Inspection device, inspection system, and inspection method

Abstract

Provided are an inspection device, an inspection system, and an inspection method capable of improving the efficiency of inspecting a pipe in a plant facility. An inspection device 2 according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises: a movement unit 32 that can move along the outside of a pipe of a plant facility, along the axial direction of the pipe; a laser emitting unit 52 that emits a laser at the pipe; and a first acquiring unit (three-dimensional shape data acquiring unit 54) that acquires information relating to the three-dimensional shape of the outside of the pipe on the basis of reflected light of the laser emitted by the laser emitting unit 52.

Description

Inspection device, inspection system, and inspection method

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an inspection device, an inspection system, and an inspection method.

[0002] Conventionally, techniques for inspecting pipes in plant facilities for thinning have been known. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a technique for predicting thinning events in plant pipes and optimizing a pipe wall thickness measurement plan using the prediction. The technique described in Patent Document 1 makes it possible to quickly evaluate the amount of thinning, the thinning rate, and the remaining life from limited actual measurement results (learning data), and to identify areas in the plant pipes that require monitoring.

[0003] JP 2022-148200 A

[0004] However, the technique described in Patent Document 1 does not sufficiently improve the efficiency of inspection of piping in plant facilities. Specifically, there is room for further study regarding measurement of the amount of wall thinning of piping.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide an inspection device, an inspection system, and an inspection method that can improve the efficiency of inspecting piping in plant equipment.

[0006] An inspection device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a moving unit that can move along the axial direction of the outside of a pipe of a plant facility, a laser irradiation unit that irradiates a laser onto the pipe, and a first acquisition unit that acquires information regarding the three-dimensional shape of the outside of the pipe based on the reflected light of the laser irradiated by the laser irradiation unit.

[0007] An inspection system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a laser irradiation unit that irradiates a laser onto a pipe of a plant facility; a first acquisition unit that acquires information regarding the three-dimensional shape of a predetermined area on the outside of the pipe including a first portion based on reflected light of the laser irradiated by the laser irradiation unit; an ultrasonic vibration unit that applies ultrasonic vibrations to a second portion of the predetermined area that is different from the first portion; and a second acquisition unit that acquires information regarding the thickness of the pipe in the second portion based on the ultrasonic vibrations applied by the ultrasonic vibration unit.

[0008] An inspection method according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes inspecting plant equipment using an inspection device that includes a moving unit that can move along the axial direction of the outside of a pipe of the plant equipment, a laser irradiation unit that irradiates the pipe with a laser, and a first acquisition unit that acquires information regarding the three-dimensional shape of the outside of the pipe based on the reflected light of the laser irradiated by the laser irradiation unit.

[0009] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an inspection device, an inspection system, and an inspection method that can improve the efficiency of inspection of piping in plant equipment.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of a laser inspection device 2a according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram of an ultrasonic inspection device 2b according to an embodiment. FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram of an ultrasonic inspection device 2b according to an embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining an example of the configuration of an inspection device 2 according to an embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining an example of the configuration of an inspection system 1 according to an embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining an example of the operation of the inspection device 2 according to an embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining an example of the operation of the inspection device 2 according to an embodiment. FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining an example of information about a three-dimensional shape according to an embodiment. FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining an example of information about a three-dimensional shape according to an embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining an example of the operation of the inspection device 2 according to an embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining an example of the operation of the inspection device 2 according to an embodiment. FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining an example of the operation of the inspection device 2 according to an embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining an example of the operation of the inspection device 2 according to an embodiment. FIG. 14 is a diagram for explaining an example of the hardware configuration of a computer C according to an embodiment. FIG. 15 is a diagram for explaining another example of the configuration of the inspection device 2 according to an embodiment.

[0011] Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings are merely examples of the present embodiments, and are not intended to limit the scale, arrangement, etc. of the elements depicted.

[0012] <1. Background> Pipes in plant equipment can experience thinning on the outside. For example, a circulating fluidized bed (CFB) boiler moves circulating material and fuel within the furnace to achieve high combustion efficiency. This flow of circulating material easily causes wear on the furnace evaporator tubes, and the flow of circulating material is disrupted at the end faces of the refractory covering the evaporator tubes, easily causing localized thinning of the evaporator tubes near the refractory. Note that a CFB boiler is an example of plant equipment, and evaporator tubes are an example of piping.

[0013] Conventionally, a temporary scaffold is set up over the entire furnace, and inspectors visually check and measure the thinning. The thinning is measured, for example, by taking a mold. In mold measurement, a gauge is placed over the thinned area, and the gauge shape is transferred to read the amount of thinning. However, transferring the shape and reading the thinning amount depend on the skill and subjectivity of the inspector, and the many steps make it easy for measurement errors to occur, making it difficult to accurately grasp the amount of thinning and evaluate the evaporation tube wall thickness.

[0014] Furthermore, these techniques require the erection of temporary scaffolding over the entire furnace, making inspections costly.

[0015] 2. Configuration Example The inspection device 2 according to this embodiment (hereinafter simply referred to as "inspection device 2") can solve these problems. In one embodiment, the inspection device 2 is a laser inspection device 2a that inspects piping by irradiating it with a laser. In another embodiment, the inspection device 2 is an ultrasonic inspection device 2b that inspects piping by applying ultrasonic vibrations. FIGS. 1-2 are conceptual diagrams of the laser inspection device 2a and the ultrasonic inspection device 2b, respectively.

[0016] [Laser Inspection Apparatus 2a] The laser inspection apparatus 2a will be described with reference to the conceptual diagram of Fig. 1. The laser inspection apparatus 2a includes a body 3. The body 3 includes a plurality of moving units 32 and a slider unit 50. The slider unit 50 includes a laser irradiation unit 52 and a three-dimensional shape data acquisition unit 54 at the end opposite to the end connected to the body 3. Although not shown in Fig. 1, the laser inspection apparatus 2a further includes a fixing unit 34, a control unit 30, a storage unit 36, and a communication unit 37.

