Method and apparatus for in situ measurements of corrosion of submerged surfaces
US6253615A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 30, 1999 |
| Grant date | Jul 3, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 30, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01N2291/02854
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An aspect of the present invention is an apparatus for inspecting a base of a liquid filled tank for corrosion, having (a) a housing for use in the liquid filled tank; (b) a set of one or more ultrasonic transducers mounted to the housing, for directing one or more ultrasonic pulses at the base, where the ultrasonic pulses each have a frequency selected to produce a return signal from the base, and for receiving this return signal; and (c) a data capturing system for storing information from these return signals. Optional features include a second set of one or more ultrasonic transducers for directing one or more ultrasonic pulses at the liquid/gas interface at a frequency selected to produce a return signal from the liquid/gas interface, a data analysis system, a locomotive system, and a spatial location system. Another aspect of the invention is a method for inspecting a base of a liquid filled tank for corrosion, having the steps: (a) directing a broadband ultrasonic pulse at the base from an ultrasonic transducer within the tank, where the ultrasonic pulse includes a resonant frequency for the tank base over the range of expected thicknesses for the base; (b) receiving a retur…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.