阅读说明：本技术 避免红外反射的系统和方法 (System and method for avoiding infrared reflection ) 是由 B.帕罗特 于 2018-11-21 设计创作，主要内容包括：一种用于保护被检查结构免受外部红外发射的方法,包括使用保护片屏蔽被检查结构,以阻挡来自外部红外辐射源的红外发射到达被检查结构；使用至少一个支撑件定位至少一个保护片,以阻挡来自外部辐射源的最大量的辐射；和使用红外摄像机捕获来自被检查结构的红外辐射。(A method for protecting a structure under inspection from external infrared emissions, comprising shielding the structure under inspection with a protective sheet to block infrared emissions from an external infrared radiation source from reaching the structure under inspection; positioning at least one protective sheet using at least one support to block a maximum amount of radiation from an external radiation source; and capturing infrared radiation from the structure under inspection using an infrared camera.)

1. A method for protecting an inspected structure from external infrared emissions, comprising:

shielding the inspected structure with a protective sheet to block infrared emissions from an external infrared radiation source from reaching the inspected structure;

positioning the protective sheet using at least one support to block an amount of radiation from the external radiation source; and

capturing infrared radiation from the structure under inspection using an infrared camera;

monitoring an amount of infrared radiation from the external radiation source using images captured using the camera; and

repeating the positioning step until a minimum amount of infrared radiation is received from the external radiation source.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the external radiation source is a ground surface below the inspection structure and the protective sheet is located above the ground surface and below the structure under inspection.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a plurality of protective sheets to protect the structure from ground emissions and providing a protective sheet to protect the structure from emissions from another heated object in the vicinity of the structure.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a plurality of protective sheets to completely surround the structure under inspection except for a small opening for an aperture of the infrared camera.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the protective sheet comprises an infrared-reflecting layer positioned to face the infrared radiation source, a diffusing fabric layer positioned to face the structure under inspection, and an insulating layer between the infrared-reflecting layer and the diffusing fabric layer.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the infrared reflective layer is made of biaxially oriented polyethylene terephthalate.

7. A system for protecting a structure under inspection from external infrared emissions, comprising:

an infrared camera positioned to capture infrared radiation from the structure under inspection;

a protective sheet positioned to block infrared emissions from an external infrared radiation source from reaching the structure under inspection; and

at least one support member coupled to the protective sheet, wherein the support member secures and orients the protective sheet in the position to prevent a maximum amount of radiation from the external radiation source.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the external radiation source is a floor below the inspection structure and the protective sheet is located above the floor and below the structure under inspection.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the protective sheet is suspended above the ground surface using at least one spacer.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the protective sheet comprises a protective sheet layer configured to protect the structure from ground emission; and a protective sheet arranged to protect the structure from emission from another heated object in the vicinity of the structure, wherein at least one sheet layer is composed of a different material than another sheet layer.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising an additional protective sheet for protecting infrared light from sunlight.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the protective sheet comprises an infrared-reflecting layer positioned to face the infrared radiation source, a diffusing fabric layer positioned to face the structure under inspection, and an insulating layer between the infrared-reflecting layer and the diffusing fabric layer.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the infrared reflective layer is made of biaxially oriented polyethylene terephthalate.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the layers of the protective sheet are attached to one another at one or more locations, and wherein the protective sheet further comprises a grommet that extends through and attaches the layers.

15. The system of claim 7, further comprising a plurality of protective sheets completely surrounding the structure under inspection, the protective sheets having an opening for an aperture of the infrared camera.

16. The system of claim 7, further comprising a grip configured to simultaneously engage the protective sheet and the support, wherein the grip holds the protective sheet in the orientation and the position.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to monitoring corrosion using infrared radiation capture, and in particular, to a system and method for protecting a monitored structure from an external source of infrared radiation, such that an accurate measurement of the infrared radiation emitted by the structure can be obtained.

