JP3145647B2 - Inspection signal recording device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an inspection signal recording apparatus in which a tubular structure such as various plants is used for nondestructive inspection from inside.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional inspection signal recording apparatus for recording an inspection result in a non-destructive inspection from the inside of a tubular inspection object of various plants or the like is configured as shown in FIG. ing. The above-described inspection apparatus performs an inspection on a tubular inspection target 1 while measuring the sensor at a predetermined measurement pitch in the turning direction while scanning the sensor spirally at a constant speed.

That is, a scanning jig 2 including an inspection sensor 3 that can rotate and move in the axial direction is inserted into a tube-shaped inspection target 1 to perform an inspection from the inside thereof. A driving signal is output from the driving device 21 to the scanning jig 2. The scanning jig 2 moves the sensor 3 according to a driving signal from the scanning jig driving device 21 and
Is output to the scanning jig driving device 21. The scanning jig driving device 21 determines the position of the sensor 3 by using the scanning jig controlling device 22.
And the control signal from the scanning jig controller 22 controls the moving speed and stops and restarts the moving. The scanning jig control device 22 outputs a measurement trigger signal based on a position signal from the scanning jig driving device 21 based on a preset scanning pitch, and outputs the measurement trigger signal from the recording end monitoring device 23 in the inspection signal recording device unit 6. , The control signal of the movement speed is outputted to the scanning jig driving device 21 including the stop of the movement of the sensor 3. The inspection signal recording device section 6 includes an A / D (analog / digital) conversion device 8, a buffer memory 9, and a recording device 10 in addition to the recording end monitoring device 23.

[0004] Even if the sensor 3 moves and reaches the position to be measured, if the recording of the inspection signal is not completed, the scanning jig controller 22 keeps the sensor 3 stopped at that position and performs the inspection. It will wait for the end of signal recording. Normally,
Since the test recording time is longer than the test signal measurement time,
In consideration of these times, the inspection is performed by sufficiently lowering the moving speed of the sensor 3.

A trigger signal is sent from the scanning jig controller 22 to the inspection and measurement device 11. The inspection and measurement device 11 drives the sensor 3 in response to a trigger signal from the scanning jig control device 22, and outputs an obtained inspection signal (analog data) and a trigger signal synchronized with the driving of the sensor 3 to A / A.
Output to the D conversion device 8. The A / D converter 8 converts an analog test signal from the test and measurement device 11 into a digital signal, and records the digital signal in the buffer memory 9 as it is. Usually, the inspection signal is compared with the recording speed of a general recording device,
Since data is collected at a higher speed, the data is temporarily recorded in the buffer memory 9 capable of recording at a higher speed. The buffer memory 9 outputs the recorded digital signal to a recording device 10 such as a magnetic recording medium. This recording device 10
Re-records the digital signal from the buffer memory 9 on a portable or storable recording medium, and outputs a recording end signal of the inspection data to the recording end monitoring device 23. The recording end monitoring device 23 receives the measurement start trigger signal from the scanning jig control device 22, recognizes the start of the inspection, receives the recording end signal from the recording device 10, and performs a series of inspection measurement recording operations. It is determined that the inspection has been completed, and an inspection-recording end signal is output to the scanning jig controller 22.

In this manner, inspection, measurement, and recording are performed for each measurement point to be inspected and measured, and moving to the next measurement point is performed over the entire inspection range while confirming the end of recording. Therefore, normally, the inspection measurement is performed at the moving speed of the sensor corresponding to the maximum value of the inspection time per one measurement point.

[0007]

In the conventional inspection signal recording apparatus, the moving speed in the turning and circumferential directions is determined by the inspection time obtained by adding the measurement time for the inspection and the recording time of the inspection data. Therefore, when a change due to time at one measurement point is taken in as inspection signal data as in the case of ultrasonic flaw detection or the like, the recording time of inspection data increases as the data amount increases, in addition to the measurement time. Here, since the measurement time is a signal change within a short time for the measurement object, the measurement time does not increase so much even if the measurement data amount increases, but the recording time increases at least in proportion to the data amount, and one measurement The recording time per point may be 10 to 20 times the measurement time per measurement point.

As described above, as the measurement data at one measurement point increases, the recording time per one measurement point increases, so that the recording speed becomes slower than the moving speed of the sensor. Therefore, it is necessary to control the sensor movement speed at a low speed including the stop of the movement. In addition, when the sensor is moved at a low speed, depending on the change in friction due to the contact state between the sensor and the subject, not only from the restriction of the inspection time,
The sensor may stop.

However, the force required to move the sensor from the stopped state is generally larger than the force required to move the sensor at a certain speed at a certain low speed.
Since the difference between the values is large, a complicated control mechanism is required and a highly accurate driving device or control device is required for smooth movement by control such as transition from a stopped state to a moving state. Further, the measurement pitch could not be made much smaller than the limit value of the low-speed control at the sensor moving speed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and can reduce the entire inspection time by making the moving speed of the sensor in the inspection at least twice or more than that of the conventional one, and further increase the measurement pitch in the turning direction. It is an object of the present invention to provide an inspection signal recording device that can be set finely.

