RU2325634C2 - Intra-pipe defectoscope sensor system device - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: physics.

SUBSTANCE: essence lies in that, the sensor system device for an intra-pipe defectoscope consists of series of sensor holders, in the form of supporting arms and concentrically mounted on the perimeter of the defectoscope case. On each holder there is at least one sensor and the holders are made from a polymer with elastic properties. Between the free end of the holder and the case, a spring element is fixed which is made a polymer with elastic properties, working in the operation position of the system when compressed.

EFFECT: vibration dampening.

7 cl, 4 dwg

Description

The invention relates to a device for in-pipe non-destructive testing of pipelines by passing inside a pipeline a device consisting of one or more transport modules with sensors installed on the housing, more specifically, to a device of an in-pipe flaw detector sensor system.

As a rule, flaw detector sensors are installed concentrically around the perimeter of the flaw detector body in order to block its entire surface during the monitoring of the condition of the pipe. However, the pipe is not an ideal body. In the process of movement, the in-line flaw detector passes rounding, pipe sections of different diameters or different wall thicknesses.

The design of the sensor system of the in-tube flaw detector during its movement should ensure a tight fit of the sensors to the pipe wall and a constant orientation of these sensors in the radial direction relative to the longitudinal axis of the flaw detector body.

Various sensor systems for an in-line flaw detector are known.

Sensor System US Pat. No. 4,330,748, published May 18, 1982. IPC: G01R 033/00; G01N 027/72; G01N 027/82, as well as US patent 4468619, publication August 28, 1984, IPC G01N 027/82, contains sensors mounted on the base - the slide and located around the perimeter of the flaw detector. The base is a flexible plate bent as a parallelogram, fixed in the middle to the base on the flaw detector housing. One branch of the plate is a support for the sensors, the other supports support from bending from the pipe wall in the place where the sensors are fixed.

Due to its stiffness in the transverse direction, this flaw detector system of the flaw detector provides a constant orientation of these sensors in the radial direction, but poorly ensures that the sensors always adhere to the pipe surface, since due to the rigidity of the system, it can track only small changes in diameter. In addition, this system does not provide damping of vibrations arising in it during the movement of the flaw detector, which adversely affect the operation of the sensors.

The sensor system according to US patent 5864232, publication January 26, 1999, IPC G01N 027/72, contains sensors mounted on holders, each of which is mounted on the flaw detector housing using a pair of levers. The levers are spaced in the longitudinal direction in a plane passing through the axis of symmetry of the flaw detector, and are able to rotate in this plane. Each specified lever has an axis of rotation at the point of attachment of the holder to the lever and at the place of attachment of the lever to the housing.

The holder together with the sensors is made according to the “parallelogram” scheme, which is stable and due to its stiffness in the transverse direction ensures constant orientation of these sensors in the radial direction when passing straight sections of the pipeline. However, this system does not provide damping of vibrations arising in it during the movement of the flaw detector, which negatively affect the operation of the sensors.

Russian patent 2225977, publication March 20, 2004, IPC G01M 3/08, F17D 5/00, G01N 27/72 is the closest analogue. Sensors are installed in holders installed around the perimeter around the symmetry axis of the flaw detector. Each sensor holder is mounted on the flaw detector housing using a pair of levers that can rotate in a plane passing through the symmetry axis of the flaw detector. In each sensor holder, all sensors are located on the tail of the flaw detector with respect to both axes of rotation of a pair of levers in this sensor holder. The distance between the indicated axes of rotation in the sensor holder is not more than 0.2 length of the lever.

This design of mounting sensors ensures that they are pressed during movement along straight sections of the pipeline, including when changing the diameter of the pipe, because the sensor due to the lever system and swivel joints can repeat changes in the profile of the pipe walls.

However, this system does not provide damping of vibrations arising in it during the movement of the flaw detector, which negatively affect the operation of the sensors.

The claimed invention solves the problem of damping the vibrations that occur in the sensor system of an in-line flaw detector when a flaw detector moves, which reduce the accuracy of the sensors and increase the life of the system.

