Nippon Steel Sumitomo Metal Corporation

Sumitomo Metal Industries, Inc.

Nippon Steel Corporation

Vallourec & Mannesmann Oil & Gas France

Vallourec Oil and Gas France

Masaki Yamano

Kenji Fujiwara

Hiroshi Kubota

Ikuji Hoshino

Masami Ikeda

Shigeo Nagasaku

Hiroshi Shikada

Tomoyuki Obata

Masaki Tanaka

Yoshio Ueda

Keiichi Nakamura

Makoto Sakamoto

Toshihiko Murakami

Yoshiyuki Nakao

Toshio Akagi

Hiromichi Aoki

Noboru Hasegawa

Tatsuro Honda

Shigetoshi Hyodo

Kohei Okamoto

Hironao Yamaji

Kenta Sakai

Jun Masubuchi

Tsukasa Suda

Hiroyuki Okubo

Takumi Horikiri

Takeo Nakata

Manabu Adachi

Makoto Nagase

There is provided a tubular body inner surface inspection apparatus that detects a defect existing on an inner surface of a tubular body, the apparatus including: a tubular body imaging apparatus including N (N&#x2265;2) imaging units each including a laser light source that applies laser light, an optical element that reflects laser light applied from the laser light source in a circumferential direction of the inner surface of the tubular body, as annular laser light, an area camera that images a region of the inner surface of the tubular body where the annular laser light is applied, and thereby generates an annular beam image, and a linking member that links together and fixes the laser light source and the area camera, in which the imaging units are linked in series along a tube axial direction of the tubular body in such a manner that positions of the linking members in a plane orthogonal to a tube axis are different from each other; a movement apparatus that moves the tubular body imaging apparatus along the tube axial direction of the tubular body; and an arithmetic processing apparatus that, while moving the tubular body imaging apparatus by means of the movement apparatus, performs image processing on a plurality of annular beam images generated in each of the imaging units and assesses whether a defect exists on the inner surface of the tubular body or not.

Tubular body inner surface inspection apparatus and tubular body inner surface inspection method

A method of adjusting flaw detection sensitivity on an array ultrasonic probe comprises disposing a plate material Poppositely to the ultrasonic probe such that an upper surface of the plate material is disposed to be approximately parallel to an array direction of the transducers, or disposing a tubular material Poppositely to the ultrasonic probe such that an axial direction of the tubular material is disposed to be approximately parallel to the array direction of the transducers. Ultrasonic waves are transmitted from each transducer toward the upper surface of the plate material or an outer surface of the tubular material, and echoes are received from the bottom surface of the plate material or an inner surface of the tubular material on each transducer. Flaw detection sensitivity of each transducer is adjusted to substantially equalize intensity of an echo received on each transducer.

Flaw detection sensitivity adjustment method and abnormality diagnosis method for ultrasonic probe

An ultrasonic testing apparatus includes an ultrasonic probe disposed under an end portion of a pipe laid in the horizontal direction to face the pipe end portion. The probe transmits ultrasonic waves to the end portion of the pipe and receives the ultrasonic waves therefrom. A probe holder housing the probe includes a coupling medium reserver part which surrounds a space between the probe and the end portion of the pipe to contain a coupling medium W. The coupling medium reserver part includes a part bodyinto which the coupling medium is supplied; an annular bellows part, which is attached to the upper side of the part body to internally communicate with the part body, and an annular spacerattached to the upper side of the bellows part, the upper surface of the annular spacer being a flat horizontal surface.

Ultrasonic testing apparatus for pipe or tube end portion and method of setting initial position of probe holder

An ultrasonic testing equipment of the present invention includes: an ultrasonic probe having a plurality of transducers arranged along a predetermined annular curved surface; a transmission/reception control unit that causes at least two transducers selected from the plurality of the transducers to transmit the ultrasonic waves to and receive the same from the tubular test object and a ultrasonic testing waveform display unit which displays ultrasonic testing waveforms received by the selected transducers radially corresponding to the propagation directions of the ultrasonic waves transmitted from and received by the selected transducers. The ultrasonic testing waveform display unit displays the ultrasonic testing waveforms radially with a point of time corresponding to an echo on an incident point of the ultrasonic wave to the tubular test object contained in the ultrasonic testing waveform as a beginning point and displays circles indicating points of time corresponding to the echo on the internal surface and/or the external surface of the tubular test object around the beginning point.

