Wheel type phased array probe

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of flaw detection equipment, and provides a wheel type phased array probe with higher detection efficiency. The wheel type phased array probe is used for detecting defects of a to-be-detected object and comprises a supporting frame, a flexible wheel rotationally arranged on the supporting frame and a shaft type phased array detector arranged in a sealing cavity of the flexible wheel, the flexible wheel is used for making contact with the to-be-detected object, and the shaft type phased array detector is used for detecting the defects of the to-be-detected object. The shaft type phased array detector extends in the direction of a rotating shaft of the flexible wheel, the shaft type phased array detector is statically arranged relative to the support, and the flexible wheel is provided with a coupling agent injection port communicated with a sealing cavity of the flexible wheel.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of flaw detection equipment, and in particular provides a phased array probe. Background Art

[0002] The wheels of railway trains are key components for running. Fatigue defects may occur on the treads of in-service wheels, affecting driving safety. It is necessary to perform ultrasonic defect detection on the wheel treads periodically.

[0003] The existing detection methods mainly include contact and immersion. Since the tread is an irregular curved surface (mainly LM type), for contact detection, in order to ensure good fit, usually only a small-sized constant-probe can be used for detection. Since the curvature at different positions of the rim cross section is different, the contact probe usually does not move axially. The circumferential and circumferential layout of the probe group is used to achieve full axial coverage of the rim. The circumferential coverage is achieved by keeping the probe stationary and rotating the wheel one circle. Usually, the number of probes does not exceed 10, and only the area directly below the probe is covered by the main sound beam, and the gap between the probes is covered by the diffuse angle sound beam. The detection results are not comprehensive enough and the efficiency is low.

[0004] For immersion testing, the probe is placed in a water tank, and the part of the workpiece to be tested is partially immersed in water. Since the probe does not need to touch the workpiece, the probe can achieve axial movement. Water immersion testing usually uses a rotating wheel and axial movement of the ultrasonic probe to achieve Z-shaped scanning to achieve full circumferential and axial coverage, but it takes a long time and has low detection efficiency. Utility Model Content

[0005] The utility model aims to provide a wheel-type phased array probe to solve the problems existing in the prior art.

[0006] In order to achieve the above purpose, the technical solution adopted by the utility model is:

[0007] A wheel-type phased array probe is used to detect defects of an object to be tested, comprising a support frame, a flexible wheel rotatably arranged on the support frame, and an axial phased array detector arranged in a sealed cavity of the flexible wheel, wherein the flexible wheel is used to contact the object to be tested, the axial phased array detector extends along the rotation axis direction of the flexible wheel, the axial phased array detector is stationary relative to the support frame, and the flexible wheel is provided with a coupling agent injection port connected to the sealed cavity of the flexible wheel.

[0008] Furthermore, it also includes a controller and at least one level sensor, wherein the level sensor is arranged on the support frame, the level sensor is electrically connected to the axial phased array detector through the controller, and the level sensor is used to detect the distance between the object to be measured and the flexible wheel.

[0009] Furthermore, it also includes a roller symmetrically arranged on the support frame about the rotation axis of the flexible wheel, the rotation axis of the roller is parallel to the rotation axis of the flexible wheel, and the sum of the radius of the roller and the vertical distance from the rotation axis of the roller to the rotation axis of the flexible wheel is less than or equal to the radius of the flexible wheel.

[0010] Furthermore, the flexible wheel includes a wheel skin and a first sealing structure and a second sealing structure connected to two ends of the wheel skin, and the sealing cavity is formed between the wheel skin and the first sealing structure and the second sealing structure.

[0011] Furthermore, the axial phased array detector is fixed on a support frame, and the first sealing structure is connected to the axial phased array detector via a bearing.

[0012] Furthermore, the first sealing structure and the second sealing structure are both magnetic sealing structures.

[0013] Furthermore, the frequency of the axial phased array detector is 2-10 MHz, the array element spacing is 0.5-2 mm, and the chip width is 8-16 mm.

