Test Objectives

Probably the most common corrosion test method is immersion in a liquid. Obvious differences in test procedures are the solutions used, agitation rates, and temperature. The environmental conditions that must be simulated and the degree of acceleration that is required 

Once the environmental conditions have been determined, and the test designed, then it should be rejjeated a sufficient number of times to determine whether it meets the desired standard for 

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The percentage share of the inserts made austenite steel in the martensite structure is refered to the visual field of the probe in the given location. Every probe after performance is given a characteristics, in which the visual field is given, determined using special devices defining the visual field at different distances from the tested object. 

Figure 4 Structure of the real object "Lower wing skin" (a). Test object "Cargo door" (b)...

Figure 5 Normalized spectra from test object "Lower wing skin".

For a rough estimation of the optimum excitation frequency for a given test object, one can use the well known expression for the skin penetration depth S ... 

In order to realise such a high dynamic range, either a local compensation coil at the location of the SQUID [9] or a gradiometric excitation coil like the double-D coil have to be used. In case of the electronic compensation, the excitation field and the response of the conducting sample is compensated by a phase shifted current in an additional coil situated close to the SQUID-sensor. Due to the small size of this compensation coil (in our case, the diameter of the coil is about 1 mm), the test object is not affected by it. 

We have perfomied some simulations of the eddy current distribution in a test object for a spiral coil and a circular one (see Fig. 4.1). Both coils had 9 turns and the excitation current was 6 mA. Figs. 4.1 show the cross section of the sample at the location of the crack and the amplitude of the eddy current density. One observes a 1.5 higher current density at the sides of the crack for the case of the circular coil. 

For precise 3D-FEM simulations, a huge number of nodes is required (>30,000), which results in calculation times of several hours (sun spare 20) for one model. In order to decrease the number of nodes, we took advantage of the symmetry of the coils and calculated only a quarter or half of the test object. The modelled crack has a lenght of 15 mm, a height of 3 mm and is in a depth of 5 mm. The excitation frequency was 200 Hz. 

Right Fig. 4.2 Cross section of the test object. Comparison between the eddy eurrent density close to a crack in either a massive (bottom) or a stacked sample (top). 

This type of coil was prepared from copper cladded printed circuit board material by applying photolithographic techniques. The p.c. board material is available with difierent copper thicknesses and with either a stiff or a flexible carrier. The flexible material offers the opportunity to adapt the planar coil to a curved three dimensional test object. In our turbine blade application this is a major advantage. The thickness of the copper layer was chosen to be 17 pm The period of the coil was 100 pm The coils were patterned by wet etching, A major advantage of this approach is the parallel processing with narrow tolerances, resulting in many identical Eddy current probes. An example of such a probe is shown in fig. 10. 

For the examination of the applied metallic or ceramic layer, the test object is heated up from the outside The heat applying takes place impulse-like (4ms) by xenon-flash lamps, which are mounted on a rack The surface temperature arises to approx 150 °C Due to the high temperature gradient the warmth diffuses quickly into the material An incorrect layer, e g. due to a delamiation (layer removal) obstructs the heat transfer, so that a higher temperature can be detected with an infrared camera. A complete test of a blade lasts approximatly 5 minutes. This is also done automatically by the system. In illustration 9, a typical delamination is to be recognized. 

Of all NTD methods for quality control of materials, products, welded and soldered joints the most informative and perspective are radioscopic ones that enable to obtain a visual image of an inner structure of a tested objects in real time under any projection. 

An X-ray image of a test object is converted by a X-ray TV unit (4), and complete video-signal from it is supplied to specialized computer (5). For conversion of X-ray images series X-ray vidicons LI-444 and LI-473 can be used or experimental X-ray vidicons of the same dimensions with a Be input window [2] sensitive to soft X-radiation developed in Introscopy Institute. >. ... 

A single cut of the tested object is generated in a single scan. Generation of additional cuts demands the repetition of the exposure. 

Figure 3 Test object no. 1, graphite central cylinder inserted in a lucite and aluminum...

Figure 7. Test object no. 2, capped glass vial with an iron wire on the inside.

Secondly, a short pulse duration is required in order to achieve a good axial resolution, i.e. two signals close together should be detected without interference. The task can be, for example, to detect a small reflector close to the surface or back wall of the test object, as the inspection has to cover the total volume as complete as possible, including the near-surface regions. 

