WO1980001841A1

WO1980001841A1 - Improvements in or relating to pipe inspection apparatus

Info

Publication number: WO1980001841A1
Application number: PCT/GB1980/000028
Authority: WO
Inventors: G Braithwaite
Original assignee: British Gas Corp
Priority date: 1979-02-28
Filing date: 1980-02-21
Publication date: 1980-09-04
Also published as: US4285242A; DE3034318A1; IT8067299A0; AU5592380A; AU518046B2; CA1134937A; IT1128386B; EP0024396A1; EP0024396B1; DE3034318C2; GB2048496A; GB2048496B

Abstract

A pipe inspection apparatus including a vehicle (10) for movement along the bore of the pipe, two rubber cup (15) shaped members at each end of the vehicle for aligning the vehicle lengthwise in the pipe, a floating assembly (21) of inspection devices such as ultrasonic transducers (55) disposed circumferentially around the vehicle, and at least four link members (20) pivotally attached to the assembly and to the vehicle (10) to constrain the assembly to move in a direction normal to the length of the vehicle. The assembly may be resiliently suspended from the vehicle, and may also be provided with a centralising device, such as a rubber cupshaped member (26) or rollers or skids, to centralise the assembly in the bore of the pipe.

Description

Improvements in or relating to pipe inspection apparatus

This invention relates to pipe inspection apparatus. That is to say apparatus for insertion into the bores of pipes for the purpose of examining the wall of pipes for defects, cracks or other discontinuities.

The usual pipe inspection apparatus for examining, for example, gas pipe lines comprises a vehicle, or a train of vehicles, which is propelled along the pipe line by the gas flow in the pipe line.

One favoured technique for examining the walls of the pipe as the vehicle is propelled along the pipe uses ultrasonic probes. In one arrangement, ultrasonic transducers are mounted in a number of wheels which are urged into contact with the wall of the pipe. In use, ultrasound generated by the transducers is transmitted across the interface between the wheel and the wall of the pipe into the pipe wall. Ultrasound reflected or refracted from within the pipe wall is in turn received by the transducers within the wheels and subsequently analysed. This technique required intimate contact at all times between the wheel and the pipe wall so as to reduce or eliminate losses of the ultrsound signal at the interface between the wheel and the pipe wall.

Another important consideration is that the ultrasonic transducers, and hence the wheels, must be correctly aligned in the pipe. In one arrangement, a plurality of wheel probes are equispaced around the inner circumference of the pipe and arranged so that the wheels roll along the pipe. Thp transducers inside the wheels are arranged to examine the pipe wall over a band which lies in a plane normal to the longitudinal axis of the pipe line. It is relatively easy to achieve a band normal to the longitudinal axis of the pipe on straight runs of the pipe line if the assembly of wheel probes are located midway along an elongated vehicle which is provided at each end with a means for locating the vehicle concentrically in the pipe. However, it becomes more difficult to ensure that the transducers are correctly aligned in the pipe and are also urged against the wall of the pipe with sufficient pressure to ensure intimate contact when the vehicle is negotiating a bend. This is because those wheel probes on the inside of the bend will tend to be forced against the pipe whereas those on the outside of the bend will tend to be pulled away from the pipe wall.

An object of the present invention is to provide pipe inspection apparatus which will cater for bends in the pipe line, and, in some cases, will accommodate changes in the diameter of the pipe line, without upsetting, to an unacceptable degree, the alignment, positioning, and degree of contact of the wheel probes in the bore of the pipe line.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a pipe inspection apparatus comprising a vehicle for .movement along the bore of a pipe, alignment means on the vehicle for aligning the vehicle lengthways along the bore of the pipe, an assembly of inspection devices arranged for examining a circumferential band of the wall of the pipe, the assembly being movable bodily relative to the vehicle, and constraining the assembly to move in a direction normal to the length of the vehicle to allow the assembly to align itself relative to the pipe but such that said circumferential band lies substantially normal to the bore of the pipe.

The assembly may be suspended from the vehicle on resilient members such as springs. The alignment means may comprise one or more devices for contacting the bore of the pipe at three or more points around the circumference of the pipe at each end of the vehicle. Preferably, the alignment means comprises a flexible annular or circular member which contacts the bore of the pipe around at least a major part of its circumference. The flexible, annular or circular member may be shapd so that the pressure of the fluid when used in the bore of a pipe containing pressurised fluid urges the member into sealing engagement with the bore of the pipe.

Preferably, the inspection devices comprise ultrasonic transducer means for transmitting sound into the wall of the pipe and for receiving sound from within the wall of the pipe.

Preferably, the transducer means are mounted within wheels arranged to roll along the length of the pipe as the vehicle moves along the pipe. Preferably, the wheel probes are biased radially outwards so as to engage the pipe.

