RU2710001C1 - System for step-by-step inspection of annular weld of pipeline - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: control systems.

SUBSTANCE: use for control of pipeline circular seam. System of step-by-step inspection of annular pipeline weld seam includes guide belt, on which carriage with X-ray source and carriage with X-ray detector are installed with possibility of movement along belt, each of carriages is equipped with motor that provides movement of carriage, carriage movement control unit and signal transmission unit between carriages, displacement sensor and inclination angle to horizon sensor, besides, carriage of X-ray detector includes radiographic images storage unit of circular seam sections.

EFFECT: simplified design and increased reliability of control system operation.

7 cl, 6 dwg

Description

FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY

The invention relates to portable devices for non-destructive testing of pipelines by radiation methods using ionizing, for example, x-ray radiation.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Pipeline control devices require high quality control. At the same time, portable devices for monitoring annular seams of pipelines are most often operated in the field. Therefore, it is desirable that they be easy to operate, mobile and reliable in operation.

Systems are used in which a carriage with an X-ray source and a carriage with an X-ray detector are mounted on a removable guide belt covering the pipeline pipe.

A portable digital device for controlling welds with two tracks is known according to the patent CN 106442578, publication 02.22.2017, IPC G01N 23/04. The invention is mainly aimed at solving problems associated with the fact that existing weld control devices in a pipeline are inconvenient to disassemble and assemble, the movable support and track are easily damaged due to excessively heavy equipment. The problem is solved in that the system consists of a main guide track with a chain and an auxiliary track. The carriage with the X-ray source and the carriage with the X-ray detector are mounted on two guides spaced along the length of the pipeline, which ensures the stability of equipment placed on the carriages.

A known device for monitoring a pipe weld by obtaining a digital image according to the patent CN 108844975, publication November 20, 2018, IPC G01N 23/04, including a guide belt on which a carriage with an X-ray source and a carriage with an X-ray detector are mounted with the possibility of movement along the belt. At the same time, a guide chain is installed on the guide belt, and a chain wheel is installed on each carriage, which interacts with the chain, which ensures the synchronized movement of the carriages.

Known digital radiographic control system of longitudinal welds according to the patent US 6137860, publication 24.10.2000, IPC B24B 7/00, G01N 23/04. A digital radiographic camera is attached to the carriage, which is movably mounted on a vertical weld fixture on the concave side of the barrel weld. At the same time, the control system works step by step.

A device for external inspection of welded joints of pipelines according to patent RU 2533757, publication November 20, 2014, IPC G01N 23/04. The device includes a radiation source and a radiation detector, which in a controlled manner move around a guide mounted around an annular weld.

The closest is the device described in the application RU 2015123501, publication 01/10/2017, IPC G01N 23/18. The device contains an x-ray source and an x-ray detector with an autonomous power source mounted on its carriage, moving along the guide belt. In this case, the device works step by step.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The technical result achieved in the claimed invention is to simplify the design and increase the reliability of the control system.

The system of step-by-step control of the annular seam of the pipeline includes a guide belt on which a carriage with an X-ray source and a carriage with an X-ray detector are mounted with the possibility of movement along the belt. Each of the carriages is equipped with an engine providing carriage movement, a carriage control unit and a signal transmission unit between the carriages, a displacement sensor and a sensor for tilting the horizon. In addition, the X-ray detector carriage includes a storage unit for radiographic images of the annular seam sections.

This pipeline seam monitoring system performs step-by-step filming of the annular pipeline seam, consisting of separate images of the seam sections taken when the carriage stops with an X-ray source and the carriage with an X-ray detector. Since the shooting process is performed when the carriages are stopped, their design can be made less rigid, simpler, as the vibrations of the carriages at a complete stop are excluded. With this design, carriages can move at different speeds, due to the fact that the x-ray source, as a rule, weighs much more than the detector, and for the safety of movement, it can move more slowly. However, due to the fact that the carriages move independently, it is necessary to ensure that when they remove the seam sections, they stop opposite, opposite each other. For this, the control units for carriage movement and the signal transmission units between the carriages, displacement sensors and angle sensors to the horizon are used in the system. In this case, rigid engagement between the guide belt and the carriage driving mechanisms, which make the system rigid, bulky and inconvenient in operation, is not required.

In particular, each of the carriages contains at least one driving wheel and driven wheels with flanges, and the rolling surface of the wheels is made to roll along the lateral surface of the guide belt, while one of the said driven wheels is configured to read the wheel speed by a sensor carriage movements.