[0014] Furthermore, the flexible wheel is a rubber wheel.

[0015] Furthermore, it also includes a spraying device arranged on the support frame, and the spraying device is used to spray a coupling agent onto the outer surface of the flexible wheel.

[0016] Furthermore, it also includes an actuator, the support frame is fixed on the actuator, and the actuator is used to drive the support frame to move.

[0017] In summary, due to the adoption of the above technical solutions, the beneficial effects of the utility model are as follows: the wheel phased array probe adopts a flexible wheel skin. When the flexible wheel fits the tread, the wheel skin is deformed to adapt to the tread profile of different curvatures. Even the extremely concave grinding type and the rolling pile type tread can achieve good fit, thereby achieving a good ultrasonic coupling state. The axial phased array detector covers the entire tread detection area. The use of phased array electronic scanning can achieve that the rim detection area is fully covered by the main sound beam, thereby improving the defect detection rate. At the same time, the axial phased array detector can use the delay law for angle deflection. For different curvature positions, different angle sound beams can be stimulated for adaptation. Without moving the axial phased array detector, the tread within the coverage range of the main sound beam can be fully detected, effectively improving the detection efficiency. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the wheel-type phased array probe provided by the utility model;

[0019] Figure 2 This is a front view structural schematic diagram of the wheel-type phased array probe provided by the utility model;

[0020] Figure 3 for Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure along the A-A section line;

[0021] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the use status of the wheel-type phased array probe provided by the utility model;

[0022] Markings in the figure: support frame 100, flexible wheel 200, wheel skin 201, first sealing structure 202, second sealing structure 203, vent hole 204, coupling agent injection port 205, third sealing structure 206, level sensor 300, roller 400, spray device 500, axial phased array detector 600, bearing 700, tread 900. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the utility model more clear, the utility model is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described here are only used to explain the utility model and are not used to limit the utility model.

[0024] Please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 The utility model provides a wheel-type phased array probe for detecting defects of an object to be detected. The defect may refer to a fatigue defect. For example, the object to be detected may be a railway train wheel, a plate or a profile, etc., which may have fatigue defects.

[0025] The wheel-type phased array probe may include a support frame 100, a flexible wheel 200 rotatably arranged on the support frame 100, and an axial phased array detector 600 arranged in a sealed cavity of the flexible wheel 200, wherein the flexible wheel 200 is used to contact the object to be measured, the axial phased array detector 600 extends along the rotation axis direction of the flexible wheel 200, the axial phased array detector 600 is stationary relative to the support frame 100, and the flexible wheel 200 is provided with a coupling agent injection port 205 connected to the sealed cavity of the flexible wheel 200.

[0026] The support frame 100 is used to support the flexible wheel 200 and other parts. The flexible wheel 200 can be rotatably connected to the support frame 100 through a bearing 700 or a rotating shaft. In other words, the flexible wheel 200 can rotate relative to the support frame 100. The flexible wheel 200 can be in the shape of a rugby ball, a cylinder, or a ball, etc., which can be rolled on a plane or a curved surface. The flexible wheel 200 is a rubber wheel. The flexible wheel 200 has a sealed cavity, which is used to accommodate the axial phased array detector 600 and the coupling agent. The flexible wheel 200 can be composed of a wheel skin 201 and a sealing structure. The two ends of the wheel skin 201 have openings. The sealing structures located at the two ends of the wheel skin 201 can seal the two ends of the wheel skin 201, thereby forming a sealed cavity between the sealing structure and the wheel skin 201. The sealing structure may be a magnetic sealing structure, for example, the magnetic sealing structure includes a first sealing structure 202 and a second sealing structure 203, the port of the wheel skin 201 is located between the first sealing structure 202 and the second sealing structure 203, and the wheel skin 201 is clamped between the two sealing structures by magnetic force, thereby achieving a sealing effect. The wheel skin 201 may be made of rubber or synthetic rubber material. A vent hole 204 may also be provided on the flexible wheel 200, which is used to discharge air in the flexible wheel 200 when squeezed.

