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U.S. Department of Energy
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Progress toward acoustic emission characterization for continuous monitoring reactor pressure vessels

Conference ·
OSTI ID:5396157

The purpose of this work is to evaluate the feasibility of detecting and analyzing flaw growth in an operating reactor vessel using acoustic emission (AE) data. A preliminary AE-flaw growth relationship has been developed encompassing six variables. This model relates AE count and energy to fatigue crack driving force ..delta..K. Pattern recognition has been examined as a means of distinguishing crack growth AE from other acoustic signals with encouraging results. The program is moving into hardware implementation of relationships for testing and refinement by monitoring tests in heavy section specimens and subscale structures. The hardware system will become a reactor monitor prototype.

Research Organization:
Battelle Pacific Northwest Labs., Richland, WA (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
EY-76-C-06-1830
OSTI ID:
5396157
Report Number(s):
PNL-SA-7746; CONF-7909132-1
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English