Background

In the oil and gas industry, infrastructure corrosion (e.g., pipe corrosion) is a major problem that contributes to significant costs. Since both the pipe and the vessel are typically covered with an insulating or covering layer, such as an aluminum cladding, Corrosion (CUI) that occurs under the insulating layer is not visible in a visual inspection and other non-visual monitoring methods are needed to determine whether corrosion is present. Infrared inspection is a promising technique for monitoring CUI because infrared radiation corresponding to internal temperature differences can pass through the insulating layer and can be detected using an infrared camera. The temperature difference obtained indicates water accumulation and CUI.

It has been found that although infrared-based monitoring can accurately determine whether CUI is present in the structure under test, infrared-based monitoring is sensitive to interfering radiation outside the structure under test. For example, a significant amount of radiation interference may come from heated objects in the inspected structural area, such as nearby concrete and asphalt. The infrared radiation emitted by these sources is typically reflected by the aluminum cladding used on the pipe. These reflections can be very significant compared to radiation emitted from the structure under inspection through the aluminum cladding. This unwanted radiation makes it more difficult to obtain the sometimes subtle temperature differences that show CUI.

Accordingly, there is a need for a system and method that reduces such extraneous radiation so that the benefits of infrared-based CUI inspection can be more fully realized.

Disclosure of Invention

Embodiments of the present invention provide a method for protecting an inspected structure from external infrared emissions. The method comprises the following steps: shielding the inspected structure with a protective sheet to prevent infrared emissions from an external infrared radiation source from reaching the inspected structure; positioning the protective sheet using at least one support to block a maximum amount of radiation from an external radiation source; capturing infrared radiation from the structure under inspection using an infrared camera; monitoring an amount of infrared radiation from an external radiation source using an image captured by a thermal imager; and repeating the positioning step until a minimum amount of infrared radiation is received from the external radiation source.

In some embodiments, the external radiation source is a floor surface below the structure under inspection, and the protective sheet is located on or above the floor surface and below the structure under inspection.

Certain embodiments of the inventive method further comprise providing a plurality of protective sheets to protect the structure from ground emission, and at least one protective sheet to protect the structure from emission from another heated object in the vicinity of the structure. In other embodiments, the method further comprises providing a plurality of protective sheets to completely surround the structure under inspection, except for a small opening for an aperture of the infrared camera.

In some embodiments, the protective sheet includes an infrared-reflecting layer positioned to face the source of infrared radiation, a diffusing fabric layer positioned to face the structure being inspected, and a barrier layer positioned between the infrared-reflecting layer and the diffusing fabric layer. The infrared reflecting layer may be made of Mylar (Mylar).

Embodiments of the present invention also provide a system for protecting a structure under inspection from external infrared emissions. The system includes an infrared camera positioned to capture infrared radiation from a structure under inspection; a protective sheet positioned to prevent infrared emissions from an external infrared radiation source from reaching the structure under inspection; and at least one support member coupled to the protective sheet, wherein the support member secures and orients the protective sheet in the position to prevent a maximum amount of radiation from the external radiation source. In some embodiments, the plurality of protective sheets completely surround the structure under inspection and have an opening for an aperture of an infrared camera.

In some embodiments, the external radiation source is a floor surface below the structure under inspection, and the at least one protective sheet is located above the floor surface and below the structure under inspection. The protective sheet may be suspended above the ground surface using at least one spacer. This helps prevent conductive heat transfer between the floor and the sheet, thereby minimizing the likelihood that the sheet will be a significant source of infrared radiation.

The system according to the present invention may further comprise a plurality of protective sheets arranged to protect the structure from ground emission, and at least one protective sheet arranged to protect the structure from emission from another heated object in the vicinity of the structure. The system may further comprise an additional protective sheet for protecting the infrared rays from sunlight.

In certain embodiments, the protective sheet includes an infrared-reflecting layer positioned to face the source of infrared radiation, a diffusing fabric layer positioned to face the structure being inspected, and a barrier layer positioned between the infrared-reflecting layer and the diffusing fabric layer. The infrared reflecting layer may be made of Mylar (Mylar).

