Pipeline condition detecting apparatus and method
First Claim
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1. Apparatus for the analysis of the condition of at least part of a pipeline wall, said apparatus comprising:
- a track on an external surface of the pipeline and on which a body is mountable and movable therealong,a body including a first shoe for inducing a magnetic flux into an air gap between the underside of the body and the external face of the pipeline, and at least partially through, the wall of the pipeline adjacent the location of the apparatus and then back through a second shoe of the body, spaced from the first shoe, and processing means for providing data relating to the magnetic flux in the wall of said pipeline at different locations of the pipeline wall as the apparatus is moved with respect thereto and a proximity sensor to detect and determine a change in condition of the pipeline at, or near to, the external surface of the pipeline and said processing means includes a plurality of sensor arrays within the body and at an inspection head located such that the said magnetic flux induced into the pipeline wall underlies the inspection head, each of said arrays including three sensors configured in a tri-axial sensor array to detect variation in magnetic flux in at least three axes with regard to the wall of the pipeline at the said different locations in order to provide data representative of the condition of the wall of the pipeline.
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Abstract
This invention relates to an apparatus and method for detecting the condition of a pipeline wall and analysis and estimate of the life of the pipeline by using an apparatus mounted externally of the pipeline and provided to be moved about and/or along at least a portion of the same. The apparatus includes at least one sensor array which includes a plurality of sensors axially offset to provide data for analysis and identification of pipeline defects.
141 Citations
19 Claims
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1. Apparatus for the analysis of the condition of at least part of a pipeline wall, said apparatus comprising:
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a track on an external surface of the pipeline and on which a body is mountable and movable therealong, a body including a first shoe for inducing a magnetic flux into an air gap between the underside of the body and the external face of the pipeline, and at least partially through, the wall of the pipeline adjacent the location of the apparatus and then back through a second shoe of the body, spaced from the first shoe, and processing means for providing data relating to the magnetic flux in the wall of said pipeline at different locations of the pipeline wall as the apparatus is moved with respect thereto and a proximity sensor to detect and determine a change in condition of the pipeline at, or near to, the external surface of the pipeline and said processing means includes a plurality of sensor arrays within the body and at an inspection head located such that the said magnetic flux induced into the pipeline wall underlies the inspection head, each of said arrays including three sensors configured in a tri-axial sensor array to detect variation in magnetic flux in at least three axes with regard to the wall of the pipeline at the said different locations in order to provide data representative of the condition of the wall of the pipeline. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method for the analysis and detection of changes in condition of at least a portion of a pipeline wall, said method comprising the steps of:
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moving apparatus containing a magnetic flux inductor and sensing means along and/or around a portion of pipeline; inducing a magnetic flux into an air gap between the underside of the body and the external face of the pipeline, and at least partially through the wall of the pipeline adjacent the location of the apparatus and then back through a second shoe of the body, spaced from the first shoe; monitoring the readings from the magnetic flux sensing means; and identifying changes in the magnetic flux from data received from the sensing means to identify a change in condition of the pipeline wall and wherein the sensing means includes a proximity sensor and at least first and second sensor arrays, each including at least three sensors mounted in a tri-axial array for detecting magnetic flux; and using the sensing means to perform a calibration scan on another pipe of the same pipe wall thickness as the portion of the pipeline wall. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. Apparatus for the analysis of the condition of at least part of a pipeline wall, said apparatus comprising:
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a track on an external surface of the pipeline and on which a body is mountable and movable therealong; the body including a first shoe for inducing a magnetic flux into an air gap between an underside of the body and an external face of the pipeline and at least partially through the wall of the pipeline adjacent a location of the apparatus and then back through a second shoe of the body, spaced from the first shoe; and processing means for providing data relating to the magnetic flux in the wall of said pipeline at different locations of the pipeline wall as the body is moved with respect thereto and a proximity sensor to detect and determine a change in condition of the pipeline at, or near to, the external surface of the pipeline and said processing means includes a plurality of sensor arrays within the body and at an inspection head located such that the magnetic flux induced into the pipeline wall underlies the inspection head, each of said arrays including three sensors configured in a tri-axial sensor array to detect variation in magnetic flux in at least three axes with regard to the wall of the pipeline at the different locations in order to provide data representative of a condition of the wall of the said pipeline; and
said apparatus includes another pipe with the same pipe wall thickness as the said part of the pipeline wall and said body, sensor arrays and proximity sensors are used to perform calibration scans of said pipe wall.
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Specification