Calibration method and device for long range guided wave inspection of piping

• US 6,968,727 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2003
• Issued: 11/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Southwest Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Southwest Research Institute
• Inventors: Kwun, Hegeon, Kim, Sang-Young, Light, Glenn M.
• Primary Examiner(s): RAEVIS, ROBERT R
• Application Number:
  US10/425,528
• Publication Number:
  US 20040216512A1
• Time in Patent Office: 945 Days
• Field of Search: 73/17.9, 73/18.1, 73/18.2, 73/18.6, 735/98, 736/00
• US Class Current: 73/1.82
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/044 Internal reflections (echoes), e.g. on walls or defects
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/045 External reflections, e.g. on reflectors
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/102 one emitter, one receiver
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/07 by measuring propagation velocity or propagation time of acoustic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/30 Arrangements for calibrating or comparing, e.g. with standard objects

Abstract

The present invention is for a simple, reliable and inexpensive method to calibrate a defect signal to determine the size of a defect in a pipe. A first reflected signal is received from the test area of the pipe. After attaching a clamp, a second reflected signal is received from the test area of the pipe. If defects are in the test area, by appropriate calculations using the first reflected signal and the second reflected signal, the size of the defect can be determined.

Claims

1. A method of calibrating long range guided wave signals from a pipe under test consisting of the following steps:

first generating near a test area a first guided wave in said pipe under test by a transmitter probe and guided-wave instrumentation;

first propagating said first guided wave along said pipe under test;

first detecting in said pipe under test by a receiver probe and said guided-wave instrumentation first reflected signals from defects, if any;

placing a first reference reflector on said pipe under test near said test area, but outside a dead zone for guided waves;

generating a second guided wave in said pipe under test by said transmitter probe and said guided-wave instrumentation;

second propagating said second guided wave along said pipe under test;

second detecting in said pipe under test by said receiver probe and said guided-wave instrumentation second reflected signals from said first reference reflector and defect signals from said defects, if any;

correcting for attenuation in said reflected signals and said defect signals; and

calculating size of said defects using said first reflected signals and said second reflected signals.

2. The method of calibrating a long range guided wave inspection system of a pipe under test as given in claim 1 wherein said first reference reflector is a clamp.

3. The method of calibrating a long range guided wave inspection system of a pipe under test as given in claim 1 including the additional step of calculating attenuation in said pipe under test by connecting a second reference reflector on said pipe under test a known distance from said first reference reflector, said second reference reflector causing second reflecting of a portion of said guided wave for a second reflected signal, comparing of said first reflected signal with said second reflected signal to determine attenuation per linear distance in said pipe under test.

4. The method of calibrating a long range guided wave inspection system of a pipe under test as given in claim 1 wherein said transmitter and said receiver are the same.