The present invention provides methods and systems for in-line inspection of a pipe using a dynamic pulsed eddy current probe system that includes of a remote computer, a dynamic pulsed eddy current probe, a data acquisition system, and a delivery apparatus used for nondestructive examination of pipelines.

The invention provides a method for compensating the sensitivity variations induced by lift-off variations for an eddy current array probe. The invention uses the eddy current array probe coils in two separate ways to produce a first set of detection channels and a second set of lift-off measurement channels without the need to add coils dedicated to the lift-off measurement operation. Another aspect of the invention provides an improved calibration process which combines the detection and lift-off measurement channel calibration on a simple calibration block including a reference defect without the need of a pre-defined lift-off condition.

An apparatus comprising a heating unit and a support device is disclosed which apparatus is designed to place a controlled amount of heat into a very localized area of a substrate of interest. The substrate of interest here is intended to be a portion of a large structure [such as the portion of a ship]. The heating unit comprises a heat source and the necessary structure to closely control the heat applied to the substrate of interest. The support device supports the heating unit directly over the substrate of interest and permits the system to be secured to one surface of the substrate of interest in a removable and non-destructive manner. The support device has legs which have securing means on the bottom thereof to secure the system to one surface of the substrate of interest in a releasable and non-destructible way.

The mobile non-destructive testing inspection system includes a mobile platform, a robotic arm mounted on the mobile platform, and an end effector for the robotic arm. The end effector includes a non-destructive testing (NDT) probe. As a non-limiting example, the NDT probe may be an eddy current testing probe. The mobile platform may be a robotic mobile platform under external control by a remote operator. The robotic arm is mounted on the mobile platform using a mounting plate, which is secured to an upper surface of the mobile platform, and includes a bracket or the like for attachment to a base of the robotic arm. The end effector is connected to an end connector of the robotic arm. The NDT probe of the end effector may be mounted on a support member, which may be selectively rotatable with respect to the end connector of the robotic arm.

The present invention addresses the problem of checking defects of a rail for a vehicle with a high SN ratio. A detection device (2) for generating check data related to the defects of a railway rail RR (rail for a vehicle) is provided with an oscillating coil C1 (211) and an oscillating coil C2 (211) that are disposed on the surface opposite the railway rail RR and generate AC magnetic fields whose directions are opposite to each other, and a receiving coil (212) that is positioned between or in the vicinity the oscillation coils and that outputs a magnetic field waveform based on the magnetic fields received from the oscillating coils as the check data.

A tube inspection unit (10) includes an eddy current probe (14). The probe (14) has a plurality of inductors and a plurality of receivers. The receivers are magnetoresistances having a substantially linear functional zone. The inductors of the probe (14) are linked to a controller (26). The controller (26) is programmed to inject, into the inductors, a voltage with a sinusoidal component and a nonzero direct-current component, such that the receivers have a polarization center situated inside the substantially linear functional zone.

A rail vehicle includes a truck having wheels for engaging a railroad track, a bolster supported by the truck, and a tank supported by the bolster for storing a lading. A measurement system measures the level of the lading within the tank and includes gauges and a controller. The gauges are disposed at selected points on the bolster for sensing at least one of lateral and longitudinal localized displacement experienced by the bolster during motion of the rail vehicle. The controller calculates the level of the lading within the tank and compensates for changes in the level of the lading during motion of the rail vehicle in response to signals generated by the gauges.

This invention relates to a system for inspecting metal part surfaces, wherein a plurality of geometric profile sensors is spaced and attached to a frame, and a plurality of eddy current sensors are also spaced and attached to the frame facing the metal part surface to be inspected. During the operation of the system, there is a relative longitudinal displacement and, optionally, a relative rotational displacement between the frame and the inspected metal part. The system further includes an electromagnetic signals electronic multiplexing circuit that receives and processes signals obtained in real time from the plurality of geometric profile sensors and eddy current sensors. Furthermore, there is an interpretation and evaluation unit that receives the processed signals from the electronic multiplexing circuit and identifies flaws on the metal part surfaces. The invention also encompasses a method for inspecting at least one segment with a constant geometry on the metal part surfaces using this system, wherein it identifies geometric profile flaws based on the data obtained from the geometric profile sensors and surface flaws based on the data obtained from the eddy current sensors.

Techniques for compensating the sensitivity variations induced by lift-off variations for an eddy current array probe. The techniques use the eddy current array probe coils in two separate ways to produce a first set of detection channels and a second set of lift-off measurement channels without the need to add coils 5 dedicated to the lift-off measurement operation.

An eddy-current flaw detector includes a trace data calculator configured to calculate each coordinate with respect to flaw detection points on which an inspection probe is used upon performing an eddy-current testing based on an inputted condition of eddy-current flaw detection and surface shape data of an inspection-object surface measured by a profilometer, and to calculate a normal vector of each flaw detection point; a gap evaluation calculator configured to acquire an evaluation result on a gap between the inspection-object surface and the inspection probe for each flaw detection point; a flaw detection data collector configured to acquire flaw detection data of an inspection object for each flaw detection point; a flaw detection data analyzer configured to evaluate presence/absence of a flaw in the inspection-object surface based on the flaw detection data of the inspection object and the evaluation result on the gap for each flaw detection point.