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Organisationseinheit der BAM
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.
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.
NDT is a multidisciplinary research area fusing the disciplines of natural Science and engineering. Particularly in the early development stages of a new testing method, feasibility investigations focus on the fundamental physical interaction between the sensing mechanism and specimen. Research activities during subsequent phases of modular prototype development, technical System Integration and Validation primarily attempt to solve the practical engineering and real-life aspects of a testing method. We show several examples of new methods in different stages of development and highlight the potential for further industrial use. The first section deals with Steel surfaces of lightweight components which are
inspected with pm-sized magneto resistive sensor arrays. This quantitative magnetic stray field approach combines high spatial resolution and very high sensitivity, enabling the user to detect even very small micro-defects. Tuming to CFRP components we also show new developments in airbome ultrasonic testing. Here we use ferroelectret foils to reduce the acoustical mismatch between transducer and air, which enhances the signal-to-noise ratio. A further example illuminates the use of metallic nano layers as a broadband thermo acoustical emitter. Their use provides both high sound pressures and very broadband Signal characteristics. When it comes to CFRP components and other anisotropic and highly Scattering materials, ultrasonic matrix arrays in conjunction with many angles of incidences per transducer position can help to enhance the statistics of a testing problem. In the field of conventional water-coupled UT testing we also show the use of matrix array transducers
providing a tomographic-like 3D-image of impact damage in CFRP samples.
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.
Quantitative NDE methods play a key role when it comes to inspect components,
which requires high operational safety. UT-SAFT is one of the well-known reconstruction tools,
which provides information about the defect size. In this work we studied the use of phased array
technique in combination with the SAFT algorithm to inspect power plant components. As a first
example we inspected a real-sized mock-up model representing a part of a reactor pressure vessel with
a 180 mm-thick ferritic base material followed by a 6 mm-thick austenitic cladding layer. The phased
array probe was coupled at the outer ferritic surface. We detected and sized fatigue cracks within the
cladding with a depth ranging from 4 mm to 10 mm. Secondly, we investigated a mock-up model
resembling a nozzle including a thermo sleeve inlet and a maximum wall thickness of about 37 mm.
Artificially inserted notches with a depth of 3 mm could be detected and sized, where the thermo
sleeve is welded at the inside of the nozzle.