RU2692868C1 - Carrier of sensors of in-tube ultrasonic flaw detector - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: defectoscopy.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to devices for monitoring technical condition of main oil pipelines, oil product pipelines by nondestructive methods by passing inside inspected pipeline of in-pipe ultrasonic flaw detector. Measuring system of the sensor carrier comprises holders made in the form of parallelogram mechanisms, each of which comprises platform with installed on it ultrasonic sensors and roller supports, providing specified distance from ultrasonic sensors to internal surface of pipeline. Platform is installed with the possibility of maintaining its angular position relative to the longitudinal axis of the sensor carrier when the parallelogram mechanism is folded. Holders are equipped with angular displacement transducers.

EFFECT: upgraded quality of diagnostics of pipeline in places with features of pipeline geometry.

1 cl, 4 dwg

Description

The invention relates to devices for monitoring the technical condition of the main oil pipelines, oil pipelines by non-destructive methods by passing inside the pipeline in-line ultrasonic flaw detector inside the pipeline being examined.

A device for measuring and non-destructive testing of pipeline material, 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 interconnected spring-loaded holders. The outer diameter of the carrier is slightly larger than the inner diameter of the pipeline Each holder is provided with a longitudinal notch with sensors installed in it, which, together with the internal wall of the pipeline, when installed in the device, form a channel open on the tail end of the carrier. The device also includes a sealed case, hingedly connected to the carrier and carrying information processing means connected to the sensors, as well as a power supply unit (application DE 3626646 A1, published 02/18/1988).

The disadvantage of the analogue is that during the operation of the device a precipitate appears on the sensors, due to which the reliability of the measurements deteriorates significantly and a large number of defects present on the pipeline wall are passed through, which does not allow detecting a large number of defects present on the pipeline wall.

The closest analogue of the claimed invention is the sensor carrier in-line ultrasonic flaw detector, having a cylindrical shape and made of an elastic material. The outer diameter of the sensor carrier is slightly greater than the inner diameter of the pipeline and is a series of interconnected, located along its peripheral periphery, radially spring-loaded holders, each of which is provided with a longitudinal notch with several sensors installed in it. The holders are fixed to the housing using swivel joints. The front wall of the notch of each holder has an L-shaped cross-section, and the side walls of the notch are provided on the periphery with plates of elastic material slightly protruding beyond the edges of the side walls, while the thickness of the side walls exceeds the thickness of the front wall and notch plates (see patent RU 2139469 C1, published 10.10.1999).

The advantages of such a carrier include the fact that the rows of sensors installed at an angle to the axis of the carrier allow scanning the entire surface of the pipeline with overlapping zones controlled by separate sensors.

A feature of ultrasonic sensors is increased sensitivity to the accuracy of their spatial position relative to the surface being diagnosed.

The main disadvantage of the known carrier is that when passing through a section of a pipeline with a geometric defect such as a dent, the sensor holders behave as rigid elements, and hitting the front part of the holder to a dent (protrusion on the inner surface of the pipeline) is accompanied by the removal of the entire holder from the undeformed part of the pipeline. As a result, the sensors deviate both in the angular and linear directions from their optimal position relative to the inner surface of the pipe, and as a result, the efficiency of diagnostics decreases, and such sections of the pipeline with geometric defects remain unmonitored.

The technical problem that the claimed invention is intended to solve is the creation of a sensor carrier that makes it possible to identify material integrity defects on dents, which makes it possible to plan repair of these areas primarily to improve the reliability and trouble-free transportation of oil and oil products.

The technical result achieved with the implementation of the invention is to improve the quality of pipeline diagnostics in places with pipeline geometry peculiarities by ensuring that the required indent and angular position of ultrasonic sensors are observed relative to the surface of defects of a dent-type pipe with the possibility of determining the continuity defect of a pipe material combined with a dent-type defect.

The technical result is achieved by the fact that the sensor carrier of the in-line ultrasonic flaw detector contains sections connected by means of cardan hinges, each of which consists of a body on which centering sleeves and a measuring system are mounted. The measuring system includes ultrasound sensors placed on radially spring-loaded holders located on the circumference and opened in a free state on a diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the centering cuffs. The holders are made in the form of parallelogram mechanisms, each of which contains a platform with ultrasonic sensors and roller bearings mounted on it, providing a specified distance from the ultrasonic sensors to the inner surface of the pipeline. The platform is installed with the ability to maintain its angular position relative to the longitudinal axis of the carrier of the sensors when folding parallelogram mechanism, while the holders are equipped with sensors of angular movements.

The location of the ultrasonic sensors on platforms with roller bearings capable of self-aligning on the surface to be inspected to provide the necessary indentation and angular position of the ultrasonic sensors relative to the inner surface of the pipeline, as well as providing the holder with an angular displacement sensor, the data from which, together with the data from the ultrasonic sensors, determine defects on pipe geometry defects and thereby improve the quality of pipeline diagnostics in places with especially pipeline geometry.

Information confirming the implementation of the invention.

