RU2139468C1 - Device for measuring and nondestructive testing of pipe line material - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: measuring and nondestructive testing of materials. SUBSTANCE: device includes cylindrical carrier for sensors located over its circumferential periphery, hermetic housing articulated with carrier and used for holding information processing unit and power supply unit which are connected with sensors. Carrier is made in form of radially spring-loaded holders which are interconnected together. Each holder is provided with longitudinal recess where sensors are mounted. Carrier includes collar whose diameter slightly exceeds diameter of pipe line under test. Collar is located in tail portion of carrier forming clearance between it and holders; it is provided with through holes; each through hole is connected with head portion of recess of respective holder by means of pipe line. EFFECT: enhanced reliability of measurements. 4 cl, 4 dwg

Description

 The present invention relates to devices for monitoring the status of pipelines, and in particular to a device for measuring and non-destructive testing of pipeline material.

 Most effectively, the present invention can be used for pipelines transporting oil and oil products.

 In addition, the invention can be used for pipelines transporting any other liquid medium, such as water.

 During operation of pipelines, in order to avoid accidents, diagnostics of integrity and wall thickness of pipelines is used. At present, “intelligent” in-tube inspection shells are widely used. They, as a rule, move along the pipeline with the transported medium and carry out various kinds of measurements. Most often it is about taking measurements of the wall thickness of the pipeline to establish local corrosion, loss of metal on the walls as a result of mechanical damage, extensive corrosion, etc. Depending on the problem statement, sensors of various types are used, for example: electro-optical, ultrasonic, etc.

 In the process of diagnostics, due to the presence of deposits inside the pipeline and suspension in the transported medium, sediment appears on the sensors. This leads to deterioration of the measurement quality up to a complete loss of results in individual sections of the pipeline, which does not allow to obtain reliable information about the state of the pipeline and can lead to its accident.

 A device for measuring and non-destructive testing of the material of the pipeline (laid out application Germany 3626646 A1) containing a cylindrical carrier of sensors located on its peripheral periphery. The carrier is made of elastic material in the form of a series of holders interconnected spring-loaded in the radial direction. The outer diameter of the carrier slightly exceeds the inner diameter of the pipeline. Each holder is equipped with a longitudinal recess with sensors installed in it, forming, together with the inner wall of the pipeline, when the device is installed in it, a channel open from the rear of the carrier. The device also includes a sealed housing with cuffs, pivotally connected to the carrier and carrying means for processing information connected to the sensors.

 The device operates as follows.

 The device placed in the diagnosed pipeline moves with the transported medium and measures the thickness of the pipeline wall. During the operation of the device, foreign particles settle on the sensors, due to which the reliability of the measurements is significantly impaired, which does not allow to detect a large number of defects on the wall of the pipeline.

 Another device for measuring and non-destructive testing of piping material is known (Pipetronix UltraScan 28 '' / 32 '' Version (II) Pipetronix (Germany) User Manual) containing a cylindrical carrier of sensors located at its peripheral periphery. The carrier is made of elastic material in the form of a series of holders interconnected spring-loaded in the radial direction. The outer diameter of the carrier slightly exceeds the inner diameter of the pipeline. Each holder is equipped with a longitudinal recess with sensors installed in it, forming, together with the inner wall of the pipeline, when the device is installed in it, a channel open from the rear of the carrier. The device also includes a sealed enclosure with perforated cuffs pivotally connected to the carrier and carrying means for processing information connected to the sensors. The recess of each holder is connected to the corresponding hole in the tail cuff of the housing by a flexible pipe.

 The device operates as follows.

 The device placed in the diagnosed pipeline moves with the transported medium and measures the wall thickness. The flow of the transported medium passes sequentially through the channels of the carrier, flexible pipes, holes in the cuffs in the direction from the tail of the carrier to the head of the housing.

