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BR-112025011041-B1 - DEVICE FOR INSPECTING A THREADED ELEMENT AND CORRESPONDING INSPECTION METHOD

BR112025011041B1BR 112025011041 B1BR112025011041 B1BR 112025011041B1BR-112025011041-B1

Abstract

DEVICE FOR INSPECTING A THREADED ELEMENT AND CORRESPONDING INSPECTION METHOD The present invention relates to a dimensional measuring device for a threaded element (1), said device comprising a first laser line sensor (3) and a second laser line sensor (4) having a second optical measuring direction, said second optical measuring direction forming a non-zero angle A with the first optical measuring direction in a plane containing the first optical measuring direction, the first laser line sensor (3) and the second laser line sensor (4) being movably mounted in a structure (2) and having at least one measuring path allowing the acquisition of geometric data of the threaded element (6), said path passing through a calibrator (5) and being capable of passing through a portion of the threaded element (6), the device comprising an electronic unit arranged to construct a complete profile from a first partial profile of the first laser line sensor (3) and a second partial profile of the second laser line sensor (4). laser line (4) and dependent on at least one measurement performed on the calibrator (5).

Inventors

  • Didier David
  • Sébastien PETIT

Assignees

  • VALLOUREC OIL AND GAS FRANCE

Dates

Publication Date
20260310
Application Date
20231213
Priority Date
20221214

Claims (13)

  1. 1. Dimensional measuring device for a threaded element (6), characterized in that it comprises a structure (2), the structure (2) comprising a first laser line sensor (3) having a first optical measuring direction and a second laser line sensor (4) having a second optical measuring direction, said second optical measuring direction forming a non-zero angle A with the first optical measuring direction in a plane containing the first optical measuring direction, the first laser line sensor (3) and the second laser line sensor (4) being movably mounted on the structure (2) and having at least one measuring path allowing the acquisition of geometric data of the threaded element (6), said path passing through a calibrator (5) and being capable of passing through a portion of the threaded element (6), the device comprising an encoder arranged to determine a position of the first laser line sensor (3) and a position of the second laser line sensor (4) along a principal axis (x), and an electronic unit arranged to construct a first partial profile from the first laser line sensor. (3) and a second partial profile from the second laser line sensor (4), the electronic unit being arranged to construct a complete profile from the first partial profile and the second partial profile depending on the respective positions of the first laser line sensor (3) and the second laser line sensor (4) and depending on at least one measurement performed on the calibrator 5.
  2. 2. Measuring device, according to claim 1, characterized in that angle A is between 30° and 70°, preferably between 40° and 60°.
  3. 3. Measuring device, according to either of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the first laser line sensor (3) and the laser line sensor (4) are mounted in translation on the structure (2).
  4. 4. Measuring device, according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the gauge (5) comprises surfaces that delimit predetermined reference lengths.
  5. 5. Measuring device, according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the gauge (5) comprises a support face (52) arranged to come into contact with an end face of the threaded element (6) to be measured.
  6. 6. Measuring device, according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it comprises a positioning wedge (8) arranged so as to be able to abut the threaded crests of the threaded element (6).
  7. 7. Measuring device, according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the positioning wedge (8) comprises a conical insertion surface (9), which has a conical insertion surface axis and is capable of being in contact with the threaded crests of the threaded element (6).
  8. 8. Measuring device according to claim 5, in conjunction with any one of claims 6 or 7, characterized in that the support face is perpendicular to the axis of the conical insertion surface (9) of the positioning wedge (8).
  9. 9. Measuring device, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the gauge (5) comprises a penetration flank reference surface (54), a load flank reference surface (55), an axial length reference surface (56) and a radial length reference surface (57).
  10. 10. Measuring device, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the calibrator (5) comprises a longitudinal reference extension (11) that defines a reference length Dr, and the electronic unit is arranged to determine a measurement path correction factor associated with the path of the first and second laser line sensors (3), (4).
  11. 11. Measuring device, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the electronic unit is configured to compare a digital thread profile comprising minimum and maximum dimensions with the complete profile, and the electronic unit is configured to generate a thread conformity result.
  12. 12. Measuring device, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the electronic unit is configured to perform dimensional measurements of threaded element end surfaces (6).
  13. 13. Method for dimensional measurement of one end of a threaded element (6), characterized in that it comprises the steps of: - mounting the measuring device, as defined in any of the preceding claims, on the threaded element (6), - performing a data acquisition by means of the first laser line sensor (3) and the second laser line sensor (4) in the measuring gauge (5), - determining measurement correction factors and storing them in the memory of the electronic unit, - performing a second data acquisition at the end of the threaded element (6) by means of the first laser line sensor (3) and the second laser line sensor (4), - generating a first partial profile from a first data set resulting from the second data acquisition by the first laser line sensor (3), - generating a second partial profile from a second data set resulting from the second data acquisition by the second laser line sensor (4), - generating a complete profile from the first partial profile, the second partial profile and the measurement correction factors.

