Patents by Inventor Kayoko Kawata

Kayoko Kawata has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9494558
    Abstract: Noise included in detection signals is distinguished with a simple configuration. Provided is a flaw-detection apparatus (1) including a flaw-detection sensor group (11) in which two flaw-detection sensors (11a and 11b) are arranged substantially in one row in a scanning direction with a distance therebetween and a processing device (15) that detects a defect in an inspection object on the basis of detection signals detected by the individual flaw-detection sensors (11a and 11b), wherein, with regard to the detection signals detected by the flaw-detection sensors (11a and 11b), when signal values detected at substantially a same positional coordinate in the scanning direction are not similar to each other, and, additionally, when signal values measured at a same time are similar to each other, the processing device (15) determines that the detection signals are not defect signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Kayoko Kawata, Masaaki Kurokawa, Masayoshi Higashi, Masaya Takatsugu, Yoshihiro Asada
  • Patent number: 9207211
    Abstract: An object is to improve the precision of estimating a blockage ratio or a deposited-scale thickness. In a deposit measurement apparatus that estimates a blockage ratio of a gap between a wall surface of a through-hole and an outer surface of a heat-conducting pipe or the thickness of a deposit deposited at the gap, an eddy-current flaw detection probe (61) acquires an eddy-current flaw detection signal by scanning inside the heat-conducting pipe with a sensor; and a processing device (62) estimates the blockage ratio at the gap or the thickness of the deposit deposited at the gap by using the eddy-current flaw detection signal for the gap of the pipe-supporting-plate protrusion in the through-hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Kayoko Kawata, Yuko Yamamoto, Masaaki Kurokawa, Masaharu Michihashi, Naoto Kawase
  • Patent number: 9121601
    Abstract: An insertion-hole blockage-rate evaluation system is applied to a heat exchanger that includes a heat transfer tube and a tube support plate having an insertion hole formed therein for inserting the heat transfer tube therethrough. The tube support plate is displayed in a three dimensional manner in an elliptical diagram with a ratio between a long axis and a short axis being in a range from 1.0 to 2.0 inclusive, each of the tube support plates is serially arranged so as not to overlap on each other, and the insertion-hole blockage-rate evaluation system includes an imaging process of color-coding and displaying the diagram displayed in the three-dimensional elliptical shape according to a value of a blockage rate of the insertion hole acquired by checking the blockage rate of the insertion hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Yuji Kohashi, Naoto Kawase, Kayoko Kawata, Takashi Inagaki, Masaharu Michihashi
  • Patent number: 8779762
    Abstract: An inspection device that is capable of inspecting all heat-transfer-tube sealing portions in a steam generator and that is also capable of analyzing a defect shape is provided. An inspection device that employs the eddy-current flaw detection method to inspect the presence/absence of a defect in a welded portion (103) between a tube (101) and a tube plate (102) is provided with a main unit (41) that has a circular-column portion (41A), which is inserted into the tube (101), and a flange portion (41B), which is pressed against the tube plate (102), and that is rotatable with respect to the welded portion (103); a probe (42) that is disposed inside the main unit (41), that can be moved close to and away from the welded portion (103), and that detects a defect in the welded portion (103); and a pressing portion (44) that presses the probe (42) toward the welded portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masayoshi Higashi, Masaaki Kurokawa, Kayoko Kawata
  • Publication number: 20130101153
    Abstract: An insertion-hole blockage-rate evaluation system is applied to a heat exchanger that includes a heat transfer tube and a tube support plate having an insertion hole formed therein for inserting the heat transfer tube therethrough. The tube support plate is displayed in a three dimensional manner in an elliptical diagram with a ratio between a long axis and a short axis being in a range from 1.0 to 2.0 inclusive, each of the tube support plates is serially arranged so as not to overlap on each other, and the insertion-hole blockage-rate evaluation system includes an imaging process of color-coding and displaying the diagram displayed in the three-dimensional elliptical shape according to a value of a blockage rate of the insertion hole acquired by checking the blockage rate of the insertion hole.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2012
    Publication date: April 25, 2013
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Yuji KOHASHI, Naoto KAWASE, Kayoko KAWATA, Takashi INAGAKI, Masaharu MICHIHASHI
  • Publication number: 20120179402
    Abstract: An object is to improve the precision of estimating a blockage ratio or a deposited-scale thickness. In a deposit measurement apparatus that estimates a blockage ratio of a gap between a wall surface of a through-hole and an outer surface of a heat-conducting pipe or the thickness of a deposit deposited at the gap, an eddy-current flaw detection probe (61) acquires an eddy-current flaw detection signal by scanning inside the heat-conducting pipe with a sensor; and a processing device (62) estimates the blockage ratio at the gap or the thickness of the deposit deposited at the gap by using the eddy-current flaw detection signal for the gap of the pipe-supporting-plate protrusion in the through-hole.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2011
