is performed by using the retractable ultrasonic inspection probe of the sensor section of the second embodiment, the probe is connected to a predetermined portion of the heat transfer tube 19 to be inspected as in the first embodiment. After being inserted to the position, water is supplied from an external water supply / drainage device to the holding bag 13 through the water supply / drainage pipe 14 to maintain the pressure at a constant level. 19
To fix and hold the probe main body 18 to the heat transfer tube 19. By fixing the probe main body 18 to the heat transfer tube 19 in this manner, the sensor section 17 is fixed.
Can greatly improve the positional accuracy of the device, contributing to the realization of a precise inspection.

After fixing the probe body 18 to the heat transfer tube 19, water is supplied through the water inlet 4. At this time,
The sensor unit 17 and the probe main body 18 are centered by the centering spring 3 so that their axes coincide with the axes of the heat transfer tubes 19. The water supplied from the water inlet 4 is
The heat transfer tube 19 on the probe tip side with respect to the holding bag 13 is filled as a couplant between the heat transfer tube 19 and the sensor 1 or the mirror 2. In this state, the mirror 2 is driven to rotate by the rotation motor 8 in the case 6-1 so that the ultrasonic pulse generated from the sensor 1 is transmitted to the heat transfer tube 19.
Of the heat transfer tube 19 in a non-contact manner.

The sensor body telescopic ultrasonic inspection probe of the second embodiment also has a probe body 18 as described above.
In the state where the sensor unit 17 is fixed to the heat transfer tube 19, the sensor unit 17 is driven to expand and contract with respect to the probe main body 18 using the above-described expansion and contraction mechanism, so that scanning in the tube axis direction can be performed with high positioning accuracy and high resolution. Can be. Here, when the pitch of the second ball screw 25 is manufactured very finely and precisely and driven by the low-speed motor 24 rotating at a low speed, the positioning accuracy and resolution in the tube axis direction can be increased. Since the speed is low, it takes time to move to the inspection start position and to move between the inspection areas.

Therefore, in the second embodiment, the high-speed motor 21 rotating at a high speed and the first ball screw 2 driven by the high-speed motor 21 are driven.
2 and is connected to the second ball screw 25 on the low-speed motor 24 side by the slider 27. Then, at the time of flaw detection data collection, the high-speed motor 21 is stopped,
By rotating the ball screw 25 with the low-speed motor 24, the sensor unit 17 is driven to expand and contract while placing importance on positional accuracy and resolution. When moving to the inspection start position or between inspection areas, the low-speed motor 24 is stopped and the ball screw 22 is rotated by the high-speed motor 21, or a combination of the high-speed motor 21 and the low-speed motor 24 is used. The section 17 is driven to expand and contract at high speed.

As described above, according to the sensor unit extendable ultrasonic inspection probe of the second embodiment, similarly to the first embodiment, it is possible to perform the scanning in the tube axis direction with high positioning accuracy and high resolution, and to perform precision In addition to realizing a flaw-free inspection, the time required for moving the sensor unit 17 can be significantly reduced. Furthermore, in the sensor unit telescopic ultrasonic inspection probe according to the second embodiment, the probe body 18 and the sensor unit 1 are provided by providing the slider 27 with a bending mechanism.
7 can bend the probe,
Even if the probe tip becomes long, the outer peripheral portion of the heat exchanger can be inserted into the heat transfer tubes, and the inspection of all the heat transfer tubes becomes possible.

When an ultrasonic flaw detection probe is inserted into a tubular subject, a space for at least the length of the probe is required from the insertion opening of the tubular subject. However, if other structures, such as the outer periphery of the heat exchanger, do not allow sufficient space to be obtained, it is desirable to shorten or bend the probe so that the probe can be inserted into the tubular subject. It is.

In the ultrasonic probe for telescopic sensor of the second embodiment according to the present invention, the slider 27 is provided with a bending mechanism as described above, so that, as shown in FIG. Even if the structure 101 having a curved surface exists near the insertion port, the probe can be bent and inserted into the tubular subject 100.

At this time, when the probe is bent and inserted as shown in FIG. 13, the slider 27 is in the unlocked state, and when the entire probe is inserted into the tubular subject 100, the sensor section 17 (slider 27) is released. Part 27-2)
And the probe body 18 (the part 27-1 of the slider 27) is in a straight state, and automatically locked. Therefore, when performing the ultrasonic inspection in the tubular subject 100, since the probe is fixed in a straight line,
Scanning in the tube axis direction with high positioning accuracy and high resolution becomes possible, and a precise flaw detection inspection is performed.

The switching of the bending mechanism from the locked state to the unlocked state is performed through the release button 3 through the bellows structure 30.
3 is performed. When removing the probe from which the ultrasonic flaw detection inspection has been completed, the portion of the bellows structure 30 of the probe is removed from the tubular subject 10.
Then, the bending mechanism is switched from the locked state to the unlocked state by pressing the release button 33 over the bellows structure 30, and then pulled out along the curved surface of the structure 101 while bending the probe.

[C] Others Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be variously modified and implemented without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, in each of the embodiments described above, the case where the tubular subject is the heat transfer tube of the heat exchanger has been described. However, the sensor unit extendable ultrasonic flaw detection probe of the present invention is not limited to this. It is used in the same manner as described above in the ultrasonic inspection of a tubular subject.

[0054]

As described above in detail, according to the ultrasonic probe for the sensor part extendable type of the present invention (claim 1), the sensor part telescopic mechanism (motor, ball screw and metal fitting) is provided at the tip of the probe body. With the probe body fixed and held in the tubular subject by the holding mechanism, the sensor section is driven to expand and contract, enabling high-precision scanning with high positioning accuracy and high resolution in the axial direction of the tube. The effect is that the inspection can be realized. At this time, the holding mechanism
Be prepared to have a bag that protrudes outward by inflation.
This ensures that the probe body is secured within the tubular subject.
It can be determined and held (claim 2) .