[0017] The moving unit 32 is configured to be movable outside the piping of the plant facility along the axial direction of the piping. The axial direction is the direction along the y-axis in FIG. 1 . An example of the moving unit 32 is a spherical shell wheel. The moving unit 32 can be driven by a motor 33. The moving unit 32 can be configured to include a permanent magnet inside and be able to be attracted to the piping or a wall surface on which the piping is installed. The moving unit 32 may be, for example, a magnetic attraction wheel described in JP 2022-7174 A.

[0018] The fixing unit 34 is configured to be able to fix the relative position of the laser inspection device 2a with respect to the piping. An example of the fixing unit 34 is a mechanism that stops the rotation of the moving unit 32. The mechanism that stops the rotation of the moving unit 32 is, for example, a brake. When the moving unit 32 is driven by a motor 33 whose position (rotation angle) or speed is controlled, the rotation of the moving unit 32 stops when the motor 33 is controlled to maintain a constant position or speed at zero, and therefore, the motor 33 (or a control device that controls the motor 33) can correspond to the fixing unit 34.

[0019] The laser irradiation unit 52 irradiates the pipe with a laser. In one embodiment, the laser irradiation unit 52 irradiates the pipe with a laser while the relative position of the laser irradiation unit 52 with respect to the pipe is fixed by the fixing unit 34.

[0020] The three-dimensional shape data acquisition unit 54 acquires information about the three-dimensional shape of the outside of the pipe based on the reflected light of the laser irradiated by the laser irradiation unit 52. In one embodiment, the three-dimensional shape data acquisition unit 54 acquires information about the three-dimensional shape of an inspection area, including a thinning area, on the outside of the pipe. Specific examples of the thinning area and the inspection area will be described later.

[0021] The information about the three-dimensional shape of the outside of the pipe may include information about unevenness on the outside of the pipe. The information about the three-dimensional shape of the outside of the pipe may include information about a distance or height from a certain reference plane or reference point. The information about the three-dimensional shape of the outside of the pipe may include information about the amount of thinning on the outside of the pipe. The information about the three-dimensional shape of the outside of the pipe may be, for example, an M-row and N-column matrix (where M and N are natural numbers) with height values ​​as elements.

[0022] Information regarding the three-dimensional shape of the outside of the pipe may include information regarding the location within a specified area outside the pipe where the amount of wall thinning is greatest (i.e., the "location of maximum wall thinning") and the amount of wall thinning (i.e., the "maximum amount of wall thinning").

[0023] Hereinafter, information regarding the three-dimensional shape of the outside of the pipe will be referred to as "three-dimensional shape data." Hereinafter, the laser irradiation unit 52 and the three-dimensional shape data acquisition unit 54 will also be collectively referred to as the "laser displacement sensor." The three-dimensional shape data acquired by the laser displacement sensor can be stored at least temporarily in the storage unit 36.

[0024] In one embodiment, the laser displacement sensor can acquire three-dimensional shape data using known techniques. In one example, the laser displacement sensor may be an optical cutting sensor. The optical cutting sensor projects a linear laser beam onto an object. The optical cutting sensor then captures an image of the laser beam's emission line, which deforms along the object's shape, using a camera built into the sensor, and performs height measurement using triangulation. Since the deformed laser beam represents the cross-sectional shape of the object, the optical cutting sensor can acquire pixel coordinates of the laser beam through image processing and convert the vertical coordinates of the image into height values ​​of the object's surface using triangulation. Note that coordinates along the laser beam's emission line can be converted into actual position values ​​using projective transformation. During measurement, the direction of the laser pointer and the camera may be adjusted so that the laser beam's emission line coincides with the horizontal direction of the camera coordinate system. The laser displacement sensor may output three-dimensional shape data of the object after performing the above processing. Using a laser displacement sensor allows for more accurate measurement of the location and depth of thinning areas compared to conventional manual methods of measuring three-dimensional shapes.

[0025] If the plant equipment is a CFB boiler, valley-shaped thinning of the wall thickness several millimeters wide may occur. The laser displacement sensor can accurately measure the thinning condition even in such a situation. Therefore, if the plant equipment is a CFB boiler, the laser inspection device 2a can be particularly useful.

[0026] The slider unit 50 is configured to be slidable in the axial direction on the body 3. In one embodiment, the slider unit 50 is configured to be able to slide the laser irradiation unit 52 while the relative position of the slider unit 50 with respect to the piping is fixed by the fixing unit 34. The slider unit 50 makes it possible to acquire three-dimensional shape data for a predetermined area even when the relative position of the laser inspection device 2a is fixed by the fixing unit 34 (i.e., when the laser inspection device 2a is stationary).

[0027] The control unit 30 is configured to be able to control various operations of the laser inspection apparatus 2a. In one example, the control unit 30 controls the movement by the moving unit 32 and the fixing of the relative position by the fixing unit 34 based on information about the movement path. The information about the movement path is input to the user terminal device 10, and the control unit 30 can receive the information about the movement path from the user terminal device 10. In other words, the user can control the movement and fixing of the laser inspection apparatus 2 using the user terminal device 10 as a controller.

[0028] Furthermore, the control unit 30 can determine information about the movement path based on information about the arrangement of piping (e.g., drawing data of the plant equipment) and the coordinates of an inspection area (described later) specified by the user. The control unit 30 can autonomously control the moving unit 32 and the fixed unit 34 based on the information about the movement path. In other words, the inspection device 2 can be configured to autonomously move within the inspection area by the moving unit 32 and the fixed unit 34.

