Patent ID: 8544329
Filing Date: 2013-10-01
Classification: B06B,G01N

Abstract:
1. An ultrasonic testing method comprising the steps of: arranging an ultrasonic probe having a plurality of transducers arranged along an annular curved surface obtained by cutting a predetermined spheroid with two parallel planes facing to each other that do not pass through the center of the spheroid and do not sandwich the center of the spheroid, the two parallel planes being orthogonal to a rotational axis of the spheroid, so as to face a tubular test object so that a longer axis direction of the annular curved surface is along a longitudinal axial direction of the tubular test object, a shorter axis direction of the annular curved surface is along a circumferential direction of the tubular test object and the center of the spheroid correctly faces to the longitudinal axial center of the tubular test object; causing transducers appropriately selected from the plurality of the transducers to transmit and receive ultrasonic waves so that the ultrasonic waves are propagated in the tubular test object in a plurality of different propagation directions; and displaying ultrasonic testing waveforms received by the selected transducers radially corresponding to the propagation directions of the ultrasonic waves transmitted and received by the selected transducers, wherein the shape of the annular curved surface is determined so that respective external refraction angles of the ultrasonic wave in the plurality of propagation directions are approximately equivalent and/or respective internal refraction angles of the ultrasonic wave in the plurality of propagation directions are approximately equivalent, wherein in the step of displaying the ultrasonic testing waveforms radially, the ultrasonic testing waveforms are displayed radially with a point of time corresponding to an echo on an incident point of the ultrasonic wave to the tubular test object contained in the ultrasonic testing waveform as a beginning point, and circles indicating points of time corresponding to the echoes on the internal surface and/or the external surface of the tubular test object around the beginning point are displayed.