FIG. 1 shows the sensor carrier of an ultrasonic flaw detector, consisting of two sections of the sensor carrier;

FIG. 2 shows a general view of the sensor carrier section;

FIG. 3 shows the holder of the measuring system;

FIG. 4 shows the local view A and sections BB, B-B and HG of the holder of the measuring system.

FIG. 1-4 shows the following notation:

1 - sensor carrier section;

2 - universal joint;

3 - intermediate plug;

4 - body section of the sensor carrier;

5 - centering cuff;

6 - measuring system holder;

7 - housing of the measuring system holder;

8, 9 - levers;

10 - thrust;

11 - bracket;

12 - platform;

13, 14 - roller bearings;

15 - cross;

16 - sensor unit;

17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 - axes;

23, 24 - threaded bushings;

25 - sleeve with a square hole;

26, 27 - sleeves;

28, 29, 30 - springs;

31 - bumper;

32 - cover;

33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40 - screws;

41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47 - washers;

48, 49, 50, 51 - sleeve sleeves;

52 - resistant quick-release washer;

53 - pin;

54 - magnet;

55 - angular displacement sensor.

The claimed sensor carrier consists of at least one carrier section of sensors 1 (FIG. 1). Between themselves, the sections of the carrier of the sensors are connected by means of two universal joints 2 (FIG. 1) and an intermediate plug 3 (FIG. 1).

The carrier section of the sensors 1 (Fig. 1) includes a housing 4 (Fig. 2), consisting of body parts, flanges, forks, cardan joints, cable fasteners and may contain a sealed enclosure with electronic components. On the case there are polyurethane cuffs 5 (Fig. 2), which ensure the centering of the sensor carrier section in the pipeline and the measuring system consisting of holders 6 (Fig. 2), located around the circumference and in a free state, opened on a diameter somewhat larger than the internal diameter of the pipeline .

The holder of the measuring system 6 (Fig. 2) consists of a body 7 (Fig. 3), levers 8, 9 (Fig. 3), thrust 10 (Fig. 3), an arm 11 (Fig. 3), a platform 12 (Fig. 2). 3), roller bearings in the form of three rollers 13, 14 (Fig. 3), crosses 15 (Fig. 4), sensor block 16 (Fig. 3), axes 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 (Fig. 4), threaded sleeves 23, 24 (Fig. 4), sleeves with a square hole 25 (Fig. 4), sleeves 26, 27 (Fig. 4), springs 28, 29, 30 (Fig. 3), bumper 31 (Fig. 3), covers 32 (Fig. 3), screws 33, 34, 35 (Fig. 3), screws 36, 37, 38, 39, 40 (Fig. 4), washers 41 (Fig. 3), washers 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, (Fig. 4), sliding sleeves 48, 49, 50, 51, (Fig. 4), resistant quick-release washers 52 (Fig. 4), cotter pins 53 (FIG. 3), magnet 54 (FIG. 4), and angular displacement sensor 55 (FIG. 3).

Housing 7 (Fig. 3) with sliding sleeves 48, 49 (Fig. 4) pre-pressed into it, levers 8, 9 (Fig. 3), thrust 10 (Fig. 3), bracket 11 (Fig. 3), platform 12 (Fig. 3), the axes 17, 18 (Fig. 4) and the threaded sleeve 24 (Fig. 4), fixed with screws 37, 38, 40 (Fig. 4), form a parallelogram mechanism capable of moving within an angle of D ( Fig. 3). The bracket 11 (Fig. 3) and the platform 12 (Fig. 3) when folding the parallelogram mechanism within the angle D (Fig. 3) retain their angular position relative to the longitudinal axis of the sensor carrier 1 (Fig. 1). The initial position of the parallelogram mechanism is provided by springs 30 (Fig. 3), fixed on axes 19, 22 (Fig. 4) and supporting surfaces E (Fig. 3) on housing 7 (Fig. 3) and levers 8, 9 (Fig. 3 ). The platform 12 (Fig. 3) to the levers 8, 9 (Fig. 3) is fixed by means of an axis 20 (Fig. 4), a crosspiece 15 (Fig. 4) and a sleeve with a thread 23 (Fig. 4), which allows the platform to turn at an angle of up to 17 ° clockwise or counterclockwise relative to the axis W (Fig. 4) and at an angle up to 45 ° relative to the axis I (Fig. 4) to decrease the angle K (Fig. 3). The springs 28, 29 (Fig. 3), fixed to the platform 12 (Fig. 3) and the bracket 11 (Fig. 3), have significantly less rigidity than the springs 30 (Fig. 3), provide the platform 12 (Fig. 3) in a consolidated state, a predetermined angle K and a symmetrical arrangement relative to the longitudinal axis of the carrier of the sensors 1 (FIG. 1). Ultrasonic sensors combined to increase the density of the location in block 16 (Fig. 3), are installed on the platform 12 (Fig. 3). The sensors are located at a certain distance from the theoretical surface of the pipeline and are directed along the normal to this surface. From the sensor unit 16 (Fig. 3), a cable with a connector at the end for connecting to a sealed envelope with the means of processing and storing measurement data leaves. The rollers 13, 14 (Fig. 3) with the sleeves 50, 51 (Fig. 4) pressed into them provide a predetermined distance from the sensor unit 16 (Fig. 3) to the inner surface of the pipeline and reduce friction when moving along the pipeline due to its rolling . The rollers 13 (FIG. 3) with pressed-in sliding sleeves 50 (FIG. 4) are mounted on the square protrusions of the platform 12 (FIG. 3) through the sleeves with a square hole 25 (FIG. 4) and are fixed with the help of washers 42 (FIG. 4) having square protrusions and screws 39 (Fig. 4). The roller 14 (FIG. 3) with the pressed sleeves of the sliding 51 (FIG. 4) is attached to the platform 12 (FIG. 3) by means of an axis 21 (FIG. 4) and an axial quick-release washer 52 (FIG. 4). Washers 43, 44, 45, 46, 47 (Fig. 4) are designed to reduce friction during operation of the mechanism and improve maintainability. The bumper 31 (FIG. 3) is fastened with screws 35 (FIG. 3) and is designed to protect the mechanism from damage. The angular displacement sensor is mounted on the housing 7 (Fig. 3) with screws 33 (Fig. 3) and has a cable with a connector at the end for transmitting data to a sealed flask with means for processing and storing data. The angular displacement sensor 55 (Fig. 3) works in conjunction with the magnet 54 (Fig. 4), glued into the axis 18 (Fig. 4), which rotates with the thrust 10 (Fig. 3) due to the preloaded screw 40 (Fig. 4) . The data from the angular displacement sensor 55 (FIG. 3), together with the data from the ultrasonic sensors, make it possible to determine whether there are defects on the defects of the pipe geometry.