[0029] The control unit 30 controls the slider unit 50 and the laser displacement sensor to acquire three-dimensional shape data. In one example, the control unit 30 controls communication with other devices by the communication unit 37. Details of communication with other devices will be described later.

[0030] [Ultrasonic Inspection Apparatus 2b] The ultrasonic inspection apparatus 2b will be described with reference to the conceptual diagrams of Figures 2A and 2B. Like the laser inspection apparatus 2a, the ultrasonic inspection apparatus 2b comprises a body 3 and multiple moving units 32. Instead of the slider unit 50, laser irradiation unit 52, and three-dimensional shape data acquisition unit 54 of the laser inspection apparatus 2a, the ultrasonic inspection apparatus 2b comprises a robot arm 70, an ultrasonic vibration unit 72, and a thickness data acquisition unit 74. The following mainly describes the differences from the laser inspection apparatus 2a.

[0031] The robot arm 70 includes a plurality of joints, actuators for driving the joints, links provided between the joints, and an end effector. The robot arm 70 includes an ultrasonic vibration unit 72 and a thickness data acquisition unit 74 at the tip opposite the end connected to the body 3. In one example, the ultrasonic vibration unit 72 and the thickness data acquisition unit 74 of the robot arm 70 may be held by the end effector. In another example, the ultrasonic vibration unit 72 and the thickness data acquisition unit 74 of the robot arm 70 may be attached to the robot arm 70 as the end effector. As shown in FIG. 2B , the robot arm 70 is configured to be able to press the ultrasonic vibration unit 72 and the thickness data acquisition unit 74 against a pipe.

[0032] The ultrasonic vibration unit 72 applies ultrasonic vibration to the pipe. In one embodiment, the ultrasonic vibration unit 72 applies ultrasonic vibration to the pipe while its relative position with respect to the pipe is fixed by the fixing unit 34.

[0033] The thickness data acquisition unit 74 acquires information about the thickness of the pipe based on the ultrasonic vibrations applied by the ultrasonic vibration unit 72. In one embodiment, the thickness data acquisition unit 74 acquires information about the thickness of a healthy region of the inspection area that is different from the thinned region. The healthy region includes a portion that is estimated to have less thinning than the thinned region based on information about the three-dimensional shape of the inspection area. Specific examples of healthy regions will be described later.

[0034] Hereinafter, information regarding the thickness of the pipe will be referred to as "thickness data." Hereinafter, the ultrasonic vibration unit 72 and the thickness data acquisition unit 74 will also be collectively referred to as the "ultrasonic thickness sensor." The thickness data acquired by the ultrasonic thickness sensor can be stored at least temporarily in the memory unit 36.

[0035] In one embodiment, the ultrasonic thickness sensor may acquire thickness data using known techniques. In one example, the ultrasonic thickness sensor applies an ultrasonic pulse to the pipe and measures the thickness of the pipe based on the time it takes for the ultrasonic pulse to reflect back. In one example, the ultrasonic thickness sensor measures at least one of the average thickness, minimum thickness, and maximum thickness of the area in contact with the pipe.

[0036] The control unit 30 is configured to be able to control the operation of the ultrasonic inspection device 2b. In one example, the control unit 30 controls the robot arm 70 and the acquisition of thickness data by the ultrasonic thickness sensor.

[0037] [Switching of Inspection Device 2] Up to this point, the laser inspection device 2a and the ultrasonic inspection device 2b have been described, but the inspection device 2 may be configured to be switchable between them. This will be described with reference to FIG. 3 . The inspection device 2 includes a body 3 and at least one of a laser measurement mechanism 5 and an ultrasonic measurement mechanism 7. The body 3 includes an attachment unit 38 in addition to the control unit 30, moving unit 32, fixed unit 34, memory unit 36, and communication unit 37 described above. The laser measurement mechanism 5 includes a slider unit 50, a laser irradiation unit 52, and a three-dimensional shape data acquisition unit 54. The ultrasonic measurement mechanism 7 includes a robot arm 70, an ultrasonic vibration unit 72, and a thickness data acquisition unit 74. The laser measurement mechanism 5 and the ultrasonic measurement mechanism 7 may be configured to be detachable from the attachment unit 38.

[0038] The laser measurement mechanism 5 and the ultrasonic measurement mechanism 7 may be interchangeable with each other on the mounting portion 38. That is, the inspection device 2 can function as a laser inspection device 2a when the laser measurement mechanism 5 is attached to the mounting portion 38, and can function as an ultrasonic inspection device 2b when the ultrasonic measurement mechanism 7 is attached to the mounting portion 38.

[0039] With this configuration, the inspection device 2 can switch between (or perform both) acquisition of three-dimensional shape data using a laser and acquisition of thickness data using ultrasonic vibrations, while sharing the same basic configuration.

[0040] There are no particular limitations on the configuration for enabling the attachment unit 38 to detachably attach the laser measurement mechanism 5 and the ultrasonic measurement mechanism 7. The slider unit 50 of the laser measurement mechanism 5 or the robot arm of the ultrasonic measurement mechanism 7 may be joined to the attachment unit 38 by, for example, screws, adhesive, or the like. Note that being able to detachably attach component B to component A may include being able to attach and detach component B without destroying components A and B.

[0041] 3. Operation Example> The operation of the inspection system 1 including the inspection device 2 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0042] 4 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the inspection system 1 described in this example. The inspection system 1 includes a laser inspection device 2a, an ultrasonic inspection device 2b, a user terminal device 10, an information processing device 12, and a communication network 14.

[0043] The user terminal device 10 is a terminal device used by a user who performs an inspection using the inspection device 2. The user terminal device 10 is, for example, a personal computer, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a smart device, or the like.

