Ultrasonic inspection device and method

Abstract

To provide an ultrasonic inspection device and method capable of enhancing inspection efficiency while avoiding inspection omission.SOLUTION: An ultrasonic inspection device comprises: an ultrasonic probe 10; a scanning device 11 which moves the ultrasonic probe 10 along a surface of piping 1; a transmission / reception control device 14 which controls transmission and reception of an ultrasonic wave by the ultrasonic probe 10; a calculation device 15 which computes, for each of positions of the ultrasonic probe 10, an ultrasonic wave propagation range of the piping 1 based upon the position and attitude of the ultrasonic probe 10 and shape data on the piping 1, determines whether there are any inspection omissions based upon whether a plurality of computed ultrasonic wave propagation ranges overlap with each other, and then acquires an effective range and an ineffective range of automatic scanning based upon a determination result thereof; and a display device 17 which displays the effective range of the automatic scanning and a range of manual scanning including the ineffective range of the automatic scanning.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an ultrasonic inspection device and method. [Background technology]

[0002] Ultrasonic testing is used for flaw detection or thickness inspection of test objects such as pipes and vessels in power plants. Ultrasonic testing can be performed in two ways: manual scanning, in which an inspector moves an ultrasonic probe along the surface of the test object, and automatic scanning, in which a scanning device moves an ultrasonic probe along the surface of the test object. In particular, when the scanning range on the surface of the test object is wide, automatic scanning is preferable from the viewpoint of inspection efficiency.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a scanning device that moves an ultrasonic probe along the surface of a pipe. This scanning device includes a first guide rail attached to the pipe and extending in the circumferential direction of the pipe, a first movement mechanism (specifically, composed of a motor, etc.) that moves a carriage along the first guide rail, a second guide rail attached to the carriage and extending in the axial direction of the pipe, and a second movement mechanism (specifically, composed of a motor, etc.) that moves a probe support along the second guide rail.

[0004] The probe support includes, for example, a gimbal mechanism that supports the ultrasonic probe so that it can tilt in the axial and circumferential directions of the pipe, and a spring that presses the ultrasonic probe against the surface of the pipe, so that the bottom surface of the ultrasonic probe (in other words, the surface that comes into contact with the pipe) conforms to the surface of the pipe. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-132517 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Although the surface of a pipe is generally cylindrical, its shape changes significantly near, for example, a connection where another pipe is connected. If automatic scanning is performed near the pipe connection, the posture of the ultrasound probe may change significantly, which may result in missed inspections. Therefore, it is possible to perform automatic scanning in areas away from the pipe connection and manual scanning in areas near the pipe connection.

[0007] The range of automatic scanning and the range of manual scanning are set using, for example, pipe shape data. In this case, it is preferable to set the range of automatic scanning smaller than the theoretical range to avoid the aforementioned inspection omissions. However, if the range of automatic scanning is made smaller, the range of manual scanning will increase accordingly, reducing inspection efficiency.

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an ultrasonic inspection apparatus and method that can increase inspection efficiency while avoiding oversight of inspection. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to achieve the above object, a representative aspect of the present invention is an ultrasonic inspection device comprising an ultrasonic probe, a scanning device that moves the ultrasonic probe along the surface of the subject, and a transmission / reception control device that controls the transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves by the ultrasonic probe. The device also comprises a computing device that calculates an ultrasonic propagation range of the subject for each position of the ultrasonic probe based on the position and orientation of the ultrasonic probe and shape data of the subject, determines whether or not there has been any missed inspection based on whether or not the calculated multiple ultrasonic propagation ranges overlap with each other, and acquires an effective range and an ineffective range of automatic scanning based on the determination result, and a display device that displays the effective range of automatic scanning and a manual scanning range including the ineffective range of automatic scanning. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, inspection efficiency can be improved while avoiding inspection omissions. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an ultrasonic inspection device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, together with a pipe being an object to be inspected. [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of a scanning device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 3 is a flowchart showing the processing content of a computing device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a specific example of an ultrasonic wave propagation range in a pipe calculated by a calculation device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an ultrasonic wave propagation range display screen of the display device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining the determination of an inspection omission in the computing device according to the first embodiment of the present invention, showing a case where an inspection omission does not occur. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an inspection omission determination of a computing device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, showing a case where an inspection omission occurs. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a scanning range display screen of the display device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an ultrasonic inspection device according to a second embodiment of the present invention, together with a pipe being an object to be inspected. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating a plurality of probes that constitute an ultrasonic probe according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing waveform data of a plurality of ultrasonic waves respectively received by a plurality of probes in the third embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0013] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an ultrasonic inspection device according to this embodiment together with a pipe as an object to be inspected, and Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a scanning device according to this embodiment.

