PROCESS OF INTRAPIPE ULTRASONIC CONTROL Russian patent published in 2003 - IPC

FIELD: ultrasonic flaw detection in pipe-lines of long extent. SUBSTANCE: process can be employed to detect and identify defects in oil, oil product and gas mains. Increase in length of section of pipe-line examined in one diagnostic run is achieved thanks to passage of inspection tool carrying ultrasonic sensors, aids measuring, processing and storing measurement data inside pipe-line. Sounding ultrasonic pulses are emitted in process of passage and reflected ultrasonic pulses corresponding to mentioned sounding pulses are received with the help of ultrasonic sensors, electric pulses from sensors corresponding to received ultrasonic pulses are amplified, amplitude values of electric pulses are converted to digital form and measurement data are stored. Amplitude of signal from ultrasonic sensor is measured prior to reception of reflected ultrasonic pulses. Range of analog-to-digital conversion of amplitude values of electric pulses corresponding to received ultrasonic pulses is set as function of above-mentioned measured amplitude. EFFECT: increased length of section of pipe-line examined in one diagnostic run. 23 cl, 8 dwg