Ultrasonic testing method and equipment therefor

An ultrasonic probe for detecting a flaw by ultrasonic waves in a tubular test object includes a plurality of transducers arranged along an annular curved surface, wherein the annular curved surface is obtained by cutting a predetermined spheroid with two parallel planes facing to each other that do not pass through a center of the spheroid and do not sandwich the center of the spheroid, said two parallel planes being orthogonal to a rotational axis of the spheroid. A shape of said annular curved surface is determined so that when transducers appropriately selected from said plurality of transducers are caused to transmit and receive ultrasonic waves, respective internal refraction angles &#x3b8;&#x3ba; of the ultrasonic waves are approximately equivalent regardless of propagation directions of the ultrasonic waves.

Ultrasonic probe, ultrasonic testing equipment, and ultrasonic testing method

An ultrasonic testing apparatus for a pipe end portion, which enables accurate ultrasonic testing, comprises an ultrasonic probe disposed under the pipe end portion. The probetransmits ultrasonic waves to the pipe end portion and receives the ultrasonic waves therefrom. A probe holder houses the probe which is disposed under the pipe end portion to face the pipe end portion and follows the pipe rotation. The probe holder comprises a coupling medium reserver part that surrounds a space between the probe and the pipe end portion to contain a coupling medium therein and comprises a coupling medium reserver part body into which the coupling medium is supplied. An annular bellows part, which communicates with the reserver part body, can expand and contract vertically and an annular spacer, which is attached to the upper side of the bellows part and an upper surface thereof has a flat horizontal surface.

Ultrasonic testing apparatus for pipe or tube end portion

An ultrasonic testing equipment includes an ultrasonic probe having a plurality of transducers arranged along a predetermined annular curved surface, a transmission/reception control unit that causes at least two transducers of the plurality of transducers to transmit the ultrasonic waves to and receive the same from a tubular test object and a ultrasonic testing waveform display unit which displays ultrasonic testing waveforms received by the selected transducers radially corresponding to the propagation directions of the ultrasonic waves transmitted from and received by the selected transducers. The waveform display unit displays the waveforms radially with a point of time corresponding to an echo on an incident point of the ultrasonic wave to the test object contained in the waveform as a beginning point and displays circles indicating points of time corresponding to the echo on the internal surface and/or the external surface of the test object around the beginning point.

A circumferential angle of incidence &#x3b1;i of an ultrasonic wave transmitted from an ultrasonic probeupon a tubular test object P and an axial angle of incidence &#x3b2;i of the ultrasonic wave transmitted from the ultrasonic probeupon the tubular test object P are set based on a ratio of thickness to outer diameter t/D of the tubular test object P so that an internal refraction angle &#x3b8;k calculated from the circumferential angle of incidence &#x3b1;i, the axial angle of incidence &#x3b2;i, and the ratio of thickness to outer diameter t/D of the tubular test object may be not less than 35&#xb0; and not more than 60&#xb0;.

Ultrasonic testing method and manufacturing method of seamless pipe or tube

The ultrasonic testing method includes the steps of arranging an ultrasonic probe having a plurality of transducers so as to face a tubular test object P, and causing the transducers appropriately selected from the plurality of transducers to transmit and receive ultrasonic waves so that the ultrasonic waves are propagated in the tubular test object in a plurality of different propagation directions, wherein a ultrasonic testing condition by the ultrasonic probe is set so that respective external refraction angles &#x3b8;r of the ultrasonic waves in the plurality of propagation directions are approximately equivalent and/or respective internal refraction angles &#x3b8;k of the ultrasonic waves in the plurality of propagation directions are approximately equivalent.

Ultrasonic probe, ultrasonic testing equipment, ultrasonic testing method, and manufacturing method of seamless pipe or tube

The present invention provides a method which allows simply, easily and accurately evaluating the fastening state of shoulder parts of a threaded joint for use as a joint of pipes or tubes, such as OCTG, during fastening or after fastening. The fastening state evaluation method for a threaded jointof pipes or tubes according to the present invention is characterized in that it transmits ultrasonic surface waves from the internal surface of either one of the pinand the boxtoward the internal surface of the other one of the pinand the boxthrough the shoulder partsof the pinand the box, and on the basis of the transmitted wave intensity or the reflected wave intensity thereof, determines whether or not the fastening state of the threaded jointis satisfactory.

