Ultrasonic crack sizing in steam generator tubes using advanced data processing
- CEA/STA, Gif Sur Yvette (France)
With the aging of power plants there is an increasing need for the sizing of defects in steam generators. Utilities are requiring additional data to characterize defects after their detection, i.e., their depths and lengths and orientation, in order to optimize any tube plugging decision. Eddy current inspection is generally the reference NDT method, due to the long experience gained in the field and its rapidity. But in some cases, such as circumferential cracks in the transition zone or multi-directional crack areas, its capabilities are limited. The application of ultrasonic inspection as a complementary method can therefore be helpful. Ultrasonic echoes contain a large amount of data, most of which are lost with conventional acquisition systems, or are difficult to analyze, without a precise knowledge of the phenomena involved. In this paper, the authors present improvements concerning the UT probe performances, beam modeling and signal processing. Finally, several examples of actual acquisitions for artificial and natural defects are given, which illustrate the sizing possibilities of the method.
- OSTI ID:
- 72602
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-931061--; ISBN 0-87170-506-0
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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