Reference speed measurement for a non-destructive testing system

• US 9,003,880 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2012
• Issued: 04/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Baker Hughes Holdings LLC (Baker Hughes Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Sbihli, Scott Leo, Messinger, Jason Howard, De Fromont, Francois Xavier, Ward, Robert Carroll
• Primary Examiner(s): KWOK, HELEN C
• Application Number:
  US13/732,268
• Publication Number:
  US 20140182373A1
• Time in Patent Office: 834 Days
• Field of Search: 734/88, 734/89, 734/91, 734/94, 734/95, 736/20, 73627-629, 73632-635, 736/39
• US Class Current: 73/488
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/954 Inspecting the inner surface of hollow bodies, e.g. bores
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/902 by moving the sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/9026 by moving the material
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/906 Compensating for velocity
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/225 Supports, positioning or alignment in moving situation
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/265 by moving the sensor relative to a stationary material
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/27 by moving the material relative to a stationary sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/275 by moving both the sensor and the material
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/32 Arrangements for suppressing undesired influences, e.g. temperature or pressure variations , compensating for signal noise
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 1/00 Details of instruments

Abstract

A system includes a non-destructive testing (NDT) system having an NDT probe and a processor. The NDT probe includes a testing sensor and a motion sensor. The testing sensor is configured to capture sensor data from an inspection area, and the motion sensor is configured to detect a measurement speed at which the NDT probe moves relative to the inspection area. The processor is configured to determine a speed comparison between the measurement speed and a reference speed range.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a non-destructive testing (NDT) system comprising;

an NDT probe comprising a testing sensor, a motion sensor, and a feedback device, wherein the testing sensor is configured to capture sensor data from an inspection area, the motion sensor is configured to detect a measurement speed at which the NDT probe moves relative to the inspection area, and the feedback device is configured to provide an operator-perceptible notification via a haptic feedback, an audio output, or a visual output, or any combination thereof; and

a processor configured to determine a speed comparison between the measurement speed and a reference speed range.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to disregard the sensor data captured when the measurement speed is outside the reference speed range.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the feedback device of the NDT probe comprises a haptic device configured to provide haptic feedback to an operator when the measurement speed is outside the reference speed range.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the feedback device of the NDT probe is configured to provide the audio output or the visual output when the measurement speed is outside the reference speed range.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the NDT system comprises a display screen configured to visually display the speed comparison.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the NDT system comprises a mobile device having the display screen.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the testing sensor comprises an eddy current sensor, an x-ray sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, or a light sensor, or any combination thereof.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the motion sensor comprises an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a counter, a magnetometer, or any combination thereof.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the motion sensor is configured to detect a measurement angle of the NDT probe relative to an axis perpendicular to the inspection area, and the processor is configured to determine an angle comparison between the measurement angle and a reference angle range.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the reference speed range is based at least in part on a user input, the inspection area, or a current use of the NDT probe, or any combination thereof.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions configured to:

capture sensor data from an inspection area, by using a non-destructive testing (NDT) probe;

determine a measurement speed of the NDT probe and a measurement angle of the NDT probe relative to an axis perpendicular to the inspection area;

determine a speed comparison between the measurement speed and a reference speed range;

determine an angle comparison between the measurement angle and a reference angle range;

display a first graphical representation of the speed comparison and a second graphical representation of the angle comparison on a display screen.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, comprising instructions configured to display a speed warning on the display screen when the speed comparison is within a speed threshold of speed bounds of the reference speed range, or to display an angle warning on the display screen when the angle comparison is within an angle threshold of angle bounds of the reference angle range, or any combination thereof.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, comprising instructions configured to:

receive a user input by using a user interface; and

determine the reference speed range and the reference angle range based at least in part on the user input.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, comprising instructions configured to display on the display screen a speed guide, an angle guide, or any combination thereof.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, comprising instruction configured to:

classify the sensor data based on the speed comparison and the angle comparison corresponding to a time the sensor data is captured;

recording the sensor data in a memory.

16. A method comprising:

receiving probe data from a non-destructive testing (NDT) device, wherein the probe data comprises sensor data and motion data, wherein the sensor data and motion data correspond to a sample time;

comparing the motion data to one or more motion reference ranges;

displaying a position marker and a guide marker on a display screen, wherein the position marker corresponds to the motion data, and relative movement of the guide marker on the display screen corresponds to the one or more reference ranges;

notifying an operator if the motion data of the sample time is outside the one or more motion reference ranges; and

recording the sensor data of the sample time if the motion data of the sample time is within the one or more motion reference ranges.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the one or more reference ranges comprise a speed range of the NDT device relative to an inspection area, an angle range of the NDT device relative to an axis perpendicular to the inspection area, or any combination thereof.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein notifying the operator comprises providing haptic feedback, audio feedback, or visual feedback to the operator.

19. The method of claim 16, comprising notifying the operator if the motion data of the sample time is within a threshold of bounds of the one or more reference ranges.

20. The method of claim 16, comprising recording the sensor data of the sample time if the motion data of the sample time is outside the one or more motion reference ranges, wherein the sensor data comprises an indicator that the motion data is outside the one or more motion reference ranges.