Tube flaw detecting method using two probes

• US 6,138,514 A
• Filed: 06/16/1998
• Issued: 10/31/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kyusyugiken Co., Ltd., Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd., Shin Nippon Nondestructive Inspection Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Kyusyugiken Co., Ltd., Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd., Shin Nippon Nondestructive Inspection Company Limited
• Inventors: Ishii, Hironori, Kobayashi, Kinjiro, Tsuji, Shinichi, Aoki, Kiyotaka, Iwamoto, Keiichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Kwok, Helen C.
• Application Number:
  US09/097,734
• Time in Patent Office: 868 Days
• Field of Search: 73/596, 73/597, 73/598, 73/599, 73/600, 73/614, 73/615, 73/616, 73/618, 73/620, 73/622, 73/624, 73/628, 73/629, 73/632, 73/637, 73/638, 702/33, 702/35, 702/39
• US Class Current: 73/622
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0422 Shear waves, transverse waves, horizontally polarised waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0423 Surface waves, e.g. Rayleigh waves, Love waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0425 Parallel to the surface, e.g. creep waves
• 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 2291/102 one emitter, one receiver
• 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 29/2487 Directing probes, e.g. angle probes directing arrangements G01N29/221

Abstract

A tube flaw detecting method detects a flaw portion in a heat exchanger tube constituting a boiler furnace wall using two probes, enabling one to carry out appropriate inspection work with a high efficiency. A transmitter probe and a receiver probe are juxtaposed in a circumferential direction, and an ultrasonic wave is transmitted from the transmitter probe to propagate. Repeated reflections occur at a tube inner surface and tube outer surface, and the wave is reflected at a crack extending in the circumferential direction to return, propagating likewise to be received by the receiver probe so that existence of the crack is confirmed. Thus, inspection work for a crack can be done with certainty with a simple arrangement.

Claims

1. A tube flaw detecting method for detecting a circumferentially extending crack in a furnace tube, the furnace tube having a tube wall, a tube inner surface, a tube outer surface, a furnace inner side, a furnace outer side and a tube axis, and said method comprising:

disposing a transmitter probe and a receiver probe so that said transmitter probe and said receiver probe are juxtaposed in a circumferential direction of the tube on the furnace inner side of the tube;

propagating an ultrasonic transverse wave with the transmitter probe so that the ultrasonic transverse wave enters the tube wall with an angle of 10°

to 50°

relative to the tube axis and an angle of refraction of 40°

to 75° and

propagates in a spiral direction of the furnace tube in the tube wall such that the ultrasonic transverse wave travels both circumferentially of the furnace tube through the tube wall and axially through the tube wall of the furnace tube, repeatedly reflecting at the tube inner surface and the tube outer surface, so as to be able to reach a crack that might extend in the circumferential direction on the furnace outer side of the furnace tube; and

detecting ultrasonic waves with the receiver probe so that an ultrasonic wave reflected from the crack to propagate on an opposite side of the tube from the transmitter probe is detected by the receiver probe.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said propagating comprises having the ultrasonic wave enter the tube wall at an angle of 40°

relative to the tube axis and at an angle of refraction of 60°

.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the furnace tube has an outer diameter of 38.1 mm and a tube thickness of 5.5 mm.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the furnace tube has an outer diameter of 38.1 mm and a tube thickness of 5.5 mm.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said disposing further comprises disposing said transmitter probe and said receiver probe on the tube so that the probes are axially spaced along the tube from an expected crack occurring position; and

said propagating further comprises propagating the ultrasonic wave in an axial direction toward the crack occurring position.

6. A tube flaw detecting method for detecting a circumferentially extending crack in a furnace tube mounted on a furnace wall, the furnace tube having a tube wall, a tube inner surface, a tube outer surface, a furnace inner side directed toward the inside of a furnace, a furnace outer side directed toward the outside of the furnace and the furnace wall, and a tube axis, and said method comprising:

disposing a transmitter probe and a receiver probe so that said transmitter probe and said receiver probe are juxtaposed in a circumferential direction of the furnace tube on the furnace inner side of the furnace tube;

propagating an ultrasonic transverse wave with the transmitter probe so that the ultrasonic transverse wave enters the tube wall with an angle of 10°

to 50°

relative to the tube axis and an angle of refraction of 40°

to 75° and

propagates in a spiral direction of the furnace tube in the tube wall such that the ultrasonic transverse wave travels both circumferentially of the furnace tube through the tube wall and axially through the tube wall of the furnace tube, repeatedly reflecting at the tube inner surface and the tube outer surface, so as to be able to reach a crack that might extend in the circumferential direction on the furnace outer side of the furnace tube; and

