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US 4,800,104 AGranted
Method and apparatus for the inspection of tubular members
AssigneeThe L.B.P. Partnership C.P.I. Corporation
InventorJohn S. Cruickshank
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AssigneeThe L.B.P. Partnership C.P.I. Corporation
InventorJohn S. Cruickshank
Estimating the term…
A method of inspecting the inner and/or outer circumferential surface of a tubular member includes the steps of moving an inspection apparatus along the tubular member and during movement along the member sequentially cleaning the inner and/or outer circumferential surface and optically scanning the entire 360.degree. of the inner and/or outer circumferential surface of the elongate member. The foregoing steps are performed in a single forward pass of the inspection apparatus along the tubular member and in a return pass the tubular member is applied with a corrosion preventing material which in the return pass is dried. An apparatus for performing the method is disclosed and the apparatus is capable of determining dimensional faults and inspecting for, inter alia, cavitation, reeding and scale inclusion.
A method of inspecting at least one of an inner circumferential surface and an outer circumferential surface of an elongate tubular member including the steps of:
In a method of inspecting and treating an elongate tubular member such as production pipe sections used for oil or gas wells, the improvement comprising the progressive zonal inspectional and treatment along the length of at lest one of an internal surface and an external surface of the tubular member such that the entire inspection and treatment is carried out in one cycle of operation by an inspection and treating apparatus, said cycle including a forward pass and a return pass along said member by motion of said inspection and treating apparatus therealong, said cycle during said forward pass of said inspection and treating apparatus comprising cleaning the member over at least one of the inner circumferential surface and the outside circumferential surface and inspecting the member simultaneously over the entire 360.degree. circumference of at least one of the inner circumferential surface and the outer circumferential surface by viewing the member with an inspection device capable in a single view of viewing 360.degree. for effecting comparison checks where at least one of ovality and wall thickness deviation are to be determined, said cycle during said return pass of said inspection and treating apparatus comprising coating the member with a corrosion preventive material and drying the coated member.
Apparatus for inspecting and treating elongate tubular members such as production pipe sections used for oil or gas wells comprising an elongate bed, an external processing member for processing the external surface of the tubular member and a probe member for providing internal surface processing of the tubular member, said external processing member having a processing tunnel for receiving a tubular member, a bed for supporting said tubular member and a driving means for driving the said processing member forwards and backwards along the bed, and said external processing member providing in circumferential zones along the tunnel hot air means for supplying drying air under pressure, inhibitor application means for spraying a corrosion prevention coating on the tubular member, abrasive particle blasting means, air cleaning means for removing dust and abrasive particles from the external surface of the tubular member, electro-optical video scanning means for profile scanning of the said external surface and providing remote visual inspection thereof, and, in a final zone, ultrasonic receptor means, said zones providing 360.degree. processing, testing and inspection around the tubular member, and said processing zones being separated from one another and from said testing and inspection zones by means of sealing members comprising perforated flexible diaphragms, wherein said probe member is supported centrally within the tubular member by a plurality of retractable arms and a telescopic slidable support means including drive means for expanding and retracting the telescopic slidable support is provided for moving the probe within said tubular member so that the probe maintains a fixed spatial relationship with the said external processing member, said probe member defining treatment zones along the length thereof comprising in succession abrasive particle blasting means, inhibitor applicator means for spraying a corrosion prevention coating on the tubular member, compressed air cleaning means, optical/video scanning means for profile scanning of said internal surface and providing remote visual inspection thereof and, in a final zone, ultrasonic transmitting means, said probe member being located relative to the external processing member such that the optical/video scanning means and the ultrasonic means of each member are maintained in registration and said treatment zone providing 360.degree. processing, testing and inspection of the interior surface of the tubular member, said probe member being connected to remote services and supplies by means of an umbilical cable passing through said telescopic slidable support, and said tubular member is supportable by a plurality of retractable supports which are selectively retractable into the bed to permit the passage of the external processing member along the bed whilst the tubular member is in position on the bed.
A method of inspecting at least one of an inner circumferential surface and an outer circumferential surface of an elongate tubular member including the steps of:
An apparatus for inspecting an inner circumferential surface and an outer circumferential surface of an elongate tubular member including an inspection apparatus arranged to be movable along said tubular member and comprising cleaning means for cleaning the tubular member simultaneously on the inner and outer circumferential surfaces thereof and an electro-optical scanning means for simultaneously viewing the entire 360.degree. surface on the inner and outer circumferential surfaces of the tubular member immediately following cleaning by said cleaning means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.