[0014] A pipe 1, which is the test object of this embodiment, has a connection part 3 to which another pipe 2 is connected. The surface of the pipe 1 is roughly cylindrical, but the shape changes in the vicinity of the connection part 3. The ultrasonic inspection device of this embodiment is used to perform flaw detection inspection on the pipe 1.

[0015] The ultrasonic inspection device of this embodiment includes an ultrasonic probe 10, a scanning device 11 that moves the ultrasonic probe 10 along the surface (outer surface) of the pipe 1, a scanning control device 12 that controls the scanning device 11, a detector 13 that detects the position and posture of the ultrasonic probe 10, and a transmission / reception control device 14 that controls the transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves by the ultrasonic probe 10.

[0016] The ultrasonic inspection device of this embodiment also includes a calculation device 15 connected to the scan control device 12 and the transmission / reception control device 14 via wiring, a storage device 16 connected to the calculation device 15 via wiring, a display device 17 connected to the calculation device 15 via wiring, and an input device (not shown) connected to the calculation device 15 via wiring. The calculation device 15 has a processor that executes processing according to a program, and a memory that stores programs and data. The storage device 16 is composed of a hard disk or the like, and stores shape data of the pipe 1, etc. The display device 17 is composed of a display or the like. The input device is composed of a keyboard, a mouse, etc.

[0017] The scanning device 11 comprises a first guide rail 18 attached to the pipe 1 and extending circumferentially around the pipe 1, a first moving mechanism (more specifically, composed of a motor, etc.) that moves a carriage 19 along the first guide rail 18, a second guide rail 20 attached to the carriage 19 and extending in the axial direction of the pipe 1, and a second moving mechanism (more specifically, composed of a motor, etc.) that moves a probe support 21 along the second guide rail 20.

[0018] The probe support 21 has, for example, a gimbal mechanism that supports the ultrasonic probe 10 so that it can tilt in the axial and circumferential directions of the pipe 1, and a spring that presses the ultrasonic probe 10 against the surface of the pipe 1. This allows the bottom surface of the ultrasonic probe 10 (in other words, the contact surface with the pipe 1) to conform to the surface of the pipe 1.

[0019] The scanning control device 12 has a control circuit that controls the first and second moving mechanisms in response to commands from the computing device 15, and controls the position of the ultrasonic probe 10. As shown in Fig. 2, a specific example of the movement procedure of the ultrasonic probe 10 will be described using a position on the surface of the pipe 1 (circumferential coordinate X, axial coordinate Y) as the position of the ultrasonic probe 10.

[0020] The ultrasonic probe 10 first moves repeatedly from a movement start position (X0, Y0) in the axial direction (positive direction of the X axis) by a pitch ΔY until it reaches a position (X0, Yn). Next, it moves in the circumferential direction (positive direction of the Y axis) by a pitch ΔX until it reaches a position (X0 + ΔX, Yn). After that, it moves repeatedly in the axial direction (negative direction of the X axis) by a pitch ΔY until it reaches a position (X0 + ΔX, Y0). This is repeated until it reaches a movement end position (Xn, Yn). Note that the movement procedure of the ultrasonic probe 10 is not limited to this specific example.

