Baker Hughes Oilfield Operations LLC

Baker Hughes Holdings LLC

General Electric Company

Tobias Bruch

Johannes Buechler

Ralf Ratering

Luca Scaccabarozzi

Benjamin Hoemske

Thorsten Michalk

Systems, methods, and apparatuses are provided for examining a object under test. The apparatus can include a housing and a handle. The housing can include a sensing unit including a plurality of ultrasonic transducers, a circuit, a control unit, a display unit, and a communication interface. The circuit can include a memory, and a plurality of transceiver circuits coupled to the plurality of ultrasonic transducers. On receiving a triggering signal, the plurality of ultrasonic transducers emanates an ultrasonic beam to a object under test and can sense a reflected ultrasonic beam to generate a sensed signal. The control unit can process the received sensed signal to provide a processed data. The display unit can display the processed data. The communication interface can transmit the processed data to a monitoring device over a network. The handle has a frame configured to support the housing and allow the housing to rotate.

Inspection apparatus with integrated electronics

A stabilized ultrasonic probe includes a housing, at least one ultrasonic transducer, a flexible delay line, and a stabilizing element. The housing can be tubular and extend from a proximal to a distal end and define a cavity therein. The transducer can be positioned within the housing. The delay line can include recessed and tip portions. The recessed portion can be within the cavity and extend from the transducer(s) to the housing distal end. The tip portion can extend from the housing distal end to a distal terminal end of the delay line. The stabilizing element can be coupled to the housing distal end and extend distally from the housing distal end to a target facing surface. The stabilizing element can circumferentially surround at least part of the delay line tip portion. A stabilizing element modulus can be greater than or equal to a delay line modulus.

Ultrasonic probe having flexible stabilizing element for probe alignment

An ultrasonic inspection system includes an ultrasonic probe and an analyzer. The probe includes a flexible delay line and an ultrasonic transducer array at a first delay line end. A second delay line end can contact a target. The analyzer can receive ultrasonic echoes from the ultrasonic transducers representing amplitude of ultrasonic signals reflected from the target as a function of time from transmission. The analyzer determines a maximum amplitude of the echoes received by each transducer, scale the maximum amplitudes based upon a greatest maximum amplitude, and bin the scaled maximum amplitudes. The analyzer assigns each bin a color and generate a C-scan based upon the scaled amplitudes. Each C-scan pixel can correspond to at least one transducer, and the relative position of each C-scan pixel can correspond to the relative position of the ultrasonic transducer represented by the pixel. Each pixel can be displayed with its assigned color.

Ultrasonic probe alignment using ultrasound signals

A phased array probe system and method for testing a spot-weld on a structure. The phased array probe includes a plurality of transducers and may include a flexible delay line. The phased array probe is positioned at a first position on the structure relative to the spot-weld. First ultrasonic signals are generated to and received from the spot-weld using at least one first transducer of the phased array probe. The first received ultrasonic signals are processed to determine a second optimized position on the structure relative to the spot-weld. Second ultrasonic signals are generated at the second optimized position to and received from the spot-weld using second transducers of the phased array probe. The second received ultrasonic signals are processed to determine a feature dimension of the spot-weld.

Phased array probe and method for testing a spot-weld

Methods, systems, and devices for solid axle testing are provided.

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Cologne, Germany

Tobias Bruch