Patent ID: 7779693

Claim:
A method for near-real-time nondestructive testing of metal pipes for flaws using ultrasound, comprising the steps of: moving a pipe longitudinally or rotationally, or both, scanning the pipe in a helical pattern with at least one first ultrasound test head disposed near a first surface of the pipe and generating ultrasound waves, measuring with the first ultrasound test head or with a second ultrasound test head a reflected ultrasound wave reflected by a second surface of the pipe or by a flaw disposed in the area proximate to the second surface, generating a continuous analog signal comprising an echo from a rear wall of the pipe, generating a trigger signal, converting the continuous analog signal into a digital signal profile in a time window t 1 to t 2 having k data points, wherein the time t 1 is set to occur after the trigger signal, and the time window t 1 to t 2 includes the electric signal from the ultrasound wave reflected from the second surface of the pipe or the flaw, directly supplying the digital signal pattern to a digital computing unit for performing a wavelet transformation, digitally transmitting the wavelet-transformed signal to a supervisory data processing system and evaluating the filtered signals at the supervisory data processing system, or evaluating the filtered signals at the digital computing unit, and comparing a valuation variable derived from the evaluated filtered signals with a reference value for computing an flaw-based signal, and locating the flaw from the determined flaw-based signal.