Sensor Housing Radial Adjustment for Pipeline Inspection
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Solution Overview
Problem
In-line inspection tools face challenges in maintaining uniform sensor spacing due to varying interior surfaces of pipelines, leading to non-uniform inspection and potential pipeline defects going undetected.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of inspection assemblies with sensor housings that can move radially to accommodate changes in pipe diameter, allowing for overlapping and rotation to maintain consistent sensor distribution and coverage, ensuring uniform inspection quality despite changes in pipe geometry.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If sensors are mounted in fixed sensor housings around the circumference of the inspection tool, then the sensor housing structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the sensor spacing becomes non-uniform when the tool passes sections with varying interior surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor housing is made movable relative to the inspection tool body, allowing it to dynamically adjust its position as the tool passes through sections with varying interior surfaces. This dynamic adjustment maintains uniform sensor spacing despite changes in pipe geometry, resolving the contradiction between manufacturing simplicity and spacing uniformity.
Solution Approach 2:
The inspection tool is divided into modular components including the tool body, sensor housing, and mounting mechanism. This segmentation allows the sensor housing to be independently positioned and adjusted, enabling uniform sensor spacing while keeping each component relatively simple in design.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the inspection tool maintains a fixed structure, then the device is simple and reliable, but it cannot accommodate changes in pipe diameter caused by bends, constrictions, and wall thickness variations
Solution Approach 1:
The inspection tool incorporates movable sensor housings that can radially adjust their position in response to changes in pipe geometry. This dynamic capability allows the tool to accommodate bends, constrictions, and wall thickness variations while maintaining relatively simple structural components.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor housing is designed to nest within or relative to the main tool body, allowing it to move independently to accommodate pipe geometry changes. This nested arrangement provides adaptability while keeping the overall tool structure compact and manageable.
3Manufacturing precision
If sensor housings are allowed to move radially to track the interior surface, then uniform inspection coverage is maintained, but the circumferential spacing between adjacent sensor housings changes
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor housing movement mechanism is designed to allow radial movement for tracking the interior surface while incorporating constraints or guidance features that maintain consistent circumferential spacing. This dynamic design achieves uniform inspection coverage without distorting the sensor distribution pattern.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor housing and mounting structure are pre-configured with geometric features that guide the housing along a predetermined path during radial movement. This preliminary configuration ensures that as the housing moves to track surface variations, the circumferential spacing remains consistent with the original sensor distribution pattern.
Data Source
AI summary
An in-line inspection tool comprising sensors and sensor housings is disclosed. Each sensor housing may contain at least one sensor. The tool may further comprise a structure comprising a central axis and a plurality of sensor mounts distributed circumferentially about the central axis. Each sensor mount may support a different sensor housing. The plurality of sensor mounts may support the sensor housings such that the first end of each sensor housing circumferentially overlaps the second end of an adjacent sensor housing. By overlapping, sensor housings may support sensors with substantially uniform spacing around the circumference of the inspection tool in normal operation and still allow sensor housings to move relative to one another to accommodate changes in the dimension of the circumference.