detecting ultrasonic waves with the receiver probe so that an ultrasonic wave reflected from the crack on the furnace outer side of the furnace tube that extends in the circumferential direction of the furnace tube to propagate on an opposite side of the furnace tube from the transmitter probe is detected by the receiver probe.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said propagating comprises having the ultrasonic wave enter the tube wall at an angle of 40°

relative to the tube axis and at an angle of refraction of 60°

.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the furnace tube has an outer diameter of 38.1 mm and a tube thickness of 5.5 mm.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the furnace tube has an outer diameter of 38.1 mm and a tube thickness of 5.5 mm.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein:

said disposing further comprises disposing said transmitter probe and said receiver probe on the furnace tube so that the probes are axially spaced along the furnace tube from an expected crack occurring position; and

said propagating further comprises propagating the ultrasonic wave in an axial direction toward the crack occurring position.

11. A tube flaw detecting method for detecting an axially extending crack in a furnace tube, the furnace tube having a tube wall, a tube inner surface, a tube outer surface, a furnace inner side, a furnace outer side and a tube axis, and said method comprising:

disposing a transmitter probe and a receiver probe so that said transmitter probe and said receiver probe are axially spaced apart from each other on the furnace inner side of the furnace tube;

propagating an ultrasonic transverse wave with the transmitter probe so that the ultrasonic transverse wave enters the tube wall with an angle of 40°

to 80°

relative to the tube axis and an angle of refraction of 40°

to 75° and

propagates in a spiral direction of the furnace tube in the tube wall such that the ultrasonic transverse wave travels both circumferentially of the furnace tube through the tube wall and axially through the tube wall of the furnace tube, repeatedly reflecting at the tube inner surface and the tube outer surface, so as to be able to reach a crack that might extend in an axial direction on the furnace outer side of the tube; and

detecting ultrasonic waves with the receiver probe so that an ultrasonic wave reflected from the crack to propagate on the same side of the tube as the transmitter probe is detected by the receiver probe.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said propagating comprises having the ultrasonic wave enter the tube wall at an angle of 40°

relative to the tube axis and at an angle of refraction of 60°

.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the furnace tube has an outer diameter of 38.1 mm and a tube thickness of 5.5 mm.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the furnace tube has an outer diameter of 38.1 mm and a tube thickness of 5.5 mm.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein:

said disposing further comprises disposing said transmitter probe and said receiver probe on the tube so that the probes are axially spaced along the tube on opposite sides of an expected crack occurring position; and

said propagating further comprises propagating the ultrasonic wave in an axial direction toward the crack occurring position.

16. A tube flaw detecting method for detecting an axially extending crack in a furnace tube mounted on a furnace wall, the furnace tube having a tube wall, a tube inner surface, a tube outer surface, a furnace inner side directed toward the inside of a furnace, a furnace outer side directed toward the outside of the furnace and the furnace wall, and a tube axis, and said method comprising:

disposing a transmitter probe and a receiver probe so that said transmitter probe and said receiver probe are axially spaced apart from each other on the furnace inner side of the furnace tube;

propagating an ultrasonic transverse wave with the transmitter probe so that the ultrasonic transverse wave enters the tube wall with an angle of 40°

to 80°

relative to the tube axis and an angle of refraction of 40°

to 75° and

propagates in a spiral direction of the furnace tube in the tube wall such that the ultrasonic transverse wave travels both circumferentially of the furnace tube through the tube wall and axially through the tube wall of the furnace tube, repeatedly reflecting at the furnace tube inner surface and the furnace tube outer surface, so as to be able to reach a crack that might extend in an axial direction on the furnace outer side of the furnace tube; and

detecting ultrasonic waves with the receiver probe so that an ultrasonic wave reflected from the crack on the furnace outer side of the furnace tube that extends in the axial direction of the tube to propagate on an opposite side of the furnace tube from the transmitter probe is detected by the receiver probe.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said propagating comprises having the ultrasonic wave enter the tube wall at an angle of 40°

relative to the tube axis and at an angle of refraction of 60°

.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the furnace tube has an outer diameter of 38.1 mm and a tube thickness of 5.5 mm.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the furnace tube has an outer diameter of 38.1 mm and a tube thickness of 5.5 mm.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein:

said disposing further comprises disposing said transmitter probe and said receiver probe on the furnace tube so that the probes are axially spaced along the furnace tube on opposite sides of an expected crack occurring position; and

said propagating further comprises propagating the ultrasonic wave in an axial direction toward the crack occurring position.