Patent ID: 8923478
Filing Date: 2014-12-30
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
1. An x-ray inspection apparatus for inspection of pipeline girth welds in a pipeline having a pipeline wall and comprising a first pipeline section and a second pipeline section, wherein the first pipeline section has an open end and is welded to the second pipeline section by one of said pipeline girth welds; the apparatus comprising: a) a directional x-ray source, wherein the directional x-ray source is radially movable within the pipeline to a desired distance from the pipeline wall, b) means for inserting the directional x-ray source into the open end of the first pipeline section, c) means for alignment of a rotational direction of the x-ray source, d) means for alignment of the directional x-ray source with an external x-ray detector, e) means for rotating the directional x-ray source and the external x-ray detector through 360° substantially co-axially with the pipeline section within which the x-ray source is positioned and substantially in synchronism with each other, f) means for sampling data detected by the x-ray detector, wherein the means for alignment of the directional x-ray source with the external x-ray detector comprises means for rotating the directional x-ray source in clockwise and anti-clockwise directions, and means for determining when the intensity of x-rays detected by the x-ray detector cross a threshold in each direction, such that a rotational position of the x-ray source can be positioned substantially equidistant from the two thresholds.