[0044] The information processing device 12 is a device that processes information between the user terminal device 10, the laser inspection device 2a, and the ultrasonic inspection device 2b. Specifically, the information processing device 12 has a function of transmitting information input by a user to the user terminal device 10 to the laser inspection device 2a and the ultrasonic inspection device 2b. The information processing device 12 also has a function of acquiring three-dimensional shape data and thickness data from the laser inspection device 2a and the ultrasonic inspection device 2b, respectively. The information processing device 12 also has a function of analyzing the acquired three-dimensional shape data and thickness data and outputting the analysis results to the user terminal device 10. The information processing device 12 may also perform other processes to operate the inspection system 1.

[0045] 5A to 5C are conceptual diagrams illustrating the operations of the laser inspection device 2a and the ultrasonic inspection device 2b when inspecting a pipe. First, the user terminal device 10 receives input from the user regarding the designation of the coordinates of an inspection area. The inspection area may be an area to be inspected by the laser inspection device 2a and the ultrasonic inspection device 2b. Inspection areas p1-p3 in FIG. 5A are examples of designated inspection areas. Specifically, FIG. 5A shows a first pipe, a second pipe, and a third pipe, and inspection areas p1, p2, and p3 are designated for each pipe. Note that the user may visually confirm which parts of the pipe should be designated as the inspection area, for example.

[0046] 5B is a conceptual diagram of an inspection by the laser inspection device 2a. The laser inspection device 2a can determine information about a movement path based on information about the arrangement of the pipes and the coordinates of the inspection area input to the user terminal device 10. Based on this information about the movement path, the laser inspection device 2a first starts autonomously moving from the lower side (negative y-axis direction) of the first pipe toward the upper side (positive y-axis direction). When the laser inspection device 2a reaches the inspection area p1, it acquires three-dimensional shape data of the area (including information about the location and amount of maximum wall-thinning in the area) using the laser measurement mechanism 5.

[0047] An example of an inspection method using the laser inspection device 2a will be described with reference to Figures 6A to 6C and Figure 7. Figure 6A is a diagram showing an example of a photograph of a pipe in an inspection area p1. Figure 6A shows a thinned area on the outside of the pipe where localized thinning has occurred. In this way, the thinned area may be included in the inspection area p1.

[0048] 6B is a diagram showing an example of the three-dimensional shape data of the inspection area p1 displayed as a three-dimensional image. In FIG. 6B, the distance of the inspection area p1 from the laser measurement mechanism 5 is indicated by the shade of color. In FIG. 6B, the color shade changes gradually in the area where no local thinning has occurred. In contrast, the thinning area includes a portion where the color shade changes more abruptly compared to other areas.

[0049] 6C is a conceptual diagram of the cross-sectional shape of the pipe at y = a, y = b, y = c, and y = d in FIG. 6B. Note that a, b, c, and d are all values ​​indicating predetermined positions in the y-axis direction. The cross sections at y = a and y = d do not pass through the thinning region, so the arcs representing the cross-sectional shape of the pipe are gentle. In contrast, the cross sections at y = b and y = c pass through the thinning region, so part of the arc is deformed concavely. In particular, the cross section at y = c includes a portion that is significantly deformed concavely compared to the cross section at y = b.

[0050] Planar three-dimensional shape data such as that shown in FIG. 6B can be generated based on a plurality of linear three-dimensional shape data. The linear three-dimensional shape data may be three-dimensional shape data at a predetermined y coordinate. Planar three-dimensional shape data may be generated based on a plurality of linear three-dimensional shape data at a predetermined y coordinate, for example, at y=Y le Linear three-dimensional shape data in y=Y le +(1 / N)L linear three-dimensional shape data, y=Y le +(2 / N)L linear three-dimensional shape data, ..., y=Y le +(N-1 / N)L linear three-dimensional shape data, and y=Y le +L. le is a value corresponding to the position of the lower end of the inspection area p1 in the y-axis direction, L is a value corresponding to the length from the lower end to the upper end of the inspection area p1 in the y-axis direction, and N is a value corresponding to the resolution of scanning in the y-axis direction. The laser measurement mechanism 5 of the laser inspection device 2a, with its relative position with respect to the piping fixed by the fixing part 34, moves the slider part 50 along the y-axis by (1 / N)L increments, thereby obtaining linear three-dimensional shape data and thereby generating planar three-dimensional shape data.

[0051] 7 is a diagram for explaining an example of a method for measuring the maximum amount of thinning in the inspection area p1. le +(n / N)L (where 0≦n≦N) is a conceptual diagram of a part of the cross section of the pipe. leBased on information about a plurality of coordinates included in the linear three-dimensional shape data in +(n / N)L, the center coordinates and radius of an approximate circle passing through the plurality of coordinates are calculated (S11). In Fig. 7, the plurality of coordinates included in the linear three-dimensional shape data are indicated by solid lines, and the approximate circle based on them is indicated by dotted lines.

[0052] Next, the laser inspection device 2a calculates y=Y le +(n / N)L (S12). The laser inspection device 2a then calculates the distance between the maximum thinning point and the center of the approximation circle (S13). The laser inspection device 2a then calculates y=Y le +(n / N)L (S14). The laser inspection device 2a executes steps S11 to S14 for each of n = 0, 1, ..., N-1, and N, thereby ultimately determining the location of maximum wall-thinning and the amount of wall-thinning in the entire inspection area p1. This allows the laser inspection device 2a to accurately obtain information regarding the location of maximum wall-thinning and the maximum amount of wall-thinning in the inspection area p1.

[0053] 5B, the laser inspection device 2a transmits the acquired three-dimensional shape data of the inspection area p1 (including information about the location and amount of maximum wall-thinning in the inspection area p1) to the information processing device 12. Thereafter, the laser inspection device 2a moves sequentially to the inspection areas p2 and p3, acquires three-dimensional shape data of the inspection areas, and transmits the data to the information processing device 12.