The inventive device of the sensor system of an in-line flaw detector contains a number of sensor holders made in the form of brackets and mounted concentrically around the perimeter of the flaw detector, at least one sensor is installed on each holder, the holder made of polymer with elastic properties, and between the free end of the holder and a spring element is mounted in the housing, working in compression in the working position of the system.

During operation of the system, the sensors located on the holders are pressed against the surface of the pipe. When the flaw detector moves due to pipe irregularities in previously known sensor systems, vibrations arose which were perceived by the sensors, superimposed on the working signal and reduced the accuracy of their operation. The implementation of the sensor holders, on which the sensors are mounted, from an elastic polymer material can reduce the level of vibration, since the structures of this material do not have pronounced resonant frequencies. Due to the fact that in the process of perceiving the loads that arise during movement, the entire volume of material works, the service life of the sensor holders is longer.

As a polymer with elastic properties, polyurethane can be used to make the sensor holders. The same material can be used for spring elements. For holders, polyurethane with stiffer properties is used, for spring elements less rigid.

In the particular case, the sensor holders can be combined into sections made as a single unit.

The spring element can be made in the form of a C-shaped plate and mounted on a holder under the sensor.

The front end of each holder may contain a chipper, made with a bevel directed forward, in the direction of the flaw detector.

The invention is illustrated by the following drawings.

Figure 1 shows the design of a system element in side view, figure 2 - in front view. Figure 3 presents an embodiment of the system in the form of a section. Figure 4 - General view of the sensor system in-line flaw detector mounted on the body of the flaw detector.

The sensor system of the in-line flaw detector contains a number of sensor holders 1 in the form of brackets (figure 4). In the particular case, the bracket may be L-shaped. A sensor 2 is installed on each holder 1 (Fig. 1), and a spring element in the form of a C-shaped plate 4 is fixed between the free end of the holder 1 and the element 5 of the housing 3. The holders 1 are made of polymer with elastic properties, in particular polyurethane. The plate 4 can also be made of polyurethane, but of less rigidity. In addition, the plate 4 may be made of another spring material. The front end of the holder 1 contains a chipper 6, made with a bevel directed forward, in the direction of the flaw detector.

The holders 1 can be made in the form of sections 7 with jumpers (Fig.3.), In this case, the sensors 2 are mounted on the holders 1 of each section.

The flaw detector moves inside the pipe. The sensor system located concentrically around the perimeter of the flaw detector body 3 (Fig. 4) has contact with the inner surface of the pipe (not shown).

The sensors 2 contact the pipe surface due to the spring properties of the material of the holders 1 and the C-shaped plate 4. The system is “flexible” in the radial direction, which allows the sensors 2 to be pressed against the pipe surface during unevenness, with different pipe diameters and rounding.

The mounting system of the sensors 2 is sufficiently “rigid” in the transverse direction and ensures their exact positioning along the pipe generators, which makes it possible to accurately pinpoint defects to points on the pipe surface according to the measurement results.

The device system of the in-line flaw detector sensors can significantly reduce spurious vibrations that occur when the flaw detector moves, which allows to increase the accuracy of measurement by sensors. In addition, the system device is simple, technologically advanced, and the sensor mounting system itself is lightweight and has a long service life.

Claims (7)

1. The device of the sensor system of an in-line flaw detector, characterized in that it contains a number of sensor holders made in the form of brackets and mounted concentrically around the perimeter of the flaw detector, at least one sensor is installed on each holder, the holder made of polymer with elastic properties, and between the free end of the holder and the housing is fixed a spring element made of polymer with elastic properties, working in the working position of the system in compression. 2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the said holders are made of polyurethane. 3. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the said holders are combined in sections made as a whole. 4. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the said spring element is made, in particular, of polyurethane. 5. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the said spring element is made in the form of a C-shaped plate. 6. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the said spring element is mounted on a holder under the sensor. 7. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the front end of each holder contains a chipper made with a bevel directed forward in the direction of the flaw detector.

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