[0027] The axial phased array detector 600 may be an ultrasonic detector, and the detection surface of the axial phased array detector 600 faces the object to be measured. The axial phased array detector 600 is located in the sealed cavity of the flexible wheel 200. When the flexible wheel 200 rotates, the axial phased array detector 600 and the support frame 100 are relatively stationary, so that the detection surface of the axial phased array detector 600 always faces the object to be measured. As an example, one end of the axial phased array detector 600 can be fixed on the support frame 100, and the first sealing structure 202 can be connected to the axial phased array detector 600 through the bearing 700. The other end of the axial phased array detector 600 is located in the sealed cavity of the flexible wheel 200, and the detection surface of the axial phased array detector 600 is located in the sealed cavity. A third sealing structure 206 can be provided between the axial phased array detector 600 and the bearing 700.

[0028] The flexible wheel 200 is provided with a coupling agent injection port 205 connected to the sealing cavity. The coupling agent needs to be filled to at least submerge the axial phased array detector 600.

[0029] It can be a mixture of pure water, dimethyl silicone oil, ethylene glycol and silicone, which can effectively improve the acoustic performance of the wheel probe and improve the signal-to-noise ratio of ultrasonic testing.

[0030] When it is necessary to detect defects in the object to be tested, the wheel skin 201 of the flexible wheel 200 is fitted with the surface of the object to be tested to form a flexible coupling. The object to be tested is rotated to rotate the flexible wheel 200. The wheel can produce adaptive deformation at different curvatures on the surface of the object to be tested, so that the wheel skin 201 can fit tightly to the surface of the object to be tested, so that there is no or a very narrow gap between the axial phased array detector 600 and the surface of the object to be tested, which can improve the detection accuracy. At the same time, the axial phased array detector 600 can change the emission angle of the ultrasonic wave by electronic deflection. Without rotating the axial phased array detector 600, full coverage of different curvatures on the surface of the object to be tested can be achieved, thereby further improving the detection accuracy and efficiency.

[0031] In order to further improve the detection efficiency and automation of wheel phased array probes, as a possible implementation method, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 The wheel-type phased array probe may further include a controller and at least one level sensor 300 , wherein the level sensor 300 is disposed on the support frame 100 , and the level sensor 300 is electrically connected to the shaft-type phased array detector 600 through the controller, and the level sensor 300 is used to detect the distance between the object to be detected and the flexible wheel 200 .

[0032] The level sensor 300 can be an ultrasonic ranging device, a laser ranging device or an infrared ranging device. When the level sensor 300 detects that the object to be measured approaches the flexible wheel 200 to a certain distance, the controller can lock the position of the flexible wheel 200 and then start the axial phased array detector 600 to scan, collect, and perform subsequent data processing to avoid starting the axial phased array detector 600 too early or too late, thereby improving detection efficiency.

[0033] In order to further improve the detection accuracy of the wheel phased array probe, as a possible implementation method, please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 4 The wheel phased array probe may also include a roller 400 symmetrically arranged on the support frame 100 about the rotation axis of the flexible wheel 200, the rotation axis of the roller 400 is parallel to the rotation axis of the flexible wheel 200, and the sum of the radius of the roller 400 and the vertical distance from the rotation axis of the roller 400 to the rotation axis of the flexible wheel 200 is less than or equal to the radius of the flexible wheel 200. The roller 400 can limit the compression amount of the flexible wheel 200, so that a smaller coupling surface is formed between the wheel skin 201 and the surface of the object to be measured, thereby improving the coupling effect and thus improving the detection accuracy.

[0034] As an example, Figure 4As shown, when the wheel phased array probe is used to detect the tread 900 of the railway train wheel, the flexible wheel 200 and the roller 400 can contact the tread 900 at the same time. Due to the positional relationship between the roller 400 and the flexible wheel 200, after the tread 900 and the roller 400 contact and interfere with each other, the tread 900 cannot continue to squeeze the flexible wheel 200, thereby limiting the compression amount of the flexible wheel 200.

