JP6782277B2 - Piping inspection equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a piping inspection device preferably used for measuring wall thickness and detecting flaws at bent portions such as U-shaped pipes and bend pipes.

Conventionally, ultrasonic waves have been used for in-pipe flaw detection inspection of small-diameter tubes such as heaters. For example, in Patent Document 1, a cylindrical casing inserted inside a pipe and a bearing portion rotatably arranged at the tip of the cylindrical casing and supported by a bearing on the base side are provided ahead of the bearing portion. On the side is a rotary drive mechanism equipped with a plurality of water jet nozzles facing diagonally outward, and on the side ahead of the rotary drive mechanism is a rotary cylinder equipped with an ultrasonic inlet / outlet window that opens laterally. It is attached to the inside of the cylindrical casing via a support member with a water passage formed around it, and is fixed to the tip side of the rotating cylinder with an ultrasonic probe that emits ultrasonic waves toward the rotating cylinder. Described is an ultrasonic flaw detector for a tube having a mirror member provided with an acoustic mirror surface that directs ultrasonic waves from an ultrasonic probe toward an ultrasonic inlet / outlet window. Since this ultrasonic flaw detector can rotate the mirror member at extremely high speed, no undetected region is generated even if the mirror member is moved at high speed in the axial direction of the tube, and ultrasonic flaw detection and high-precision tube ultrasonic flaw detection and high-precision tube. Thickness measurement is possible.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2001-83124

However, stainless steel or plastic pipes are used for the cylindrical casing in which the ultrasonic probe is built, and the total length is about 100 to 150 mm, including the rotating cylinder equipped with a mirror member. The entire ultrasonic flaw detector is formed in a rigid linear shape. Therefore, although it can be used for measuring the thickness of straight pipes and detecting flaws, there is a problem that it cannot be used for pipes having bent portions such as U-shaped pipes and bend pipes. In particular, U-shaped pipes are used for the pipes (tube-shaped heat transfer pipes) of heat exchangers, and as they become smaller, inspection becomes more difficult, so it is possible to measure the wall thickness at the bends of the pipes and detect scratches. It is desired to realize a piping inspection device that can be used.
The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and provides a piping inspection device capable of measuring a wall thickness and detecting a flaw from the inside by inserting it into a bent portion such as a U-shaped pipe or a bend pipe in a pipe. The purpose is.

The piping inspection device according to the present invention according to the above object is a piping inspection device that is inserted into a pipe and used.
It has a cable part, a sensor part attached to the front side of the cable part, and a front side guide part attached to the front side of the sensor part.
The sensor portion includes a casing having first and second holder portions provided on the base side and the front side, respectively, and an ultrasonic inlet / outlet opening provided between the first and second holder portions. Rotation having an ultrasonic probe housed in the first holder part and an output shaft housed in the second holder part and projecting toward the ultrasonic probe side in parallel with the axis of the casing. The drive unit and the ultrasonic probe attached to the output shaft reflect ultrasonic waves, pass through the ultrasonic inlet / outlet opening, irradiate the inner wall surface of the pipe, and reflect the ultrasonic waves on the inner wall surface. It is equipped with a reflector that reflects ultrasonic waves that have passed through the ultrasonic input / output opening toward the ultrasonic probe.
A joint mechanism that can be bent in only one direction is provided between the cable portion and the sensor portion and one or both of the sensor portion and the front guide portion.

In the piping inspection device according to the present invention, the joint mechanism is preferably a chain link mechanism.

In the piping inspection device according to the present invention, the first and second holder portions are provided with a gap in the axial direction of the casing, and a part of the gap is covered with a cover portion to obtain the super-ultra. It is preferable that the ultrasonic input / output opening is formed.

In the piping inspection device according to the present invention, the cover portion is detachably or rotatably attached to the casing, and the circumferential position of the ultrasonic inlet / outlet opening can be changed depending on the attachment position of the cover portion. Is preferable.

In the piping inspection device according to the present invention, it is preferable to have a ring-shaped guide member attached to the base side and the front side of the casing, respectively, to guide the sensor portion coaxially with the piping.