These and other features may be understood by the accompanying description of certain embodiments of the invention, which is discussed in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an inspected structure (a pipe in the example shown) subject to infrared reflection from an external source according to the prior art.

Fig. 2 is a schematic perspective view of an inspected structure similar to the structure shown in fig. 1, which is protected from external infrared radiation according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a side view of the arrangement of a system for protecting a structure under examination from external radiation according to the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a side view of another arrangement of a system for protecting a structure under examination from external radiation according to the present invention.

Fig. 5 is a side view of yet another arrangement of a system for protecting a structure under examination from external radiation according to the present invention.

Fig. 6 is a side view of yet another arrangement of a system for protecting a structure under examination from external radiation according to the present invention.

Fig. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a material for blocking infrared radiation according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

Nondestructive testing of sub-insulation Corrosion (CUI) in the field (i.e., without removing the insulation or disassembling the structure) can be challenging. Infrared thermal imaging techniques are a promising technique for detecting CUI because structural regions containing corrosion and/or moisture respond to external heating at a different rate than surrounding non-corrosive materials. This heating differential produces a temperature differential and a different infrared emission pattern. Since infrared radiation can penetrate the structural insulation and/or cladding, an infrared camera can be used to detect temperature differences. However, since the differences may be slight, it is important that the radiation captured by the infrared camera accurately reflect only the infrared radiation emanating from the focal region, and not the excess infrared radiation received from other sources. It is therefore important to protect the focal region and possibly also the infrared camera itself from such external infrared radiation in order to achieve an accurate CUI detection.

FIG. 1 shows an exemplary structure under study that is exposed to infrared radiation from an external source, which can interfere with infrared imaging. The structure 100, in this case a hollow tube, includes an imaging region 110 that will be subjected to CUI inspection by an infrared imaging device (not shown in fig. 1, but understood to be in front of the illustrated view). The surface of the structure 100 may comprise an aluminum cladding or another material that is reflective to infrared radiation. The structure 100 is suspended above the ground 120 by supports 122, 124. The ground 120 may comprise concrete or similar material that emits substantial amounts of infrared radiation even at ambient temperatures. Accordingly, the ground 120 may serve as a source of infrared radiation, a portion of which is directed toward the structure 100 and reflected from the structural cladding. The shaded area 130 at the bottom of the structure represents the area from which infrared radiation from the ground 120 is reflected to the viewing camera. Radiation reflected from region 130 may overwhelm radiation associated with CUI emanating from the structure and mask any CUI present.

Fig. 2 shows a similar exemplary structure under investigation. In this example, the protective sheet 150 is positioned above the floor 120 below the structure 110. The protective sheet 150 is made of a non-emissive material that prevents infrared radiation emitted from the floor 120 from reaching the structure 130. As shown, the portion 140 on the bottom of the structure 100 directly above the protective sheet is not shaded, indicating that this portion is not exposed to infrared radiation from the ground and therefore does not reflect such radiation. Thus, in the example shown, protective sheet 150 functions to remove a source of significant external infrared radiation that may confound CUI detection. In some embodiments, to prevent the protective sheet from becoming heated due to contact with the ground surface and thus becoming a source of infrared radiation, spacer pieces 152, 154 may be placed under the protective sheet 150 to prevent direct contact and conductive heat transfer between the ground surface and the protective sheet. The dimensions of the protective sheet 150 shown in fig. 2 are merely illustrative, and in practical embodiments, the protective sheet may be as large as necessary to protect the structure from ground radiation that radiates at an angle to the surface (i.e., radiation that radiates at a different angle than directly or normal to the surface of the structure).

