Apparatus and method for determining the integrity of a tube
US10302594B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 1, 2016 |
| Grant date | May 28, 2019 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 5, 2037 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01N27/904
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An apparatus for determining the integrity of a tube is provided. The apparatus includes: a body having an extension mechanism and configured to be inserted into the tube; and a flexible eddy current sensor including a flexible housing coupled to the body via the extension mechanism, and one or more coils disposed in the flexible housing. The flexible housing is selectively extendable via the extension mechanism between a first position and a second position. The one or more coils are farther away from the body when the flexible housing is in the second position than when the flexible housing is in the first position. The one or more coils electrically couple with an interior surface of the tube when the flexible housing is in the second position, and the flexible eddy current sensor is operative to selectively induce electrical currents within the tube via the one or more coils.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.