Apparatus for measuring wall thickness of high-temperature pipe and laser ranging device for same

Abstract

Provided in the present invention is an apparatus for measuring a wall thickness of a high-temperature pipe, the apparatus comprising at least one internal measuring arm and at least one external measuring arm, wherein an internal laser ranging device and an external laser ranging device are respectively provided on the internal measuring arm and the external measuring arm at corresponding positions, and the corresponding internal laser ranging device and external laser ranging device are configured as a measurement pair for measuring a wall thickness of a pipe. The present invention further provides a laser ranging device for the apparatus described above, the laser ranging device comprising a hollow box, wherein a movable base for fixing a laser displacement sensor and an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the position of the movable base are provided inside the hollow box. The apparatus provided by the present invention can measure the wall thickness of a heat pipe, enabling online wall thickness measurement for each cast pipe, thereby providing accuracy in terms of quality control. (FIG. 1)

Description

High-temperature pipe wall thickness measuring equipment and laser distance measuring device used for the equipment Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to pipeline manufacturing, in particular to a device for measuring the wall thickness of a pipeline. Background Art

[0002] Ductile iron pipes are pipes made from molten iron of gauge 18 or higher, after adding a nodulizing agent, and then centrifugally cast in a centrifugal ductile iron casting machine at high speed. They are often referred to as ductile iron pipes, ductile iron pipes, or ductile iron pipes. They possess the properties of iron and steel, offering excellent corrosion resistance, good ductility, excellent sealing, and simple installation. They are primarily used for water supply, gas transmission, and oil transportation in municipalities, industrial and mining enterprises, and are the preferred choice for water supply pipes, offering a high cost-effectiveness. Compared to PE pipes, ductile iron pipes are simpler and faster to install, and offer greater internal and external pressure bearing capacity after installation. They also offer improved sealing and corrosion resistance, and various anti-corrosion measures can be used to enhance their performance. Regarding hydraulic performance, since ductile iron pipe specifications generally refer to the inner diameter, while PE pipe specifications generally refer to the outer diameter, ductile iron pipes offer greater flow capacity under the same specifications. In terms of overall installation and maintenance costs, ductile iron pipes offer a superior price-performance ratio.

[0003] Ductile iron pipes are manufactured using a centrifugal process, which can lead to inconsistent wall thickness. Therefore, monitoring the wall thickness of these pipes is essential. Traditional ultrasonic testing methods require contact with the pipe surface, requiring the pipe to cool. In this case, sampling testing is the only option to minimize production efficiency.

[0004] Summary of the Invention

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide a device capable of detecting the wall thickness of a heat pipe.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, a laser distance measuring device is provided. The device includes a hollow box, wherein a movable base for fixing a laser displacement sensor and an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the position of the movable base are provided inside the hollow box.

[0007] Furthermore, the movable base includes a lower base and an upper base. The upper base and the lower base move relative to each other in the X-axis or Y-axis direction. The lower base is provided with a sliding groove, and the upper base moves along the sliding groove.

[0008] Furthermore, the adjustment mechanism includes an X-axis adjustment mechanism, a Y-axis adjustment mechanism and a Z-axis adjustment mechanism.

[0009] The X-axis adjustment mechanism is configured to adjust the position of the upper base in the X-axis direction, and the Y-axis adjustment mechanism is configured to adjust the position of the lower base in the Y-axis direction; alternatively, the X-axis adjustment mechanism is configured to adjust the position of the lower base in the X-axis direction, and the Y-axis adjustment mechanism is configured to adjust the position of the upper base in the Y-axis direction. The Z-axis adjustment mechanism is configured to adjust the position of the upper base or the lower base in the Z-axis direction.

[0010] The X-axis adjustment mechanism includes a rack fixed to at least one of the upper base or the lower base, a gear meshing with the rack, and a torsion bar for driving the gear to rotate.

[0011] The Y-axial adjustment mechanism includes at least one Y-axial screw fixed to the lower base or the upper base and a Y-axial adjustment nut sleeved on the Y-axial screw, wherein the Y-axial screw and the Y-axial adjustment nut are respectively provided at both ends of the upper base or the lower base in the X-axis direction.

[0012] The Z-axis adjustment mechanism includes at least one Z-axis screw passing through the upper base or the lower base, and the Z-axis screw is fixedly connected to the hollow box through a Z-axis fixing nut. The Z-axis screw is provided with a Z-axis adjustment nut for adjusting the upper base or the lower base.