The pressing force transmitted through the parallelogram mechanism to the front rollers, the relatively low stiffness of the springs 28, 29 (Fig. 3) and the ability of the platform 12 (Fig. 3) to rotate at certain angles around the axes Ж and И allows the platform to self-align with three rollers on the surface of the pipeline , including dents, thereby maintaining a certain distance and angular position of the ultrasonic sensors to the inner surface of the pipeline.

The device works as follows.

The sensor carrier in the in-line ultrasonic flaw detector placed in the pipeline, moves along with the transported medium. In this case, the cuffs 5 (Fig. 2) center the sensor carrier 1 (Fig. 1), and the holders of the measuring system 6 (Fig. 2), opened in a free state to a diameter greater than the internal diameter of the pipeline, overcoming the efforts of the springs 30 (Fig. 3 ), are folded within the angle D (Fig. 3), pressing the platform 12 through the roller bearings 13 and 14 to the internal surface of the pipeline. The platform 12 (Fig. 3), which is in a free state due to the springs 28, 29 (Fig. 3), at an angle K (Fig. 3) symmetrically to the longitudinal axis of the sensor carrier 1 (Fig. 1), has the ability to overcome a relatively small the force of the springs 28, 29 (Fig. 3), rotate at certain angles around the axes W and I (Fig. 4), which ensures that the platform 12 (Fig. 3) is pressed through the rollers 13, 14 (Fig. 3) to the internal surface of the pipeline , including places with dent-type geometry defects. The sensor unit 16 (Fig. 3), mounted on the platform 12 (Fig. 3), emits ultrasonic pulses and records the reflected ones, after which it transfers data for processing and storage to a sealed flask on the sensor carrier 1 (Fig. 1) or located as part of another section of the in-line ultrasonic flaw detector. In the course of the movement of the in-line ultrasonic flaw detector inside the pipeline, the holders of the measuring system 6 (Fig. 2), depending on the wall thickness of the pipeline, the passage of taps, narrowings or collisions on the defect geometry of the pipe, change the opening angle D (Fig. 3), while the thrust 10 (Fig. 3) is rotated together with the holder and through the screw 40 (Fig. 4) rotates the axis 18 (Fig. 4) with the glued magnet 54 (Fig. 4). The change in the position of the magnet 54 (Fig. 4) is recorded by the sensor of angular movements and transferred for processing and storage in a sealed flask on the carrier of the sensors 1 (Fig. 1) or located as part of another section of the in-tube ultrasonic flaw detector.

Claims (1)

The sensor carrier of an in-line ultrasonic flaw detector containing sections connected by means of cardan hinges, each of which consists of a body on which centering sleeves and a measuring system are installed, including ultrasonic sensors placed on radially spring-loaded holders located circumferentially and in a free state the diameter is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the centering cuffs, characterized in that the holders are made in the form of a parallel AMM mechanisms, each of which contains a platform with ultrasonic sensors installed on it and roller bearings providing a specified distance from the ultrasonic sensors to the internal surface of the pipeline, the platform is installed with the ability to maintain its angular position relative to the longitudinal axis of the sensor carrier when folding the parallelogram mechanism, while the holders equipped with angular displacement sensors.

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