[0054] 5C is a conceptual diagram of an inspection by the ultrasonic inspection device 2b. The ultrasonic inspection device 2b first starts moving from the lower side (negative y-axis direction) of the first pipe toward the upper side (positive y-axis direction). When the ultrasonic inspection device 2b reaches the inspection area p1, it acquires thickness data of the inspection area using the ultrasonic measurement mechanism 7. As will be described in detail later, the ultrasonic inspection device 2b can use the three-dimensional shape data of the inspection area when determining measurement points within the inspection area. Therefore, the ultrasonic inspection device 2b can receive the three-dimensional shape data acquired by the laser inspection device 2a from the information processing device 12.

[0055] An example of an inspection method using the ultrasonic inspection device 2b will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the position at which the ultrasonic inspection device 2b contacts the ultrasonic vibration unit 72. As described with reference to FIGS. 6A to 6C, the inspection area p1 includes a thinning area and an area where thinning is relatively rare. The ultrasonic inspection device 2b refers to the three-dimensional shape data of the inspection area p1 received from the information processing device 12 and contacts the ultrasonic vibration unit 72 with the area where thinning is relatively rare (hereinafter referred to as the "healthy area"). At this time, the ultrasonic inspection device 2b can determine the ultrasonic vibration unit contact area so that the area where the ultrasonic vibration unit 72 contacts (hereinafter referred to as the "ultrasonic vibration unit contact area") plus a predetermined margin is included in the healthy area (i.e., not included in the thinning area).

[0056] 9 is a diagram showing an example of a method for measuring the pipe thickness in the healthy region of the inspection area p1 and the pipe thickness at the point of greatest wall thinning. The ultrasonic inspection device 2b first controls the robot arm 70 to press the ultrasonic vibration unit 72 against the ultrasonic vibration unit contact area. This allows the ultrasonic inspection device 2b to measure the pipe thickness in the healthy region of the inspection area p1 (S21). The ultrasonic inspection device 2b transmits thickness data relating to the pipe thickness in the healthy region of the inspection area p1 to the information processing device 12.

[0057] Next, the information processing device 12 calculates the thickness of the pipe at the point of maximum wall thinning in the inspection area p1 based on the maximum amount of wall thinning in the inspection area p1 obtained by the laser inspection device 2a and the thickness of the pipe in the healthy area of ​​the inspection area p1 obtained by the ultrasonic inspection device 2b (S22).

[0058] The ultrasonic inspection device 2b moves sequentially to the inspection areas p2-p3 and acquires thickness data relating to the thickness of the pipe in the healthy area of ​​the inspection area p2-3. The ultrasonic inspection device 2b transmits the thickness data to the information processing device 12. The information processing device 12 calculates the thickness of the pipe at the point of maximum wall thinning in the inspection area p2-3 based on the maximum amount of wall thinning in the inspection area p2-3 obtained by the laser inspection device 2a and the thickness of the pipe in the healthy area of ​​the inspection area p2-3 obtained by the ultrasonic inspection device 2b.

[0059] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of the operation of the inspection system 1. First, the user terminal device 10 accepts user input of coordinates of the inspection area (S100). Next, the user terminal device 10 transmits the input coordinates of the inspection area to the information processing device 12 (S102, see FIG. 5A). Next, the information processing device 12 transmits the coordinates of the inspection area to the laser inspection device 2a (S104). Next, the laser inspection device 2a moves to the input inspection area (S106, see FIG. 5B). Next, the laser inspection device 2a acquires three-dimensional shape data of the inspection area and calculates the maximum amount of wall-thinning (S108, see FIGS. 6A-6C and 7). Next, the laser inspection device 2a transmits the acquired three-dimensional shape data of the inspection area and information regarding the maximum amount of wall-thinning of the inspection area to the information processing device 12 (S110).

[0060] Next, the information processing device 12 transmits the coordinates of the inspection area and the three-dimensional shape data of the inspection area to the ultrasonic inspection device 2b (S112). Next, the ultrasonic inspection device 2b moves to the input inspection area (S114, see FIG. 5C). Next, the ultrasonic inspection device 2b measures the thickness of the pipe in the healthy area of ​​the inspection area (S116, see FIGS. 8-9). Next, the ultrasonic inspection device 2b transmits information regarding the thickness of the pipe in the healthy area of ​​the inspection area to the information processing device 12 (S118).

[0061] The information processing device 12 calculates the pipe thickness at the point of maximum pipe wall thinning in the inspection area based on the information about the maximum pipe wall thinning in the inspection area received in step S110 and the information about the pipe thickness in the healthy area of ​​the inspection area received in step S118 (S120). Next, the information processing device 12 transmits the information about the pipe thickness at the point of maximum pipe wall thinning in the inspection area to the user terminal device 10 (S122). The user terminal device 10 displays the information about the pipe thickness at the point of maximum pipe wall thinning in the inspection area (S124).

[0062] 4. Effects The inspection system 1 can improve the efficiency of inspection of piping in plant facilities. Specifically, the inspection device 2 can move to an inspection area by the moving unit 32 and inspect the inspection area by the laser measurement mechanism 5 or the ultrasonic measurement mechanism 7.

[0063] Furthermore, the inspection device 2 can perform inspection using the laser measurement mechanism 5 and the ultrasonic measurement mechanism 7 while the relative position of the inspection device 2 with respect to the piping is fixed by the fixing part 34. With this configuration, inspection can be performed with high accuracy.

[0064] Furthermore, the inspection system 1 calculates the thickness of the pipe in the thinned region (e.g., the thickness of the pipe at the point of maximum thinning) based on information about the three-dimensional shape of the thinned region (e.g., information about the maximum amount of thinning in the inspection region) and information about the thickness of the pipe in the sound region. Of these, the information about the three-dimensional shape of the thinned region can be acquired by the laser measurement mechanism 5. Furthermore, the information about the thickness of the pipe in the sound region can be acquired by the ultrasonic measurement mechanism 7. In other words, by using both laser inspection and ultrasonic inspection, the inspection system 1 can find areas that particularly require repairs, etc. with high accuracy.

