US-12618807-B2 - Half ring gear mechanism for ultrasound inspection

US12618807B2US 12618807 B2US12618807 B2US 12618807B2US-12618807-B2

Abstract

An ultrasonic inspection device for a pipe or tube is provided and includes an arcuate shaped housing having an arcuate shaped guide slot. The arcuate shaped housing has a first end and an opposite second end spaced from the first end. A first driving gear assembly is disposed at the first end of the arcuate shaped housing and includes a first driving gear powered by a first motor. A second driving gear assembly is disposed at the second end of the arcuate shaped housing and includes a second driving gear powered by a second motor. An arcuate shaped driven gear, that supports ultrasonic testing (UT) probe assembly, travels within the arcuate shaped guide slot and is engaged at all times with at least one of the first driving gear and the second gear to permit the arcuate shaped driven gear to be driven in a 360 degree path around the pipe.

Inventors

Ahmed Al Brahim
Fadl Abdellatif
Hesham Jifri
Hassane Trigui

Assignees

SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20230517

Claims (18)

1 . An ultrasonic inspection device for a pipe or tube comprising: an arcate shaped housing having an arcuate shaped guide track, the arcuate shaped housing having a first end and an opposite second end spaced from the first end; a first driving gear assembly disposed at the first end of the arcuate shaped housing, the first driving gear assembly including a first driving gear powered by a first motor; a second driving gear assembly disposed at the second end of the arcuate shaped housing, the second driving gear assembly including a second driving gear powered by a second motor; an arcuate shaped driven gear that movably travels within the arcuate shaped guide track about the pipe or tube and is engaged at all times with at least one of the first driving gear and the second driving gear to permit the arcuate shaped driven gear to be driven in a 360 degree path around the pipe or tube; and an ultrasonic testing (UT) probe assembly fixedly attached to the arcuate shaped driven gear and configured to move in unison with the arcuate shaped driven gear for direct contact with the pipe or tube for performing ultrasonic inspection of the pipe or tube.
2 . The ultrasonic inspection device of claim 1 , wherein each of the arcuate shaped housing and the arcuate shaped guide track has a C-shape.
3 . The ultrasonic inspection device of claim 1 , wherein an arcuate length of each of the arcuate shaped housing and the arcuate shaped guide track is 180 degrees.
4 . The ultrasonic inspection device of claim 1 , wherein an arcuate length of each of the arcuate shaped housing and the arcuate shaped guide track is less than 200 degrees.
5 . The ultrasonic inspection device of claim 1 , wherein first and second ends of the arcuate shaped guide track are open and the first and second driving gears are disposed radially outward of the driven gear.
6 . The ultrasonic inspection device of claim 1 , wherein an arcuate length of the arcuate shaped driven gear is greater than an arcuate length of the arcuate shaped guide track resulting in ends of the arcuate shaped driven gear extending beyond the first and second ends of the arcuate shaped guide track.
7 . The ultrasonic inspection device of claim 1 , wherein an arcuate length of the arcuate shaped driven gear is between 190 and 200 degrees and the arcuate shaped driven gear has outwardly facing teeth that are configured to mesh with outwardly facing teeth of each of the first driving gear and the second driving gear.
8 . The ultrasonic inspection device of claim 1 , wherein the arcuate shaped driven gear has a C-shape and the first and second driving gears comprise circular toothed gears, the arcuate shaped housing has an arcuate length of less than 190 degrees.
9 . The ultrasonic inspection device of claim 1 , wherein the ultrasonic testing (UT) probe assembly is fixedly attached to the arcuate shaped driven gear by a coupler and the ultrasonic testing (UT) probe assembly includes a spring biased motor housing that is biased relative to the coupler and contains a servo motor that is coupled to a rotatable UT probe.
10 . The ultrasonic inspection device of claim 9 , wherein the coupler is coupled to the arcuate shaped driven gear through an arcuate slot that is formed in one face of the arcuate shaped housing.
11 . The ultrasonic inspection device of claim 10 , wherein the coupler includes a pair of hollow extrusions and the motor housing includes a cage that has a pair of protrusions that are received within the pair of hollow extrusions with a pair of springs being disposed between the pair of protrusions and the pair of hollow extrusions.
12 . The ultrasonic inspection device of claim 9 , wherein the servo motor has a drive shaft and the UT probe has an adapter that is fixedly attached to the drive shaft to permit rotation of the UT probe, the UT probe comprising an ultrasonic wheel probe that rotates on an axle that is coupled to the adapter.
13 . The ultrasonic inspection device of claim 1 , further including a crawling vehicle that is coupled to the arcuate shaped housing for controllably moving the ultrasonic inspection device along the pipe or tube.
14 . The ultrasonic inspection device of claim 13 , wherein the crawling vehicle includes a pair of magnetic wheels and a main wheel with switchable magnetism and a driving motor that causes movement of the crawling vehicle.
15 . The ultrasonic inspection device of claim 13 , further including a drone that is configured to dock with the crawling vehicle to transport and deliver the crawling vehicle and the ultrasonic inspection device to the pipe or tube.
16 . An ultrasonic inspection device for a pipe or tube comprising: an arcuate shaped housing having an arcuate shaped guide track that is open along a top of the arcuate shaped housing, the arcuate shaped housing having a first lateral extension at a first end thereof and a second lateral extension at an opposite second end that is spaced from the first end; a first driving gear assembly coupled to the first lateral extension of the arcuate shaped housing, the first driving gear assembly including a first driving gear powered by a first motor; a second driving gear assembly coupled to the second lateral extension of the arcuate shaped housing, the second driving gear assembly including a second driving gear powered by a second motor; an arcuate shaped driven gear that movably travels within the arcuate shaped guide track about and relative to the pipe or tube and is engaged at all times with at least one of the first driving gear and the second driving gear to permit the arcuate shaped driven gear to be driven in a 360 degree path around the pipe