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- Ultrasonic testing (8)
- Phased array (5)
- SAFT (5)
- Guided waves (2)
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- Plate-like structures (2)
- Round bar testing (2)
- Air-coupled probes (1)
- Air-coupled ultrasonic transducers (1)
- Air-coupled ultrasound (1)
Progress in acoustical defect sizing NDT methods for the inspection of power-plant components
(2012)
The demand of improved NDT methods with proper visualization and sizing
capabilities is a persistent trend in maintenance and manufacturing quality inspection.
Especially when dealing with high quality standards in conjunction with safety-critical
components in the sector of energy and transportation quantitative NDT techniques are
vital to provide reliable quality control systems and a corresponding deeper insight into
the component structure for a further fracture-mechanical estimation. The paper thus
focuses the progress of the defect sizing capabilities of modern Ultrasonic Testing
(UT). In Ultrasonic Testing the SAFT-algorithm (Synthetic Aperture Focusing
Technique) currently experiences a renaissance. The method is based on combining the
data of different transducer positions with their corresponding varied propagating time
and it is currently applied in several industrial applications. SAFT enhances the SNR
and the spatial resolution and is thus a valuable tool when it comes to improved
defect detection and sizing. A tomographic-like data mapping is illustrated on several
examples, where adapted phased array systems were used for the inspection of turbine
components and also for a cladded mock-up of a nuclear reactor pressure vessel. In a
statistical investigation we also performed a comparison with other defect sizing
methods like TOFD (Time of flight diffraction).
Die Kombination der Synthetic Aperture Focusing Technique (SAFT) mit der Tauchtechnik stellt eine besondere Herausforderung dar. Zwei für SAFT notwendige Bedingungen – die große Schallbündeldivergenz und die Kenntnis über den Ort des Senders bzw. des Empfängers, der für die phasenrichtige Überlagerung der Echosignale genau bekannt sein muss – lassen sich einfach erfüllen, wenn kleine, fast punktförmige Sensoren direkt auf der Oberfläche des Prüfobjektes ankoppeln. Diese Anordnung ist in der Regel nicht vereinbar mit den praktischen Ansprüchen an die Signalqualität und die Flexibilität der Prüftechnik.
Werden jedoch Prüfköpfe mit üblichen Abmessungen und zudem noch mit Vorlaufstrecken verwendet, dann ist die Bestimmung der Sensororte und der Schalllaufwege durch die brechende Fläche nicht mehr trivial, wenn man die für SAFT geforderte Genauigkeit in Rechnung stellt.
Etwas anderes, aber ein im Prinzip einfacher Weg zur räumlichen Lokalisation von Echoquellen ist die Auswertung des 2D Sektorscans eines Matrixarrays und dessen dreidimensionale Darstellung. Durch gezielte Steuerung des Arrays gelingt auf einfache Weise die ortsrichtige Zuordnung.
Ferroelectrets are promising materials for air-coupled ultrasonic transducers. A transducer made of polarized cellular polypropylene, including its electronic interface, was developed and compared with conventional air-coupled probes. Test pieces of fiber-reinforced polymer containing impact flaws and flat-bottom holes were inspected in transmission. The ferroelectret transducers achieved a considerably higher signal-to-noise ratio. The impacts were clearly visible with all transducers, but less noisy with ferroelectret transducers. The flat-bottom holes were better detectable than with a conventional probe with about the same focus size.
Visualization of material defects - modern approaches in acoustical and electrical NDE-methods
(2008)
Increasing demands in materials quality and cost effectiveness have led to advanced
standards in manufacturing technology. Especially when dealing with high quality
standards in conjunction with high throughput quantitative NDE techniques are vital to
provide reliable and fast quality control systems. Fast NDE-systems using a high degree
of automatisation can be used for both determining the degree of integrity of the
components under test and indicating a change of production parameters as well.
However, independently of the applied NDE method and the underlying physical
principle a reliable visualisation of hidden defects within the component under test is
based on a sufficient high signal to noise ratio (SNR) and a high spatial resolution. In this
talk we illuminate two standard NDT methods such as Ultrasonic Testing and Eddy
Current Testing and show their physical principles also discussing the interaction
between sound waves or induced eddy currents with different kinds of material defects.
