An internal inspection unit for pipe has ultrasonic transducers that inspect weld volume, weld root, and wall thickness. The ultrasonic transducers are mounted to a portion of the inspection unit that is rotatable, but no more than one full revolution. One of the units has independently movable shoes for each separate transducer. The shoes are moved between retracted and extended positions by pneumatic cylinders. The other unit has shoes that support more than one transducer, the shoes being biased outwardly by springs.

Internal riser inspection device

The existence and rate of corrosion in a section of a well tubing or well casing is determined and monitored by installing at predetermined locations as the string is placed in the well bore, sections of pipe (20) that have been fitted with an array of piezoelectric transducers (26) and a microprocessor (28) that controls signals going to and from each array of transducers and signals going to and received from controls and intrumentation apparatus located at the earth's surface. The microprocessors at varying locations along the string are electrically connected to the surface control and instrumentation apparatus by conductor cables and/or by wireless means using the pipe string as the conductive path for electrical signals.

Downhole well corrosion monitoring apparatus and method

An inspection apparatus includes an inspection unit that is lowered into vertically supported pipe filled with seawater. The apparatus includes a pipe weld location detector module carried by the inspection unit. The apparatus also includes a rotating time of flight diffusion (TOFD) module and a non-rotating wall thickness module carried by the inspection unit. The module includes a pair of rotatably mounted weld volume inspection transducers rotatable by an operator and adapted to inspect for and obtain data on weld volume defects. The TOFD module has a fluid carrier positioned within the TOFD module and contains an acoustic fluid. The non-rotating wall thickness module also contains an acoustic liquid and includes a plurality of fixedly mounted wall inspection transducers adapted to obtain data on wall thickness of a portion of the pipe.

Internal riser inspection device and methods of using same

A vibratory pipeline diagnostic system (100) is provided. The system (100) comprises at least one vibration generator (104) adapted to be affixed to a pipeline, at least one vibration sensor (107) adapted to be affixed to the pipeline, and a processing device (111) in communication with the at least one vibration generator (104) and the at least one vibration sensor (107). The processing device (111) is configured to vibrate a portion of the pipeline using the at least one vibration generator (104), receive a vibrational response to the vibration from the at least one vibration sensor (107), compare the vibrational response to one or more previous vibrational responses of the pipeline, and indicate a fault condition if the vibrational response differs from the one or more previous vibrational responses by more than a predetermined tolerance.

Vibratory pipeline diagnostic system and method

A corrosion sensor and method for its use to detect and determine the, type, location, size and growth rate of corrosion of metals and the like in a corrosive environment. The corrosion sensor can distinguish between different types of corrosion such as uniform corrosion, pitting, crevice, and stress corrosion cracking. The sensor detects corrosion conditions of a corrodible metal article in a corrosive environment. It has a metal probe comprised of a metal which is substantially identical to that of the corrodible metal article and a transducer element attached to said probe, which is capable of projecting and receiving ultrasonic or radio frequency signals through the probe. The received signals indicate corrosion of the probe and hence the corrodible metal article.

Method for detecting multiple types of corrosion

A method and apparatus for detecting the presence of surface corrosion under insulation on a piping structure employs artificially generated, broadband acoustic sound waves to interrogate the piping structure. The sound waves are coupled into the piping structure and detected after they have propagated through and interacted with a portion of the piping structure. The amplitude of RMS voltage signals indicative of the detected sound waves is used to determine whether or not surface corrosion is present. Highly corroded pipes have been shown to yield relatively low RMS voltage signals whereas the lack of corrosion yields relatively high RMS voltage signals.

Acoustic emission for detection of corrosion under insulation

An ultrasonic inspection method for measuring the thickness of non-welded (non-metallurgically bonded) cladding on the inside surface of a vessel from an outside diameter surface of the vessel relies upon the occurrence of a phase change at an interface between the base metal and cladding layers to precisely determine its presence and location. By measuring the length of time for the ultrasonic pulse to propagate through the cladding material, suitable predetermined calibration standards for the cladding material in question can be used to convert the time of flight of the ultrasonic pulses through the cladding into a thickness of the cladding. The cladding thickness can be measured from an outside surface of the vessel whether or not it is empty and/or without stopping the process and/or draining it, and the method can even be employed at elevated temperatures through the use of known delay lines. Alternatively, if safe access to the interior portion of the vessel is available, an internal direct inspection can be performed to determine the thickness of the non-welded cladding using a modification of the technique in which a first multiple or second reflection signal from the base metal/cladding layer interface is used.

Ultrasonic technique for measuring the thickness of cladding on the inside surface of vessels from the outside diameter surface

An apparatus and method are disclosed for determining the integrity of coated nuclear fuel particles by evaluating acoustic parameter measurements of the particles during controlled loading.

Monitoring of fuel particle coating cracking

An apparatus and method are disclosed for determining the integrity of coated fuel particles via acoustic characterization. Particle supply means (4) drops the nuclear fuel particles (2) individually onto the face (6) of a transducer (8). The generated signal which is indicative of the integrity of the coating on the dropped particle is analyzed with analyzing means (26, 28, 30) for discriminating between a flawed and an unflawed particle.

Donald M. Stevens

Papers

Acoustic emission for detection of corrosion under insulation

Ultrasonic technique for measuring the thickness of cladding on the inside surface of vessels from the outside diameter surface

Monitoring of fuel particle coating cracking

Inspection of fuel particles with acoustics