The wheel probes may be constructed in accordance with British

Patent Application Nos 35352/77 and 35354/77 or in accordance with British Patent application No. 79 07148 naming J.C. Collingwood as the inventor. (Agent Reference 12484 LnX).

The inspection devices may comprise magnetic devices for magnetising the pipe wall and monitoring devices for monitoring flux leakages or perturbations in the magnetic pattern. It may be possible to use other types of inspection devices, such as for example, eddy current testing devices.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of an example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a part sectional side elevation of apparatus constructed according to the present invention for ultrasonically inspecting the wall of a pipe. Figure 2 is a fragmentary, partly broken away, end view, looking in the direction of arrow A of Figure 1, and Figure 3 is a fragmentary part sectional side elevation of an alternative apparatus to that of Figure 1.

Referring to Figure 1 the apparatus is intended for insertion in a 24-inch diameter gas pipe line (not shown) and comprises a vehicle 10 provided with a towing eye 9 which enables the vehicle 10 to be towed by a second vehicle (not shown) which is propelled along the pipe line by the flow of pressurised gas in the pipe.

The vehicle 10 comprises a central hollow tubular member 11 having two flanges 12, 13 each of which is located at or near respective ends of the vehicle. Alignment means 14 are mounted on each flange for the purpose of locating and aligning the vehicle 10 along the axis of the pipe. Each alignment means 14 comprises an annular sealing member 15 made of an elastomeric material such as polyurethane and has a concave recess facing towards the rear of the vehicle 10 so that pressurised gas in the pipe urges the annular sealing member 15 into engagement with the bore of the pipe. Each annular sealing member 15 is clamped between an annular plate 16 and a clamping plate 17, and the annular plates 16 are secured by bolts 18 to the respective flanges 12, 13.

Four brackets 19 equispaced around a common pitch circle are secured to the front annular plate 16, and a link 20 is mounted by a spherical ball joint 20a at one end to a pivot 23 in each bracket 19 to provide the constraining means. A spherical ball joint 20a in the free end of each of the links 20 locates about a pivot 23 in a respective bracket 19 secured to an annular support plate 70, the brackets 19 being arranged so that the pivots 23 lie approximately radially relative to the front annular plate 16.

The support plate 70 forms part of a carrier 21 having two annular carrier plates 28 spaced apart in parallel relationship by hollow spacers 71 and secured together by bolts 74 extending through the spacers 71, the bolted-together carrier plates 28 being fixed to the support plate 70 by bolts 27. The carrier 21 is freely movable in a plane normal to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle 10, and is suspended on springs 24 attached to the annular plate 17 of the rearmost alignment means 14 and the rearmost carrier plate 28. The carrier 21 has a rubber centralisingmember 26 clamped between a clamping plate 25 and the support plate 70 to centralise the carrier 21 in the bore of the pipe. Eight inspection devices 22 are resiliently supported between the carrier plates 28 as shown in greater detail in Figure 2 to which reference is also made.

Each inspection device 22 comprises two hollow wheels 29, each wheel 29 having inside thereof an ultrasonic probe assembly 30 with transducers 55 arranged to transmit sound into the wall of the pipe so that the sound travels around a circumferential band of the pipe wall. Power for energising the transducers 55, together with the signals representative of the sound received from within the pipe are fed by way of leads (not shown) either to the towing vehicle or to a further vehicle (not shown) which is towed behind the vehicle 10. Each wheel 29 comprises an hermetically sealed hollow body 31 made of polymethylmethacrylate (Perspex - a Registered Trade Mark) rim 32 and brass side-plates 33 secured to the rim 32. The rim 32 is provided with a solid polyurethane tyre 34 around its circumference. The wheels 29 are mounted for rotation on a spindle 35 carried by a tapered block 36. The block 36 is itself pivotally mounted on a spindle 37 carried at the free end of the limbs of a generally "U"-shaped pivot arm 38. The wheels 29 are thereby able to pivot about the axis of the spindle 37 so that the two wheels of each inspection device 22 contact the bore of the pipe along lines which are equispaced each side of a radial plane passing through the longitudinal axis of the pipe and the longitudinal axis of spindle 37.

The ultrasonic probe assembly is resiliently carried by the spindle 35 and the hollow wheel contains an acoustic coupling medium (not shown) such as for example a mixture of glycerol and water. In some cases this mixture may be loaded with particles of carbon, for example graphite, or molybdenum disulphide. The size of the particles is chosen so as to attenuate slightly the ultrasound, thereby reducing ultrasonic reverberation within the wheel after transmission of an ultrasonic pulse from a transducer.

