Sensors carrier for in-tube inspection scraper

• US 7,240,574 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2003
• Issued: 07/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated (Baker Hughes Company)
• Original Assignee: Caleste Hills Trading Limited
• Inventors: Sapelnikov, Uriy A., Eliseev, Vladimir N., Kozyrev, Boris V., Chernov, Dmitry G., Matveev, Mikhail S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams; Hezron
• Assistant Examiner(s): FAYYAZ, NASHMIYA SAQIB
• Application Number:
  US10/391,418
• Publication Number:
  US 20030183022A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,575 Days
• Field of Search: 738/665, 736/23, 738/658, 73/405.R, 73/405.A, 735/92, 324220-221
• US Class Current: 73/865.8
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 55/28 Constructional aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/02827 Elastic parameters, strength or force

Abstract

A sensor carrier for an in-tube inspection scraper has setting places for installation of monitoring sensors responsive to any diagnostic parameters of a pipeline being inspected. The carrier includes a set of kinematically interconnected sensor supports that are subjected to an elastic force in the radial direction from the carrier axis. The supports are made as elastic ring-shaped elements or as rows of interconnected elements adjoining the pipe wall or are fixed on elastic components such as rings or sectors of sleeves, and/or are connected to a housing capable of bending. Installed on the supports between the sensors and the internal surface of the pipeline are elastic gaskets. The carrier allows one to increase the efficiency of the flaw detection in pipelines having defects of geometry in the cross section.

Claims

1. An in-tube inspection scraper for use in a pipeline having a defect of geometry, the in-tube inspection scraper comprising:

a sensor carrier having a carrier axis of symmetry, the sensor carrier comprising;

a housing, and a set of interconnected corrugated elastic rings having convex corrugations with a set of sensors installed in the convex corrugations,

said corrugated elastic rings being kinematically connected to the housing,

external surfaces of said corrugated elastic rings extending along a cylindrical surface corresponding to an internal surface of the pipeline,

the convex corrugations being subjected to an elastic force acting in the radial direction from the carrier axis of symmetry provided by the corrugated elastic rings when the scraper is in use in the pipeline, wherein when the carrier travels through a pipe section having the defect of geometry the rings with sensors both in a zone of pipe deformation and in a non-deformed zone are pressed to the internal surface of the pipeline,

wherein there is a distance between adjacent corrugated elastic rings.

2. The scraper according to claim 1, wherein:

the convex corrugations of each ring are displaced relative to the convex corrugations of adjacent rings by an angle about the carrier axis of symmetry, and

at least some of the rings are fastened together by means of rods or slats.

3. The scraper according to claim 1, wherein:

the corrugated elastic rings are made of a polymeric material,

an average thickness of each of the corrugated elastic rings is equal to 0.01-0.2 times a diameter of an imaginary cylinder into which each of the corrugated elastic rings is inscribed, and

the average width of each of the corrugated elastic rings is not less than 0.01 and not more than 0.4 said diameter of the imaginary cylinder.

4. The scraper according to claim 1, wherein:

the carrier includes supporting elements connected to the corrugated elastic rings, the corrugated elastic rings being disposed between said supporting elements, and the supporting elements being made in the form of corrugated elastic rings, and/or elastic sleeves, and/or elastic disks.

5. The scraper according to claim 1, wherein:

the carrier includes at least four corrugated elastic rings,

the distance between adjacent corrugated elastic rings does not exceed half of a diameter of an imaginary cylinder into which the carrier is inscribed,

the width of each corrugated elastic ring is less than said diameter and does not exceed 0.25 said diameter, and

the angle between an axis of symmetry of each corrugated elastic ring and the direction of an axis of symmetry of the pipeline in which the carrier is placed is within 0 to 30 degrees.

6. The scraper according to claim 1, wherein:

each of the corrugated elastic rings is installed along a single axis coinciding with a pipeline axis of symmetry, and

at least some of the corrugated elastic rings are fastened together by means of rods or slats.

7. The scraper according to claim 1, wherein:

said sensors form rows oriented at an angle of 0 to 30 degrees to the carrier axis of symmetry along an imaginary spiral line about said carrier axis of symmetry.

8. The scraper according to claim 1, wherein:

the housing has an axis of symmetry coinciding with a pipeline axis of symmetry, the housing being capable of bending.

9. The scraper according to claim 1, wherein:

the housing includes rigid links, as well as elastic and/or pivot joints between the links.

10. The scraper according to claim 1, wherein:

the housing includes rigid and/or elastic links and pivot joints between the links, the elastic links being made of a polymeric material.

11. The scraper according to claim 1, wherein:

the housing is made as a braid, or a cable, or a hose, or bellows, or a spring or a strip.

12. The scraper according to claim 1, wherein:

the carrier includes at least four said corrugated elastic rings.

13. An in-tube inspection scraper for use in a pipeline having a defect of geometry, the in-tube inspection scraper comprising:

a sensor carrier having a carrier axis of symmetry, the sensor carrier comprising;

a housing, and a set of interconnected corrugated elastic rings having convex corrugations with a set of sensors installed in the convex corrugations,

said corrugated elastic rings being kinematically connected to the housing,

external surfaces of said corrugated elastic rings extending along a cylindrical surface corresponding to an internal surface of the pipeline,

the convex corrugations being subjected to an elastic force acting in the radial direction from the carrier axis of symmetry provided by the corrugated elastic rings when the scraper is in use in the pipeline, wherein when the carrier travels through a pipe section having the defect of geometry the rings with sensors both in a zone of pipe deformation and in a non-deformed zone are pressed to the internal surface of the pipeline,

wherein the convex corrugations of each ring are displaced relative to the convex corrugations of adjacent rings by an angle about the carrier axis of symmetry, and

at least some of the rings are fastened together by means of rods or slats.