Fig. 3 is a side view of an exemplary arrangement 200 for protecting a structure under inspection from external infrared radiation according to the present invention. In the arrangement 200, an infrared camera 205 is oriented so as to capture infrared radiation emitted from a structure 210, which in the illustrated example is a tube. A set of horizontally spaced supports 222, 224, 226, 228 are mounted on the ground 220 below the structure 210 being inspected. A first protective sheet 232 extends between the supports 222 and 224, a second protective sheet 234 extends between the supports 224 and 226, and a third protective sheet 236 extends between the supports 226 and 228. As shown, the protective sheets 232, 236 are oriented at an angle relative to horizontal to better protect the structure from infrared radiation emitted from the ground toward the structure at the angle indicated by the dashed arrow. Protective sheet 234 is oriented horizontally to cover the entire area directly beneath the structure. Together, the supports 222, 224, 226, 228 and protective sheets 232, 234, 236 completely protect the structure from infrared radiation from ground sources. Although the support is shown as having a linear and/or cylindrical shape, the support may have other shapes and may include flares and flanges for connecting materials, without limitation. The support is made of a non-infrared emitting material, such as aluminum. The protective sheet, e.g., 232, may be secured to the support member, e.g., 222, by a gripping member 235, such as a clip, elastic, or other similar securing device. In addition, the protective sheet may include grommets so that the sheet may be easily secured to other structures.

In some field applications, the ground is not the only object that can emit infrared radiation toward the structure under inspection. Fig. 4 is a side view of another arrangement of a system for protecting a structure under inspection from an additional infrared radiation source. In arrangement 300, infrared camera 305 is similarly oriented to capture infrared light emanating from structure 310. In this example, the sun and nearby heated objects 340 (e.g., walls) are additional sources of infrared radiation, except for the ground 320. In this arrangement, several supports and protective sheets are placed to prevent these sources from reaching the camera 205 or structure 210. For example, a camera support 321 and an additional support 322 that fix the position of the infrared camera relative to the structure 210 are coupled to a protective sheet 331 that extends between the supports and is angled to protect the infrared camera 205 and the structure 210 from excessive exposure to sunlight, which may negatively impact the accuracy of the infrared detection. The protective tiles 332, 333, and 334 extending from the respective pair of supports 323/324, 324/325, and 325/326 protect the structure from ground level infrared emissions in a configuration similar to that shown in fig. 3. Another protective sheet 335 extends between support members 326 and 327, which are located at the most distal end of camera 305. The protective sheet 335 blocks infrared radiation emitted from the heated object 340.

Fig. 5 shows another arrangement in which the protective sheet completely surrounds the structure under inspection to further ensure that little external infrared radiation reaches the structure under inspection. In relevant part, in arrangement 400, a top protective sheet 431 extends between the proximal-most and distal supports over the structure under inspection. A protective sheet 432 extends between the camera 405 and the top protective sheet 431 and another protective sheet 433 extends between the camera and the lower support. In this configuration, sunlight is prevented from reaching the structure under inspection directly, and radiation from other sources of infrared radiation, including the ground and heated objects, similarly cannot reach the structure under inspection directly. In the depicted embodiment, a portion of the camera 405 is within an interior space enclosed by the protective sheet. In some cases, the camera itself may be a source of infrared radiation. For example, components of the camera may become heated, and such heated areas may emit infrared radiation that is then reflected onto the sensor. In the arrangement shown in fig. 5, the penetration of the camera through the protective sheet is minimized to include only openings that are capable of allowing infrared radiation to enter the camera lens while preventing infrared light from penetrating the camera lens.

Fig. 6 shows another arrangement similar to that shown in fig. 5, in which fig. 6 the structure under inspection is also surrounded by a plurality of protective sheets. In this embodiment, the camera 505 is positioned entirely within the space defined by the protective sheet. Therefore, additional steps are taken so that the radiation generated by the infrared camera 505 itself does not reach the camera's sensors. In the depicted embodiment, additional protection is provided by additional protection structures 507, 508, which additional protection structures 507, 508 are located on either side of the aperture of the infrared camera, which prevent extraneous radiation from reaching the infrared sensor of the camera.

An infrared camera may be used to detect when the arrangement of protective sheets is effective to block infrared reflections. In some embodiments, as the protective sheet is iteratively moved to different positions (e.g., manually), an observer may use a camera at each iteration to monitor whether the current position of the protective sheet sufficiently blocks and minimizes infrared reflections until an arrangement has been achieved that reduces infrared reflections to a satisfactory level. If the protective sheet used is found to be unable to sufficiently minimize infrared reflection, additional protective sheets may be added until sufficient minimization occurs.

