DOE Patents title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Ultrasonic thickness measuring and imaging system and method

Abstract

An ultrasonic thickness measuring and imaging system uses an ultrasonic fsed beam probe for measuring thickness of an object, such as a wall of a tube, a computer for controlling movement of the probe in a scanning pattern within the tube and processing an analog signal produced by the probe which is proportional to the tube wall thickness in the scanning pattern, and a line scan recorder for producing a record of the tube wall thicknesses measured by the probe in the scanning pattern. The probe is moved in the scanning pattern to sequentially scan circumferentially the interior tube wall at spaced apart adjacent axial locations. The computer processes the analog signal by converting it to a digital signal and then quantifies the digital signal into a multiplicity of thickness points with each falling in one of a plurality of thickness ranges corresponding to one of a plurality of shades of grey. From the multiplicity of quantified thickness points, a line scan recorder connected to the computer generates a pictorial map of tube wall thicknesses with each quantified thickness point thus being obtained from a minute area, e.g. 0.010 inch by 0.010 inch, of tube wall and representing one pixelmore » of the pictorial map. In the pictorial map of tube wall thicknesses, the pixels represent different wall thicknesses having different shades of grey.

Inventors:
; ; ;
Issue Date:
Research Org.:
KAPL, Inc., Schenectady, NY (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1176647
Patent Number(s):
H001084
Application Number:
07/565524
Assignee:
The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy (Washington, DC)
DOE Contract Number:  
AC12-76SN00052
Resource Type:
Patent
Resource Relation:
Patent File Date: 1990 Aug 10
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS; 47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION; 42 ENGINEERING; statutory invention registration

Citation Formats

Bylenok, Paul J., Patmos, William M., Wagner, Thomas A., and Martin, Francis H. Ultrasonic thickness measuring and imaging system and method. United States: N. p., 1992. Web.
Bylenok, Paul J., Patmos, William M., Wagner, Thomas A., & Martin, Francis H. Ultrasonic thickness measuring and imaging system and method. United States.
Bylenok, Paul J., Patmos, William M., Wagner, Thomas A., and Martin, Francis H. Tue . "Ultrasonic thickness measuring and imaging system and method". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1176647.
@article{osti_1176647,
title = {Ultrasonic thickness measuring and imaging system and method},
author = {Bylenok, Paul J. and Patmos, William M. and Wagner, Thomas A. and Martin, Francis H.},
abstractNote = {An ultrasonic thickness measuring and imaging system uses an ultrasonic fsed beam probe for measuring thickness of an object, such as a wall of a tube, a computer for controlling movement of the probe in a scanning pattern within the tube and processing an analog signal produced by the probe which is proportional to the tube wall thickness in the scanning pattern, and a line scan recorder for producing a record of the tube wall thicknesses measured by the probe in the scanning pattern. The probe is moved in the scanning pattern to sequentially scan circumferentially the interior tube wall at spaced apart adjacent axial locations. The computer processes the analog signal by converting it to a digital signal and then quantifies the digital signal into a multiplicity of thickness points with each falling in one of a plurality of thickness ranges corresponding to one of a plurality of shades of grey. From the multiplicity of quantified thickness points, a line scan recorder connected to the computer generates a pictorial map of tube wall thicknesses with each quantified thickness point thus being obtained from a minute area, e.g. 0.010 inch by 0.010 inch, of tube wall and representing one pixel of the pictorial map. In the pictorial map of tube wall thicknesses, the pixels represent different wall thicknesses having different shades of grey.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {1992},
month = {8}
}