    Publication date: July 12, 2012
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Kayoko Kawata, Yuko Yamamoto, Masaaki Kurokawa, Masaharu Michihashi, Naoto Kawase
  • Publication number: 20120123699
    Abstract: Noise included in detection signals is distinguished with a simple configuration. Provided is a flaw-detection apparatus (1) including a flaw-detection sensor group (11) in which two flaw-detection sensors (11a and 11b) are arranged substantially in one row in a scanning direction with a distance therebetween and a processing device (15) that detects a defect in an inspection object on the basis of detection signals detected by the individual flaw-detection sensors (11a and 11b), wherein, with regard to the detection signals detected by the flaw-detection sensors (11a and 11b), when signal values detected at substantially a same positional coordinate in the scanning direction are not similar to each other, and, additionally, when signal values measured at a same time are similar to each other, the processing device (15) determines that the detection signals are not defect signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2010
    Publication date: May 17, 2012
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Kayoko Kawata, Masaaki Kurokawa, Masayoshi Higashi, Masaya Takatsugu, Yoshihiro Asada
  • Publication number: 20120119733
    Abstract: An inspection device that is capable of inspecting all heat-transfer-tube sealing portions in a steam generator and that is also capable of analyzing a defect shape is provided. An inspection device that employs the eddy-current flaw detection method to inspect the presence/absence of a defect in a welded portion (103) between a tube (101) and a tube plate (102) is provided with a main unit (41) that has a circular-column portion (41A), which is inserted into the tube (101), and a flange portion (41B), which is pressed against the tube plate (102), and that is rotatable with respect to the welded portion (103); a probe (42) that is disposed inside the main unit (41), that can be moved close to and away from the welded portion (103), and that detects a defect in the welded portion (103); and a pressing portion (44) that presses the probe (42) toward the welded portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2010
    Publication date: May 17, 2012
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Masayoshi Higashi, Masaaki Kurokawa, Kayoko Kawata
  • Patent number: 6424151
    Abstract: A method for evaluation of an eddy current testing signal is provided. The method includes the steps of generating a feature amount based on a sample eddy current testing signal obtained by measuring a standard specimen, the feature amount including a feature highly correlated to a secondary factor which is other than a depth of the flaw and which affects the waveform of the signal; generating an evaluation parameter by using the feature amount, the evaluation parameter being a parameter for outputting a value with a sufficiently small error relative to correct answer data on the sample eddy current testing signal; and estimating the depth of a flaw, expressed by an actual measurement eddy current testing signal, by use of the evaluation parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2002
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kayoko Kawata, Masaaki Kurokawa, Yoshihiro Asada
  • Patent number: 6370485
    Abstract: A signal processing apparatus includes a 2-dimensional conversion processing section, a 2-dimensional emphasis and attenuation processing section and a 2-dimensional smoothing processing section. The 2-dimensional conversion processing section maps an observation signal in a first coordinate system onto a second coordinate system to output a 2-dimensional converted signal. The observation signal includes a detection object component and a noise component to be attenuated. The noise component is composed of a first noise component and a second noise component. The 2-dimensional emphasis and attenuation processing section attenuates the first noise component to emphasize the detection object component and outputs a 2-dimensional filtered signal in which the detection object component is emphasized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2002
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kayoko Kawata, Shintaro Kumano, Mitsuyoshi Matsumoto
  • Publication number: 20020003421
    Abstract: A method for evaluation of an eddy current testing signal is provided. The method includes the steps of generating a feature amount based on a sample eddy current testing signal obtained by measuring a standard specimen, the feature amount including a feature highly correlated to a secondary factor which is other than a depth of the flaw and which affects the waveform of the signal; generating an evaluation parameter by using the feature amount, the evaluation parameter being a parameter for outputting a value with a sufficiently small error relative to correct answer data on the sample eddy current testing signal; and estimating the depth of a flaw, expressed by an actual measurement eddy current testing signal, by use of the evaluation parameter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2001
    Publication date: January 10, 2002
    Inventors: Kayoko Kawata, Masaaki Kurokawa, Yoshihiro Asada