The ultrasonic probe assembly 30 includes a support structure, consisting of brackets 52 and rods 53, which are arranged to support a nylon block 54 upon which are mounted a plurality of transducers 55, for transmitting ultrasound into the wall of the pipe and for receiving sound scattered or reflected from the wall of the pipe. The block 54 is urged against the inside surface of the rim 32 by a tension spring 56 which is anchored between one of the brackets 52 and a pin 57 secured in a central block 58 which forms part of the spindle 35. The rods 53 are slidably supportd in the spindle block 58 for linear movement of the probe assembly. The block 54 is shaped to conform with the shape of the inside surface of the rim 32, so as to ensure that the beams of sound from the transducers 55 enter the pipe wall at a predetermined preferred angle, and that the acoustic coupling medium is permitted to penetrate any gaps between the transducers 55 and the block 54 and between the block 54 and the rim 32. Electrical leads (not shown) from the transducers 55 pass along a bore (not shown) in the spindle 35 through seals which prevent the acoustic coupling medium leaking from the wheel 29 and out through the tapered block 36.

The pivot arm 38 comprises two spaced side members 39, 40 connected by a shaft 41 about which the pivot arm 38 rotates. The pivot arm 38 is mounted between the carrier plates 28, and a spring assembly 42 operates on each side member 39, 40 to urge the wheels 29 radially outwards into engagement with the bore of the pipe. Each spring assembly 42 comprises a compression coil spring 43 mounted on a rod 44 which, is rigidly mounted at one end on the rearmost carrier plate 28. The coil spring 43 passes through an elongate slot 45 in the pivot arm 38, and urges a thrust pad 46 into engagement with a concave surface of a bracket 47 secured to the pivot arm 38. Each tapered block 36 is provided with spigots 48 which engage in guideways 49 provided in end stops 50, 51 carried by the carrier plates 28. The guideways 49 are shaped to provide a limit to the pivotal movement of tapered block 36 when wheels 29 are negotiating irregularities in the pipe surfaces such as ovality or welds. This assists in maintaining the wheels 29 correctly aligned relative to thepipe wall so that the wheels 29 contact the pipe wall along lines equispaced about radial planes. Stops (not shown in detail) are provided to limit the pivotal movement of the pivot arm 38 about the shaft 41.

The use of the centralising member 26 may be dispensed with in some applications, and reliance placed upon the coil springs 43 on the pivot arm 38 exerting a centralising action for the carrier 21 through the thereby resiliently biased wheels 29. In such applications, the brackets 19 at the free end of the links 20 may be mounted directly onto the forward carrier plate 28 as shown in Figure 3 to which reference can be made, the support plate 70, clamping plate 25, and bolts 27 also being dispensed with. Alternatively, centralising members may be used, such as rollers or skids.

The springs 25 although desirable may also be omitted. The wheels

29 have been described as pivotable about a pivotal pivot arm 38, but the wheels 29 could if desired be pivotally connected to a member (not shown) constrained to move linearly, for example in a radially directed groove.

It will be understood that although the invention has been described in relation to the use of ultrasonic transducers as the inspection devices, other inspection devices such as magnetic inspection devices may be attached to the carrier 21.

Claims

1. A pipe inspection apparatus comprising a vehicle for movement along the bore of a pipe, alignment means on the vehicle for aligning the vehicle lengthways along the bore of the pipe, an assembly comprising a plurality of inspection devices arranged for examining a circumferential band of the wall of the pipe, the assembly being movable bodily relative to the vehicle, and constraining means for constraining the assembly to move in a direction substantially normal to the length of the vehicle to permit the assembly to align itself relative to the pipe but such that said circumferential band lies substantially normal to the bore of the pipe.

2. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, wherein resilient means are provided for suspending the assembly from the vehicle.

3. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the alignment means comprises one or more devices for contacting the bore of the pipe at three or more points around the circumference of the pipe at each end of the vehicle.

4. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 3, wherein the alignment means comprises an annular or circular elastomeric member adapted to contact the bore of the pipe around at least a major proportion of the circumference of the pipe.

5. An apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims wherein the constraining means comprises at least four link members disposed in equispaced relationship around the vehicle, each link member being pivotally connected to the vehicle at one end and to the assembly at the other end of said link member.

6. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 5, wherein the pivotal connection of the link members comprise spherical bearing means.

7. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, including means for cenralising the assembly relative to the bore of the pipe.

8. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, wherein each inspection device comprises an ultrasonic transducer means.

9. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 8, wherein the transducer means are mounted within wheels arranged to roll along the length of the pipe as the vehicle moves along the pipe.

10. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 9, wherein the wheels are mounted in pairs about a pivotal mounting so as to pivot in a radial plane with respect to the vehicle.

11. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 10, wherein resilient means bias the wheels radially outwards with respect to the vehicle so as to engage the pipe.

12. Apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 7, wherein each inspection device comprises a magnetic device.