[0065] 11 , an example of a hardware configuration in which the control unit 30 of the inspection device 2 and the information processing device 12 described above are realized by a computer C will be described. Note that the functions of each device can also be realized by dividing them into multiple devices.

[0066] As shown in FIG. 11, the computer C includes a processor 700 , a storage device 702 , an input I / F 704 , a data I / F 706 , a communication I / F 708 , and a display device 710 .

[0067] The processor 700 controls various processes in the computer C by executing programs stored in the storage device 702. For example, the control unit 30 of the inspection device 2 and each functional unit of the information processing device 12 can be realized by the processor 700 executing the programs stored in the storage device 702.

[0068] The storage device 702 is a storage medium such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. The RAM temporarily stores the program code of the program executed by the processor 700 and data required when the program is executed.

[0069] The storage device 702 may also be a non-volatile storage medium such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or flash memory. The storage device 702 stores an operating system and various programs for implementing the above-described configurations. The storage medium storing the various programs may be a non-transitory computer-readable medium. The storage device 702 may also store tables for registering various pieces of information and a database for managing the tables. Such programs and data are loaded into the storage device 702 as needed and referenced by the processor 700.

[0070] The input I / F 704 is a device for receiving input from a user. Specific examples of the input I / F 704 include a camera, a button, a microphone, a keyboard, a mouse, a touch panel, various sensors, a wearable device, etc. The input I / F 704 may be connected to the computer C via an interface such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus).

[0071] The data I / F 706 is a device for inputting data from outside the computer C. A specific example of the data I / F 706 is a drive device for reading data stored in various storage media. The data I / F 706 may be provided outside the computer C. In this case, the data I / F 706 is connected to the computer C via an interface such as a USB.

[0072] The communication I / F 708 is a device for performing data communication with an external device of the computer C via the communication network 14, either wired or wirelessly. The communication I / F 708 may be provided outside the computer C. In this case, the communication I / F 708 is connected to the computer C via an interface such as a USB.

[0073] The display device 710 is a device for displaying various types of information. Specific examples of the display device 710 include a liquid crystal display, an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display, and a display of a wearable device. The display device 710 may be provided outside the computer C. In this case, the display device 710 is connected to the computer C via, for example, a display cable. Furthermore, when a touch panel is used as the input I / F 704, the display device 710 can be configured as an integral part of the input I / F 704.

[0074] The components of the devices included in the inspection system 1 described in the above embodiment are assumed to realize predetermined processing in cooperation with other hardware by the processor 700 executing a program stored in the storage device 702. In other words, these components are assumed to be software or firmware, as well as corresponding hardware, and in both of these concepts, they are also referred to as "functions," "means," "parts," "processing circuits," "units," or "modules," and can be interpreted as such.

[0075] 6. Modifications The above-described embodiments are intended to facilitate understanding of the present disclosure and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. The elements of the embodiments, as well as their arrangement, materials, conditions, shapes, sizes, etc., are not limited to those illustrated and can be modified as appropriate. Furthermore, configurations shown in different embodiments can be partially substituted or combined with each other.

[0076] [Regarding the entity that performs the processing] The processing flow described in the above embodiment is merely an example and does not limit the aspects of the inspection system 1. For example, part of the processing described in the above embodiment as being performed by the laser inspection device 2a may be performed by the information processing device 12. Furthermore, part of the processing described in the above embodiment as being performed by the ultrasonic inspection device 2b may be performed by the information processing device 12. Furthermore, part of the processing described in the above embodiment as being performed by the information processing device 12 may be performed by the laser inspection device 2a or the ultrasonic inspection device 2b.

[0077] [Regarding the moving unit 32] In the above embodiment, the moving unit 32 is described as a spherical shell wheel as shown in Fig. 1-2, but is not limited to this. The specific form of the moving unit 32 is not limited as long as it can move the inspection device 2 along the axial direction of the piping.

[0078] The moving unit 32 may be, for example, a propeller that enables the inspection device 2 to fly. In this case, the inspection device 2 may be an unmanned aerial vehicle such as a drone, and the fixed unit 34 may be a mechanism or function for hovering the inspection device 2 in place.

[0079] The moving unit 32 may be, for example, a connection part with a hanging device. In this case, the inspection device 2 is configured to be movable along the axial direction of the piping by the hanging device. Note that "being movable along the axial direction of the piping outside the piping of the plant equipment" does not necessarily mean that the inspection device 2 is movable by its own power, but also includes being movable by the power of another device.

[0080] [Example of an inspection device having both the laser measurement mechanism 5 and the ultrasonic measurement mechanism 7] In the above embodiment, the inspection device 2 has been described as mainly having one of the laser measurement mechanism 5 and the ultrasonic measurement mechanism 7, but this is not limited to this. The inspection device 2 may have both the laser measurement mechanism 5 and the ultrasonic measurement mechanism 7. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of an inspection device 2 that can have both the laser measurement mechanism 5 and the ultrasonic measurement mechanism 7. The body 3 of this inspection device 2 has a first mounting portion 38a to which the laser measurement mechanism 5 can be detachably attached, and a second mounting portion 38b to which the ultrasonic measurement mechanism 7 can be detachably attached. When the inspection device 2 has both the laser measurement mechanism 5 and the ultrasonic measurement mechanism 7, laser inspection and ultrasonic inspection can be performed simultaneously in parallel.

[0081] [Regarding the Inspection Area] In the above embodiment, the inspection area is a part of the pipe, but this is not limited to this. The inspection area may be the entire surface of the pipe. In this case, the user does not need to specify the inspection area.

