Array for non-destructive material testing of cylindrical workpieces by means of electrodynamic ultrasonic measurement

• US 5,279,160 A
• Filed: 08/06/1991
• Issued: 01/18/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NUKEM GmbH (Cameco Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NUKEM GmbH (Cameco Corporation)
• Inventors: Koch, Roman
• Primary Examiner(s): Snow, Walter E.
• Application Number:
  US07/741,045
• Time in Patent Office: 896 Days
• Field of Search: 324/226, 324/227, 324/235, 324/262, 73/620, 73/622, 73/633, 73/635, 73/643
• US Class Current: 73/643
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/83 by investigating stray magnetic fields
• 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

An array for non-destructive material testing of cylindrical workpieces such as pipes or ends thereof by means of leakage-flux measurement and if necessary electrodynamic ultrasonic excitation is proposed. A leakage-flux measuring head (56) used for leakage-flux measurement comprises at least two Hall probes (80) disposed along a line parallel and/or vertical to the magnetic field generated by a magnet (10) and forming at least one Hall probe line. In addition, the leakage-flux measuring head has at least two sliding blocks (94, 96, 98, 100) spaced apart and supportable on the workpiece, between which the Hall probes are disposed. The leakage-flux measuring head is also provided with a protective plate covering the faces of the Hall probes on the workpiece side.

Claims

1. An array for non-destructive testing of cylindrical workpieces such as pipes or ends of pipes by means of at least electrodynamic ultrasonic excitation, comprising:

at least one magnet having pole shoes; and

at least one supporting means for supporting and guiding the workpieces;

said pole shoes being rotatable around axes parallel to a longitudinal axis of one of the workpieces being guided by said supporting means, said pole shoes being provided with at least one electrodynamic transducer resting on said one of said workpieces in a contact area, said supporting means comprising rollers, said rollers being rotatable about axes which coincides with axes of rotation of said pole shoes, said one of said workpieces being supported on each roller in a linear area of lower circumferential surface of said one of the workpieces, and said linear area, offset in a longitudinal direction of said one of the workpieces, corresponding to said contact area of said electrodynamic transducer.

2. An array as set forth in claim 1 in which said pole shoes have, on their sides facing away from said workpiece, fork-shaped mountings which engage in drivers for rotating said pole shoes about said axes, said drivers being movable along a straight line which is parallel to the axes of rotation of said pole shoes and perpendicular of the longitudinal axis of the workpiece.