Method of inspecting abnormality occurring inside pipe and apparatus for practicing the method

• US 5,773,984 A
• Filed: 01/12/1996
• Issued: 06/30/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Gas Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Gas Company Limited
• Inventors: Kobori, Takashi, Hosohara, Yasuharu, Furusawa, Hajime, Suyama, Kiichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Oda, Christine K.
• Application Number:
  US08/585,979
• Time in Patent Office: 900 Days
• Field of Search: 73/627, 324/220, 324/326, 324/334, 324/639, 324/637, 324/635, 324/532, 324/642
• US Class Current: 324/635
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 15/00 Measuring arrangements characterised by the use of electromagnetic waves or particle radiation, e.g. by the use of microwaves, X-rays, gamma rays or electrons characterised by the use of optical techniques G01B9/00, G01B11/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 15/04 for measuring contours or curvatures
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 22/02 Investigating the presence of flaws
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/60 Analysis of geometric attributes

Abstract

A method of inspecting an abnormality occurring inside a pipe to be inspected, and an apparatus for practicing the method, which includes the steps of transmitting an electric radio or radio frequency (RF) wave having a predetermined frequency from an antenna of a transmitter located at a predetermined position inside the pipe, receiving the transmitted RF wave by an antenna of a receiver located at a predetermined position inside the pipe, and discriminating a characteristic of the received RF wave. The characteristic of the received RF wave can be the intensity of the RF wave, and an attenuation amount is detected in a first example. Alternatively, the characteristic of the received RF wave may be the time required to reflect the transmitted RF wave and receive it with the receiver, and the time interval between transmission of the RF wave and reception of the reflected RF wave is measured in this alternative.

Claims

1. A method of inspecting an abnormality occurring inside a pipe to be inspected, comprising the steps of:

transmitting a radio wave having a frequency higher than a value obtained with an equation f=c/1.706 d, where f is a frequency, c is the velocity of light, and d is an inner diameter of said pipe, from a stationary antenna of a transmitter located inside said pipe;

receiving a radio wave transmitted from said stationary antenna of the transmitter with a stationary antenna of a receiver located inside the pipe at a position longitudinally spaced far from said stationary antenna of said transmitter by a predetermined distance;

comparing an intensity of the received radio wave with an intensity of the radio wave transmitted by said transmitter; and

determining that the abnormality exists inside the pipe which constricts an inner diameter of said pipe when the intensity of the received radio wave is below a predetermined amount.

2. An apparatus for inspecting an abnormality occurring inside a pipe to be inspected, comprising:

a transmitter for generating a radio wave having a frequency higher than a value obtained with an equation f=c/1.706 d, where f is a frequency, c is the velocity of light, and d is an inner diameter of said pipe;

a stationary transmitting antenna located inside said pipe and coupled to the transmitter for transmitting the radio wave along the inside of the pipe in the longitudinal direction;

a receiver for receiving the radio wave transmitted from said transmitting antenna through a stationary receiving antenna located inside the pipe at a position longitudinally spaced far from said transmitting antenna by a predetermined distance;

a processing unit for comparing an intensity of the received radio wave with an intensity of the transmitted radio wave and for calculating an attenuation amount by which the intensity of the received radio wave was attenuated relative to the intensity of the transmitted radio wave;

a distance input unit coupled to said processing unit for inputting data to said processing unit reflecting the predetermined distance between the antennas so as to correct said attenuation amount by a factor which is a function of the distance between said antennas; and

a display unit for displaying an intensity of the received attenuated radio wave.

3. A method of inspecting a pipe for an abnormality occurring inside the pipe, the method comprising the steps of:

transmitting a radio wave having a predetermined frequency from a first stationary antenna located at a first predetermined position inside the pipe;

receiving the radio wave with a second stationary antenna located at a second predetermined location inside the pipe, the second predetermined location being longitudinally displaced along the pipe from the first predetermined location; and

evaluating a characteristic of the radio wave after the radio wave is received to determine if an abnormality is present within the pipe.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the step of evaluating a characteristic of the radio wave comprises:

determining an intensity of the radio wave after the radio wave is received;

determining an attenuation amount by comparing the intensity of the radio wave after the radio wave is received with an intensity of the radio wave when the radio wave is transmitted; and

deciding that an abnormality exists within the pipe that constricts an inner diameter of the pipe when the attenuation amount exceeds a predetermined value.

5. A method according to claim 4 wherein the attenuation amount is corrected by an attenuation correction factor that is based on the distance between the second predetermined location and the first predetermined location.