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This work presents the use of limited experimental measurements to develop a set of calibrated Simulation parameters that can then be used for reliable simulation of subsea pipeline inspections. The modelling software aRTist is used as the simulation tool, and the calibration is through comparison with experimental images of a well characterised sample in a water tank. Image Quality parameters such as signal-to-noise ratio, contrast and basic spatial resolution are compared with the aim of matching simulated values to experimental results. Currently the model is partially calibrated, with signal-to-noise ratio successfully matched while differences are still found in contrast-to-noise ratio comparisons. This means that measurements depending on absolute intensity are not accurate enough in the simulation at this stage. However, the simulation is found to be accurate for wall thickness measurements in tangential images, which are not based on absolute intensity, with simulated and experimental cases producing similar results.
In situ crack detection in the mushy zone and the solid weld of a gas tungsten arc (GTA) weld using X-ray imaging during welding is a new research area for NDT inspection. Usually, NDT flaw detection is done after the complete solidification of the weld seam. In this paper, we present the use of real-time radiography with a minifocus X-ray source (YXLON X-ray tube Y.TU 225-D04) and a 75μm pixel size digital detector array (Dexela 1512) for the acquisition of 2D radiographic images by a sequence of exposures with time intervals of 80 ms for hot crack detection during single pass bead-on-plate GTA welding of 3 mm thick plates of aluminium alloy AlMgSi (6060). An analysis of the crack distribution in the weld sample is conducted from the acquired 2D radiographs and its corresponding 3D volumetric reconstruction achieved by linear coplanar digital laminography.
This in situ approach opens new possibilities in the field of hot crack research by having the direct information of both the crack initiation and growth and its correlation to the welding parameters.
Correctly modeling the continuous photon spectrum of X-ray tubes requires detailed knowledge of the probability distribution of electron properties at the time of X-ray photon creation, in particular electron energy, depth within the target, and direction of movement. Semi-analytical X-ray spectrum models frequently assume a very simplified or even uniform distribution of electron direction. In the case of thick targets and small deviations from normal incidence this is a useful approximation. For thin targets or large deviations from normal incidence the correct distribution of electron directions becomes more important. As calculation speed is an important aspect of semi-analytical models compared to Monte Carlo simulations, fast evaluation of the distribution of electron properties is highly desirable. The approach presented here numerically evaluates the evolution of a discrete probability distribution of electron properties due to single electron scatter interactions within a plane target. This allows capturing the important aspects of the electron distribution while achieving runtimes of a few seconds up to a minute on a standard office PC.
A comparative study on the performance of digital detector systems for high energy applications
(2014)
For cast components reaching or exceeding total material thicknesses of 150mm, high energy sources such as linear accelerators or Betatrons are required in order to obtain reasonable exposure times. In this study, the performance of digital detector systems, involving imaging plates (IP) and digital detector arrays (DDA), was evaluated with respect to the testing class B requirements as formulated in the standard EN ISO 17636-2. As a reference, traditional radiographic film and a Cobalt-60 source was used. With film exposures, testing class B was achieved with Co-60 and Betatron (7.5 MV) at longer exposure times. The preliminary results show that the testing class B was not obtained with the examined digital detector arrays (DDA) and the high resolution imaging plates (IP) , even at 40, 60 and 80 minutes exposure time with a 7.5 MV Betatron. Class A was achieved using high resolution imaging plates with optimized metal filters between object and IPs and a high resolution DDA with intermediate Cu filters. Class A was also achieved applying a DDA with lower basic spatial resolution than required by Table B.13 of EN ISO 17636-2, but using the compensation principle as described in this standard. The next generation of digital detector arrays might potentially be able to obtain class B performance with the expected spatial resolution and sensitivity improvements.
Innovative X-ray backscatter technique for security applications: Detection of dangerous materials
(2014)
Radiological inspections, in general, are NDT&E methods to detect the bulk of explosives without invasion into the object of analysis. In contrast to personal luggage, cargo or structural components constitute a complexity that may significantly hamper the detection of a threat by conventional transmission radiography. A novel approach of interrogating a large object to a certain depth only with a single sided access will be presented. It consists of an X-ray backscatter camera with a special twisted slit collimator for imaging backscattered objects. The new X-ray backscatter camera is not only imaging the objects due to their densities but also by taking into account the influences of surrounding objects. Additionally, it does not only image illuminated features but also depicts shadows from absorbing materials. This is a unique characteristic of the developed X-ray backscatter camera. Experimental mock-ups are conducted imitating container with threats among a complex packing as they may be encountered in reality. At the end, the significant advantages of the presented X-ray backscatter camera in the context of aviation and port security will be discussed.