[0011]

An inspection signal recording apparatus according to the present invention is an inspection apparatus for inspecting a tubular inspection object by a sensor from the inside, wherein the sensor is turned and axially moved, and A scanning jig that makes two rotations with respect to an axial scanning pitch, a scanning jig driving device that drives the scanning jig, and a position monitoring device that monitors a position signal of a sensor from the scanning jig and controls measurement timing. When,
An inspection / measurement device that drives the sensor at the measurement timing from the position monitoring device to perform measurement, and an analog / digital converter that converts a measurement signal from the inspection / measurement device into a digital signal.
A digital conversion device, a buffer memory for temporarily recording the digital signal of one rotation converted by the analog-digital conversion device, a recording device for finally recording the digital signal recorded in the buffer memory, A mode switching device for switching connection of the buffer memory to the analog / digital conversion device side and the recording device side according to timing; measurement of an inspection signal and recording of a measurement result for each rotation of the sensor in the turning direction The recording of the inspection measurement signal is continuously performed while switching the switching.

(Operation) In the first rotation of the sensor, the inspection and measurement device collectively performs measurement for one rotation at the inspection measurement pitch in the set turning direction, and outputs the inspection signal as an A / D (analog / analog) signal. After being converted into a digital signal by a (digital) conversion device, it is temporarily stored in a buffer memory.

In the next one rotation, the buffer memory is switched to the recording device by the mode switching device without performing measurement, and the stored inspection measurement data for one rotation is recorded in the recording device. As a result, the inspection measurement data can be recorded to the recording device at a time as a unit for one rotation, and the preparation operation for recording on the recording device and the time for the recording can be performed only once. The inspection time can be shortened as compared with the case where the inspection is performed at the same time, and the inspection time can be shortened as a whole. Similarly, by performing the operation collectively in units of one rotation, it is possible to partially omit the setting of the A / D converter and the setting of the buffer memory even at the time of measurement.

[0014]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the entire configuration of a test signal recording device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, a scanning jig 2 including an inspection sensor 3 capable of turning and moving in an axial direction for performing an inspection on a tube-shaped inspection object 1 from the inside thereof.
And a driving signal is output from the scanning jig driving device 4 to the scanning jig 2. The scanning jig 2 scans the sensor 3 by moving it spirally at a constant speed according to a driving signal from the scanning jig driving device 4 and outputs the position of the sensor 3 to the scanning jig driving device 4. The scanning jig driving device 4 transmits the position of the sensor 3 to the position monitoring device 5 and also makes the sensor 3 rotate twice with respect to the set scanning pitch in the axial direction.
To move. The position monitoring device 5 receives a position signal from the scanning jig 2 via the scanning jig driving device 4, outputs a measurement trigger signal to the inspection and measurement device 11 based on a preset scanning pitch, and outputs the inspection signal. A switching signal is output to a mode switching device 7 in the recording device unit 6. That is, the position monitoring device 5 switches the mode switching device so as to be in an inspection measurement mode in which inspection measurement is performed in the first rotation with respect to the axial scanning pitch, and in a data recording mode in which inspection measurement data is recorded in the next one rotation. 7, a switching signal is output.

The inspection signal recording device section 6 is provided with an A / D converter 8, a buffer memory 9, and a recording device 10. The mode switching device 7 operates in response to a switching signal from the position monitoring device 5 so that the buffer memory 9 is operated. Is connected to the A / D conversion device 8 or the recording device 10 by switching. That is, the mode switching device 7 controls the buffer memory 9 in the inspection measurement mode.
Is connected to the A / D converter 8, and in the data recording mode, the buffer memory 9 is switched and connected to the recording device 10.

In the first rotation, the position monitoring device 5 outputs a measurement trigger signal to the inspection and measurement device 11 based on the scanning pitch in the turning direction. The inspection and measurement device 11 drives the sensor 3 in response to the measurement trigger signal, and outputs the obtained inspection signal (analog data) and a trigger signal synchronized with the driving of the sensor 3 to the A / D conversion device 8. At this time, A /
The D conversion device 8 is connected to the buffer memory 9 by the mode switching device 7, converts the analog inspection signal from the inspection measurement device 11 into a digital signal, and sequentially stores the inspection measurement data for one rotation in the buffer memory 9 as it is. Record. Normally, the inspection signal is recorded at a higher speed than the recording speed of a general recording device, so that it is temporarily recorded in a buffer memory 9 capable of recording at a high speed.

In the next rotation of the sensor 3, the position monitoring device 5 outputs a mode switching signal to the mode switching device 7, designates a data recording mode, and switches and connects the buffer memory 9 to the recording device 10. .

