Scanning method and apparatus
AssigneeFlexlife Limited
InventorCraig Keyworth
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of assessing the condition of a tubular member comprises driving an ultrasonic probe to fire a short pulse ultrasonic beam at the outer surface of the tubular member and analyzing the reflected signals from the tubular member to assess the condition of the tubular member. The apparatus comprises an ultrasonic probe (22), means for driving the probe to fire a short pulse ultrasonic beam at the outer surface of the tubular member and means for converting the reflected ultrasonic beam into image signals which can be analyzed to assess the condition of the tubular member.
Claims17
An apparatus for assessing a condition of an annulus of a flexible pipe, the apparatus comprising:
- an ultrasonic probe;
- an ultrasonic transducer element that drives the ultrasonic probe to fire a short pulse ultrasonic beam at an external sheath of the flexible pipe;
- a control pack that converts reflected ultrasonic beam into image signals, the image signals including front and back walls of the flexible pipe;
- and which can be analysed to assess the condition of the flexible pipe;
- and
- wherein at least one of natural frequencies and mechanical behaviors of materials of the ultrasonic probe and the external sheath of the flexible pipe are matched.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.