US 12,467,905 B2
In-line inspection and crack detection
Petrus Wilem Van Andel, Zevenaar (NL); Robert Victor De Lorenzo, Seattle, WA (US); and Paul Manzak, Stafford, TX (US)
Assigned to QUEST INTEGRITY USA, LLC, Houston, TX (US)
Appl. No. 18/717,055
Filed by Quest Integrity USA, LLC, Houston, TX (US)
PCT Filed Dec. 15, 2022, PCT No. PCT/US2022/053047
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jun. 6, 2024,
PCT Pub. No. WO2023/114424, PCT Pub. Date Jun. 22, 2023.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/290,219, filed on Dec. 16, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2024/0418678 A1, Dec. 19, 2024
Int. Cl. G01N 29/04 (2006.01); G01M 3/00 (2006.01); G01N 29/07 (2006.01); G01N 29/22 (2006.01); G01N 29/265 (2006.01)
CPC G01N 29/043 (2013.01) [G01N 29/07 (2013.01); G01N 29/225 (2013.01); G01N 29/265 (2013.01); G01M 3/005 (2013.01); G01N 2291/011 (2013.01); G01N 2291/0289 (2013.01); G01N 2291/0422 (2013.01); G01N 2291/106 (2013.01); G01N 2291/2636 (2013.01)] 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of in-service inspection for defects of tubular elements, comprising:
providing an inspection tool with a plurality of ultrasonic transducer elements arranged circumferentially;
positioning the inspection tool on a pig;
flowing the pig and the inspection tool along an interior of the tubular element; operating the plurality of ultrasonic transducer elements to provide a focused ultrasonic beam; and
using reflections of the focused ultrasonic beam to determine the presence of one or more cracks in the tubular element,
wherein providing comprises providing a conical transducer ring with the plurality of ultrasonic transducer elements arranged circumferentially about the conical transducer ring, and
wherein providing comprises providing a plurality of the conical transducer rings so as to form the inspection tool as a tandem transducer ring inspection tool.