Further, according to the sensor section telescopic ultrasonic testing probe of the present invention (claim 3), the one of the first motor and second motor form a telescopic mechanism and high speed motor and the other a low-speed motor Accordingly, it is possible to perform the scanning in the tube axis direction with high positioning accuracy and high resolution, and it is possible to realize a precise flaw detection inspection, and to significantly reduce the time required for moving the sensor unit.

At this time, by providing the bending mechanism to the slider, the probe can be bent between the probe main body and the sensor portion, and even if the probe tip portion becomes long, the transfer of the outer peripheral portion of the heat exchanger becomes possible. a can be inserted into the heat pipe allows inspection of Zenden'netsu tube (claim 4).

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing a partially exploded ultrasonic inspection probe for a sensor unit as a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view showing a main part of the probe according to the first embodiment in an extended state.

FIG. 3 is a sectional side view of a main part showing a contracted state of the probe of the first embodiment.

FIGS. 4A and 4B are perspective views each showing an end of a case forming a probe according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a side sectional view showing a use state of the probe according to the first embodiment in the heat transfer tube.

FIG. 6 is a side view showing a sensor unit telescopic ultrasonic testing probe according to a second embodiment of the present invention, partially cut away.

FIG. 7 is a sectional side view of a main part showing an extended state of a probe of a second embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a side sectional view of a main part showing a contracted state of a probe according to a second embodiment.

FIGS. 9A and 9B are a side view and a front view, respectively, showing a slider according to a second embodiment having a bending mechanism.

10A and 10B show a slider according to a second embodiment having a bending mechanism, wherein FIG. 10A is a plan view showing a straight state, and FIG. 10B is a bent state thereof. FIG.

FIGS. 11A and 11B show an example of a lock mechanism / unlock mechanism provided in the slider of the second embodiment, and FIG. 11A is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing the unlocked state;
(B) is a sectional view of a main part showing the locked state.

FIG. 12 is a side view showing a conventional rotary ultrasonic inspection probe.

FIG. 13 is a schematic plan view for explaining the function and effect of a bending mechanism provided in the slider of the second embodiment and its lock mechanism / unlock mechanism.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 9 Telescopic motor (telescopic mechanism) 10 Ball screw (telescopic mechanism) 12 Metal fitting (telescopic mechanism) 12a female screw 13 Holding bag (holding mechanism) 17 Sensor part 18 Probe body 19 Heat transfer tube (tubular subject) 21 High-speed motor (first motor) Telescopic mechanism) 22 First ball screw (telescopic mechanism) 24 Low-speed motor (second motor; telescopic mechanism) 25 Second ball screw (telescopic mechanism) 27 Slider (telescopic mechanism) 27-1, 27-2 Two parts forming slider 28 Pin (rotary shaft) 29a First female screw 29b Second female screw 100 Tubular subject

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-6-261905 (JP, A) JP-A-63-91555 (JP, A) JP-A-55-68054 (JP, U) JP-A-3-91555 125258 (JP, U) (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G01N 29/00-29/28 G01N 27/72-27/90

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] An ultrasonic flaw detection probe having a sensor unit for performing ultrasonic flaw inspection of a tubular subject at a distal end side of a probe main body and being inserted into the tubular subject , A holding mechanism that is installed on the outer periphery of the base end side and fixes the probe main body to the inner peripheral surface of the tubular subject during ultrasonic flaw detection inspection; and by driving the sensor unit to expand and contract with respect to the probe main body. An expansion / contraction mechanism for scanning the tubular object in the tube axis direction, wherein the expansion / contraction mechanism is fixed to the probe main body, and a ball screw rotatably driven by the motor while being supported by the probe main body. And a fitting formed with a female screw to be screwed with the ball screw and provided integrally with the sensor unit and capable of moving in the tube axis direction of the tubular subject with the rotation of the ball screw. Iko And wherein, the sensor unit telescopic ultrasonic test probe. 2. The holding mechanism expands outward by expanding.
A bag to be dispensed, inflating the bag,
The probe body is pressed against the inner peripheral surface by pressing against the inner peripheral surface.
Characterized in that it is configured to be fixed
The probe for telescopic ultrasonic testing according to claim 1. 3. An ultrasonic flaw detection test for a tubular subject.
Sensor section at the distal end of the probe body,
An ultrasonic flaw detection probe inserted into a specimen, wherein the probe main body is opposed to the tubular subject during an ultrasonic flaw detection test.
And a holding mechanism for fixing the sensor section, and driving the sensor section to expand and contract with respect to the probe body.
A telescopic mechanism for scanning the tubular subject in the tube axis direction by
The equipped, the expansion mechanism, a first motor fixed to the probe body, driving the rotation by the first motor is journalled to the probe body
Rotating a first Borune di is moving, a second motor fixed to the sensor portion, while being axially supported by the sensor unit side by the second motor
A second ball screw to be driven, and the first ball screw and the second ball screw, respectively.
A first female screw and a second female screw are formed to
With the rotation of the screw and the second ball screw.
Comprising a slider movable in the tube axis direction of the subject
Characterized by the fact that the sensor unit is telescopic ultrasonic probe.
Wound probe. 4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the slider is arranged in a tube axis direction of the tubular object.
Two parts rotatably connected about an axis perpendicular to
And the first female screw and
The second female screw is formed.
4. The ultrasonic inspection probe according to claim 3, further comprising:
Bu.