[0082] [Regarding User Operation] In addition to the operations described in the above embodiment, the inspection device 2 may be controlled based on user operation. For example, after three-dimensional shape data of the inspection area as shown in FIG. 6B is obtained, the three-dimensional shape data may be displayed on the user terminal device 10. The user may then specify, via a GUI or the like, the location of the thinned area within the inspection area. The laser inspection device 2a may measure the location of the maximum thinned area and the amount of thinned area within the specified range.

[0083] 7. Configurations According to Embodiments The present disclosure includes the following configurations.

[0084] [Appendix 1] An inspection device 2 according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a moving unit 32 that can move along the axial direction of the outside of a pipe of a plant facility, a laser irradiation unit 52 that irradiates the pipe with a laser, and a first acquisition unit (three-dimensional shape data acquisition unit 54) that acquires information regarding the three-dimensional shape of the outside of the pipe based on the reflected light of the laser irradiated by the laser irradiation unit 52.

[0085] [Appendix 2] The inspection device 2 described in Appendix 1 further includes a fixing unit 34 that can fix a relative position with respect to the piping, and the laser irradiation unit 52 irradiates the laser onto the piping while the relative position with respect to the piping is fixed by the fixing unit 34.

[0086] [Supplementary Note 3] The inspection device 2 according to Supplementary Note 2, further comprising a slider unit 50 that allows the laser irradiation unit 52 to slide along the axial direction.

[0087] [Supplementary Note 4] The inspection device 2 according to Supplementary Note 3, wherein the slider portion 50 is configured to be able to slide the laser irradiation portion 52 while the relative position with respect to the piping is fixed by the fixing portion 34.

[0088] [Appendix 5] The inspection device 2 described in any one of Appendices 1 to 4 further includes an ultrasonic vibration unit 72 that applies ultrasonic vibrations to the piping, and a second acquisition unit (thickness data acquisition unit 74) that acquires information about the thickness of the piping based on the ultrasonic vibrations applied by the ultrasonic vibration unit 72.

[0089] [Appendix 6] The inspection device 2 described in Appendix 5 further includes a fixing unit 34 that can fix a relative position with respect to the piping, and the ultrasonic vibration unit 72 applies ultrasonic vibrations to the piping while the relative position with respect to the piping is fixed by the fixing unit 34.

[0090] [Supplementary Note 7] The inspection device 2 according to Supplementary Note 5 or 6, further comprising a robot arm 70, wherein the ultrasonic vibration unit 72 is attached to a tip of the robot arm 70.

[0091] [Appendix 8] An inspection device 2 described in any one of Appendices 5 to 7, wherein the first acquisition unit (three-dimensional shape data acquisition unit 54) acquires information regarding the three-dimensional shape of a predetermined area (inspection area) on the outside of the pipe, the predetermined area (inspection area) including a first portion (thinning area), and the second acquisition unit (thickness data acquisition unit 74) acquires information regarding the thickness of a second portion (healthy area) in the predetermined area (inspection area) that is different from the first portion (thinning area).

[0092] [Appendix 9] The inspection device 2 described in Appendix 8, wherein the second portion (healthy region) includes a portion that is estimated to have less thinning than the first portion (thinning region) based on information regarding the three-dimensional shape of a specified region (inspection region).

[0093] [Appendix 10] The inspection device 2 described in Appendix 8 or 9, further comprising a calculation unit that calculates the thickness of the first portion (thinning area) based on information about the three-dimensional shape of the first portion (thinning area) and information about the thickness of the second portion (healthy area).

[0094] [Appendix 11] An inspection device 2 according to another aspect of the present disclosure includes a moving unit 32 that can move along the axial direction of a pipe on the outside of a plant facility, and at least one of a laser measurement mechanism 5 and an ultrasonic measurement mechanism 7. The laser measurement mechanism 5 includes a laser irradiation unit 52 that irradiates the pipe with a laser, and a first acquisition unit (three-dimensional shape data acquisition unit 54) that acquires information about the three-dimensional shape of the outside of the pipe based on the reflected light of the laser irradiated by the laser irradiation unit 52. The ultrasonic measurement mechanism 7 includes an ultrasonic vibration unit 72 that applies ultrasonic vibrations to the pipe, and a second acquisition unit (thickness data acquisition unit 74) that acquires information about the thickness of the pipe based on the ultrasonic vibrations applied by the ultrasonic vibration unit 72.

[0095] [Supplementary Note 12] The inspection device 2 according to Supplementary Note 11, further comprising an attachment portion 38 configured to allow the laser measurement mechanism 5 and the ultrasonic measurement mechanism 7 to be detachably attached.

[0096] [Appendix 13] An inspection system 1 according to another aspect of the present disclosure includes a laser irradiation unit 52 that irradiates a laser onto a pipe of a plant facility; a first acquisition unit (three-dimensional shape data acquisition unit 54) that acquires information about the three-dimensional shape of a predetermined area (inspection area) on the outside of the pipe, including a first portion (thinned area), based on reflected light of the laser irradiated by the laser irradiation unit 52; an ultrasonic vibration unit 72 that applies ultrasonic vibrations to a second portion (healthy area) of the predetermined area (inspection area) that is different from the first portion (thinned area); and a second acquisition unit (thickness data acquisition unit 74) that acquires information about the thickness of the pipe in the second portion (healthy area) based on the ultrasonic vibrations applied by the ultrasonic vibration unit 72.

[0097] [Appendix 14] An inspection method according to another aspect of the present disclosure includes inspecting plant equipment using an inspection device 2 including: a moving unit 32 that can move along the axial direction of a pipe on the outside of the plant equipment; a laser irradiation unit 52 that irradiates the pipe with a laser; and a first acquisition unit (three-dimensional shape data acquisition unit 54) that acquires information about the three-dimensional shape of the outside of the pipe based on the reflected light of the laser irradiated by the laser irradiation unit 52.

