Apparatus and method for detecting pipeline defects

A method for detecting defects or damage in the interior wall of a pipe or pipeline, comprising:

• providing a probe comprising a light source, an optical sensor or view comprising a lens capable of viewing about 360 degrees, a direction locator comprising a gyro sensor, and a distance measurer, wherein said probe is in communication with a computer or data processor for processing data from said probe;
• passing said probe through the interior of said pipeline while illuminating at least a portion of said pipeline interior wall with said light source and viewing and transmitting for recording views of said pipeline interior wall where illuminated with said probe;
• recording and direction and distance of said probe in said pipeline as data for at least some of said views as the probe passes through the pipeline;
• processing said recorded views and direction and distance data such that said views are digitized and displayed in real-time as forward views and side-scan views, wherein said side-scan views are unfolded images showing approximately 360 degrees of the pipeline wall, and wherein said direction is obtained from pipeline deflection calculated using gyro sensor data by integrating the following formula:
• Theta-e(i)-Theta(t)-Theta-error/1 *t
• where:
• Theta-error is the difference in angle observed between gyro data measured as the probe goes forward and comes back through the pipeline:
• T is total time;
• Theta(t) is the time from the beginning of the measurement:
• and Theta-c(t) is the compensated angle, and
• returning said probe through said pipeline after passing through said pipeline, and recording said direction locator data as the probe passes through the pipeline and as the probe is returned through the pipeline.

A method for obtaining real-time unfolded side-scan images of an interior pipeline wall substantially simultaneously or synchronously with forward images of the pipeline interior for use in inspecting the pipeline wall for defects or damage, said method comprising:

• passing a lighted probe comprising a camera with a fish-eye lens through said pipeline obtaining forward or frontal views having about a 360 degree radius at periodic intervals;
• relaying said views in analog data format to a data processor or computer;
• converting said analog data to digital data;
• manipulating pixels from said digital data on a frame capture board such that at least one sampling circle is obtained for each side-scan view;
• displaying an unfolded 360 degree image of the side-scan view of said interior pipeline wall.