Ultrasonic inspection equipment and ultrasonic inspection method

• US 8,583,393 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2009
• Issued: 11/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Power Limited (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Kitazawa, So, Kono, Naoyuki, Baba, Atsushi
• Primary Examiner(s): HENSON, MISCHITA L
• Application Number:
  US12/472,873
• Publication Number:
  US 20090293621A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,630 Days
• Field of Search: 702/39
• US Class Current: 702/103
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/04 Analysing solids using acoustic emission techniques G01N29/14
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/06 Visualisation of the interior, e.g. acoustic microscopy medical or veterinary diagnosis using sonic waves A61B8/00; representation of acoustic wave distribution G01H3/125, G01H9/002; short-range imaging systems using reflection of acoustic waves G01S15/8906
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/20 Editing of 3D images, e.g. changing shapes or colours, aligning objects or positioning parts
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/00 Methods or devices for transmitting, conducting or directing sound in general; Methods or devices for protecting against, or for damping, noise or other acoustic waves in general

Abstract

Ultrasonic inspection equipment facilitates alignment of display positions of three-dimensional ultrasonic inspection data and three-dimensional shape data, and quickly discriminates between a defect echo and an inner-wall echo. A computer 102A has a position correction function of correcting a relative display position between three-dimensional shape data and three-dimensional ultrasonic inspection data. A display position of the three-dimensional ultrasonic inspection data or that of the three-dimensional shape data is moved by a norm of a mean vector along the mean vector that is calculated from a plurality of vectors defined by a plurality of points selected in the three-dimensional ultrasonic inspection data and by a plurality of points selected in the three-dimensional shape data. The three-dimensional shape data and the three-dimensional ultrasonic inspection data are displayed in such a manner as to be superimposed on each other on a three-dimensional display unit 103C.

Claims

1. Ultrasonic inspection equipment comprising:

an array-probe ultrasonic sensor including a plurality of piezoelectric vibration elements;

a pulser for supplying each of the piezoelectric vibration elements of the array-probe ultrasonic sensor with a transmission signal;

a receiver for receiving a signal from each of the piezoelectric vibration elements of the array-probe ultrasonic sensor;

a delay control unit for setting a delay time for the transmission signal and a delay time for the received signal differently for respective piezoelectric vibration elements;

a data storage unit for storing a waveform of an ultrasonic wave received by the array-probe ultrasonic sensor;

a computer for image processing, the computer generating three-dimensional ultrasonic inspection data from the waveform recorded by the data storage unit; and

a three-dimensional display unit for displaying three-dimensional shape data and the three-dimensional ultrasonic inspection data;

wherein the computer includes position correction means for correcting a relative display position of the three-dimensional shape data and that of the three-dimensional ultrasonic inspection data;

the position correction means selects a first area of the three-dimensional ultrasonic inspection data by receiving input from an input means, displays a plurality of first candidate points included in the first area, and receives a first point selected from the plurality of first candidate points of the three-dimensional ultrasonic inspection data by receiving input from the input means;

the position correction means selects a second area of the three-dimensional shape data by receiving input from an input means, displays a plurality of second candidate points included in the second area, and receives a second point selected from the plurality of second candidate points of the three-dimensional shape data by receiving input from the input means; and

the position correction means is configured to move a position at which the three-dimensional ultrasonic inspection data is displayed or a position at which the three-dimensional shape data is displayed by a mean vector, and to then display the three-dimensional shape data and the three-dimensional ultrasonic inspection data on the three-dimensional display unit in such a manner as to be superimposed on each other, wherein the mean vector is calculated from a vector defined by the first point selected in the three-dimensional ultrasonic inspection data and by the second point selected in the three-dimensional shape data, the second point selected in the three-dimensional shape data corresponding to the first point selected in the three-dimensional ultrasonic inspection data, and at least one other vector which is defined similarly from points other than the selected first and second points.

2. The ultrasonic inspection equipment according to claim 1, wherein:

the computer includes scale correction means for correcting a relative display scale between the three-dimensional shape data and the three-dimensional ultrasonic inspection data; and

the scale correction means corrects a relative display scale between the three-dimensional ultrasonic inspection data and the three-dimensional shape data such that an absolute value of the distance between coordinates of two points selected in the three-dimensional ultrasonic inspection data coincides with an absolute value of the distance between coordinates of two points selected in the three-dimensional shape data.

3. The ultrasonic inspection equipment according to claim 1, wherein

the computer includes data creation means for creating three-dimensional shape data such that the three-dimensional shape data is displayed in such a manner as to be superimposed on the three-dimensional ultrasonic inspection data.

4. The ultrasonic inspection equipment according to claim 1, wherein

the computer displays a plane indicating a cross section at an optional position of the three-dimensional ultrasonic inspection data on the three-dimensional display unit together with the three-dimensional ultrasonic inspection data.