[0021] The detector 13 is, for example, separate from the ultrasonic probe 10 and is composed of an image sensor and an image processor. The image processor detects the position and orientation of the ultrasonic probe 10 by processing the image of the ultrasonic probe 10 captured by the image sensor.

[0022] The ultrasonic probe 10 has one probe 22 (see FIG. 4 described later). The probe 22 is, for example, an angle probe (more specifically, a probe that emits ultrasonic waves in a direction oblique to the normal direction of the surface of the pipe 1) that is made up of a piezoelectric element 23 and a shoe 24.

[0023] The transmission / reception control device 14 includes a pulser and a receiver, not shown. The pulser applies a pulse signal to the piezoelectric element 23 in response to a command from the calculation device 15, causing the piezoelectric element 23 to transmit ultrasonic waves via the shoe 24. If a defect exists inside the pipe 1, the piezoelectric element 23 receives ultrasonic waves reflected by the defect, converts the reflected ultrasonic waves into a waveform signal, and outputs the waveform signal. The receiver converts the waveform signal input from the piezoelectric element 23 from an analog signal to a digital signal, etc., to obtain waveform data, and outputs the waveform data to the calculation device 15.

[0024] The computing device 15 has, as functional components, a range setting unit 25, an acquisition control unit 26, a position and orientation acquisition unit 27, an ultrasound propagation analysis unit 28, a determination processing unit 29, and a display control unit 30.

[0025] The range setting unit 25 of the calculation device 15 sets the range of automatic scanning on the surface of the pipe 1 and the range of inspection inside the pipe 1 by specifying a range on the image of the pipe displayed on the display device 17, for example, in response to input from the input device, and stores the range in the storage device 16. Also, the range setting unit 25 sets the range (initial value) of manual scanning on the surface of the pipe 1 by specifying a range on the image of the pipe displayed on the display device 17, for example, in response to input from the input device, and stores the range in the storage device 16.

[0026] The recording control unit 26 of the computing device 15 controls the scanning device 11 via the scanning control device 12 and also controls the ultrasound probe 10 via the transmission / reception control device 14 based on the automatic scanning range stored in the storage device 16. The position and orientation acquisition unit 27 of the computing device 15 acquires the position and orientation of the ultrasound probe 10 detected by the detector 13.

[0027] Next, a description will be given of the processing contents of the calculation device 15 of this embodiment. Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing the processing contents of the calculation device 15 of this embodiment.

[0028] In step S1, the recording control unit 26 of the computing device 15 controls the scanning device 11 via the scanning control device 12 to move the ultrasonic probe 10 by a pitch ΔY or ΔX. Then, the process proceeds to step S2, where the recording control unit 26 controls the ultrasonic probe 10 via the transmission / reception control device 14 to acquire waveform data.

[0029] Then, proceeding to step S3, the ultrasonic propagation analysis unit 28 of the calculation device 15 calculates the ultrasonic propagation range of the piping 1 based on the position and posture of the ultrasonic probe 10 acquired by the position and posture acquisition unit 27 and the shape data of the piping 1 stored in the memory device 16.

[0030] More specifically, the ultrasonic propagation analysis unit 28 first calculates an ultrasonic propagation path 31 (see FIG. 4) in the pipe 1 based on the position and posture of the ultrasonic probe 10 and shape data of the pipe 1. In this embodiment, the ultrasonic propagation path 31 in the pipe 1 is taken as an example to be only the path until the ultrasonic waves reach the inner surface of the pipe 1, but is not limited to this and may also include the path after the ultrasonic waves are reflected by the inner surface of the pipe 1.