[0098] [Appendix 15] An inspection method according to another aspect of the present disclosure includes a laser irradiation step of irradiating a laser onto a pipe of a plant facility; a first acquisition step of acquiring information about the three-dimensional shape of a predetermined area (inspection area) on the outside of the pipe, the predetermined area (inspection area) including a first portion (thinned area), based on reflected light of the laser irradiated in the laser irradiation step; an ultrasonic vibration step of applying ultrasonic vibrations to a second portion (healthy area) of the predetermined area (inspection area) different from the first portion (thinned area); and a second acquisition step of acquiring information about the thickness of the pipe in the second portion (healthy area), based on the ultrasonic vibrations applied in the ultrasonic vibration step.

[0099] 1...inspection system, 2...inspection device, 2a...laser inspection device, 2b...ultrasonic inspection device, 3...body, 5...laser measurement mechanism, 7...ultrasonic measurement mechanism, 10...user terminal device, 12...information processing device, 14...communication network, 30...control unit, 32...moving unit, 34...fixed unit, 36...storage unit, 37...communication unit, 38...mounting unit, 50...slider unit, 52...laser irradiation unit, 54...three-dimensional shape data acquisition unit, 70...robot arm, 72...ultrasonic vibration unit, 74...thickness data acquisition unit, 700...processor, 702...storage device, 710...display device, C...computer

Claims

1. An inspection device comprising: a moving unit that can move along the axial direction of the outside of a pipe of a plant facility; a laser irradiation unit that irradiates the pipe with a laser; and a first acquisition unit that acquires information about the three-dimensional shape of the outside of the pipe based on the reflected light of the laser irradiated by the laser irradiation unit.

2. The inspection device described in claim 1, further comprising a fixing unit capable of fixing a relative position with respect to the piping, wherein the laser irradiation unit irradiates the laser onto the piping while the relative position with respect to the piping is fixed by the fixing unit.

3. The inspection device according to claim 2, further comprising a slider section that allows the laser irradiation section to slide along the axial direction.

4. The inspection device according to claim 3, wherein the slider section is configured to be able to slide the laser irradiation section while the relative position with respect to the pipe is fixed by the fixing section.

5. The inspection device according to claim 1, further comprising: an ultrasonic vibration unit that applies ultrasonic vibrations to the pipe; and a second acquisition unit that acquires information about the thickness of the pipe based on the ultrasonic vibrations applied by the ultrasonic vibration unit.

6. An inspection device as described in claim 5, further comprising a fixing unit capable of fixing a relative position with respect to the piping, wherein the ultrasonic vibration unit applies ultrasonic vibrations to the piping while the relative position with respect to the piping is fixed by the fixing unit.

7. The inspection device according to claim 5, further comprising a robot arm, the ultrasonic vibration unit being attached to the tip of the robot arm.

8. The inspection device described in claim 5, wherein the first acquisition unit acquires information regarding the three-dimensional shape of a predetermined area on the outside of the pipe that includes a first portion, and the second acquisition unit acquires information regarding the thickness of a second portion of the predetermined area that is different from the first portion.

9. The inspection device according to claim 8, wherein the second portion includes a portion that is estimated to have less thinning than the first portion based on information about the three-dimensional shape of the predetermined region.

10. The inspection device according to claim 8, further comprising a calculation unit that calculates the thickness of the first portion based on information about the three-dimensional shape of the first portion and information about the thickness of the second portion.

11. An inspection device comprising: a moving unit capable of moving on the outside of a pipe of plant equipment along the axial direction of the pipe; and at least one of a laser measurement mechanism and an ultrasonic measurement mechanism, wherein the laser measurement mechanism comprises: a laser irradiation unit that irradiates the pipe with a laser; and a first acquisition unit that acquires information regarding the three-dimensional shape of the outside of the pipe based on the reflected light of the laser irradiated by the laser irradiation unit; and the ultrasonic measurement mechanism comprises: an ultrasonic vibration unit that applies ultrasonic vibrations to the pipe; and a second acquisition unit that acquires information regarding the thickness of the pipe based on the ultrasonic vibrations applied by the ultrasonic vibration unit.

12. The inspection device according to claim 11, further comprising a mounting section configured to allow the laser measurement mechanism and the ultrasonic measurement mechanism to be detachably attached.

13. An inspection system comprising: a laser irradiation unit that irradiates a laser onto a pipe of plant equipment; a first acquisition unit that acquires information regarding the three-dimensional shape of a predetermined area on the outside of the pipe, including a first portion, based on the reflected light of the laser irradiated by the laser irradiation unit; an ultrasonic vibration unit that applies ultrasonic vibrations to a second portion of the predetermined area, different from the first portion; and a second acquisition unit that acquires information regarding the thickness of the pipe in the second portion, based on the ultrasonic vibrations applied by the ultrasonic vibration unit.

14. An inspection method for inspecting plant equipment using an inspection device comprising: a moving unit that can move along the axial direction of the outside of a pipe of the plant equipment; a laser irradiation unit that irradiates the pipe with a laser; and a first acquisition unit that acquires information regarding the three-dimensional shape of the outside of the pipe based on the reflected light of the laser irradiated by the laser irradiation unit.

15. An inspection method comprising: a laser irradiation step of irradiating a laser onto a pipe of plant equipment; a first acquisition step of acquiring information regarding the three-dimensional shape of a predetermined area on the outside of the pipe, including a first portion, based on the reflected light of the laser irradiated in the laser irradiation step; an ultrasonic vibration step of applying ultrasonic vibrations to a second portion of the predetermined area, different from the first portion; and a second acquisition step of acquiring information regarding the thickness of the pipe in the second portion, based on the ultrasonic vibrations applied in the ultrasonic vibration step.

16. An inspection device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the plant facility is a circulating fluidized bed boiler, and the piping is an evaporation pipe provided inside the circulating fluidized bed boiler.

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