Apparatus and method for inspection of tubes in a boiler

• US 10,048,225 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2015
• Issued: 08/14/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electric Power Research Institute Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Electric Power Research Institute Incorporated
• Inventors: Kwun, Hegeon, Capps, Matthew, Crane, James, Walker, Stanley M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah, Manish S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Miller, Rose M
• Application Number:
  US14/743,228
• Publication Number:
  US 20150285768A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,153 Days
• Field of Search: 73622, 73619, 73634, 73633, 73641, 73643, 73644
• CPC Class Codes: F22B 37/00 Component parts or details of steam boilers venting devices F16K24/00; steam traps or like apparatus F16T
• CPC Class Codes: F22B 37/10 Water tubes; Accessories therefor working of metal tubes B21D; pipes in general F16L; repairing leaks in water tubes F16L55/16; F28F11/00; baffles, screens, or deflectors formed of water tubes F23M9/10; cleaning internal or external surfaces of water tubes F28G
• CPC Class Codes: F22B 37/38 Determining or indicating operating conditions in steam boilers, e.g. monitoring direction or rate of water flow through water tubes measuring or indicating instruments in general G01
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0426 Bulk waves, e.g. quartz crystal microbalance, torsional waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/2634 cylindrical from outside
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/82 for investigating the presence of flaws
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/22 Details , e.g. general constructional or apparatus details
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/2412 using the magnetostrictive properties of the material to be examined, e.g. electromagnetic acoustic transducers [EMAT]; investigating the presence of flaws using eddy currents G01N27/90, magnetostrictive transducers B06B1/08, measuring magnetostrictive properties G01R33/18

Abstract

A method for inspection of tubes in a boiler is disclosed. The method of inspecting includes the steps of providing an apparatus having a sensor and a housing adapted to contain the sensor. The method further including the steps of extending the apparatus into a tube bundle until a desired tube for inspection is reached; rotating the apparatus until the sensor is positioned over the tube to be inspected; clamping the housing around the tube to be inspected, thereby clamping the sensor around the tube; transmitting a pulse of guided waves into the tube to be inspected and detecting reflected signals; and acquiring data from the reflected signals and determining the condition of the tube.

Claims

1. A method of inspecting tubes contained in a tube bundle, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing an apparatus having a housing having first and second sections moveable between an open position and a closed position, the first section enclosing a first guided-wave probe and the second section enclosing a second guided-wave probe, wherein the first and second guided-wave probes together constitute a magnetostrictive sensor;

(b) extending the apparatus into a tube bundle until a desired tube for inspection is reached;

(c) rotating the housing until the sensor is positioned over the tube to be inspected;

(d) moving the first and second sections of the housing to the closed position and clamping the housing around the tube to be inspected, thereby clamping the sensor around the tube;

(e) transmitting a pulse of guided waves into the tube to be inspected and detecting reflected signals; and

(f) acquiring data from the reflected signals and determining the condition of the tube.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is rotated approximately ninety degrees to position the sensor over the tube to be inspected.

3. The method according to claim 1, after inspecting the tube, further including the step of moving the apparatus to another tube to be inspected.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the step of moving the apparatus includes the steps of:

(a) disengaging the housing from around the tube; and

(b) rotating the housing until the sensor is clear of the tube being inspected.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first and second guided-wave probes are semi-circular guided-wave probes.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first and second guided-wave probes are semi-circular guided-wave probes, the first and second guided-wave probes being enclosed in the first and second sections such that the first and second guided-wave probes define a cylindrical passage in the closed position.