[0031] The ultrasonic propagation analysis unit 28 uses a preset ultrasonic beam model to calculate an ultrasonic propagation range 32' (in other words, an ultrasonic propagation path with an effective beam width) from the ultrasonic propagation path 31 of the piping 1. Note that, in the present embodiment, an ultrasonic beam model with a constant effective beam width is used as an example, but this is not limiting, and an ultrasonic beam model with a variable effective beam width may also be used. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the range setting unit 25 sets the inspection range 33 (see FIG. 4) inside the piping 1, so the ultrasonic propagation analysis unit 28 extracts the ultrasonic propagation range 32 (see FIG. 4) that overlaps with the inspection range 33 from the ultrasonic propagation range 32' described above, and stores it in the storage device 16 in step S6, which will be described later.

[0032] After step S3, the process proceeds to step S4, where the display control unit 30 of the calculation device 15 displays an ultrasonic propagation range display screen 34 on the display device 17 based on the shape data and inspection range 33 of the pipe 1 stored in the memory device 16, the current ultrasonic propagation range 32 calculated by the ultrasonic propagation analysis unit 28, and the past ultrasonic propagation range 32 stored in the memory device 16.

[0033] 5, the ultrasonic propagation range display screen 34 displays an ultrasonic probe marker 35, an inspection range marker 36, a current ultrasonic propagation range marker 37, and a past ultrasonic propagation range marker 38 on an image of the piping in a distinguishable manner. The ultrasonic propagation range display screen 34 can be displayed from any viewpoint and can be enlarged or reduced to any size according to input from the input device. The display color and transparency of the markers 35 to 38 can be changed according to input from the input device.

[0034] After step S4, the process proceeds to step S5, where the determination processing unit 29 of the calculation device 15 determines whether or not there is any missed inspection depending on whether or not the current ultrasonic propagation range 32A acquired by the ultrasonic propagation analysis unit 28 overlaps with the previous ultrasonic propagation range 32B stored in the storage device 16. Taking the case where the ultrasonic probe 10 moves in the axial direction of the piping 1 (positive direction of the Y-axis) as an example, a specific description will be given using Figures 6(a), 6(b), 7(a), and 7(b).

[0035] The determination processing unit 29 of the calculation device 15 extracts the Y coordinates of four vertices A1, A2, A3, and A4 on the front surface of the ultrasonic propagation range 32A at the current time (in other words, after the ultrasonic probe 10 has moved by the pitch ΔY) and the Y coordinates of four vertices B1, B2, B3, and B4 on the rear surface of the ultrasonic propagation range 32B at the previous time (in other words, before the ultrasonic probe 10 has moved by the pitch ΔY).Then, a first determination is made as to whether the Y coordinate of the vertex A1 is smaller than the Y coordinate of the vertex B1, a second determination is made as to whether the Y coordinate of the vertex A2 is smaller than the Y coordinate of the vertex B1, a third determination is made as to whether the Y coordinate of the vertex A3 is smaller than the Y coordinate of the vertex B3, and a fourth determination is made as to whether the Y coordinate of the vertex A4 is smaller than the Y coordinate of the vertex B4.

[0036] If all of the above-mentioned first to fourth determinations are positive, the determination processing unit 29 of the calculation device 15 determines that no inspection omissions have occurred. For example, as shown in Figures 6(a) and 6(b), if the Y coordinate of vertex A1 is smaller than the Y coordinate of vertex B1, the Y coordinate of vertex A2 is smaller than the Y coordinate of vertex B1, the Y coordinate of vertex A3 is smaller than the Y coordinate of vertex B3, and the Y coordinate of vertex A4 is smaller than the Y coordinate of vertex B4, it determines that no inspection omissions have occurred. In this case, the process proceeds to step S6.

[0037] In step S6, the determination processing unit 29 of the calculation device 15 stores the current ultrasonic propagation range 32A in the storage device 16. In addition, the recording control unit 26 of the calculation device 15 stores the waveform data acquired by the transmission and reception control device 14 in the storage device 16 in association with the position of the ultrasonic probe 10 acquired by the position and orientation acquisition unit 27.