[0013] Furthermore, the upper base is provided with a mounting plate for mounting a laser displacement sensor and / or an inclinometer, wherein the mounting plate has a first mounting plate portion extending in the Z-axis direction and a second mounting plate portion extending in the X-axis and / or Y-axis direction fixedly connected to the first mounting plate portion.

[0014] Furthermore, the hollow box body is provided with a vortex installation pipe for introducing cooling gas into the hollow box body.

[0015] Furthermore, the hollow box is provided with at least one transparent window corresponding to the position of the laser displacement sensor. The normal direction of at least one of the plurality of transparent windows is aligned with the Z-axis or Y-axis direction, allowing the optical path for measuring the pipe wall thickness to pass therethrough, and the normal direction of one of the transparent windows is aligned with the X-axis direction.

[0016] Furthermore, the laser ranging device is provided with an air jet pipe outside the transparent window for forming an air curtain outside the transparent window.

[0017] According to another aspect of the present invention, a high-temperature pipeline wall thickness measuring device is provided, comprising at least one internal measuring arm and at least one external measuring arm, wherein the internal measuring arm and the external measuring arm are respectively provided with an internal laser ranging device and an external laser ranging device at corresponding positions, the corresponding internal and external laser ranging devices being configured as a measurement pair for measuring the pipeline wall thickness, and both being the laser ranging devices described above.

[0018] One end of the inner measuring arm and the outer measuring arm are respectively fixed to a measuring support column, and the inner and outer laser distance measuring devices are respectively provided at the other ends of the inner measuring arm and the outer measuring arm. The measuring support column is provided with a first scale display panel corresponding to the laser displacement sensor.

[0019] Alternatively, the device comprises a main frame including pillars and a cross frame, wherein one end of the inner measuring arm and the outer measuring arm is fixed to a movable bracket, and the movable bracket moves along the cross frame.

[0020] Alternatively, one end of the internal measuring arm is provided on a fixed base, and the fixed top base is provided with a second scale display panel corresponding to the laser displacement sensor; the external measuring arm is constructed as a fixed transverse bracket, and the external laser ranging device is constructed to move along the transverse bracket, and the transverse bracket is provided with a third scale display panel corresponding to the laser displacement sensor.

[0021] The device provided by the present invention can measure the wall thickness of the heat pipe, so that the wall thickness of each cast pipe can be measured online, thereby improving the accuracy of quality control. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] FIG1 is a schematic perspective view of a laser ranging device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of a movable base and an adjustment mechanism in the laser ranging device of FIG1 .

[0024] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of the movable base and the adjustment mechanism of FIG2 from another perspective.

[0025] 4-8 are schematic diagrams of embodiments of multiple high-temperature pipe wall thickness measurement devices. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] Several embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0027] As used in this specification, the terms "upper" and "lower" refer to relative positions in the accompanying drawings. The terms "inner" and "outer" refer to the directions of the interior and exterior spaces of a pipeline, respectively. The term "X-axis" refers to the horizontal direction aligned with the axial direction of the pipeline, the term "Y-axis" refers to the horizontal direction aligned with the radial direction of the pipeline, and the term "Z-axis" refers to the vertical direction aligned with the radial direction of the pipeline, as shown, for example, in Figure 3.

[0028] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a laser ranging device according to one embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the laser ranging device 100 includes a hollow housing 110, within which is located a movable base 120 for securing a laser displacement sensor 10 and an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the position of the movable base 120. The hollow housing 110 can be made of a metal material, such as steel or aluminum, or a non-metallic material that can withstand high temperatures and possesses sufficient rigidity and strength. The laser position sensor 10 is placed within the hollow housing 110, thereby protecting it from collisions.

[0029] The movable base 120 includes an upper movable base 122 and a lower movable base 124. The upper base and the lower base move relative to each other in the X-axis or Y-axis direction. For example, in one embodiment, the lower base is provided with a sliding groove, and the upper base moves along the sliding groove, as shown in Figures 2 and 3.

[0030] The laser displacement sensor 10 and the inclinometer 20 are fixed to the upper movable base 124. The upper base 124 is provided with a mounting plate for mounting the laser displacement sensor and / or the inclinometer, wherein the mounting plate has a first mounting plate portion 1244 extending in the Z-axis direction and a second mounting plate portion 1242 fixedly connected to the first mounting plate portion 1244 and extending in the X-axis and / or Y-axis direction.

[0031] Hollow housing 110 is provided with at least one transparent window corresponding to the position of the laser displacement sensor, allowing light to pass through. At least one of the multiple transparent windows has its normal aligned with the Z-axis or Y-axis, allowing light to pass through for measuring pipe wall thickness. Furthermore, one of the transparent windows has its normal aligned with the X-axis, allowing light to pass through for detecting changes in the laser displacement sensor's position.