Description

Technical field [001] The present invention relates to a device and a method for measuring the thread shape of a threaded element, more particularly for measuring the thread shape of elements such as a threaded joint for an oil well pipe, a carbon dioxide or hydrogen storage pipe, or a geothermal well pipe. [002] Measuring the screw thread form determines a screw thread form profile in the axial screwing direction of the threaded element, and the screw thread elements are measured based on the screw thread form profile. In the case of, for example, an oil well pipe thread, the screw thread elements comprise the following elements: a threaded zone, which is a portion of the surface of a threaded element, this portion of the surface being bounded by a first end of the screw thread on one side and, on the other side, by a second end of said screw thread. [003] Threaded elements are equipped with threaded ends. These threaded ends are complementary, allowing the connection of a male tubular component (pin) and a female tubular component (housing). Therefore, there is a male threaded end and a female threaded end. A threaded zone may comprise so-called perfect threads or so-called imperfect threads, wherein an imperfect thread has a cross-section corresponding to an incomplete cross-section of a corresponding perfect thread, for example, at a reduced height. [004] A screw thread is a set of threads on a single piece, male or female, this set being formed by a geometric profile that moves along a surface in a helical motion. [005] A screw thread, when viewed in a cross-sectional representation, comprises a succession of teeth or threads regularly spaced from each other. Thus, in a cross-sectional representation, a "tooth" is understood as a crevice extending from the base of a penetration flank to the base of a load flank, the penetration flank and the load flank being joined by a crest. [006] Within a threaded end, a male or female thread portion, when viewed in cross-section, has a straight segment connecting the mean heights of the load-bearing thread flanks of consecutive threads, said segment forming an angle with the axis of the threaded end. If this angle is zero, the threaded portion of the screw is said to be cylindrical. If the angle is different from zero, the threaded portion of the screw is said to be conical. The angle may be expressed in degrees, radians, or as a percentage. The screw thread angle is equal to twice the angle formed between said straight segment and the axis of the threaded end, or the screw thread angle is equal to the angle at the apex of the cone formed by the straight segment when the generator rotates about the axis of the threaded end. [007] A screw thread can be cylindrical, that is, have a generatrix that is parallel to the axis of the threaded end, or a screw thread can be conical, that is, have a generatrix that forms a non-zero angle with respect to the axis of the threaded end. [008] A thread comprises two flanks, the penetration flank and the load flank, a thread root and a thread crest. [009] The interlocking flanks are the threaded surfaces that can come into contact when the threads of the male and female threaded components mesh. Consequently, they correspond to the flanks facing the free end of the tubular component in question. [0010] Load flanks are the threaded surfaces capable of coming into contact when a threaded joint is subjected to axial tensile forces. Consequently, they correspond to the flanks facing the opposite side to the free end of the tubular component in question. [0011] Positive or negative angle(s): Conventionally, in the context of the invention, the antitrigonometric direction, which is also the clockwise direction, will be used. Thus, a positive angle follows a clockwise direction and, conversely, a negative angle follows a counterclockwise direction. [0012] Machining a pipe to produce its thread involves the existence of a screw thread pitch. The concept of thread pitch should be understood in light of the ISO 5408:2009 standard, which deals with the definition of screw threads. The screw thread pitch corresponds to the axial distance, along one turn, between two successive points, such as two successive crests or two successive roots of a thread, this distance being denoted "P". The screw thread pitch must be controlled to allow screwing between the male thread and the corresponding female thread for the assembly and use of a joint. Technological background [0013] Conventional techniques are known for measuring the screw thread shape of threaded elements, based, for example, on tangential illumination of the screw thread and capturing an image with an optical sensor facing the light source in order to generate a two-dimensional image. There are variations related to the orientation of the light emission and the use of mirrors, but these methods have the disadvantage of being imprecise and suitable only for a limited number of connection ty