Method of evaluating fastening state of threaded joint of pipes or tubes, method for fastening threaded joint of pipes or tubes, and apparatus for evaluating fastening state of threaded joint of pipes or tubes

An ultrasonic testing equipment includes a linear array ultrasonic probe in which a plurality of transducers are arranged in a direction orthogonal to the rolling direction of a test object and a signal processing unit. The signal processing unit executes following (1) to (6). (1) Generating an aperture synthetic image of testing signals of each section of the test object. (2) Generating a maximum value distribution of testing signals in the arrangement direction of transducers. (3) Calculating the width of a defect in each section based on the maximum value distribution. (4) Generating a maximum value distribution of the testing signals in the rolling direction based on the maximum value distribution of a plurality of sections of the test object. (5) Calculating the length of the defect based on the maximum value distribution of the testing signals in the rolling direction. (6) Calculating the area of the defect based on the calculated defect length and the calculated defect width of each section.

An ultrasonic testing apparatuscomprises an ultrasonic probeincluding n (n&#x2267;2) number of transducers arranged along a predetermined direction, disposed so as to face a test object P, and a transmission/reception control devicefor selecting m (n&#x3e;m&#x2267;1) number of transducers from among the n number of transducers, transmitting ultrasonic waves from the selected m number of transducers toward the test object, receiving the ultrasonic waves therefrom, and switched m number of transducers to b selected successively. If an angle that the arrangement direction of the transducers makes with the surface of the test object which ultrasonic waves enter is &#x3b8;, and the effective beam width of each selected m number of transducers with respect to a target flaw is W, the transmission/reception control device switches m number of transducers to be selected successively by a switching pitch length P satisfying the formula: P&#x2266;W&#xb7;cos &#x3b8;.

Ultrasonic testing method and apparatus

Provided are an ultrasonic testing method and an ultrasonic testing apparatus capable of accurately detecting flaws present in a weld zone of a test object, such as a welded pipe, regardless of the position of the flaws. An ultrasonic testing apparatusincludes an ultrasonic probewhich is provided with n (n&#x2267;2) transducersarranged along a direction orthogonal to the weld line of a weld zone Pof a test object P and is arranged so as to face the weld zone, and transmission/reception control meanswhich selects m (n&#x3e;m&#x2267;1) transducers from the n transducers, causes the selected transducers to transmit and receive ultrasonic waves to and from the weld zone, and switches the selected transducers one after another. The transmission/reception control means switches the selected transducers one after another so that the range of an effective beam width of each of the selected transducers that have been switched for a flaw to be detected has an overlapping portion, and in the transmission/reception control means, the flaw detection sensitivity is adjusted beforehand for each of the selected transducers so that maximum echo intensities from a flaw to be detected, which are each received by each of the selected transducers that have been switched, become substantially equal to each other.

Method and apparatus for ultrasonic testing of weld zones

There is provided a method capable of evaluating a fastening state of a threaded joint that is used as a joint of pipes or tubes such as OCTG with a high degree of accuracy even after being fastened and a method for fastening a threaded joint of pipes or tubes using the evaluating method. The present invention provides a method for evaluating a fastening state of a threaded joint of pipes or tubes including a pin having an external thread part, a metal seal part, and a shoulder part on an outer peripheral surface, and a box having an internal thread part, a metal seal part, and a shoulder part corresponding to each part of the pin on an inner peripheral surface and being fastened with the pin. The evaluating method according to the present invention is characterized by transmitting and receiving an ultrasonic wave to and from a plurality of locations along an axial direction of the threaded joint in at least one of the internal thread part, the metal seal part, and the shoulder part of the box; detecting echo intensities for the plurality of locations; and comparing the echo intensities detected for the plurality of locations to determine whether the fastening state of the threaded joint is good or bad.

Method for evaluating fastening state of threaded joint of pipes or tubes and method for fastening threaded joint of pipes or tubes using the method

An ultrasonic testing method relates to a threaded joint of pipes including a pin having an external thread part, a metal seal part, and a shoulder part on an outer peripheral surface, and a box having an internal thread part, a metal seal part, and a shoulder part with the box and pin being fastened together using a lubricant. The method includes transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves to and from a plurality of locations along an axial direction of the threaded joint in at least one of the internal thread part, the metal seal part, and the shoulder part of the box; detecting echo intensities and reception times of echoes for the plurality of locations; and detecting an abnormal portion in the threaded joint based on a longitudinal axial directional distribution of the echo intensities and longitudinal axial directional distribution of reception times of the echoes.

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Osaka, Japan

Masaki Yamano