ULTRASONIC TESTING METHOD AND EQUIPMENT THEREFOR

• US 20110088476A1
• Filed: 03/27/2009
• Published: 04/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nippon Steel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Sumitomo Metal Industries Limited (Nippon Steel Corporation)
• Inventors: Fujiwara, Kenji, Shikada, Hiroshi, Yamano, Masaki
• Granted Patent: US 8,544,329 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/632
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 1/0625 Annular array
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/044 Internal reflections (echoes), e.g. on walls or defects
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/056 Angular incidence, angular propagation
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/106 one or more transducer arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/2634 cylindrical from outside
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/043 in the interior, e.g. by shear waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/225 Supports, positioning or alignment in moving situation
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/24 Probes transducers for acoustic waves B06B, G10K; for measuring G01H

Abstract

A ultrasound flaw probing device (100) is provided with a ultrasonic probe (1) with a plurality of vibrators (11) arranged along a predetermined circular curved surface, a transmission and reception control means (2) that selects at least two or more pieces of the vibrators to carry out the transmission and reception of a ultrasonic wave for inspecting a tubular subject member (P) to be probed, and a probing waveform display means (3) that radially displays a probing waveform received by the selected pieces of the vibrators arranged in accordance with propagation directions of the ultrasonic transmitted and received from the vibrators. The probing waveform display means (3) radially displays the probing waveform regarded a timing us a start point corresponding to a reflection echo at an incident point of the ultrasonic wave toward the tubular probing subject contained in the probing wave and also displays, at the start point (S) as the center, circles (C1, C2) showing timings corresponding to reflection echoes at the inner surface and/or outer surface of the tubular probed subject member (P).

Claims

1. An ultrasonic testing method comprising the steps of:

arranging an ultrasonic probe having a plurality of transducers arranged along an annular curved surface obtained by cutting a predetermined spheroid with two parallel planes facing to each other that do not pass through the center of the spheroid and do not sandwich the center of the spheroid, the two parallel planes being orthogonal to a rotational axis of the spheroid, so as to face a tubular test object so that a longer axis direction of the ultrasonic probe is along an axial direction of the tubular test object, a shorter axis direction of the ultrasonic probe is along a circumferential direction of the tubular test object and the center of the spheroid correctly faces to the axial center of the tubular test object;

causing transducers appropriately selected from the plurality of the transducers to transmit and receive ultrasonic waves so that the ultrasonic waves are propagated in the tubular test object in a plurality of different propagation directions; and

displaying ultrasonic testing waveforms received by the selected transducers radially corresponding to the propagation directions of the ultrasonic waves transmitted and received by the selected transducers, wherein

the shape of the annular curved surface is determined so that respective external refraction angles of the ultrasonic wave in the plurality of propagation directions are approximately equivalent and/or respective internal refraction angles of the ultrasonic wave in the plurality of propagation directions are approximately equivalent.

2. The ultrasonic testing method according to claim 1, wherein in the step of displaying the ultrasonic testing waveforms radially, the ultrasonic testing waveforms are displayed radially with a point of time corresponding to an echo on an incident point of the ultrasonic wave to the tubular test object contained in the ultrasonic testing waveform as a beginning point, and circles indicating points of time corresponding to the echoes on the internal surface and/or the external surface of the tubular test object around the beginning point are displayed.

3. An ultrasonic testing equipment comprising:

an ultrasonic probe having a plurality of transducers arranged along an annular curved surface obtained by cutting a predetermined spheroid with two parallel planes facing to each other that do not pass through the center of the spheroid and do not sandwich the center of the spheroid, the two parallel planes being orthogonal to a rotational axis of the spheroid, the ultrasonic probe being arranged so as to face a tubular test object so that a longer axis direction of the ultrasonic probe is along an axial direction of the tubular test object, a shorter axis direction of the ultrasonic probe is along a circumferential direction of the tubular test object and the center of the spheroid correctly faces to the axial center of the tubular test object;

a transmission/reception control unit that causes at least two transducers selected from the plurality of the transducers to transmit the ultrasonic waves to and receive the same from the tubular test object; and

a ultrasonic testing waveform display unit that displays ultrasonic testing waveforms received by the selected transducers radially corresponding to the propagation directions of the ultrasonic waves transmitted and received by the selected transducers.

4. The ultrasonic testing equipment according to claim 3, wherein the ultrasonic testing waveform display unit displays the ultrasonic testing waveforms radially with a point of time corresponding to an echo on an incident point of the ultrasonic wave to the tubular test object contained in the ultrasonic testing waveform as a beginning point and displays circles indicating points of time corresponding to the echoes on the internal surface and/or the external surface of the tubular test object around the beginning point.

5. An ultrasonic testing equipment for detecting a flaw by ultrasonic waves in a tubular test object, comprising:

an ultrasonic probe;

a pair of follow-up mechanisms arranged along an axial direction of the tubular test object so that the ultrasonic probe is sandwiched, and connected to the ultrasonic probe; and

a pair of arm mechanisms arranged along the circumferential direction of the tubular test object so that the ultrasonic probe and the follow-up mechanisms are sandwiched, and connected to the ultrasonic probe while an interval between the pair of arm mechanisms is adjustable, wherein

the follow-up mechanism includes at least one rolling roller that rolls in contact with the external surface of the tubular test object, and

the arm mechanism has at least one pair of rolling rollers that are arranged to sandwich the center of the ultrasonic probe and roll in contact with the external surface of the tubular test object.

6. The ultrasonic testing equipment according to claim 5, wherein the ultrasonic probe has a plurality of transducers arranged along an annular curved surface obtained by cutting a predetermined spheroid with two parallel planes facing to each other that do not pass through the center of the spheroid and do not sandwich the center of the spheroid, the two parallel planes being orthogonal to a rotational axis of the spheroid, and is arranged so as to face a tubular test object so that a longer axis direction of the ultrasonic probe is along an axial direction of the tubular test object, a shorter axis direction of the ultrasonic probe is along a circumferential direction of the tubular test object and the center of the spheroid correctly faces to the axial center of the tubular test object, and

the ultrasonic testing equipment includes a transmission/reception control unit that causes at least two transducers selected from the plurality of the transducers to transmit the ultrasonic waves to and receive the same from the tubular test object.

7. The ultrasonic testing equipment according to claim 6, comprising a ultrasonic testing waveform display unit that displays ultrasonic testing waveforms received by the selected transducers radially corresponding to the propagation directions of the ultrasonic waves transmitted and received by the selected transducers.

8. The ultrasonic testing equipment according to claim 7, wherein the ultrasonic testing waveform display unit displays the ultrasonic testing waveforms radially with a point of time corresponding to an echo on an incident point of the ultrasonic wave to the tubular test object contained in the ultrasonic testing waveform as a beginning point and displays circles indicating points of time corresponding to the echoes on the internal surface and/or the external surface of the tubular test object around the beginning point.