This introduction substantiates the attainable SNR and spatial resolution of both methods
with respect to defect sizing and defect classification. As a first future prospect we report
on the SAFT-algorithm to improve SNR and spatial resolution paving the way for a flaw
sizing approach in ultrasonic inspection. As a second modern NDE approach we
represent the use of small magnetoresistance sensor arrays for EC testing of Al-laser
welds or for testing superconducting wires. The high sensitivity and small extent of GMR
sensors results in a remarkably SNR and spatial resolution offering new visualisation
techniques for defect localisation, defect characterization and tomography-like mapping
techniques.
Defect sizing is required for a quantitative assessment of the quality and reliability of safety relevant components and materials using ultrasonic non-destructive testing. The SAFT (Synthetic Aperture Focussing Technique) and the TOFD technique (Time Of Flight Diffraction) are such promising sizing candidates, extracting more information from the raw ultrasound echo data and the corresponding crack tip response. In this work the phased array technique is used to inspect a clad mock-up model of a pressure vessel section. The full scale model contains artificial test reflectors which are located in the weld and in the cladding region as well. The defects—representing typical flaws at a very early stage—are analysed with different frequencies, beam angles and directions of incidence.
For the reconstruction of reflector indications a SAFT algorithm is applied to the phased array measurement results. Additionally the reflectors are analysed by means of the TOFD technique, using different beam angles at the same time. Both analysis methods are performed using different directions of incidence considering the complex cladding structure underneath the inner surface of the mock-up model. A direct comparison of the SAFT and TOFD techniques shows that, besides the clarity of the results, the detection and sizing capabilities of SAFT are far better.
The spatial resolution in ultrasonic testing as a wave phenomenon in nature is limited to a
certain fraction of the wavelength, usually defined to be close to the Rayleigh criterion. In case of
complicated reflector surfaces – such as stress corrosion cracking - this limitation prevents an exact
visualization of the defect shape. There exist a few approaches to improve the spatial resolution, whose
reconstruction quality all in common also depend on the achieved signal-to-noise ratio of the raw data. In this
work we present a specific SAFT analysis, in which a high number of different angles of incidence produce a
sufficiently high number of different reflections at the crack edges resulting in an improved SNR. In doing
so, we reconstruct a coherent crack structure. First investigations were made at artificially simulated crack
configurations with different contours and curvatures in flat and cylindrical test blocks. The measurements
results visualized by representative scans – show details of crack design and crack orientation. We also will
present a comparison of the SAFT analysis between modelling and phased array measurements.
Within a know-how transfer project funded by the government conventional ultrasonic
technique was replaced by phased array technique for automated round-bar testing. Instead of
applying a great number of conventional probes to achieve acceptable volume coverage we used
curved linear arrays. The benefits of phased array technique such as programmable skew angles,
beamforming and beam positions, led not only to a significant decrease in inspection time, but also the
number of probes could be substantially reduced . Finally, the testing parameters for a large range of
bar-diameters could be adapted by software control instead of time-consuming mechanical
replacement. The probe-design was carried out by a proprietary modelling program. Both the
theoretical calculations as well as the latter experimental verifications revealed significant advantages
of curved arrays versus the planar types. A radial oriented probe offers perfect adaption to the
cylindrical shape of the specimen allowing wide variations of the sound field. Thus beam direction,
beam size and beam position could be optimized with respect to a minimum of inspection cycles, as
inspections have to be executed in-line during the production. A number of laboratory tests were
carried out on special test components. In order to achieve an optimal performance of the reference
rod we implemented three different types of reference reflectors: (i) flat-bottom-holes with diameters
of 0.8 mm and 1.2 mm, (ii) side-drilled-holes with a diameter of 0.7 mm for the detection of
volumetric flaws, and (iii) notches with a depth of 0.2 mm and 0.5 mm for the detection of surfaceoriented
defects. All laboratory tests were carried out with the COMPAS-XXL inspection system, a
proprietary development of BAM.