Ultrasonic testing system
AssigneeCooper Cameron Corporation
InventorsRay Knight, Jim Wells
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A comprehensive system for the cleaning, inspection, and testing of tubulars, particularly riser pipes, is provided. In a first aspect, a method of inspecting a tubular comprises cleaning, visually inspecting, corrosion mapping, and TOFD testing the tubular. In another aspect, a specially designed or adapted tool is provided for each of the steps of the method.
Claims9
A method of inspecting a pipe comprising the steps of:
- a) visually inspecting the inside of the pipe with a camera;
- b) determining the wall thickness of the pipe with a corrosion mapping tool from the inside of the pipe, the corrosion mapping tool comprising a plurality of transducers mounted on a hollow, truncated cylinder and coupled to the inside surface of the pipe, the corrosion mapping tool further having a pair of spaced apart, compliant seal plates adapted to flex in a direction away from the direction of movement of the corrosion mapping tool, the corrosion mapping tool further having a coupling to receive a water hose connection in order to flood an annular chamber around the transducers defined by the hollow, truncated cylinder, the compliant seals, and the inside of the pipe;
- and
- c) inspecting the pipe for flaws with a time of flight diffraction tool from inside the pipe.
A method of inspecting a pipe comprising the steps of:
- a) visually inspecting the inside of the pipe with a camera suspended from a wireline;
- b) removing the camera from the wireline;
- c) determining the wall thickness of the pipe with a corrosion mapping tool from the inside of the pipe, the corrosion mapping tool suspended from the wireline, wherein the corrosion mapping tool comprises a plurality of transducers mounted on a hollow, truncated cylinder and coupled to the inside surface of the pipe, the corrosion mapping tool further having a pair of spaced apart, compliant seal plates adapted to flex in a direction away from the direction of movement of the corrosion mapping tool, the corrosion mapping tool further having a coupling to receive a water hose connection in order to flood an annular chamber around the transducers defined by the hollow, truncated cylinder, the compliant seals, and the inside of the pipe;
- d) removing the corrosion mapping tool from the wireline;
- and
- e) inspecting the pipe for flaws with a time of flight diffraction tool from inside the pipe, the time of flight diffraction tool suspended from the wireline.
A method of inspecting a pipe comprising the steps of determining the wall thickness of the pipe with a corrosion mapping tool from the inside of the pipe, the corrosion mapping tool comprising a plurality of transducers mounted on a hollow, truncated cylinder and coupled to the inside surface of the pipe, the corrosion mapping tool further having a pair of spaced apart, compliant seal plates adapted to flex in a direction away from the direction of movement of the corrosion mapping tool, the corrosion mapping tool further having a coupling to receive a water hose connection in order to flood an annular chamber around the transducers defined by the hollow, truncated cylinder, the compliant seals, and the inside of the pipe.
A corrosion mapping tool for movably surveying a substantially vertically oriented pipe having an inside surface, the tool comprising:
- a. a hollow, truncated cylinder;
- b. a plurality of transducers mounted on the cylinder adapted for coupling to the inside surface of the pipe;
- c. a pair of spaced apart, compliant seal plates on opposing ends of the cylinder, said seal plates adapted to flex in a direction away from the direction of movement of the corrosion mapping tool;
- and
- d. a coupling to receive a water hose connection in order to flood an annular chamber around the transducers defined by the cylinder, the compliant seals, and the inside of the pipe.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.