[0038] Then, the process proceeds to step S7, where the judgment processing unit 29 of the calculation device 15 updates the effective range of the automatic scan to include the position of the ultrasound probe 10 acquired by the position and orientation acquisition unit 27, and stores the updated range in the storage device 16.

[0039] In step S4, if at least one of the first to fourth determinations described above is negative, the determination processing unit 29 of the computing device 15 determines that an inspection omission has occurred. For example, as shown in Figures 7(a) and 7(b), if the Y coordinate of vertex A1 is greater than the Y coordinate of vertex B1, the Y coordinate of vertex A2 is greater than the Y coordinate of vertex B1, the Y coordinate of vertex A3 is greater than the Y coordinate of vertex B3, and the Y coordinate of vertex A4 is greater than the Y coordinate of vertex B4, it determines that an inspection omission has occurred. In this case, step S6 is not executed, and the process proceeds to step S8.

[0040] That is, the determination processing unit 29 of the calculation device 15 does not store the current ultrasonic propagation range 32A in the storage device 16. In addition, the recording control unit 26 of the calculation device 15 does not store the waveform data acquired by the transmission / reception control device 14 in the storage device 16.

[0041] In step S8, the determination processing unit 29 of the calculation device 15 updates the invalid range of the automatic scan so as to include the position of the ultrasound probe 10 acquired by the position and orientation acquisition unit 27, and stores the updated range in the storage device 16. In addition, the determination processing unit 29 updates the invalid range of the manual scan so as to include the invalid range of the automatic scan, and stores the updated range in the storage device 16.

[0042] After step S7 or S8, the process proceeds to step S9, where the recording control unit 26 of the computing device 15 determines whether the automatic scanning of the ultrasound probe 10 is complete, for example, based on the position of the ultrasound probe 10 acquired by the position and orientation acquisition unit 27. If the automatic scanning of the ultrasound probe 10 is not complete, the process returns to step S1 and the above-mentioned process is repeated.

[0043] On the other hand, if the automatic scanning of the ultrasound probe 10 is completed, the process proceeds to step S10. In step S10, the display control unit 30 of the computing device 15 causes the display device 17 to display a scanning range display screen 39 based on the effective range of the scanning range and the manual scanning range stored in the storage device 16.

[0044] For example, as shown in FIG. 8, the scanning range display screen 39 displays a marker 40 indicating the effective range of automatic scanning and a marker 41 indicating the range of manual scanning in a distinguishable manner on the image of the piping.

[0045] As described above, in this embodiment, automatic scanning in which the ultrasonic probe 10 is moved along the surface of the pipe 1 by the scanning device 11 determines whether any part of the pipe 1 has been missed for inspection. Therefore, inspection omissions can be avoided. Furthermore, based on the determination result of whether any part of the pipe 1 has been missed for inspection, the effective range and ineffective range of the automatic scanning are acquired, and the effective range of the automatic scanning and the manual scanning range including the ineffective range of the automatic scanning are displayed on the display device 17. This allows the manual scanning range to be optimized, and inspection efficiency to be improved.

[0046] In the first embodiment, the ultrasonic inspection device has been described as including the detector 13 that detects the position and attitude of the ultrasonic probe 10, but this is not limiting. The ultrasonic inspection device may also include a position detector that detects the position of the ultrasonic probe 10 and an attitude detector that detects the attitude of the ultrasonic probe 10. The position detector may be configured, for example, by an encoder that detects the number of rotations of the motor of the scanning device 11. The attitude detector may be configured, for example, by a gyro sensor integrated with the ultrasonic probe 10.

[0047] A second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, parts equivalent to those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted where appropriate.

[0048] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the ultrasonic inspection device according to this embodiment together with a pipe to be inspected.