14. The scraper according to claim 13, wherein:

the corrugated elastic rings are made of a polymeric material,

an average thickness of each of the corrugated elastic rings is equal to 0.01-0.2 times a diameter of an imaginary cylinder into which each of the corrugated elastic rings is inscribed, and

the average width of each of the corrugated elastic rings is not less than 0.01 and not more than 0.4 said diameter of the imaginary cylinder.

15. The scraper according to claim 13, wherein:

the carrier includes supporting elements connected to the corrugated elastic rings, the corrugated elastic rings being disposed between said supporting elements, and the supporting elements being made in the form of corrugated elastic rings, and/or elastic sleeves, and/or elastic disks.

16. The scraper according to claim 13, wherein:

the carrier includes at least four corrugated elastic rings,

the distance between adjacent corrugated elastic rings does not exceed half of a diameter of an imaginary cylinder into which the carrier is inscribed,

the width of each corrugated elastic ring is less than said diameter and does not exceed 0.25 said diameter, and

the angle between an axis of symmetry of each corrugated elastic ring and the direction of an axis of symmetry of the pipeline in which the carrier is placed is within 0 to 30 degrees.

17. The scraper according to claim 13, wherein:

said sensors form rows oriented at an angle of 0 to 30 degrees to the carrier axis of symmetry along an imaginary spiral line about said carrier axis of symmetry.

18. The scraper according to claim 13, wherein:

the housing has an axis of symmetry coinciding with a pipeline axis of symmetry,

the housing being capable of bending.

19. The scraper according to claim 13, wherein:

the housing includes rigid links, as well as elastic and/or pivot joints between the links.

20. The scraper according to claim 13, wherein:

the housing includes rigid and/or elastic links and pivot joints between the links, the elastic links being made of a polymeric material.

21. The scraper according to claim 13, wherein:

the housing is made as a braid, or a cable, or a hose, or bellows, or a spring or a strip.

22. The scraper according to claim 13, wherein:

the carrier includes at least four said corrugated elastic rings.

23. An in-tube inspection scraper for use in a pipeline having a defect of geometry, the in-tube inspection scraper comprising:

a sensor carrier having a carrier axis of symmetry, the sensor carrier comprising;

a housing, and a set of interconnected corrugated elastic rings having convex corrugations with a set of sensors installed in the convex corrugations,

said corrugated elastic rings being kinematically connected to the housing,

external surfaces of said corrugated elastic rings extending along a cylindrical surface corresponding to an internal surface of the pipeline,

the convex corrugations being subjected to an elastic force acting in the radial direction from the carrier axis of symmetry provided by the corrugated elastic rings when the scraper is in use in the pipeline, wherein when the carrier travels through a pipe section having the defect of geometry the rings with sensors both in a zone of pipe deformation and in a non-deformed zone are pressed to the internal surface of the pipeline,

wherein each of the corrugated elastic rings is installed along a single axis coinciding with a pipeline axis of symmetry, and

at least some of the corrugated elastic rings are fastened together by means of rods or slats.

24. The scraper according to claim 23, wherein:

the corrugated elastic rings are made of a polymeric material,

an average thickness of each of the corrugated elastic rings is equal to 0.01-0.2 times a diameter of an imaginary cylinder into which each of the corrugated elastic rings is inscribed, and

the average width of each of the corrugated elastic rings is not less than 0.01 and not more than 0.4 said diameter of the imaginary cylinder.

25. The scraper according to claim 23, wherein:

the carrier includes supporting elements connected to the corrugated elastic rings, the corrugated elastic rings being disposed between said supporting elements, and the supporting elements being made in the form of corrugated elastic rings, and/or elastic sleeves, and/or elastic disks.

26. The scraper according to claim 23, wherein:

the carrier includes at least four corrugated elastic rings,

the distance between adjacent corrugated elastic rings does not exceed half of a diameter of an imaginary cylinder into which the carrier is inscribed,

the width of each corrugated elastic ring is less than said diameter and does not exceed 0.25 said diameter, and

the angle between an axis of symmetry of each corrugated elastic ring and the direction of an axis of symmetry of the pipeline in which the carrier is placed is within 0 to 30 degrees.

27. The scraper according to claim 23, wherein:

said sensors form rows oriented at an angle of 0 to 30 degrees to the carrier axis of symmetry along an imaginary spiral line about said carrier axis of symmetry.

28. The scraper according to claim 23, wherein:

the housing has an axis of symmetry coinciding with a pipeline axis of symmetry,

the housing being capable of bending.

29. The scraper according to claim 23, wherein:

the housing includes rigid links, as well as elastic and/or pivot joints between the links.

30. The scraper according to claim 23, wherein:

the housing includes rigid and/or elastic links and pivot joints between the links, the elastic links being made of a polymeric material.

31. The scraper according to claim 23, wherein:

the housing is made as a braid, or a cable, or a hose, or bellows, or a spring or a strip.

32. The scraper according to claim 23, wherein:

the carrier includes at least four said corrugated elastic rings.