The buffer memory 9 outputs the recorded digital inspection signal for one rotation to the recording device 10 such as a magnetic recording medium. The recording device 10 re-records the digital signal from the buffer memory 9 on a portable or storable recording medium.

The above-described processing is repeated for each scanning pitch in the magnetic direction, and the inspection measurement data is recorded continuously. The time per rotation of the sensor 3 is equal to or longer than the sum of twice the mode switching time and the time required to transfer the inspection measurement data for one rotation from the buffer memory 9 to the recording device 10.

The switching signal from the inspection measurement data recording mode to the inspection measurement mode of the position monitoring device 5 monitors the turning direction position signal and outputs it earlier by the switching time. With the above configuration, regarding the axial direction,
It is to be moved at a half pitch of the set inspection measurement pitch, and the turning direction is 2 with respect to the axial inspection measurement pitch.
The scanning movement of the sensor 3 can be performed so as to rotate.

In the first rotation, the inspection / measurement device 11 collectively performs measurement for one rotation at the set inspection measurement pitch in the turning direction, and the resulting inspection signal data is digitally converted by the A / D converter 8. After conversion into a signal, the signal is temporarily stored in the buffer memory 9.

In the next one revolution, the buffer memory 9 is switched to the recording device 10 by the mode switching device 7 without measuring, and the stored inspection measurement data for one revolution is recorded in the recording device 10.

As a result, the inspection measurement data can be recorded as a unit for one rotation at a time in the recording device, so that the preparation operation for recording in the recording device 10 and the time for the operation can be performed only once. This makes it possible to shorten the inspection time as compared with the case where the inspection measurement data is performed for each inspection measurement data, so that the inspection time can be shortened as a whole. Similarly, by performing the operation collectively in units of one rotation, it is possible to partially omit the setting of the A / D converter 8 and the setting of the buffer memory 9 even at the time of measurement. FIG. 2 shows the case where the recording is performed by one inspection signal at a time.
The comparison of the processing time in the case where the capture recording is performed in the unit of the inspection signal for one rotation (n) is shown. FIG. 2A shows a process in the case where the acquisition and recording are performed one inspection signal at a time, where Ta is the inspection signal acquisition time and Tb is the inspection signal recording time. FIG.
(B) shows the processing when the recording is performed in units of the inspection signal for one rotation (n), where Tc is the inspection signal acquisition time and Td is the inspection signal recording time. FIG. 2 (a),
In (b), Tc ≦ Ta × n Td ≦ Tb × n. In other words, the test signal acquisition time includes the processing time for the internal setting of the test measurement device 11 and the initialization of the buffer memory 9, so that when processing n test signals collectively, it is simply multiplied by n. But shorter time. Similarly, for the recording of the inspection signal, the recording device 1
The processing time of internal setting for data transfer of 0 and the buffer memory 9 is shorter when n pieces of test measurement data are combined than when n pieces of test measurement data are used alone. .

The amount of movement of the sensor 3 is the same in the axial direction as in the prior art, but the amount of movement in the turning direction is the same as in the prior art.
Since the distance becomes twice as long and the recording time and the inspection time can be shortened, the moving speed in the turning direction can be twice or more for the same measurement, and the burden due to the low speed control of the moving speed can be reduced.

Further, by making the buffer memory 9 a sufficient memory capacity and providing a sufficient amount of inspection measurement data for one rotation, the moving speed of the sensor can be further increased. It is possible to take the inspection measurement pitch more finely.

[0027]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, the moving speed of the sensor in the inspection can be at least twice or more, so that the entire inspection time can be shortened and the movement control becomes easy. Further, since the moving speed of the sensor can be set faster, the inspection measurement pitch in the turning direction can be set more finely.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an overall configuration of a test signal recording device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a relationship between measurement and recording time in the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the entire configuration of a conventional test signal recording device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 inspection target 2 scanning jig 3 sensor 4 scanning jig driving device 5 position monitoring device 6 inspection signal recording device section 7 mode switching device 8 A / D conversion device 9 buffer memory 10 recording device 11 inspection measurement device

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. An inspection apparatus for inspecting a tubular inspection object from the inside with a sensor, comprising: a scanning jig for rotating and moving the sensor in an axial direction and rotating twice with respect to a scanning pitch in an axial direction. A scanning jig driving device that drives the scanning jig, a position monitoring device that monitors a position signal of a sensor from the scanning jig and controls measurement timing, and that the sensor is controlled by the measurement timing from the position monitoring device. An inspection and measurement device for driving and measuring; an analog / digital conversion device for converting a measurement signal from the inspection and measurement device into a digital signal; and a digital signal for one rotation converted by the analog-to-digital conversion device. A buffer memory for recording; a recording device for finally recording the digital signal recorded in the buffer memory; A mode switching device for switching the connection of the buffer memory to the analog / digital conversion device side and the recording device side, and switches between the measurement of the inspection signal and the recording of the measurement result for each rotation of the sensor in the turning direction. An inspection signal recording device which continuously records an inspection measurement signal while recording.