The composition and structure of the protective sheet can be implemented in a number of different forms. The protective sheet may be made in whole or in part of infrared reflective materials (i.e., materials that are poor infrared absorbers and emitters). In a simple embodiment, the protective sheet may be made of aluminum or other infrared reflective metal. Alternatively, the protective sheet may be layered in the form of a metallized polyester film "space blanket" (the polyester film is biaxially oriented polyethylene terephthalate). Most preferably, the protective sheet is infrared-reflective on the outside to block incident infrared radiation, and infrared-absorbing on the inside (facing the structure under inspection) to prevent infrared radiation from reflecting towards the structure under inspection. For example, in a protective sheet made of a metallized mylar sheet, a metal layer may be used on the side facing the exterior, while a polymeric material may be used on the opposite side.

Fig. 7 is a schematic view of the composition of one embodiment of a protective sheet according to the present invention. The protective sheet includes a metal film or layer 702, a plastic layer coupled to the metal film, and a diffusive textile (e.g., fleece) backing layer 706. The backing layer 706 can have a diffuse texture and preferably has a low infrared reflectance and a low specific heat so that there is little internal energy to generate infrared radiation. Diffusion of the backing layer also reduces the intensity of any internally generated infrared radiation and produces diffuse reflection. The protective sheet also includes one or more grommets, such as 710, to allow the sheet to be conveniently attached to other structures. Grommets may secure the various layers of the protective sheet together. Alternatively, the protective sheet may be formed as a unitary structure.

Enhancement may include adding materials and coatings to minimize emissions. A barrier layer may also be added to ensure that the surface of the protective sheet facing the structure being inspected remains as cool as possible. A nanostructure layer that prevents infrared inspection techniques from emitting infrared radiation of a particular wavelength may be provided. Alternatively, the material can be nanostructured to limit emission to a narrow bandwidth of low interest for analysis of the structure of interest; this limited bandwidth can then be filtered out of the image.

In some embodiments, the surface of the sheet facing the object to be inspected may have a pattern or set of layers of nanostructures that shift the emission of black body radiation towards visible light or further towards lower wavelengths of light, so that the black body radiation of the sheet itself does not fall significantly within the infrared spectral range measured with the camera, thus preventing the sheet from generating destructive infrared radiation towards the object when the sheet is heated. These layers may shift the emitted wavelength due to high absorption in the infrared spectrum and high emission in the visible or sub-infrared spectrum, thereby shifting some of the emitted light out of the measured infrared spectrum. This may replace the diffusing fabric layer in some cases if it is determined to be advantageous. However, some reflectivity problems may be encountered and therefore it may be best to use where the sheet almost completely surrounds the object.

It should be noted that after the protective sheet is deployed, it may be advisable to include a wait time before collecting or analyzing the infrared measurements to allow the structure under inspection to reach thermal equilibrium. The amount of time may depend on the material properties of the structure, the heat dissipation path, and the level of IR radiation that has been exposed thereto, among other things. An infrared camera may be used to monitor the structure to determine when a sufficient level of equilibrium has been reached.

It is to be understood that any structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting the system and method, but are provided as representative embodiments and/or arrangements for teaching one skilled in the art one or more ways to practice the method.

It should be further understood that throughout the several drawings, like numerals indicate like elements and that not all of the components and/or steps described and illustrated with reference to the drawings are required for all embodiments or arrangements

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "comprises" and "comprising," when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

The directional terminology used herein is used for purposes of convention and reference only and is not to be construed as limiting. However, it should be recognized that these terms may be used with reference to a viewer. No limitation is therefore implied or inferred.

Also, the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of "including," "comprising," or "having," "containing," "involving," and variations thereof herein, is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items.

While the invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications will be appreciated by those skilled in the art to adapt a particular instrument, situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.