APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR INSPECTION OF PIPES AND TUBES USING GUIDED WAVE PROBE

摘要

An apparatus and method for directing ultrasonic and magnetostrictively generated mechanical waves from an exterior point to an interior point within a small diameter tube, pipe, or cylindrical structure. The present invention incorporates an external mechanism for generating waves in a cylindrical waveguide tube gun (10) of a size small enough for insertion into the target tube (24) and configured so as to maintain mechanical contact with an inside diameter of the target tube (24). Standard ultrasonic wave generating devices or magnetostrictive/mechanical wave generating coils (16, 18, 20) are positioned on the waveguide (12) external to the target tube (24) and generate appropriate mechanical waves through the waveguide (12) to a point interior to the target tube (24). A mechanical interface (14) between the waveguide (12) and the inside diameter surface of the tube is positioned and provided at a point within the target tube (24) to transfer both the interrogating waves (36) and the received return signal waves (37) between the target tube (24) and the waveguide (12).