[0049] The ultrasonic inspection apparatus of this embodiment does not include the above-mentioned detector 13. The calculation device 15 includes a position and orientation calculation unit 42 instead of the above-mentioned position and orientation acquisition unit 27.

[0050] The position and orientation calculation unit 42 of the calculation device 15 calculates the position of the ultrasonic probe 10 based on the control information of the scan control device 12. The position and orientation calculation unit 42 calculates the orientation of the ultrasonic probe 10 based on the calculated position of the ultrasonic probe 10 and the shape data of the pipe 1 stored in the storage device 16. In detail, the normal vector of the surface of the pipe 1 at the position of the ultrasonic probe 10 is calculated as the normal vector of the bottom surface of the ultrasonic probe 10, and the orientation of the ultrasonic probe 10 is calculated based on this.

[0051] In the present embodiment configured as described above, like the first embodiment, inspection omissions can be avoided and inspection efficiency can be improved.

[0052] In the first and second embodiments, the probe 22 constituting the ultrasonic probe 10 is an angle probe made up of a piezoelectric element 23 and a shoe 24, but the present invention is not limited to this. The probe may be a vertical probe made up of one piezoelectric element, or an array type probe in which a plurality of piezoelectric elements are arranged.

[0053] A third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, parts equivalent to those in the first and second embodiments are given the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted where appropriate.

[0054] Fig. 12 is a schematic diagram showing a plurality of probes constituting an ultrasonic probe in this embodiment. Fig. 13 is a diagram showing waveform data of a plurality of ultrasonic waves received by the plurality of probes in this embodiment.

[0055] The ultrasonic inspection apparatus of this embodiment, like the second embodiment, does not include the above-mentioned detector 13. Like the second embodiment, the calculation device 15 has a position and orientation calculation unit 42. Like the second embodiment, the position and orientation calculation unit 42 calculates the position of the ultrasonic probe 10 based on control information from the scan control device 12.

[0056] The ultrasonic probe 10 includes a plurality of probes 22A, 22B, and 22C whose ultrasonic wave propagation directions are different from one another. The probe 22A is, for example, an angled probe made up of a piezoelectric element 23A and a shoe 24A. The probe 22B is, for example, an angled probe made up of a piezoelectric element 23B and a shoe 24B. The probe 22C is, for example, a vertical probe. The transmission and reception control device 14 sequentially controls the transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves by the plurality of probes 22A, 22B, and 22C, and acquires waveform data of the plurality of ultrasonic waves received by the plurality of probes 22A, 22B, and 22C, respectively.

[0057] The position and attitude calculation unit 42 of the calculation device 15 obtains the propagation time ta of the ultrasonic waves reflected by the inner surface of the pipe 1 from the waveform data of the ultrasonic waves received by the probe 22A, and based on this, calculates the distance between the probe 22A and the inner surface of the pipe 1 in the propagation direction of the ultrasonic waves from the probe 22A. Also, the position and attitude calculation unit 42 obtains the propagation time tb of the ultrasonic waves reflected by the inner surface of the pipe 1 from the waveform data of the ultrasonic waves received by the probe 22B, and based on this, calculates the distance between the probe 22B and the inner surface of the pipe 1 in the propagation direction of the ultrasonic waves from the probe 22B. Also, the position and attitude calculation unit 42 obtains the propagation time tc of the ultrasonic waves reflected by the inner surface of the pipe 1 from the waveform data of the ultrasonic waves received by the probe 22C, and based on this, calculates the distance between the probe 22C and the inner surface of the pipe 1 in the propagation direction of the ultrasonic waves from the probe 22C. Then, the posture of the ultrasonic probe 10 is calculated based on the distance between the probe 22A and the inner surface of the pipe 1, the distance between the probe 22B and the inner surface of the pipe 1, and the distance between the probe 22C and the inner surface of the pipe 1, as well as the shape data of the pipe 1 stored in the memory device 16.