 A significant disadvantage of the device is that since the flow rate in the channels of the carrier is quite low, then when the transported medium enters each channel, a suspension is captured that is around its entrance. It is known that the maximum amount of suspension is near the pipeline wall, therefore, the space between the sensors and the pipe wall is poorly washed and during the passage of the flow through the channels, partial sedimentation on the surface of the sensors occurs, which reduces the reliability of measurements, which does not allow to detect a large number of available pipeline wall defects.

 The basis of the present invention is the creation of such a device for measuring and non-destructive testing of pipeline material, in which the design of the carrier would ensure the formation of the flow of the transported medium in each channel in the direction opposite to the movement of the device.

 The problem is achieved in that in a device for measuring and non-destructive testing of pipeline material containing a cylindrical carrier of sensors located along its circumferential periphery, and representing a series of interconnected holders, each of which is equipped with a longitudinal recess with sensors installed in it, and at least one sealed housing pivotally connected to a carrier and carrying means for processing information connected to sensors, as well as a power supply unit according to the invention Spruce includes a cuff whose diameter slightly exceeds the inner diameter of the test pipe, and the sleeve is located in the rear part of the support to form a gap between it and the holders and provided with through holes, each of which is connected a conduit to the head part of the corresponding holder recesses.

 The proposed design of the carrier allows you to direct the flow of the transported medium to the head of the channel formed by the recess of the holder and the wall of the pipeline. This, in turn, allows you to direct the flow of medium in each channel in the direction opposite to the direction of movement of the device, which allows to increase the reliability of measurements by reducing the amount of sediment on the sensors. The gap between the cuff and the holders allows the flow to freely exit the channels and then move inside the carrier in the direction coinciding with the direction of movement of the device.

 In a preferred embodiment, the central portion of the cuff is made of a material having greater rigidity than the rigidity of the rest of the cuff.

 The proposed embodiment of the invention creates a tight seal in the area of contact of the cuff with the pipeline and allows you to direct the flow of the transported medium into the device through the holes of the cuff. In addition, this design of the cuff allows it to successfully overcome the bends of the pipeline and other obstacles when moving the device.

 In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, the carrier in the head is provided with a perforated flange connected to the holders and to the cuff.

 The presence of a perforated flange allows the transported medium to flow freely from the recess of the holder through the carrier cavity into the zone of the pipeline cavity located in front of the device. The connection of the perforated flange and the cuff between each other allows you to securely fix the cuff in position across the pipeline.

 In a preferred embodiment, the through holes of the cuff are made in its central part.

 The proposed embodiment of the invention allows to direct the cleanest part of the medium flow into the channels, which allows to improve the quality of measurements by reducing the amount of sediment on the sensors. In addition, this design option allows, in places where there is no fluid in the pipeline, to fill the channels with the medium and to avoid losses from changes in the permeability of the medium, since when using ultrasonic sensors, the air bubble in the pipeline is a complete signal loss.

 Other objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of an example of its implementation and the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a side view of a device according to the invention; FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section of a carrier; FIG. 3 - media holder (top view); FIG. 4 is a section IV-IV in FIG. 3.