or tube, wherein an arcuate length of the arcuate shaped driven gear is greater than 180 degrees; and an ultrasonic testing (UT) probe assembly fixedly and directly attached to the arcuate shaped driven gear such that the ultrasonic testing (UT) probe assembly moves in unison with the arcuate shaped driven gear and configured for direct contact with the pipe or tube for performing ultrasonic inspection of the pipe or tube; wherein in a first position, the arcuate shaped driven gear is disposed substantially within the arcuate shaped guide track such that the arcuate shaped driven gear is exposed and protrudes above the arcuate shaped housing and is driven up and across a top of the acuate shaped housing and the ultrasonic testing (UT) probe assembly lies between the first and second ends and above the arcuate shaped housing and in a second position, the arcuate shaped driven gear is disposed substantially outside the arcuate shaped guide track and the ultrasonic testing (UT) probe assembly lies outside of the arcuate shaped housing.
17 . The ultrasonic inspection device of claim 16 , wherein the ultrasonic testing (UT) probe assembly is fixedly attached to the arcuate shaped driven gear by a coupler and the ultrasonic testing (UT) probe assembly includes a spring biased motor housing that is biased relative to the coupler and contains a servo motor that is coupled to a rotatable UT probe.
18 . The ultrasonic inspection device of claim 17 , wherein the coupler is coupled to the arcuate shaped driven gear through an arcuate slot that is formed in one face of the arcuate shaped housing, thereby permitting the arcuate shaped driven gear to lie within the arcuate shaped guide track, while the UT probe lies outside of the arcuate shaped driven gear.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure is directed to devices and systems for inspecting pipes and tubes and more particularly, to a half ring gear mechanism for ultrasound inspection capable of performing circumferential ultrasonic pipe inspection as well as being integrated with robotic crawlers and drones. BACKGROUND Corrosion is one of the main threats on the longevity of pipes causing them degrade and thin. Several industries, including the oil and gas, water treatment and distribution, suffer numerous losses due to pipe degradation as it can cause the fluids contained in the pipe to leak leading to loss of production and operations halt. It can also propose a danger on individuals working near these pipes especially if these pipes are containing hazardous chemicals. To combat corrosion, regular and frequent inspections are essential to monitor the integrity of the condition of the pipes. These inspections can be done by ultrasonic thickness. One technique for testing is a non-destructive techniques (NDT) technique. In this technique, an ultrasonic sound is applied on the pipe and its response is used to determine the pipe thickness. The drawbacks of regular inspection are the large cost and high labor demand. These drawbacks are also intensified if the pipes are located in difficult to reach locations including high positions which commonly call for the use of scaffolding. There is therefore a need for an improved ultrasonic inspection device that overcomes the above noted deficiencies. SUMMARY As mentioned above, the present disclosure is directed to an ultrasound inspection device for pipes and more specifically, is directed to a half ring gear mechanism for ultrasound inspection capable of performing circumferential ultrasonic pipe inspection as well as being integrated with robotic crawlers and drones. In one embodiment, an ultrasonic inspection device for a pipe or tube is provided and includes an arcate shaped housing having an arcuate shaped guide slot. The arcuate shaped housing has a first end and an opposite second end spaced from the first end. A first driving gear assembly is disposed at the first end of the arcuate shaped housing. The first driving gear assembly includes a first driving gear powered by a first motor. A second driving gear assembly is disposed at the second end of the arcuate shaped housing. The second driving gear assembly includes a second driving gear powered by a second motor. An arcuate shaped driven gear travels within the arcuate shaped guide slot and is engaged at all times with at least one of the first driving gear and the second gear to permit the arcuate shaped driven gear to be driven in a 360 degree path around the pipe. An ultrasonic testing (UT) probe assembly is fixedly attached to the arcuate shaped driven gear and configured for direct contact with the pipe for performing ultrasonic inspection of the pipe or tube. In another aspect, an ultrasonic inspection device for a pipe or tube includes an arcuate shaped housing having an arcuate shaped guide track. The arcuate shaped housing has a first lateral extension at a first end thereof and a second lateral extension at an opposite second end that is spaced from the first end. A first driving gear assembly is coupled to the first lateral extension of the arcuate shaped housing. The first driving gear assembly includes a first driving gear powered by a first motor. A second driving gear assembly is coupled to the second lateral extension of the arcuate shaped housing. The second driving gear assembly includes a second driving gear powered by a second motor. An arcuate shaped driven gear travels within the arcuate shaped guide track and is engaged at all times with at least one of the first driving gear and the second gear to permit the arcuate shaped driven gear to be driven in a 360 degree path around the pipe. In addition, an arcuate length of the arcuate shaped driven gear is greater than 180 degrees. The device further includes an ultrasonic testing (UT) probe assembly fixedly attached to the arcuate shaped driven gear and configured for direct contact with the pipe for performing ultrasonic inspection of the pipe or tube. In a first position, the arcuate shaped driven gear is disposed substantially within the arcuate shaped guide track and the ultrasonic testing (UT) probe assembly lies between the first and second ends and in a second position, the arcuate shaped driven gear is disposed substantially outside the arcuate shaped guide track and the ultrasonic testing (UT) probe assembly lies outside of the arcuate shaped housing. Brief Description of the Drawing Figures FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an ultrasonic inspection device in accordance with one embodiment; FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the ultrasonic inspection device shown in relation and in contact with a pipe showing a driven gear in a first position; FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the ultrasonic inspection device of FIG. 2 show