Pipe inspection equipment and methods

Abstract

1. An apparatus for inspecting rings cut from a pipe, the apparatus comprising: a plurality of inspection chamber sections which, when arranged together, define an inspection chamber for receiving the ring to be inspected, the inspection chamber sections comprising at least a first inspection chamber section defining a first interior side surface of the inspection chamber and a second inspection chamber section defining an opposing second interior side surface of the inspection chamber, the first interior side surface and the second interior side surface defining an annulus configured to accommodate the ring and isolate the inside of the ring from the outside; means for clamping the inspection chamber sections together to form the chamber; a fluid inlet port in one of the chamber sections for allowing pressurized fluid to enter the chamber outside the ring when received in the chamber; and one or more sensors for measuring strain and deformation of the ring and fluid pressure, wherein the annulus is aligned with one another, is wider than a wall thickness of the ring to be inspected, and is substantially generally flat.

Claims

1. A device for inspecting rings cut from pipes, A plurality of inspection chamber sections, when arranged together, define an inspection chamber for receiving the ring to be inspected, wherein the inspection chamber section comprises at least a first inspection chamber section defining a first inner surface of the inspection chamber and a second inspection chamber section defining an opposing second inner surface of the inspection chamber, the first inner surface and the second inner surface being configured to receive the ring between them during inspection and isolate the inside of the ring from the outside, and each of these inner surfaces defining an annular portion that accommodates the ring and isolates the inside of the ring from the outside, Means for clamping the inspection chamber sections together to form the chamber, Outside the ring when it is received in the chamber, one fluid inlet port of the chamber section allows pressurized fluid to enter the chamber, The system comprises one or more sensors for measuring the strain and deformation of the ring, as well as the fluid pressure, The apparatus wherein the annular portions are aligned with each other, are wider than the wall thickness of the ring to be inspected, and are flat overall.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the annular portion is coated with a lubricant.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the annular portion is polished.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the annular portion is polished.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a pressurizing system for supplying the pressurized fluid to the fluid inlet port, wherein the pressurizing system comprises an accumulator.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the accumulator comprises a gas-assisted accumulator.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the accumulator is configured to change the stiffness of the pressurizing system.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ring is combined with a ring to be inspected, each of which has substantially parallel end faces provided with sealing elements.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the end face is grooved to receive the sealing element.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the sealing element is elastic.

11. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the sealing element comprises an O-ring or a lip seal.

12. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein D / T > 25, where D is the outer diameter of the ring and T is the wall thickness of the ring in the above formula.

13. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the inner diameter of each annular portion is 5 to 10 cm smaller than the inner diameter of the ring to be inspected, and the outer diameter of each annular portion is 5 to 10 cm larger than the outer diameter of the ring to be inspected.

14. A method for inspecting a ring cut from a pipe using the apparatus described in claim 1, wherein the method is: a. The step of cutting the ring from the pipe, b. The step of fitting an attachment for measuring the strain and deformation of the ring, c. The step of fitting the ring into the device with a sealing element provided at a fixed position on the end face of the ring, d. A method comprising the steps of applying pressure using the apparatus and recording the measured values ​​of the strain and deformation.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of machining the end face of the ring to have a groove for receiving the sealing element.

16. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a reservoir for collecting any pressurized fluid that leaks from the outside to the inside of the ring.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising a pump for recycling the pressurized fluid from the water reservoir.

18. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1, 16, or 17, wherein the annular portion comprises one or more radial grooves and / or one or more protrusions.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the grooves / projections are arranged around the annular portion at intervals from each other.

20. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 16, wherein the ring has substantially parallel end faces that are flat as a whole, in combination with a ring to be inspected.

21. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the end face omits any sealing element.

22. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the inner diameter of each annular portion is 5 to 10 cm smaller than the inner diameter of the ring to be inspected, and the outer diameter of each annular portion is 5 to 10 cm larger than the outer diameter of the ring to be inspected.

23. A method for inspecting a ring cut from a pipe using the apparatus described in claim 1 or 16, wherein the method is: a. The step of cutting the ring from the pipe, b. The step of fitting an attachment for measuring the strain and deformation of the ring, c. The step of fitting the ring onto the device, d. A method comprising the steps of applying pressure using the apparatus and recording the measured values ​​of the strain and deformation.

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