Delivering X-ray systems to pipe installations

• US 20060078091A1
• Filed: 08/18/2005
• Published: 04/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Griffin, Weston B., Lasiuk, Brian W., Allison, Peter S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,319,738 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 378/198
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 23/04 and forming images of the material

Abstract

A mobile radiographic device for use in inspecting pipelines and the like, comprising an articulating aerial boom coupled to a mobile carriage vehicle. A pivot mount is rotatably coupled to the distal end of the aerial boom. A platform having a sliding rail is operatively coupled to the pivot mount. A mounting fixture is rotatably mounted to a cradle, which in turn is coupled to the sliding rail of the platform. A radiation source and a radiation detector are mounted on diametrically opposing sides of the fixture in order to illuminate the outer surface of a pipeline or other object with radiation. A first positioning means is provided for coarsely positioning the scanning apparatus relative to the pipeline. A second positioning means is provided for finely positioning the scanning apparatus relative to the pipeline. The second positioning means is operable from a remote location when the radiation source is illuminating the pipeline with radiation. The first and second positioning means provide a plurality of degrees of freedom for positioning the scanning apparatus.

Claims

1. A mobile radiographic inspection device for collecting imaging information from objects, comprising:

a radiation source for illuminating an object with radiation;

a radiation detector for detecting radiation transmitted through said object;

a positioning fixture comprising;

a first positioning means for coarsely positioning said source and detector relative to said object;

a second positioning means for finely positioning said source and detector relative to said object, said second positioning means being operable from a remote location to move said source and detector in a coordinated manner relative to said object when said source is illuminating said object with radiation.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said positioning fixture further comprises means for coordinating a plurality of degrees of freedom so as to position said source and detector in a coordinated sequence of positions relative to a targeted region of said object.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein said second positioning means rotates said source and detector circumferentially around said object so as to provide full azimuthal coverage of said object.

4. The device of claim 3, further comprising a data acquisition system operatively associated with said source and detector to collect said imaging information from said object.

5. The device of claim 4, further comprising a computer-based control system operatively associated with said data acquisition system for controlling said first and second positioning means.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein said data acquisition system comprises a client-server network architecture for enabling a server to initiate communications with a plurality of clients.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein said positioning fixture comprises:

a mobile carriage vehicle;

an articulating aerial boom having a first end and a distal end, said first end being operatively coupled to said vehicle;

a rotating pivot mount pivotally coupled to said distal end of said aerial boom;

a platform operatively coupled to said pivot mount, said platform comprising a sliding rail disposed along a length of said platform; and

at least one mounting fixture rotatably mounted to said sliding rail for rotatably mounting said source and detector relative to said object.

8. The device of claim 7 further comprising a plurality of collision avoidance sensors mounted to said positioning fixture.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein said first positioning means comprises hydraulic positioning means for coarsely positioning said aerial boom.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein said second positioning means comprises hydraulic and electric positioning means.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein said mounting fixture is a C-ring.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein said object is a pipeline.