Westinghouse Electric Corporation

Michael D Coradi

Randall A Holmes

Carl A Vitalbo

William D Yost

Andrew J Frank, Jr

Inspection probe for inspecting a tubular member for anomalies, the tubular member having an inside surface that may be irregularly-shaped. The inspection probe includes an enclosure sized to be slidably received along the inside surface of the tubular member. The enclosure has a cavity therein and a housing disposed in the cavity. A spring is disposed in the cavity of the enclosure for outwardly biasing the housing toward the inside surface of the tube. A swivel body is pivotably mounted in the housing. The swivel body has a sensor pivotably mounted thereon for sensing anomalies (i.e., flaws and wall thinning) in the tube wall. Connected to the swivel body and to the sensor is a first pivot pin for pivoting the sensor about a first pivot point laying on a first axis extending transversely to the longitudinal axis of the tubular member. In addition, connected to the housing and to the swivel body is a second pivot pin for pivoting the swivel body about a second pivot point laying on a second axis extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tubular member. The sensor will continuously engage the inside surface of the tube, even though the inside surface may be irregularly-shaped, because the pivoting action of the housing and the sensor in combination with the biasing action of the spring on the housing will cause the sensor to precisely track the contour of the inside surface of the tubular member.

Inspection probe for inspecting irregularly-shaped tubular members for

An eddy current probe, especially useful for inspecting roll plugs in steam generator tubes, has a detector assembly which is automatically extended and retracted in a radial recess in an elongated body to prevent damage to the detector assembly during insertion and retraction of the probe, yet permits the detector assembly to bear against the interior wall of the roll plug, including the roll zone. In one embodiment, a mechanical actuator in the form of a pair of finger members spring biased radially outward operate through camming surfaces to rotate a pivot member which retracts the detector assembly; however, when the probe enters the bore of a roll plug the fingers are compressed to permit extension of the detector assembly. In another embodiment, a linear actuator such as a solenoid rotates the pivot member to extend and retract the detector assembly. A lost motion connection between the pivot member and the spring biased eddy current detector assembly permits the detector assembly to track the interior surface of the roll plug including the roll zone.

Probe with radially extendable and retractable detector assembly for

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for testing analog process protection and control systems which are composed of a plurality of channels each serving to monitor a selected process parameter.

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Wilkinsburg, PA, United States of America

Michael D Coradi