[0058] In the present embodiment configured as described above, like the first and second embodiments, inspection omissions can be avoided and inspection efficiency can be improved.

[0059] In the third embodiment, the multiple probes constituting the ultrasonic probe 10 are described as two angle probes and one vertical probe, but this is not limiting. The total number of probes may be two, or four or more. Furthermore, the multiple probes do not have to include a vertical probe.

[0060] Furthermore, in the first to third embodiments, the calculation device 15 sets the inspection range 33 inside the piping 1 and extracts the ultrasonic propagation range 32 that overlaps with the inspection range 33 from the ultrasonic propagation range 32'. However, the present invention is not limited to this. That is, the calculation device 15 does not have to set the inspection range 33 inside the piping 1. The calculation device 15 stores the ultrasonic propagation range 32' in the storage device 16. Then, it is determined whether or not an inspection has been missed based on whether or not the current ultrasonic propagation range 32' and the previous ultrasonic propagation range 32' stored in the storage device 16 overlap each other. In such a case, the same effect as described above can be obtained.

[0061] In the above description, the test object is a pipe 1 having a connection part 3, but it goes without saying that the test object is not limited to this. [Explanation of symbols]

[0062] 1 Piping 10 Ultrasound probe 11 Scanning device 13 Detector 14 Transmission and reception control device 15 Computing equipment 17 Display device 22,22A,22B,22C probe

Claims

1. an ultrasound probe; a scanning device that moves the ultrasonic probe along the surface of the subject; an ultrasonic inspection device including a transmission / reception control device for controlling transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves by the ultrasonic probe, a computing device that calculates an ultrasonic wave propagation range of the subject for each position of the ultrasonic probe based on the position and posture of the ultrasonic probe and shape data of the subject, determines whether or not there is any missed inspection depending on whether or not the calculated ultrasonic wave propagation ranges overlap with each other, and acquires an effective range and an ineffective range of automatic scanning based on the determination result; an ultrasonic inspection device comprising a display device that displays the effective range of the automatic scanning and the manual scanning range including the ineffective range of the automatic scanning;

2. 2. The ultrasonic inspection device according to claim 1, a detector for detecting the position and orientation of the ultrasonic probe; The ultrasonic inspection apparatus is characterized in that the calculation device calculates an ultrasonic propagation range of the subject based on the position and orientation of the ultrasonic probe detected by the detector.

3. 2. The ultrasonic inspection device according to claim 1, The computing device Calculating the position of the ultrasonic probe based on the control information of the scanning device; Calculating the posture of the ultrasonic probe based on the calculated position of the ultrasonic probe and the shape data of the subject; An ultrasonic inspection apparatus, characterized in that an ultrasonic propagation range of the subject is calculated based on the calculated position of the ultrasonic probe and the calculated posture of the ultrasonic waves.

4. 2. The ultrasonic inspection device according to claim 1, The ultrasonic probe has a plurality of probes whose ultrasonic wave propagation directions are different from each other, The computing device Calculating the position of the ultrasonic probe based on the control information of the scanning device; calculating a posture of the ultrasonic probe based on waveform data of the plurality of ultrasonic waves respectively received by the plurality of probes and shape data of the subject; An ultrasonic inspection apparatus, characterized in that an ultrasonic propagation range of the subject is calculated based on the calculated position of the ultrasonic probe and the calculated posture of the ultrasonic waves.

5. 1. An ultrasonic inspection method in which an ultrasonic probe is moved along the surface of a subject by a scanning device, A computing device calculates an ultrasonic wave propagation range of the subject for each position of the ultrasonic probe based on the position and posture of the ultrasonic probe and shape data of the subject, determines whether or not an inspection has been missed based on whether or not the calculated ultrasonic wave propagation ranges overlap each other, and acquires an effective range and an ineffective range of automatic scanning based on the determination result; an effective range of the automatic scanning and a manual scanning range including an ineffective range of the automatic scanning are displayed on a display device;

Images