[0035] After testing, it was found that the detection effect of the axial phased array detector 600 is better when the frequency is 2-10MHz, the array element spacing value (Pitch) is 0.5-2mm, and the chip width is 8-16mm. The frequency can be 2MHz, 3MHz, 4MHz, 5MHz, 6MHz, 7MHz, 8MHz, 9MHz or 10MHz, the array element spacing value can be 0.5, 0.6, 0.8, 0.9, 1.0, 1.2, 1.5, 1.7, 1.9 or 2.0mm, and the chip width can be 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15 or 16mm.

[0036] To further improve the detection accuracy, as a possible implementation method, please refer to Figure 1 The wheel-type phased array probe further includes a spray device 500 disposed on the support frame 100 , and the spray device 500 is used to spray coupling agent onto the outer surface of the flexible wheel 200 .

[0037] The spray device 500 may be a plurality of spray heads, or a plurality of nozzles may be arranged on a tube, and the tube is connected to a coupling agent injection port. By spraying the coupling agent onto the outer surface of the flexible wheel 200, the gap between the flexible wheel 200 and the surface of the object to be tested can be further reduced or eliminated, thereby improving the detection efficiency.

[0038] In addition, by connecting the support frame 100 to the actuator, the support frame 100 can be driven to move by the actuator, thereby driving the flexible wheel 200 and the axial phased array detector 600 to move, so as to facilitate the detection of objects to be tested at different positions. The actuator can be a linear motor, a robotic arm, a cylinder or an oil cylinder, etc. The above is only a preferred embodiment of the utility model and is not intended to limit the utility model. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the utility model should be included in the protection scope of the utility model.

Claims

1. A wheel-type phased array probe for detecting defects of an object to be tested, characterized in that: It includes a support frame, a flexible wheel rotatably arranged on the support frame, and an axial phased array detector arranged in a sealed cavity of the flexible wheel, wherein the flexible wheel is used to contact the object to be measured, the axial phased array detector extends along the rotation axis direction of the flexible wheel, the axial phased array detector is stationary relative to the support frame, and the flexible wheel is provided with a coupling agent injection port connected to the sealed cavity of the flexible wheel.

2. The wheel phased array probe according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a controller and at least one level sensor, wherein the level sensor is arranged on the support frame, the level sensor is electrically connected to the axial phased array detector through the controller, and the level sensor is used to detect the distance between the object to be measured and the flexible wheel.

3. The wheel phased array probe according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a roller symmetrically arranged on the support frame about the rotation axis of the flexible wheel, the rotation axis of the roller is parallel to the rotation axis of the flexible wheel, and the sum of the radius of the roller and the vertical distance from the rotation axis of the roller to the rotation axis of the flexible wheel is less than or equal to the radius of the flexible wheel.

4. The wheel phased array probe according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flexible wheel comprises a wheel skin and a first sealing structure and a second sealing structure connected to two ends of the wheel skin, and the sealing cavity is formed between the wheel skin and the first sealing structure and the second sealing structure.

5. The wheel-type phased array probe according to claim 4, characterized in that: The axial phased array detector is fixed on a support frame, and the first sealing structure is connected to the axial phased array detector via a bearing.

6. The wheel-type phased array probe according to claim 4, characterized in that: The first sealing structure and the second sealing structure are both magnetic sealing structures.

7. The wheel phased array probe according to claim 1, characterized in that: The frequency of the axial phased array detector is 2-10 MHz, the array element spacing is 0.5-2 mm, and the chip width is 8-16 mm.

8. The wheel phased array probe according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flexible wheel is a rubber wheel.

9. The wheel phased array probe according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: It also includes a spraying device arranged on the support frame, and the spraying device is used to spray a coupling agent onto the outer surface of the flexible wheel.

10. The wheel phased array probe according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: It also includes an actuator, the support frame is fixed on the actuator, and the actuator is used to drive the support frame to move.

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