[0032] The laser distance measuring device is provided with an air jet pipe (not shown in the figure) outside the transparent window for forming an air curtain outside the transparent window, thereby preventing debris from adhering to the transparent window and affecting the measurement accuracy.

[0033] The hollow box 110 is provided with an eddy current mounting tube (not shown in the figure) for passing cooling gas into the hollow box, thereby reducing the ambient temperature of the laser displacement sensor and preventing high temperature from adversely affecting the accuracy of the laser displacement sensor.

[0034] The adjustment mechanism includes an X-axis adjustment mechanism 220, a Y-axis adjustment mechanism 240, and a Z-axis adjustment mechanism 260. The X-axis adjustment mechanism is configured to adjust the position of the upper base in the X-axis direction, while the Y-axis adjustment mechanism is configured to adjust the position of the lower base in the Y-axis direction. Alternatively, the X-axis adjustment mechanism is configured to adjust the position of the lower base in the X-axis direction, while the Y-axis adjustment mechanism is configured to adjust the position of the upper base in the Y-axis direction. The Z-axis adjustment mechanism is configured to adjust the position of either the upper base or the lower base in the Z-axis direction.

[0035] For example, in the embodiment shown in Figures 1-3, the X-axis adjustment mechanism is used to adjust the position of the upper base in the X-axis direction, and the Y-axis adjustment mechanism is used to adjust the position of the lower base in the Y-axis direction. In other embodiments, the X-axis adjustment mechanism can adjust the position of the lower base in the X-axis direction, and the Y-axis adjustment mechanism can adjust the position of the upper base in the Y-axis direction. Although the Z-axis adjustment mechanism adjusts the position of the lower base in the Z-axis direction in the embodiment shown in Figures 1-3, in other embodiments, the Z-axis adjustment mechanism can also adjust the position of the upper base in the Z-axis direction.

[0036] The X-axis adjustment mechanism 220 includes a rack 224 connected to at least one of the upper bases, a gear 226 meshing with the rack 224, and a torsion bar 222 for driving the gear 226 to rotate. The torsion bar 222 can be fixed to the hollow housing 110 as long as it is rotatable. The rotation of the torsion bar 222 drives the gear 226 to rotate, thereby driving the rack 224 to move, thereby driving the upper base 124 to move along the X-axis. In this way, the position of the laser displacement sensor 10 in the X-axis direction can be adjusted.

[0037] Although in the embodiments of Figures 1-3, the X-axis adjustment mechanism only includes a combination of a rack, a gear and a torsion bar, more racks, gears and torsion bars can be provided depending on the application environment so that the position of the laser displacement sensor can be adjusted more stably and accurately.

[0038] The Y-axis adjustment mechanism 240 includes at least one Y-axis screw 242 fixed to the lower base 122 and a Y-axis adjustment nut 244 sleeved on the Y-axis screw 242. The Y-axis screw 242 passes through the hollow box 110, and the Y-axis nut 244 sleeves on the Y-axis screw 242 outside the hollow box 110. The Y-axis adjustment nut 244 is locked on the outside of the hollow box 110. A knob 246 is provided at the outer end of the Y-axis screw 242 for rotating the Y-axis screw 242. When the Y-axis screw 242 is rotated, the Y-axis nut 244 is locked, so that the Y-axis screw 242 translates in the Y-axis direction, thereby pushing the lower base to move in the Y-axis direction via the transition plate 1224 fixedly connected to the Y-axis screw 242.

[0039] In the embodiment shown in Figures 1-3, transition plates 1224 are provided at both ends of the lower base in the X-axis direction, and the transition plates 1224 are fixedly connected to two Y-axial screws 242. In this embodiment, four symmetrical Y-axial screws and Y-axial adjustment nuts are provided in the XY plane, thereby allowing for precise adjustment of the Y-axial position of the lower movable base.

[0040] As shown in Figures 1-3, the Z-axis adjustment mechanism 260 includes at least one Z-axis screw 262 passing through the lower base 122. The Z-axis screw 262 is fixedly connected to the hollow box 110 through a Z-axis fixing nut 264, and the Z-axis screw 262 is provided with a Z-axis adjustment nut 266 for adjusting the upper base 124 or the lower base 122. The Z-axis screw 262 extends out of the hollow box 110, and the Z-axis fixing nut 264 is sleeved on the Z-axis screw 262 outside the hollow box 110 and tightened. The Z-axis adjustment nut 266 is sleeved on the Z-axis screw 262 and tightened against the lower movable base 122. The lower base 122 can be moved along the Z-axis by rotating the Z-axis adjustment nut 266, thereby adjusting the position of the laser displacement sensor 10 on the Z-axis.