The CamuS system consists of a number of components, both hardware and software, as shown in Figure 1. The hub of the system is the data acquisition unit, which collects and stores ultrasonic data in the form of RF waveforms. An accurate probe position monitor provides information on the location and orientation of the probe as it is scanned over the test object. Software tools have been developed to provide assistance to the user with preparing inspection procedures according to the requirements of prEN1714 with visualising the data, in relation to the test object with making measurements of any indications present and with classifying indications. 

The 3D representation of the test object can be rotated by means of an ARCBALL interface. Clicking on the main client area will produce a circle which is actually the silhouette of a sphere. Dragging the mouse rotates the sphere, and the model moves aceordingly. An arc on the surface of the sphere is drawn for visual feedback of orientation additionally a set of coordinate axes in the bottom left comer provides further feedback. 

Before the data can be visualised, ie displayed in a two or three-dimensional representation, the ultrasonic responses from the interior of the test-piece must be reconstructed from the raw ultrasonic data. The reconstruction process projects ultrasonic indications into 3D space. As well as reconstructing the entire ultrasonic data set within an acquisition file, it is possible to define an arbitrary sub-volume of the test object over which reconstruction will take place. The image resolution may also be defined by the user. Clearly, larger volumes or greater resolution will increase the computation time for both the reconstruction and visualisation processes. 

A standard probe (type MWB or SWB) is fixed to the probe holder and is mechanically connected to a further piezoelectric receiver. A noise generator, which is coupled to any point of the test object, provides a low frequency noise signal which is picked up by the piezoelectric receiver. The intensity of the signal allows the evaluation of the coupling quality. 

Input of the test object-related data with automatic transfer of the instrument adjustment data (via RS 232)... 

In this paper, the following aspects have been studied (A) Flaw detection can be made directly on the surface of the pipes, (B) The defects within the range of wall thickness can be tested out, that is to say, the ultrasonic testing without dead zone for the pipe wall can be realized and (C) Testing the defects of FBH as our testing. Objects, we may make the testing... 

With the reference block method the distance law of a model reflector is established experimentally prior to each ultrasonic test. The reference reflectors, mostly bore holes, are drilled into the reference block at different distances, e.g. ASME block. Prior to the test, the reference reflectors are scanned, and their maximised echo amplitudes are marked on the screen of the flaw detector. Finally all amplitude points are connected by a curve. This Distance Amplitude Curve (DAC) serves as the registration level and exactly shows the amplitude-over-distance behaviour" of the reference reflector for the probe in use. Also the individual characteristics of the material are automatically considered. However, this curve may only be applied for defect evaluation, in case the reference block and the test object are made of the same material and have undergone the same heat treatment. As with the DGS-Method, the value of any defect evaluation does not consider the shape and orientation of the defect. The reference block method is safe and easy to apply, and the operator need not to have a deep understanding about the theory of distance laws. 

In pulse version of MIA method the probes excite in tested object (TO) free attenuating pulses. Their carrier frequencies coincide with natural frequencies of transmitting probe vibrator loaded to the mechanical impedance Zg = / (Z -tZ,), where Z is elastic... 

The Calibration of the positioning system is carried out using a bar with a given distance which is placed between the referenspoint on the microphone collar and the probe. The distance is then entered into the acquisition software together with informations of the air temperature close to the tested object, pipe dimension, type of UT-probe (probe height) and scanning direction. 

This type of scanning produces positioning data which is false in both x- and y-direction caused by the fact that acqusition software operates assuming that the shape of the test object is cylindrical. 

In UltraSIM/UlSim the ultrasonic sound propagation from a virtual ultrasonic transducer can be simulated in ray tracing mode in any isotropic and homogeneous 3D geometry, including possible mode conversions phenomenons, etc. The CAD geometry for the simulation is a 3D NURBS surface model of the test object. It can be created in ROBCAD or imported from another 3D CAD system. 

The virtual transducer can be placed in a specific location on the test object surface, it can be moved along a path (e.g. a robot scanning path generated off-line or a path resulting from a real inspection sequence) or it can be moved along the surface, dynamically updating the ultrasonic sound propagation in the material. 

The 3D inspection system has a number of measuring and report utilities that enables the user to easily find, analyse and report possible indications in the test object. As an example, a moveable 2D projection view plane can be moved along e.g, the welding geometry dynamically updating the content of the 2D projection view window. Indications can be measured using any referenee co-ordinate system and the results and screen dumps can automatically be dumped in report files suited for later import into a word processing application. 

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