The inspection of the sealing weld is an important phase for the evaluation of the acceptability of final disposal canister, but the weld is only a part of the 3D shielding of copper shell. The main tasks for reliable NDT evaluation requires an extensive evaluation of the parameters which contains typical inspection related items like repeatability, S/N ratio, POD, setting up the equipment for inspection, and all practices for inspections. The other parameters are material parameters, their variation must be taken into account in the evaluation of NDT reliability. Further parameters include human factors, i. e. human inspectors and their interaction with technical systems; their effects were studied on an example of the evaluation of eddy current data. Final parameters are related to evaluation of detected defects, which means sizing and base for acceptance and this can be done in different ways. Some examples are given and results are compared with different methods for instance between radiographic testing and ultrasonic testing by raw data analysis and PA-SAFT results. Also, preliminary curves for the evaluation of metallographic results of 55 defects will be shown by EB weld measurements. Some practical items concerning copper inspections will be also discussed related to acceptability.
Concepts for digital image evaluation are presented for Computed Radiography (CR) and Digital Detector Arrays (DDAs) used for weld inspection. The precise DDA calibration yields an extra ordinary increase of contrast sensitivity up to 10 times in relation to film radiography. Restrictions in spatial resolution caused by pixel size of the DDA are compensated by increased contrast sensitivity. First CR standards were published in 2005 to support the application of phosphor imaging plates in lieu of X-ray film, but they need already a revision based on experiences reported by many users. One of the key concepts is the usage of signal-to-noise (SNR) measurements as equivalent to the optical density of film and film system class. The contrast sensitivity, measured by IQI visibility, depends on three essential parameters: The basic spatial resolution (SRb) of the radiographic image, the achieved signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and the specific contrast (µeff - effective attenuation coefficient). Knowing these 3 parameters for the given exposure condition, inspected material and monitor viewing condition permits the calculation of the just visible IQI element. Furthermore, this enables the optimization of exposure conditions. The new ISO/FDIS 17636-2 describes the practice for digital radiography with CR and DDAs. It considers the first time compensation principles, derived from the three essential parameters. The consequences are described.
Determining scatter ratios at high energies (> ~ 1MeV) presents challenges not immediately obvious from measurements at conventional X-ray energies. This includes reduced attenuation even in heavy elements as well as a stronger forward bias of scattering. In order to check the reliability of different measurement setups with regard to material thicknesses, distances, and collimation, attenuation and scattering were separately simulated using a Monte Carlo model. The simulation results help in understanding the sources of radiation scattered into the detection area, thereby aiding in eliminating undesired contributions.
An algorithm has been developed to remove reliably dotted interferences impairing the perceptibility of objects within a radiographic image. This particularly is a major challenge encountered with neutron radiographs collected at the NECTAR facility, Forschungs-Neutronenquelle Heinz Maier-Leibnitz (FRM II): the resulting images are dominated by features resembling a snow flurry. These artefacts are caused by scattered neutrons, gamma radiation, cosmic radiation, etc. all hitting the detector CCD directly in spite of a sophisticated shielding. This makes such images rather useless for further direct evaluations.
One approach to resolve this problem of these random effects would be to collect a vast number of single images, to combine them appropriately and to process them with common image filtering procedures. However, it has been shown that, e.g. median filtering, depending on the kernel size in the plane and/or the number of single shots to be combined, is either insufficient or tends to blur sharp lined structures. This inevitably makes a visually controlled processing image by image unavoidable. Particularly in tomographic studies, it would be by far too tedious to treat each single projection by this way. Alternatively, it would be not only more comfortable but also in many cases the only reasonable approach to filter a stack of images in a batch procedure to get rid of the disturbing interferences.
The algorithm presented here meets all these requirements. It reliably frees the images from the snowy pattern described above without the loss of fine structures and without a general blurring of the image. It consists of an iterative, within a batch procedure parameter free filtering algorithm aiming to eliminate the often complex interfering artefacts while leaving the original information untouched as far as possible.