The piping inspection device according to the present invention has a joint mechanism that can be bent in only one direction between the cable portion and the sensor portion and one or both of the sensor portion and the front guide portion. When inserted into the pipe, the joint mechanism bends along the bent part of the pipe, so that the sensor part can pass through the bent part, and it is possible to measure the wall thickness at the bent part of the pipe, which was not possible in the past. Can handle flaw detection. At this time, since the joint mechanism can be bent only in one direction, twisting does not occur when passing through the pipe, and the joint mechanism is smoothly moved along the bent portion to reliably measure a predetermined range. Can be done. Further, since the rotation drive unit is housed in the second holder unit, the reflector attached to the output shaft can be reliably rotated at a predetermined rotation speed by driving the rotation drive unit. Excellent reliability and stability of ultrasonic measurement.

When the joint mechanism is a chain link mechanism, it can be reliably bent in only one direction with a simple configuration, is easy to assemble and disassemble, and is excellent in mass productivity.

When the first and second holder portions are provided with a gap in the axial direction and a part of the gap is covered with a cover portion to form an ultrasonic input / output opening, the rotation drive portion is provided. While protecting the electrical connection line for supplying electric power with the cover portion, the inspection can be performed by surely passing ultrasonic waves in the range where the ultrasonic input / output opening is formed.

When the cover portion is detachably or rotatably attached to the casing and the circumferential position of the ultrasonic inlet / outlet opening can be changed depending on the attachment position of the cover portion, the circumferential position of the ultrasonic inlet / outlet opening is changed. Then, by performing the inspection in a plurality of times, the bent portion of the pipe can be reliably inspected over the entire circumference.

When the ring-shaped guide member is attached to the base side and the front side of the casing to guide the sensor portion coaxially with the pipe, the misalignment of the sensor portion can be suppressed and the inspection reliability is excellent. At this time, by changing the outer diameter of the guide member according to the inner diameter of the pipe, it is possible to inspect pipes having different dimensions with one pipe inspection device, which is excellent in versatility.

It is a side view of the piping inspection apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view of the pipe inspection apparatus. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. It is a side view which shows the use state of the pipe inspection apparatus. (A) and (B) are cross-sectional views of a main part showing an inspectable range of the piping inspection device.

Subsequently, an embodiment embodying the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings, and the present invention will be understood.
As shown in FIG. 4, the piping inspection device 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention is inserted into the piping 11 of a heat exchanger or the like, and is provided in the middle of the piping 11 such as a U-shaped pipe or a bend pipe. It is used for measuring the wall thickness and detecting flaws at the bent portion 12.
As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 4, the piping inspection device 10 includes a cable portion 13, a sensor portion 14 attached to the front side of the cable portion 13, and a tip attached to the front side of the sensor portion 14. It has a side guide portion 15. Further, joint mechanisms 16 and 17 that can be bent in only one direction are provided between the cable portion 13 and the sensor portion 14 and between the sensor portion 14 and the front guide portion 15, respectively. As the joint mechanisms 16 and 17, a chain link mechanism is preferably used. The joint mechanisms 16 and 17 have a base side connecting portion 18 and a front side connecting portion 19 at the base side end portion and the front side end portion, respectively, and one or a plurality of link members 20 are connected between them.

