Non-invasive pipe inspection system

• US 6,597,997 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2001
• Issued: 07/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Charles Stark Draper Laboratory Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Charles Stark Draper Laboratory Incorporated
• Inventors: Tingley, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Barlow, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): VO, HIEN XUAN
• Application Number:
  US09/920,379
• Publication Number:
  US 20020035437A1
• Time in Patent Office: 720 Days
• Field of Search: 702/34, 702/33, 735/84, 735/96, 736/32, 735/79, 735/92, 736/02, 736/22, 736/28, 738/01, 736/27, 736/29, 737/60, 324/220, 324/637, 324/534, 324/642, 324/635, 324/639, 324/644
• US Class Current: 702/34
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 22/02 Investigating the presence of flaws
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/2636 cylindrical from inside
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/2675 Seam, butt welding
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/11 by measuring attenuation of acoustic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/348 with frequency characteristics, e.g. single frequency signals, chirp signals measuring frequency of mechanical vibrations or acoustic waves in general G01H1/06, G01H3/04; measuring frequency or analysing frequency spectra G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/4463 Signal correction, e.g. distance amplitude correction [DAC], distance gain size [DGS], noise filtering
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/46 by spectral analysis, e.g. Fourier analysis or wavelet analysis spectral signal processing per se G06F17/14

Abstract

The invention is directed to a system and method for non-invasive pipe inspection. According to one embodiment, the system includes a processor, an analyzer, and a wave launcher. The wave launcher is adapted to transmit an input wideband waveform having a selected input energy into the pipe along a longitudinal axis, and to receive from the pipe a reflected component of the input waveform having a reflected energy. The analyzer is adapted to generate the input waveform, and to receive the reflected component of the input waveform from the wave launcher. The processor is adapted to compare the input waveform with the reflected component of the input waveform to determine characteristics.

Claims

1. A pipe inspection system comprising,

a wave launcher in communication with a pipe and adapted to transmit an input waveform having a selected input energy along a longitudinal axis of said pipe, and to receive a reflected portion of said input waveform from said pipe, said reflected portion having a characteristic reflected energy,

an analyzer in communication with said waver launcher and adapted to generate said input waveform, and to receive said reflected portion of said input waveform from said wave launcher, and

a processor in communication with said analyzer and adapted to process said input waveform with said reflected portion and a modeled reflected waveform to determine a characteristic of said pipe.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said launcher is further adapted to transmit said input waveform with a selected cutoff frequency.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said characteristic is a quality control measurement made prior to laying said pipe.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said processor is further adapted to process said input waveform with said reflected portion and said modeled reflected waveform to determine an axial curvature of a section of said pipe as said pipe is being laid.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said section of said pipe extends from an above water location to an underwater location.

6. The system of claim 4 further adapted to repeat determination of said curvature a plurality of times to enable said processor to provide a substantially real-time measurement of said curvature.

7. The system of claim 6 further comprising a display adapted to display a graphical representation of said substantially real-time measurement of said curvature of said section of said pipe to a user.

8. The system of claim 4, wherein said processor is further adapted to process said input waveform with said reflected portion and said modeled reflected waveform to determine an axial curvature of a plurality of subsections of said section of said pipe, and to combine said axial curvatures of said subsections to determine said axial curvature of said section of said pipe.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said launcher is further adapted to transmit said input waveform with a selected mode.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said selected mode is TE₁₁.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein said selected mode is other than TE₁₁, and said processor is adapted to process a TE₁₁ modal component of said reflected portion along with one or more other modal components of said reflected portion to determine an axial curvature of a section of said pipe.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said processor is further adapted to process a distribution of energy between said TE₁₁ modal component of said reflected portion and said one or more other modal components of said reflected portion to determine said axial curvature of said section of said pipe.

13. The system of claim 4, wherein said processor is further adapted to process said input waveform with said reflected portion to determine a diameter at a location along said pipe as said pipe is being laid.

14. The system of claim 4, wherein said processor is further adapted to process said input waveform with said reflected portion to determine a diameter at a location along said pipe as said pipe is being laid.

15. The system of claim 4, wherein said processor is further adapted to process said input waveform with said reflected portion to determine a plurality of diameters, each at one of a plurality of locations along said pipe as said pipe is being laid.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said processor is further adapted to process said axial curvature with said plurality of diameters to determine a three-dimensional representation of said section of said pipe as said pipe is being laid.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein said characteristic is an anomaly in said pipe and said wave launcher is further adapted to transmit a microwave waveform into said pipe to dissolve said anomaly.

18. The system of claim 17 further comprising a microwave sensitive coating on a portion of said pipe and adapted to heat in response to said microwave waveform to melt said anomaly.

19. The system of claim 17 further comprising a microwave responsive wrap on a portion of said pipe and adapted to heat in response to said microwave waveform to melt said anomaly.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein said pipe includes a portion, adapted to heat in response to said microwave waveform to melt said anomaly.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein said portion is located in a section of said pipe susceptible to said anomalies.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said wave launcher, said analyzer, and said processor are located inside said pipe.

23. A pipe inspection system comprising,

a wave launcher adapted to transmit an input waveform having a selected input energy along a longitudinal axis of a first section of pipe, and to receive a reflected portion of said input waveform from said pipe, said reflected portion having a characteristic reflected energy,

an analyzer in communication with said waver launcher and adapted to generate said input waveform, and to receive said reflected portion of said input waveform from said wave launcher,

a clamp in mechanical communication with said analyzer, said clamp adapted to temporarily connect said first section of said pipe with a second section of said pipe,

an umbilical adapted to move at least one of said wave launcher and said analyzer from said first section of pipe to said second section of pipe to enable said wave launcher to transmit said input waveform along said longitudinal axis of said first section of said pipe and said second section of said pipe.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein said clamp further comprises a connector adapted to mate with said umbilical.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein an end of said umbilical is keyed to mate with said connector.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein said clamp further comprises at least one of mechanical means, grappling means, frictional means, electrical means, suction, and magnetic means.

27. The system of claim 23, wherein said umbilical is made from at least one of plastic, rubber, fiber, and rope.

28. A method for inspecting a pipe comprising the steps of:

positioning a wave launcher inside a first section of said pipe,

positioning an analyzer inside said first section of said pipe, said analyzer in communication with said wave launcher,

positioning a second section of said pipe a particular distance away from a location of said first section of said pipe,

temporarily connecting said first section of said pipe with said second section of said pipe with a clamp;

actuating an umbilical to move at least one of said wave launcher and said analyzer from said first section of said pipe to said second section of said pipe to enable said wave launcher to transmit an input waveform along a longitudinal axis of said first section of said pipe and said second section of said pipe to inspect said pipe; and

welding said first section of said pipe with said second section of said pipe.