[0041] These adjustments allow for quick and easy adjustment of the laser sensor's position.

[0042] 4-8 show multiple embodiments of the high-temperature pipe wall thickness measuring device of the present invention.

[0043] This high-temperature pipeline wall thickness measurement equipment includes at least one internal measuring arm and at least one external measuring arm, wherein the internal and external measuring arms are respectively equipped with an internal laser ranging device and an external laser ranging device at corresponding positions. The corresponding internal and external laser ranging devices are configured to measure the pipeline wall thickness and are both laser ranging devices as described above. The positions of the laser displacement sensors 10 of the internal and external laser ranging devices can be adjusted by the aforementioned adjustment mechanism so that the measurement beams emitted by the laser displacement sensors of the pair of laser ranging devices are aligned with each other, thereby improving measurement accuracy.

[0044] The measuring principle of the present invention is as follows.

[0045] First, without a pipe, determine the distance A between the internal and external laser distance measuring devices. This distance A is also the distance between the laser displacement sensors in the internal and external laser distance measuring devices. As previously mentioned, the aforementioned adjustment mechanism is used to align the measuring beams of the two laser displacement sensors, ensuring that the beams overlap.

[0046] Next, place the internal measuring arm inside the pipe and the external measuring arm outside, with the internal and external laser ranging devices aligned. Determine the distance (B1) between the internal laser ranging device and the pipe's inner wall, and the distance (B2) between the external laser ranging device and the pipe's outer wall. These are the distances between the two laser displacement sensors and the pipe's inner and outer walls, respectively.

[0047] Finally, the pipe wall thickness T at that location is calculated using the following formula. T = (A-B1-B2)

[0048] Referring to Figure 4, according to one embodiment, one end of the internal measuring arm 310 and the external measuring arm 320 of the measuring device 300 are respectively fixed to a measuring support column 330, and the internal laser ranging device 312 and the external laser ranging device 322 are respectively disposed at the other ends of the internal measuring arm 310 and the external measuring arm 320. The measuring support column 330 is provided with a first scale display plate (not shown) corresponding to the laser displacement sensor 10. The term "corresponding" as used herein means that the scale display plate can directly or indirectly (e.g., via a reflector or prism) receive the light emitted by the laser displacement sensor 10 and can mark the relative position of the light. For example, the scale display plate can correspond to the position detection light path emitted by the laser displacement sensor. By detecting the changes in the light at different positions on the scale display plate, it is possible to determine whether the position of the laser displacement sensor has changed during the measurement process, such as position changes caused by temperature.

[0049] 5 , according to another embodiment, the measuring device 400 includes a main frame comprising a support column 430 and a cross frame 440. One end of the inner measuring arm 410 and the outer measuring arm 420 are fixed to a movable bracket 450, which moves along the cross frame 440. Furthermore, in one example, the movable bracket 450 can move up and down to accommodate pipes of different diameters, as shown in FIG5 .

[0050] 6 , which is a variation of the embodiment shown in FIG. 5 , the device includes two sets of internal measuring arms 410 and external measuring arms 420 , which perform measurements from both ends of the pipeline 1 .

[0051] Figure 7 illustrates another variation of the embodiment shown in Figure 5 . The crossbeam 540, inner measuring arm 510, outer measuring arm 520, and movable support 550 of the apparatus 500 are supported by multiple support columns 530. In some examples, the support columns 530 are height-adjustable to accommodate pipes of varying diameters. Figure 7 illustrates that two opposing apparatuses 500 can be used to perform measurements from both ends of a pipe 1.

[0052] Figure 8 illustrates a measuring device 600 according to another embodiment. One end of the internal measuring arm 610 is mounted on a fixed base 630, which is equipped with a second scale display panel (not shown) corresponding to the laser displacement sensor 10. The external measuring arm is constructed as a fixed transverse support 620, along which the external laser ranging device 622 is configured to move. The transverse support 620 is equipped with a third scale display panel (not shown) corresponding to the laser displacement sensor. Similarly, the scale display panel can correspond to the position detection light path emitted by the laser displacement sensor. By detecting changes in light at different positions on the scale display panel, it can be determined whether the position of the laser displacement sensor has changed during measurement.