The details of the joint mechanisms 16 and 17 will be described below.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, each base-side connecting portion 18 has a base portion 21 and a pair of support pieces 22 arranged to face each other on both outer sides of the front side of the base portion 21. The front side of each support piece 22 is formed in a semicircular shape, and a fitting hole 23 that penetrates each support piece 22 in the plate thickness direction (orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the joint mechanisms 16 and 17) is formed at the center thereof. ..
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, each front connecting portion 19 has a fixing portion 24 and a pair of rotating pieces 25 arranged to face each other on both outer sides of the base side of the fixing portion 24. Each rotating piece 25 is formed in a rectangular plate shape, and an arc-shaped chamfer is formed on the base side thereof in accordance with the bending direction of the joint mechanisms 16 and 17 (at the lower part of the base side of each rotating piece 25 in FIGS. 1 and 3). The portion 26 is formed. Then, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 4, a fitting projection 27 for pin fitting is formed on the outside of both rotating pieces 25 so as to coincide with the center of the arc of the chamfered portion 26. There is.
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, each link member 20 includes a body portion 28 formed in a cubic shape or a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and a pair of rotating pieces 29 arranged to face each other on both outer sides of the base side of the body portion 28. , Has a pair of support pieces 30 arranged to face each other on both outer sides of the front side of the body portion 28. Each rotating piece 29 is formed in a rectangular plate shape, and an arc-shaped chamfer is formed on the base side thereof in accordance with the bending direction of the joint mechanisms 16 and 17 (at the lower part of the base side of each rotating piece 29 in FIGS. 1 and 3). The portion 31 is formed. Then, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, a fitting projection 32 for pin fitting is formed on the outside of both rotating pieces 29 so as to coincide with the center of the arc of the chamfered portion 31. There is. Further, the front side of each support piece 30 is formed in a semicircular shape, and a fitting hole 33 that penetrates each support piece 30 in the plate thickness direction (orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the joint mechanisms 16 and 17) is formed at the center thereof. ing.

Therefore, the fitting hole 23 of the base side connecting portion 18, the fitting projection 32 of the link member 20 adjacent to the base side connecting portion 18, the fitting projection 27 of the front side connecting portion 19, and the link adjacent to the front side connecting portion 19. The fitting hole 33 of the member 20, the fitting projection 32 of the adjacent link members 20, and the fitting hole 33 are rotatably connected by pin fitting, respectively. At this time, the base end surface of the rotating piece 25 of the front connecting portion 19 comes into contact with the front end surface of the body portion 28 of the adjacent link member 20, and the base end surface of the rotating piece 29 of the link member 20 is pressed. It is in contact with the front end surface of the base 21 of the adjacent base connecting portion 18 or the front end surface of the body 28 of the link member 20, and the rotating piece 25 of the front connecting portion 19 and the rotation of each link member 20. Since the arc-shaped chamfered portions 26 and 31 are formed at the lower portion of the base side of the piece 29, the joint mechanisms 16 and 17 can be bent only in one direction (downward in FIGS. 1 and 3). , It does not bend in the opposite direction (upward in FIGS. 1 and 3) or in any other direction (for example, the left-right direction in FIG. 2). As a result, as shown in FIG. 4, when the pipe inspection device 10 is inserted into the pipe 11, the joint mechanisms 16 and 17 are not twisted and are bent only in one direction along the bent portion 12. The lengths of the joint mechanisms 16 and 17 can be appropriately selected according to the length of the bent portion 12 and the radius of curvature, and can be easily adjusted by the number of link members 20 to be connected. Here, the joint mechanism 16 has two link members 20, and the joint mechanism 17 has one link member 20. Further, as the material of each part of the joint mechanisms 16 and 17, a metal such as stainless steel is preferably used.

A connector 34 is attached to the base 21 of the base side connecting portion 18 of the joint mechanism 16 by screwing or the like, and the base side connecting portion 18 of the joint mechanism 16 is connected to the cable 13 via the connector 34. Further, the fixing portion 24 of the front connecting portion 19 of the joint mechanism 16, the base 21 of the base connecting portion 18 of the joint mechanism 17, and the fixing portion 24 of the front connecting portion 19 are the base side of the sensor unit 14 and the sensor unit, respectively. It is fixed to the front side of the 14 and the base side of the front guide portion 15 by screwing or the like.
The dimensions and structure of the base side connecting portion 18, the front connecting portion 19, and the link member 20 are not limited to the present embodiment and can be appropriately selected. For example, the link member 20 is a roller. A chain can be used. Further, in the present embodiment, the bending directions (rotatable range) of the joint mechanisms 16 and 17 are restricted by the shapes of the rotating piece 25 of the front connecting portion 19 and the rotating piece 29 of each link member 20. , Not limited to this, for example, an engaging protrusion or an engaging portion that regulates the bending direction (rotatable range) on the inner side surfaces of the base side connecting portion 18 and the support pieces 22 and 30 of each link member 20. A recess is formed, and an engaging recess that engages with the engaging protrusion or an engaging protrusion that engages with the engaging protrusion is provided on the outer surface of the rotating pieces 25 and 29 of the front connecting portion 19 and each link member 20. It may be formed.