 A device for measuring and non-destructive testing of the material of the pipeline 1 (Fig. 1) contains a housing 2 and a cylindrical carrier 3. Housing 2 contains two sections 4, 5, inside of which there are means (not shown in FIG.) For recording, processing data, and also power supply . Cuffs 6, 7 are installed on sections 4, 5 of casing 2. Cuffs 6 are designed to center the casing 2 in the pipeline 1, as well as to promote the device along with the transported medium. Cuffs 7 are designed to center the housing 2 in the pipe 1, and also serve as an additional support. In the cuffs 6,7, through holes are made (not shown in FIG.). A protective bumper 8 is located in front of the housing 2, inside of which there is a marker transceiver head 9 for determining the location of the device in the pipeline 1, as well as for recording sent signals from the marker located outside the pipeline, which helps to determine the exact location of the device. Sections 4, 5 of housing 2 are connected by a cardan assembly 10 to each other and to the carrier 3. On section 4 of housing 2, a system 11 for measuring the distance traveled is installed. The carrier 3 is made of an elastic material, for example rubber, has an external diameter slightly greater than the internal diameter of the pipeline 1 and contains a number of holders 12 (Fig. 2), which are mounted on the perforated flange 13 through elastic levers 14 with hinges 15. The levers 14 are additionally spring loaded with a sleeve 16, on which gaskets 17 are mounted holding the holders 12 evenly distributed around the perimeter of the pipeline. Behind the holders 12 in the rear part of the carrier 3 is a collar 18, which is rigidly connected to the flange 13 using a rod 19. The collar 18 is installed with a gap relative to the holders 12 and its diameter slightly exceeds the inner diameter of the pipeline 1. The central part of the collar 18 is made of a material having a large stiffness than the stiffness of the rest of the cuff (18). Through holes 20 are made in the central part of the cuff 18, to which the ends of the flexible conduits 21 are fastened by means of bushings (not shown in FIG.). In the holders 12, sensors 22, for example ultrasonic ones, are installed on the circumferential periphery of the carrier 3, which measure the thickness of the pipe wall 1 Each sensor 22 is connected to information processing means installed in sections 4, 5 of the housing via cable 23. Section 4 is equipped with an autonomous type power supply unit. Each holder 12 (Fig. 3) is made of an elastic material, such as rubber, and has a cross-sectional shape of a cylinder sector. This ensures a snug fit of the holders 12 to the inner wall of the pipeline 1 and maintains a constant distance between the wall of the pipe 1 and the sensors 22, as well as a constant angular position of the sensors 22 relative to the wall of the pipe 1. Each holder 12 has a longitudinal recess 24, which together with the wall of the pipe 1 forms a channel open from the rear of the holder 12. Sensors 22 are located in the recesses 24 of the holders 12. Holes 25 are made in each recess 24 for mounting sensors 22, and from the head aperture 26 for connecting the corresponding pipe 21 (figure 4). The holes in the cuffs 6, 7 are selected so that the flow rate of the medium is sufficient to remove sediment from the surface of the sensors 22, while ensuring non-stop movement of the device in the pipeline 1. The device operates as follows.

 The device placed in the diagnosed pipeline 1 moves together with the transported medium and takes measurements. The fluid flow passes sequentially through the holes 20 in the cuff 18, the pipes 21, the recess 24 in the holders 12, the perforated flange 13, the holes in the cuffs 6, 7 and moves faster than the device. The medium flow entering the openings 20 in the cuff 18 is the cleanest (with the smallest possible number of suspended particles) along the cross section of the pipeline 1, since the openings 20 are located in the central part of the pipeline 1, while the heaviest particles are deposited, while the light ones float up (for example : paraffin in oil). The fluid flow passing through the cuff 18, through pipelines 21, enters the recesses 24 of the holders 12. In the channels formed by the recesses 24 and the wall of the pipe 1, the fluid flow moves in the opposite direction to the device, which can significantly reduce the amount of impurities in the gap between the sensors 22 and the wall of the pipe 1 and, ultimately, allows you to get more reliable measurement results.

Claims (4)

 1. Device for measuring and non-destructive testing of pipeline material, containing a cylindrical carrier of sensors located along its peripheral periphery, and representing a series of interconnected holders, each of which is equipped with a longitudinal recess with sensors installed in it, and at least one sealed housing pivotally connected to the carrier and carrying means for processing information connected to the sensors, as well as a power supply, characterized in that the carrier contains a cuff whose diameter is not How much greater than the internal diameter of the pipeline, wherein the sleeve is located in the rear part of the support to form a gap between it and the holders and provided with through holes, each of which is connected a conduit to the head part of the corresponding holder recesses.  2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the Central part of the cuff is made of a material having greater rigidity than the rigidity of the rest of the cuff.  3. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the carrier in the head is provided with a perforated flange connected to the holders and to the cuff.  4. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the through holes of the cuff are made in its central part.

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