In particular, the rolling surface of the driven wheel can be grooved.

In addition, the side surface of the belt can be made smooth.

Each of the aforementioned carriages can be equipped with an autonomous power supply unit, which ensures the movement of the carriage and the operation of units and devices mounted on the carriage.

In particular, the guide belt is removable.

In addition, the motion control unit of the source carriage with the X-ray source and the carriage control unit with the X-ray detector are configured to move each of the carriages at their optimum speed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is illustrated by drawings.

In FIG. Figure 1 shows a complete system installed on a pipeline.

In FIG. 2 shows the location of the trolley on the guide belt, in a bottom view.

Figure 3 shows a driven wheel with a carriage displacement sensor.

In FIG. 4 shows the design of a carriage with a radiation source, which has two drive wheels.

In FIG. 5 shows the location of the carriages with an x-ray source and with an x-ray detector on the pipeline in a perspective view.

In FIG. 6 shows a block diagram of the execution of commands when shooting and moving carriages.

MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

The step-by-step control system of the annular seam of the pipeline 1 (Fig. 1, Fig. 5) includes a guide belt 2 with a side surface 3, on which a carriage 4 with an X-ray source 5 and a carriage 6 with a flat-panel X-ray detector 7 are mounted. Each of the carriages 4, 6 is equipped with an engine 8, which provides the carriage with optimal speed. Each of the carriages contains at least one driving wheel 9 and three driven 10, 11 wheels with flanges. In FIG. 2 shows a bottom view of a carriage 6 with an X-ray detector 7. On the carriage there is a driving wheel 9, two driven wheels 10 and a driven wheel 11 with interruption windows 12 along the perimeter of the driven wheel 11 (in this case, it is also a measuring wheel). At the perimeter of the wheel 11 with interruption windows 12, the actual displacement sensor 13 is placed (Fig. 3). In this case, the carriage displacement sensor 13 contains an inductive sensor that provides an output signal in the form of a sequence of rectangular pulses with a frequency proportional to both the number of interrupt windows and the wheel speed 11. Based on these data, the movement of the carriages 4 and 6 along the guide belt is determined 2.

The surface 14 of the drive wheel 9, interacting with the side surface 3 of the guide belt 2 may include corrugation to reduce slippage of the drive wheel 9.

In FIG. 4 shows a step-by-step control system in which the carriage 4 with the X-ray source 5 is in the process of installation on the guide belt 2, the wheels are not yet brought together and are not fixed on the side surfaces 3 of the guide belt 2 using the clamping levers 17. This figure shows an embodiment carriages 4 with two driving wheels 9 and with two engines 8. This embodiment of the carriage 4 with the X-ray source 5 may be required due to the large weight of the X-ray source 5.

Each of the carriages is equipped with an autonomous power supply unit 15, providing movement of the carriage and the operation of blocks and devices mounted on the carriage. The power supply 5 of the x-ray source, due to the fact that it provides a sufficiently large power to power the x-ray source, can be performed separately, installed outside the system and connected to the x-ray source 5 by a flexible cable.

Each of the carriages 4 and 6 is also equipped with a sensor for the angle of inclination to the horizon (not shown in the figures). An inclinometer, in particular with an accelerometer, can be used as a tilt angle sensor. In addition, each of the carriages is equipped with a carriage movement control unit and a signal transmission unit (not shown in the figures) between carriages 4 and 6. The carriage control unit is based on the signals of the carriage displacement sensor and the angle sensor. The carriage 6 of the X-ray detector 7 includes a storage unit for radiographic images (not shown in the figures) of the sections of the annular seam 16.

The stepwise control system of the annular seam 16 of the pipe 1 also contains a control panel for the operator. Using the remote control, you can remotely turn on the system and stop the system in case of emergency.

The system is as follows. Initially, the operator sets the guide belt 2 on the surface of the pipeline 1. Initially, the carriage 4 and the carriage 6 are set to the position where the X-ray source 5 and the plane-parallel X-ray detector 7 are installed in the horizontal plane of intersection of the center of the pipeline. A carriage 4 with an X-ray source 5 is mounted on the guide belt 2 and moved to its initial position on the reverse side of the pipeline 1. In this case, the accuracy of the installation of the carriage 4 with the X-ray source 5 is controlled using the signals of the displacement sensor 13 and the angle sensor of the carriage 4 control unit. Next, a carriage 6 with a plane-parallel X-ray detector 7 is mounted on the guide belt 2. The position of the carriage 6 is adjusted by the control unit of the carriage based on the angle sensor (not shown in the figures).