Next, the sensor unit 14 will be described.
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the sensor unit 14 includes cylindrical first and second holder portions 35 and 36 and first and second holder portions 35, which are provided on the base side and the front side, respectively. It includes a casing 38 having an ultrasonic inlet / outlet opening 37 provided between the 36s. In the present embodiment, the first and second holder portions 35 and 36 are provided with a gap in the axial direction of the casing 38, and a part of the gap (in the circumferential direction) is covered by the cover portion 39. As a result, the ultrasonic input / exit opening 37 is formed. The ultrasonic probe 40 is housed in the first holder part 35, and the rotation drive part (motor) 41 is housed in the second holder part 36. The first and second holder portions 35 and 36 have open ends on the ultrasonic input / exit opening 37 side, respectively. As shown in FIG. 3, the rotation drive unit 41 has an output shaft 42 protruding toward the ultrasonic probe 40 side in parallel with the axial center of the casing 38, and the output shaft 42 has an ultrasonic input / output opening. The reflector 45 is attached according to the position of the portion 37. As shown by the solid line arrow in FIG. 4, the reflector 45 reflects the ultrasonic waves from the ultrasonic probe 40, passes through the ultrasonic inlet / outlet opening 37, and irradiates the inner wall surface 44 of the pipe 11 with reference to FIG. As shown by the broken arrow of the above, the ultrasonic waves reflected by the inner wall surface 44 and passed through the ultrasonic input / output opening 37 are reflected toward the ultrasonic probe 40. At this time, it is preferable that the surface (reflection surface) of the reflector 45 is attached at an inclination angle of 45 degrees with respect to the axial center of the casing 38 (sensor unit 14). As a result, when the rotation drive unit 41 is driven to irradiate ultrasonic waves from the ultrasonic probe 40 toward the reflector 45 while rotating the reflector 45 together with the output shaft 42, the ultrasonic waves reflected by the reflector 45 are superposed. The inspection can be performed by irradiating the inner wall surface 44 of the pipe 11 with ultrasonic waves in the range where the ultrasonic inlet / outlet opening 37 is open. The inspection by the piping inspection device 10 is performed by injecting a liquid (water) that serves as a medium for ultrasonic waves into the piping 11.

