A system and method are provided for inspecting challenging material locations such as holes. The system may include a sensor cartridge (“mandrel”) for hole inspection that has a helical portion to which a sensor array is attached. The radius of the helical portion can be increased or decreased by applying a torque to the helical portion thereby allowing the sensor to be inserted into a hole or pressed against the wall of the hole. A scanner is described to which mandrels can be quickly connected and changed enabling an inspector to quickly switch between different mandrels (e.g., for different holes sizes and sensor configurations). Also disclosed is an inspection procedure and data processing algorithm for performing an inspection. The data processing algorithm utilizes a signature library for enhancing the detection or sizing of features of interest such as cracks. The algorithm and library can account for material edges, various material types.

A contactless odometer system can include a sensor array. The sensor array can include a plurality of sensing elements adjacent to a target surface and configured to receive signals based on a distance separating the sensing element from the adjacent surface and a defect present below the adjacent surface of the target. The system can also include a controller configured to receive the signals from first and second locations within the target and to generate first and second defect maps corresponding to the first and second locations. The controller can identify overlapping portions of first and second defect maps and can determine a translation distance in at least one direction. Related methods of determining a distance traveled by a contactless odometer system are also provided.

A contactless odometer system can include a sensor array. The sensor array can include a plurality of sensing elements adjacent to a target surface and configured to receive signals based on a distance separating the sensing element from the adjacent surface and a defect present below the adjacent surface of the target. The system can also include a controller configured to receive the signals from first and second locations within the target and to generate first and second defect maps corresponding to the first and second locations. The controller can identify overlapping portions of first and second defect maps and can determine a translation distance in at least one direction. Related methods of determining a distance traveled by a contactless odometer system are also provided.

Electromagnetic logging tools are optimized using synthetic logs for the purpose of pre-job planning and accuracy/resolution estimation. One, two and three-dimensional forward modeling are used to generate accurate inspection tool responses. A radial one-dimensional (R1D) electromagnetic forward model is also used to compute an approximate log. By constructing non-linear mapping functions between the R1D model-based log and the 2D model-based log, and mapping the R1D synthetic log using the non-linear mapping functions, a quasi 2D log is computed. The quasi 2D log is processed using model-based inversion, thereby providing estimates of pipe parameters. By analyzing the estimates of pipe parameters, tool performance metrics are obtained and analyze to determine the performance of the tool. The tool parameters are adjusted in order to optimize the performance metrics.

Electromagnetic logging tools are optimized using synthetic logs for the purpose of pre-job planning and accuracy/resolution estimation. One, two and three-dimensional forward modeling are used to generate accurate inspection tool responses. A radial one-dimensional (R1D) electromagnetic forward model is also used to compute an approximate log. By constructing non-linear mapping functions between the R1D model-based log and the 2D model-based log, and mapping the R1D synthetic log using the non-linear mapping functions, a quasi 2D log is computed. The quasi 2D log is processed using model-based inversion, thereby providing estimates of pipe parameters. By analyzing the estimates of pipe parameters, tool performance metrics are obtained and analyze to determine the performance of the tool. The tool parameters are adjusted in order to optimize the performance metrics.

A guide system for repairing turbomachinery includes a housing; a guide tube have a hollow interior for accepting a working tool module; an axial motor for moving the guide tube axially with respect to the housing; a rotational motor for rotating the guide tube with respect to the housing; and an attachment for securing the housing with respect to a turbomachinery casing. A repair kit and method are also provided.

A flaw detector that detects a flaw in a surface layer portion of a three-dimensional multilayer object during production. The flaw detector includes a probe extending in a second direction intersecting a first direction which is a scanning direction. The probe contains a plurality of coil units disposed side by side in the second direction and each of the coil units includes an excitation coil generating an eddy current in the surface layer portion, and a pair of detection coils disposed side by side inside the excitation coil.

A contactless odometer system can include a sensor array. The sensor array can include a plurality of sensing elements adjacent to a target surface and configured to receive signals based on a distance separating the sensing element from the adjacent surface and a defect present below the adjacent surface of the target. The system can also include a controller configured to receive the signals from first and second locations within the target and to generate first and second defect maps corresponding to the first and second locations. The controller can identify overlapping portions of first and second defect maps and can determine a translation distance in at least one direction. Related methods of determining a distance traveled by a contactless odometer system are also provided.

A contactless odometer system can include a sensor array. The sensor array can include a plurality of sensing elements adjacent to a target surface and configured to receive signals based on a distance separating the sensing element from the adjacent surface and a defect present below the adjacent surface of the target. The system can also include a controller configured to receive the signals from first and second locations within the target and to generate first and second defect maps corresponding to the first and second locations. The controller can identify overlapping portions of first and second defect maps and can determine a translation distance in at least one direction. Related methods of determining a distance traveled by a contactless odometer system are also provided.

A probe 100 includes exciter units 102 arranged in an array and detector units 104 and 106, also arranged in arrays, with the arrays positioned proximal to and in the shape of the exterior circumference of an individual boiler tube 108. The detector units 104 are “absolute” coil detectors which are used to detect and quantify general wall loss, for example, resulting from steam impingement erosion. The detectors 106 are differential, axial pairs which are used for detecting pits in the boiler tubers. The exciter units and detector units are mounted in a stainless steel housing 110 of the probe. The housing 110 is shaped to closely match the contour of the boiler tube 108. The probe can be moved along the boiler tubes by hand to inspect the flame side of boiler tubes, one at a time. Wheels 112 are provided to roll the probe along the boiler tubes.