[0053] In the above description, the details of the technical solution of the present invention are explained. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention is not limited to the specific details listed in the above embodiments, but may vary within the scope defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A laser distance measuring device, characterized in that: The laser detection device comprises a hollow box body, wherein a movable base for fixing a laser displacement sensor and an adjusting mechanism for adjusting the position of the movable base are arranged inside the hollow box body.

2. The laser distance measuring device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The movable base comprises a lower base and an upper base, wherein the upper base and the lower base move relative to each other in the X-axis or Y-axis direction, wherein the lower base is provided with a sliding groove, and the upper base moves along the sliding groove.

3. The laser distance measuring device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The adjustment mechanism comprises an X-axis adjustment mechanism, a Y-axis adjustment mechanism and a Z-axis adjustment mechanism.

4. The laser distance measuring device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The X-axis adjustment mechanism is configured to adjust the position of the upper base in the X-axis direction, and the Y-axis adjustment mechanism is configured to adjust the position of the lower base in the Y-axis direction; or, the X-axis adjustment mechanism is configured to adjust the position of the lower base in the X-axis direction, and the Y-axis adjustment mechanism is configured to adjust the position of the upper base in the Y-axis direction.

5. The laser distance measuring device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The X-axis adjustment mechanism includes a rack fixed to at least one of the upper base or the lower base, a gear meshing with the rack, and a torsion bar for driving the gear to rotate.

6. The laser distance measuring device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The Y-axial adjustment mechanism includes at least one Y-axial screw fixed to the lower base or the upper base and a Y-axial adjustment nut sleeved on the Y-axial screw, wherein the Y-axial screw and the Y-axial adjustment nut are respectively provided at both ends of the upper base or the lower base in the X-axis direction.

7. The laser distance measuring device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The Z-axis adjustment mechanism is configured to adjust the position of the upper base or the lower base in the Z-axis direction.

8. The laser distance measuring device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The Z-axis adjustment mechanism includes at least one Z-axis screw passing through the upper base or the lower base, the Z-axis screw is fixedly connected to the hollow box through a Z-axis fixing nut, and the Z-axis screw is provided with a Z-axis adjustment nut for adjusting the upper base or the lower base.

9. The laser distance measuring device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The upper base is provided with a mounting plate for mounting a laser displacement sensor and / or an inclinometer, wherein the mounting plate has a first mounting plate portion extending in the Z-axis direction and a second mounting plate portion extending in the X-axis and / or Y-axis direction fixedly connected to the first mounting plate portion.

10. The laser distance measuring device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The hollow box body is provided with an eddy current installation pipe for introducing cooling gas into the hollow box body.

11. The laser distance measuring device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The hollow box is provided with a transparent window corresponding to the position of the laser displacement sensor.

12. The laser distance measuring device according to claim 11, characterized in that: The normal direction of at least one of the transparent windows is consistent with the Z-axis or Y-axis direction, and the normal direction of at least one of the transparent windows is consistent with the X-axis direction.

13. The laser distance measuring device according to claim 11, characterized in that: The laser distance measuring device is provided with an air jet pipe outside the transparent window, which is used to form an air curtain outside the transparent window.

14. A high-temperature pipeline wall thickness measuring device, characterized in that: The device comprises at least one internal measuring arm and at least one external measuring arm, wherein the internal measuring arm and the external measuring arm are respectively provided with an internal laser ranging device and an external laser ranging device at corresponding positions, and the corresponding internal and external laser ranging devices are constructed as a measuring pair for measuring the wall thickness of the pipeline, and both are the laser ranging devices as described in any one of claims 1 to 11.

15. The high temperature pipeline wall thickness measuring device according to claim 14, characterized in that: One end of the inner measuring arm and the outer measuring arm are respectively fixed to the measuring support column, and the inner and outer laser distance measuring devices are respectively arranged at the other end of the inner measuring arm and the outer measuring arm.

16. The high temperature pipeline wall thickness measuring device according to claim 15, characterized in that: The measurement support column is provided with a first scale display panel corresponding to the laser displacement sensor.

17. The high temperature pipeline wall thickness measuring device according to claim 14, characterized in that: It further comprises a main frame, including pillars and a cross frame, wherein one end of the inner measuring arm and the outer measuring arm is fixed to a movable bracket, and the movable bracket moves along the cross frame.

18. The high temperature pipeline wall thickness measuring device according to claim 14, characterized in that: One end of the internal measuring arm is arranged on a fixed base, and the fixed top base is provided with a second scale display panel corresponding to the laser displacement sensor; the external measuring arm is constructed as a fixed transverse bracket, and the external laser ranging device is constructed to move along the transverse bracket, and the transverse bracket is provided with a third scale display panel corresponding to the laser displacement sensor.

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