Next, the operator moves away from the system so as not to be affected by x-ray radiation and includes an x-ray source 5 and an x-ray detector 7. The carriage 4 with the X-ray source 5 and the carriage 6 with the plane-parallel X-ray detector 7 step by step according to a given program move along the ring weld 16 along the guide belt 2.

The sequence of actions of the system is illustrated by a block diagram of the execution of commands when shooting and moving carriages (Fig. 6). The carriage 4 with the X-ray source 5 and the carriage 6 with the plane-parallel X-ray detector 7 are in the initial position. The first shot is taken. Next, a command is issued by the carriage control units to move them. The movement of the carriage 4 with the X-ray source 5 and the carriage 6 with the plane-parallel X-ray detector 7 are carried out independently at a distance determined for a given pipe size. In this case, the carriages can move at different speeds. The carriage 4 with the X-ray source 5 can move slower to ensure reliable movement of the carriage 4 with the X-ray source 5, because the X-ray source 5 has a large weight.

A motion control unit and a signal transmission unit installed on each carriage provide coordinated movement of the carriages by exchanging data over a wireless communication channel. The control unit that controls the movement of the carriages is located on the carriage with a detector. On each of the carriages there are receivers / transmitters designed for wireless communication between the carriages. The receiver / transmitter is also installed in the handheld carriage control.

At the same time, the control unit installed on each carriage 4 and 5 controls whether there is an engine overload that may occur when the carriage stops due to an obstacle or to the rails. In the control unit of each carriage, the slipping of the driving wheels is also based on the data of the displacement sensor 13 and the angle sensor to the horizontal, which can lead to damage to the guide belt 2 and to a mismatch of the positions of the X-ray source 5 and the plane-parallel X-ray detector 7.

In these cases, the system signals the operator about the malfunction that he eliminates.

The control unit of each carriage counts the movement using the displacement sensor 13. Then follows the stop of movement. And if the angular position is correct, the carriages are in position two, which is checked with the help of angle sensors to the horizontal, a picture is taken by an X-ray detector. The picture taken at position two, like the picture at position one, is placed in the storage unit for radiographic images of the sections of the annular seam. Next, the carriage 4 with the X-ray source 5 and the carriage 6 with the plane-parallel X-ray detector 7 move from position to position. At each position, a section of the annular weld 16 of the pipeline 1 is shot by a plane-parallel X-ray detector 7.

In this case, radiographic images of individual sections of the weld can be automatically stored in non-volatile memory, read into external memory (USB-drive) and copied by the operator. Data can also be transmitted to the operator’s external device in real time, if there is wireless communication between the system and the external device.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The proposed system is intended for radiation monitoring of ring welded joints of large diameter pipes during the construction or repair of pipelines in route or workshop conditions. The system allows to simplify the control of welds of pipelines due to the low weight of the system, the convenience of its installation and use even in difficult operating conditions. At the same time, the reliability and quality of control does not decrease, because the survey is performed without distortion, because the survey is performed step by step in the static state of the detector and emitter, the pictures are taken with overlapping adjacent sections of the weld.

Claims (7)

1. The system of step-by-step control of the annular seam of the pipeline, including a guide belt, on which a carriage with an X-ray source and a carriage with an X-ray detector are mounted along the belt, each of the carriages is equipped with a carriage motor, a carriage control unit and a transmission unit signals between the carriages, the displacement sensor and the angle sensor to the horizon, in addition, the carriage of the X-ray detector includes a stored unit radiographic images of the sections of the annular seam. 2. The system according to claim 1, in which each of the carriages contains at least one drive wheel and driven wheels with flanges, and the rolling surface of the wheels is made to roll along the side surface of the guide belt, while one of the said driven wheels is made with the ability to count the number of revolutions of the wheel with a carriage displacement sensor. 3. The system of claim 2, wherein the rolling surface of the driven wheel is corrugated. 4. The system of claim 2, wherein the side surface of the belt is smooth. 5. The system according to claim 1, in which each of the mentioned carriages is equipped with an autonomous power supply unit, which ensures the movement of the carriage and the operation of units and devices mounted on the carriage. 6. The system of claim 1, wherein the guide belt is removable. 7. The system according to claim 1, in which the motion control unit of the source carriage with the X-ray source and the carriage control unit with the X-ray detector are configured to move each of the carriages at their optimal speed.

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