Rail section weld inspection scanner
AssigneeALSTOM Technology Ltd
InventorsJacques L. Brignac, Robert E. Lucas
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A rail section weld inspection device [1000] is described for inspecting a rail [10] for internal defects [19,21]. A central ultrasonic (US) probe [1330] transmits at least one US beam [B] through the rail [10] and receiving a reflected signal. At least one angled US probe [1310] transmits at least one US beam [A1-A5] through the rail [10] at an oblique angle at least partially covering the same region as the central probe [1330]. An encoder identifies the location of the US probes [1330] and [1310] along the rail [10] and pairs the locations of the probes with the signals received. The Calculation device [1500] receives the signals from the US probes and uses their different views to create an image of the flaws within the rail [10].
Claims19
A rail inspection device [1000] for inspecting internal volumes of an elongated object [10] for defects, the elongated object 10 extending in a horizontal “z” direction with a vertical direction being a “y” direction and a direction perpendicular to both the “y” and “z” directions, being the “x” direction and for providing the information to a calculation device [1500], comprising:
- a central ultrasonic (US) probe [1330] for transmitting at least one US beam [B] through said elongated object [10], for receiving a reflected signal, and for providing the signal to said calculation device [1500];
- at least one angled US probe [1310] for transmitting at least one US beam [A1-A5] through the elongated object [10] at an oblique angle within an y, z, plane which intersects with the beam [B] from the central US probe [1330], and adapted to receive reflected signals from the same oblique angle, and for providing the signal to said calculation device [1500];
- an encoder [1380] adapted to identify a location of the US probes [1330] and [1310] along the elongated object [10] as the reflected signals are received and for pairing the locations of the probes corresponding to the received signals and for providing this information to the calculation device [1500] to identify locations of the defects [19,21] within the elongated object [10].
A rail inspection device [1000] for inspecting internal volumes of a rail [10] for defects [19,21], comprising:
- a first attachment structure [1100] removeably attached to said rail [10];
- a second attachment structure [1700] removeably attached to said rail [10];
- at least one rod [1600] secured between the attachment structures [1100,1700] running substantially parallel to the rail [10];
- a runner 1300 slidingly attached to the rods [1600] allowed to move along the rail [10];
- an encoder [1380] adapted to identify a location along the rail [10];
- a central ultrasonic probe [1330] for transmitting at least one ultrasonic (US) beam [B] substantially vertically through said rail [10], and for receiving a reflected signal;
- at least one angled ultrasonic probe [1310] for transmitting at least one US beam [A1-A5] through the rail 10 at an oblique angle which intersects with the beam [B] from the central US probe [1330], and adapted to receive reflected US signals received from the same oblique angle;
- the device [1000] further adapted to provide the identified locations along the rail 10 paired with any reflected signals received at the identified locations to a calculation device [150] that is adapted to identify locations of defects [19,21] within the rail.
A rail inspection device [1000] for inspecting internal volumes of an elongated object [10] for defects, the elongated object 10 extending in a horizontal “z” direction with a vertical direction being a “y” direction and a direction perpendicular to both the “y” and “z” directions, being the “x” direction and for providing images of said defects, comprising:
- a calculation device [1500] adapted to create images of objects from US signals provided to it;
- a central ultrasonic (US) probe [1330] for transmitting at least one US beam [B] through said elongated object [10], for receiving a reflected signal, and for providing the signal to the calculation device [1500];
- at least one angled US probe [1310] for transmitting at least one US beam [A1-A5] through the elongated object [10] at an oblique angle within an y, z, plane which intersects with the beam B from the central US probe [1330], and adapted to receive reflected signals from the same oblique angle, and for providing the signal to said calculation device [1500] device;
- an encoder [1380] adapted to identify a location of the US probes [1330] and [1310] along the elongated object [10] as the reflected signals are received and for pairing the locations of the probes corresponding to the received signals and for providing this information to the calculation device [1500] that an image of flaws within the elongated object [10].
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.