US 8,542,127 B1Granted

Apparatus for the non-contact metallic constructions assessment

AssigneesValerian Goroshevskiy, Svetlana Kamaeva, Igor Kolesnikov

InventorsValerian Goroshevskiy, Svetlana Kamaeva, Igor Kolesnikov, Leonid Ivlev

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Abstract

A device and method for discovering, identification and monitoring of mechanical flaws in metallic structures is disclosed, based on magneto-graphic/magnetic tomography technique to identify stress-related defects. The technique is specifically optimized for extended, not-accessible underground and underwater metallic structures quality control, emergency alarms as well as timeline planning for structural repairs and maintenance work. Examples of the technique implementation include pipes for oil and gas industry, detection of flaws in rolled products in metallurgical industry, welding quality of heavy duty equipment such as ships, reservoirs, etc. It is especially important for loaded constructions, such as pressured pipes, infrastructure maintenance, nuclear power plant monitoring, bridges, corrosion prevention and environment protection.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A device for discovering, identification and monitoring of mechanical defects in metallic structures, comprising:

a sensor array, registering a signal, a signal representing a density of magnetic field strength distribution along the metallic structure under testing;
an analogue-to-digital converter digitizing the signal;
a calculation unit receiving the digitized signal, the calculation unit analyzing the digitized signal and providing an identification of signal anomalies using a magnetic tomography method that is based on the inverse magnetostrictive Villary effect, the effect of changing of material magnetic susceptibility under applied mechanical stress, the changing of magnetic susceptibility resulting in distribution of magnetic field gradient along the structure surface area under testing, the distribution of magnetic field gradient providing an information about the presence and the value of the magnetic field anomaly at the given location of the structure.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.