Patent · US Active

Non-destructive testing of pipes

US7475596B2 · kind B2 · utility

58Cited by
11References
11Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 7, 2007
Grant dateJan 13, 2009
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 7, 2027

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01N2291/2634
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

To perform a non-destructive condition assessment of a pipe carrying a fluid, an actual value representative of the propagation velocity of an acoustic disturbance propagating between two longitudinally separated points on the pipe is determined. A corresponding predicted value for the propagation velocity is computed as a function of at least one wall thickness parameter of the pipe by using a theoretical model for the propagation of acoustic waves in the pipe that assumes said pipe has a finite wall thickness with a predetermined circumferential thickness profile. The wall thickness parameter is then computed by matching the actual value with the predicted value, for example, by substituting the actual value in a formula predicting the theoretical value.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.