5. An ultrasonic inspection method comprising the steps of:

receiving a plurality of ultrasonic wave waveforms with an array-probe ultrasonic sensor;

creating three-dimensional ultrasonic inspection data from the ultrasonic wave waveforms with an image processing unit;

storing the three-dimensional ultrasonic inspection data in a data storage unit;

moving a position at which the three-dimensional ultrasonic inspection data is displayed or a position at which a three-dimensional shape data is displayed by a mean vector;

displaying the three-dimensional shape data and the three-dimensional ultrasonic inspection data on a display unit;

correcting a relative display position of the three-dimensional shape data and that of the three-dimensional ultrasonic inspection data, including

selecting a first area of the three-dimensional ultrasonic inspection data, displaying a plurality of first candidate points included in the first area, and receiving a first point selected from the plurality of first candidate points of the three-dimensional ultrasonic inspection data, and

selecting a second area of the three-dimensional shape data, displaying a plurality of second candidate points included in the second area, and receiving a second point selected from the plurality of second candidate points of the three-dimensional shape data; and

displaying the three-dimensional shape data and the three-dimensional ultrasonic inspection data on the three-dimensional display unit in such a manner as to be superimposed on each other,

wherein the mean vector is calculated from a vector defined by the first point selected in the three-dimensional ultrasonic inspection data created from the ultrasonic wave waveforms received by the array-probe ultrasonic sensor and by the second point selected in the three-dimensional shape data, the second point selected in the three-dimensional shape data corresponding to the first point selected in the three-dimensional ultrasonic inspection data, and at least one other vector which is defined similarly from points other than the selected first and second points.

6. The ultrasonic inspection method according to claim 5, further comprising the steps of

correcting a relative display scale between the three-dimensional ultrasonic inspection data and the three-dimensional shape data such that the sum total of an absolute value of the distance between coordinates of two points selected in the three-dimensional ultrasonic inspection data coincides with the sum total of an absolute value of the distance between coordinates of two points selected in the three-dimensional shape data, the three-dimensional ultrasonic inspection data being created from the plurality of ultrasonic wave waveforms received by the array-probe ultrasonic sensor.

7. Ultrasonic inspection equipment comprising:

an array-probe ultrasonic sensor including a plurality of piezoelectric vibration elements;

a pulser for supplying each of the piezoelectric vibration elements of the array-probe ultrasonic sensor with a transmission signal;

a receiver for receiving a signal from each of the piezoelectric vibration elements of the array-probe ultrasonic sensor;

a delay control unit for setting a delay time for the transmission signal and a delay time for the received signal differently for respective piezoelectric vibration elements;

a data storage unit for storing a waveform of an ultrasonic wave received by the array-probe ultrasonic sensor;

a computer for image processing, the computer generating three-dimensional ultrasonic inspection data from the waveform recorded by the data storage unit; and

a three-dimensional display unit for displaying three-dimensional shape data and the three-dimensional ultrasonic inspection data;

wherein the computer includes position correction means for correcting a relative display position of the three-dimensional shape data and that of the three-dimensional ultrasonic inspection data;

the position correction means selects a first area of the three-dimensional ultrasonic inspection data by receiving input from an input means, displays a plurality of first candidate points included in the first area, and receives a first point selected from the plurality of first candidate points of the three-dimensional ultrasonic inspection data by receiving input from the input means;

the position correction means selects a second point of the three-dimensional shape data by receiving input from the input means; and

the position correction means is configured to move a position at which the three-dimensional ultrasonic inspection data is displayed or a position at which the three-dimensional shape data is displayed by a mean vector, and to then display the three-dimensional shape data and the three-dimensional ultrasonic inspection data on the three-dimensional display unit in such a manner as to be superimposed on each other, wherein the mean vector is calculated from a vector defined by the first point selected in the three-dimensional ultrasonic inspection data and by the second point selected in the three-dimensional shape data, the second point selected in the three-dimensional shape data corresponding to the first point selected in the three-dimensional ultrasonic inspection data, and at least one other vector which is defined similarly from points other than the selected first and second points.

8. An ultrasonic inspection method comprising the steps of:

receiving a plurality of ultrasonic wave waveforms with an array-probe ultrasonic sensor;

creating three-dimensional ultrasonic inspection data from the ultrasonic wave waveforms with an image processing unit;

storing the three-dimensional ultrasonic inspection data in a data storage unit;

moving a position at which the three-dimensional ultrasonic inspection data is displayed or a position at which a three-dimensional shape data is displayed by a mean vector;

displaying the three-dimensional shape data and the three-dimensional ultrasonic inspection data on a display unit;

correcting a relative display position of the three-dimensional shape data and that of the three-dimensional ultrasonic inspection data, including

selecting a first area of the three-dimensional ultrasonic inspection data, displaying a plurality of first candidate points included in the first area, and receiving a first point selected from the plurality of first candidate points of the three-dimensional ultrasonic inspection data, and

selecting a second point of the three-dimensional shape data; and

displaying the three-dimensional shape data and the three-dimensional ultrasonic inspection data on the three-dimensional display unit in such a manner as to be superimposed on each other,

wherein the mean vector is calculated from a vector defined by the first point selected in the three-dimensional ultrasonic inspection data created from the ultrasonic wave waveforms received by the array-probe ultrasonic sensor and by the second point selected in the three-dimensional shape data, the second point selected in the three-dimensional shape data corresponding to the first point selected in the three-dimensional ultrasonic inspection data, and at least one other vector which is defined similarly from points other than the selected first and second points.