TECHNIQUES FOR CONTROL OF NON-DESTRUCTIVE TESTING DEVICES VIA A PROBE DRIVER

• US 20190331613A1
• Filed: 04/30/2018
• Published: 10/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Baker Hughes, a GE Company, LLC (Baker Hughes Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Morris, Bryan Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 10,670,538 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/9542 using a probe
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/9544 with emitter and receiver on the probe
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/954 Inspecting the inner surface of hollow bodies, e.g. bores
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/0853 Movable fibre optical member, e.g. for scanning or selecting

Abstract

A probe driver may include a coupling that interfaces with a conduit section at a first position of the conduit section. A probe driver may also have one or more positioning elements to reposition the conduit section to interface with the coupling at a second position of conduit section in response to one or more commands based on a recorded inspection, where through completing the one or more commands is configured to initiate a second inspection identical to the recorded inspection.

Claims

1. A non-destructive testing (NDT) system, comprising:

a sensor;

a conduit section coupled to the sensor;

a screen configured to display the data from the sensor;

a probe driver comprising an input structure and a positioning element configured to position the conduit section, wherein the input structure is configured to actuate in response to a user input, and wherein upon actuation, the input structure is configured to generate a signal indicative of a positioning of the conduit section; and

a processor configured to;

receive the signal indicative of a current position of the sensor;

determine a difference between the current position and a second position of the sensor; and

in response to the difference exceeding a threshold, transmit a command to the probe driver to perform an adjustment to cause the sensor to orient towards the second position as indicated by a macro of a recorded inspection.

2. The NDT system of claim 1, wherein the positioning element comprises a motor and a wheel, wherein the motor is configured to drive the wheel.

3. The NDT system of claim 2, wherein the motor is configured to drive the wheel via a worm gear.

4. The NDT system of claim 1, wherein the probe driver is configured to rotate an inner housing of the probe driver in relationship to an outer housing of the probe driver causing the conduit section to rotate.

5. The NDT system of claim 1, wherein the probe driver comprises a sensor configured to sense an amount of the conduit section passing through the probe driver.

6. The NDT system of claim 1, wherein the probe driver is configured to couple to the conduit section through a clamshell coupling, a pull through coupling, a pronged communicative coupling, or any combination thereof.

7. The NDT system of claim 1, comprising an articulating section configured to position the sensor via a movement of a head end section, wherein the articulating section is configured to be coupled between the sensor and the conduit section.

8. The NDT system of claim 1, wherein the input structure comprises a touchscreen, a joystick, a digital pad, a control pad, 3D spatial mouse, one or more buttons, or any combination thereof.

9. The NDT system of claim 1, wherein the positioning element is configured to insert, remove, or rotate the conduit section in relationship with a starting position through coupling with the probe driver.

10. A probe driver, comprising:

a coupling configured to interface with a conduit section at a first position of the conduit section; and

one or more positioning elements configured to reposition the conduit section to interface with the coupling at a second position of conduit section in response to one or more commands based on a recorded inspection, wherein completion of the one or more commands is configured to initiate a second inspection identical to the recorded inspection.

11. The probe driver of claim 10, comprising a non-destructive testing device configured to transmit the one or more commands to the probe driver.

12. The probe driver of claim 10, wherein the one or more positioning elements comprise a wheel driven by a motor, a worm gear, a turning gear, a ribbed surface, a helical gear, a spur gear, a rack and pinion gear, or any combination thereof.

13. The probe driver of claim 10, comprising a sensor configured to measure a degree of rotation from the first position, from the second position, or from a reference point of the conduit section.

14. The probe driver of claim 10, comprising a sensor configured to sense an amount of the conduit section passing through the probe driver.

15. The probe driver of claim 14, comprising a communicative coupling, wherein the communicative coupling is configured to:

transmit a current position of the conduit section;

receive a control signal, wherein the control signal is configured to indicate the one or more commands indicative of the recorded inspection; and

transmit the control signal to a motor driver of the probe driver to cause the positioning of the conduit section into the second position, wherein the positioning of the conduit section is an adjustment in response to a comparison of the current position of the conduit section to a goal position of the conduit section.

16. A method, comprising:

receiving, via a processor, an indication to execute a macro, wherein the macro is representative of a recorded inspection;

receiving, via the processor, a current position of a sensor coupled to a conduit section coupled to a probe driver, where the sensor is configured to be used during an inspection of an asset and positioned by the probe driver;

determining, via the processor, a positioning instruction to reposition the sensor from the current position to a second position, wherein the positioning instruction is based on the macro; and

transmitting, via the processor, the positioning instruction to the probe driver to reposition the sensor coupled to the conduit section.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the positioning instruction is configured to cause the probe driver to extend the conduit section away from the probe driver following an axis, to retract the conduit section towards the probe driver following an opposite motion of an extension motion following the axis, to rotate the conduit section about a circumference associated with the axis from a first position to a second position, or any combination thereof.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the indication to execute the macro is created in response to an actuation of an input structure, wherein the input structure comprises, a touchscreen, a joystick, a digital pad, a control pad, 3D spatial mouse, one or more buttons, or any combination thereof.

19. The method of claim 16, comprising:

receiving, via the processor, one or more sensed parameters from one or more sensors, wherein the one or more sensors are at least configured to measure a distance extended of the conduit section.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the positioning instruction transmitted to the probe driver includes enabling one or more rotation mechanisms configured to cause a rotation of an inner housing of the probe driver coupled to the conduit section in relationship to an outer housing of the probe driver to cause a rotation of the conduit section.