Here, the cover portion 39 is detachably or rotatably attached to the casing 38, and the circumferential position of the ultrasonic input / exit opening 37 can be changed depending on the attachment position of the cover portion 39. That is, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the vent of the bent portion 12 of the pipe 11 so that the cover portion 39 is on the same side as the bent direction of the joint mechanisms 16 and 17 (downward direction of FIGS. 1 and 3). When attached to the side (inside), as shown in FIG. 5 (A), the dorsal side (outside) of the bent portion 12 is within the inspectable range, and the cover portion 39 is the bending direction of the joint mechanisms 16 and 17. When attached to the back side (outside) of the bent portion 12 of the pipe 11 so as to be on the opposite side (upward in FIGS. 1 and 3), the bent portion 12 is as shown in FIG. 5 (B). The ventral side (inside) of is the inspectable range. At this time, the opening range of the ultrasonic input / output opening 37 (in other words, the range covered by the cover portion 39) is set so that a part (both ends) of the inspectable range shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B overlap. By doing so, the bent portion 12 of the pipe 11 can be inspected without exception over the entire circumference. For example, if the range that can be inspected at one time is 200 to 220 degrees, the whole circumference inspection can be performed by two inspections. The cover portion 39 can be detachably attached to or rotatably attached to the casing, but the cover portion 39 is formed by screwing both ends in the longitudinal direction to the peripheral walls of the first and second holder portions 35 and 36. The 39 can be reliably fixed, and the inspection can be reliably performed without the cover portion 39 coming off or moving (rotating) during the inspection.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, electrical connection lines 46 and 47 for supplying electric power are connected to the rotary drive unit 41, and a signal line (for example, a coaxial cable) 48 is connected to the ultrasonic probe 40. The electric connection lines 46 and 47 pass between the second holder portion 36 and the first holder portion 35, so that the cover portion 39 also plays a role of protecting the electric connection lines 46 and 47. Therefore, when changing the position of the cover portion 39, the electrical connection lines 46 are adjusted to the positions of the cover portion 39 so that the electrical connection lines 46 and 47 do not interfere with the inspection (so as not to interfere with the ultrasonic waves). , 47 is moved. Further, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the sensor portion 14 is attached to the base portion 21 of the base side connecting portion 18 of the joint mechanism 16, the fixing portion 24 of the front connecting portion 19, and the body portion 28 of each link member 20. Since the through hole 50 is formed parallel to the axis of the joint and allows the electrical connection lines 46 and 47 and the signal line 48 to pass through, these wirings can be protected and entangled with the joint mechanism 16 during work. There is no problem, disconnection is unlikely to occur, and workability is excellent. Further, since the cable portion 13 is formed of a fluororesin or the like in a tubular shape and has flexibility and durability, it can be protected through the electric connection lines 46 and 47 and the signal line 48 inside, and the shape of the pipe 11 can be protected. It can be deformed along.

In the present embodiment, as described above, since the body portion 28 of each link member 20 is formed in a cubic shape or a rectangular parallelepiped shape, the misalignment (upper and lower) when the link member 20 is inserted into the pipe 11 having a circular cross section. (Left and right misalignment) can be reduced, but as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the sensor portion 14 is coaxial with the pipe 11 by attaching the ring-shaped guide members 52 to the base side and the front side of the casing 38, respectively. It can be guided in a shape to effectively prevent misalignment. At this time, by forming the guide member 52 with a flexible (elastically deformable) synthetic resin, synthetic rubber, or the like, the sensor unit 14 can be guided without being caught by the inner wall surface 44 of the pipe 11. .. The outer diameter and overall length of the sensor portion 14 (casing 38) can be appropriately selected according to the inner diameter of the pipe 11 and the radius of curvature and length of the bent portion 12, but the guide member is suitable for the inner diameter of the pipe 11. By selecting and exchanging the outer diameter of 52, it is possible to inspect a plurality of pipes 11 having different dimensions even with one pipe inspection device 10. For example, if the outer diameter of the sensor unit 14 is about 8 mm and the total length is about 50 mm, the inspection of the pipe 11 having an inner diameter of 11 mm or more can be supported by replacing the guide member 52.

When inspecting the pipe 11 having the bent portion 12 by using the pipe inspection device 10 configured as described above, first, as shown in FIG. 4, the pipe inspection device 10 is inserted into the inside of the pipe 11. At this time, since the tip of the front guide portion 15 is made of synthetic resin in a hemispherical shape, it can be smoothly inserted into the pipe 11 to guide the subsequent sensor portion 14. Then, when the sensor unit 14 reaches the tip position of the bent portion 12, a liquid (water) is injected into the inside of the pipe 11, and the ultrasonic probe is driven while driving the rotary drive unit 41 to rotate the reflector 45. Irradiate ultrasonic waves from 40. The ultrasonic waves emitted from the ultrasonic probe 40 are reflected by the reflecting mirror 45, pass through the ultrasonic input / output opening 37, and are applied to the inner wall surface 44 of the pipe 11 (solid line arrow in FIG. 4). The ultrasonic waves applied to the inner wall surface 44 are reflected, pass through the ultrasonic wave inlet / outlet opening 37, are reflected by the reflector 45, and return to the ultrasonic probe 40 (broken arrow in FIG. 4). When the inspection becomes possible in this way, the pipe inspection device 10 is moved in the direction of pulling out from the pipe 11 (along the bent portion 12), and the bent portion 12 is inspected over the entire length. At this time, in FIG. 4, since the cover portion 39 is attached to the ventral side (inside) of the bent portion 12 of the pipe 11 which is the bending direction (downward direction of FIGS. 1 and 3) of the joint mechanisms 16 and 17. , As shown in FIG. 5A, only the dorsal side (outside) of the bent portion 12 is the inspectable range. Next, after the pipe inspection device 10 is pulled out from the pipe 11, the cover portion 39 is on the side opposite to the bending direction of the joint mechanisms 16 and 17 (upward in FIGS. 1 and 3). Replace (move) to the back side (outside). Then, the pipe inspection device 10 is inserted into the pipe 11, and the inspection is performed in the same manner as described above. At this time, as shown in FIG. 5B, the ventral side (inside) of the bent portion 12 is the inspectable range. By the above two inspections, the total length of the bent portion 12 can be inspected over the entire circumference.

Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the configuration described in the above-described embodiment, and can be considered within the scope of the matters described in the claims. Other embodiments and modifications are also included.
For example, it is possible to omit the joint mechanism between the cable part and the sensor part, or omit the joint mechanism between the sensor part and the front guide part, and the length of each joint mechanism can be changed. Is. Further, since the joint mechanism only needs to be bent in one direction, the base side and the front side may be interchanged.

10: Piping inspection device, 11: Piping, 12: Bent part, 13: Cable part, 14: Sensor part, 15: Front side guide part, 16, 17: Joint mechanism, 18: Base side connecting part, 19: Front side Connecting part, 20: Link member, 21: Base part, 22: Support piece, 23: Fitting hole, 24: Fixed part, 25: Rotating piece, 26: Chamfered part, 27: Fitting protrusion, 28: Body part, 29: Rotating piece, 30: Support piece, 31: Chamfered part, 32: Fitting protrusion, 33: Fitting hole, 34: Connector, 35: First holder part, 36: Second holder part, 37: Ultrasonic inlet / outlet opening, 38: casing, 39: cover, 40: ultrasonic probe, 41: rotary drive (motor), 42: output shaft, 44: inner wall surface, 45: reflector, 46, 47 : Electrical connection line, 48: Signal line, 50: Through hole, 52: Guide member

Claims (5)

It is a piping inspection device that is inserted inside the piping and used.
It has a cable part, a sensor part attached to the front side of the cable part, and a front side guide part attached to the front side of the sensor part.
The sensor portion includes a casing having first and second holder portions provided on the base side and the front side, respectively, and an ultrasonic inlet / outlet opening provided between the first and second holder portions. Rotation having an ultrasonic probe housed in the first holder part and an output shaft housed in the second holder part and projecting toward the ultrasonic probe side in parallel with the axis of the casing. The drive unit and the ultrasonic probe attached to the output shaft reflect ultrasonic waves, pass through the ultrasonic inlet / outlet opening, irradiate the inner wall surface of the pipe, and reflect the ultrasonic waves on the inner wall surface. It is equipped with a reflector that reflects ultrasonic waves that have passed through the ultrasonic input / output opening toward the ultrasonic probe.
A piping inspection device having a joint mechanism that can be bent in only one direction between the cable portion and the sensor portion and one or both of the sensor portion and the front guide portion. .. The piping inspection device according to claim 1, wherein the joint mechanism is a chain link mechanism. In the piping inspection device according to claim 1 or 2, the first and second holder portions are provided with a gap in the axial direction of the casing, and a part of the gap is covered with a cover portion. , A piping inspection device characterized in that the ultrasonic inlet / outlet opening is formed. In the piping inspection device according to claim 3, the cover portion is detachably or rotatably attached to the casing, and the circumferential position of the ultrasonic inlet / outlet opening can be changed depending on the attachment position of the cover portion. A piping inspection device characterized by being present. The piping inspection device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 has a ring-shaped guide member attached to the base side and the front side of the casing, respectively, to guide the sensor unit coaxially with the piping. A characteristic piping inspection device.

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