Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Development of nondestructive evaluation techniques for high-temperature ceramic heat exchanger components. Third annual report, October 1979-September 1980

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6604725· OSTI ID:6604725

The goals of the present program are not only to develop hardware and procedures for efficiently inspecting ceramic heat-exchanger components in conventional ways, but also to develop advanced NDE techniques that will allow effective failure prediction. The main objectives in FY 1980 have been to (a) develop a computer-interfaced ultrasonic bore-side probe for preservice and in-service inspection, (b) develop and assess techniques for inspection of SiC tubing by acoustic microscopy, and (c) carry out preliminary tests to compare ultrasonic, holographic, and infrared techniques with more conventional dye-penetrant and radiographic methods for inspection of butt joints in ceramic tubes. Circumferential notches, 125 ..mu..m deep x 250 ..mu..m long, on the inner and outer surfaces of sintered and siliconized SiC tubes were successfully detected with an ultrasonic bore-side probe. The acoustic microscope was modified to handle 30- as well as 100-MHz sound waves, since the lower-frequency waves give better penetration of Sic tube walls. The modification decreased the acoustic noise. The ability to detect a notch only 250 x 125 x 75 ..mu..m in size was demonstrated. Efforts to examine a butt joint with dye-penetrant, radiographic, ultrasonic, and holographic-interferometry techniques revealed that while holography seemed to identify more clearly the presence of a crack-like inner surface flaw, ultrasonic pulse-echo and pitch-catch techniques at 22 MHz also indicated the presence of an anomaly; the ultrasonic and holographic results agreed with regard to angular location of the flaw.

Research Organization:
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
DOE Contract Number:
W-31109-ENG-38
OSTI ID:
6604725
Report Number(s):
ANL-80-123
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English