Ultrasonic Inspection of Axial Cracks on Thick Pipes

This scientific article about axial cracks detection in pipes is published in the special edition “Contrôle non destructif par Ultrasons d’Acoustique & Techniques”.

Frederic Dupont-Marillia | Nucleom, 8695 rue Pascal-Gagnon, Montreal, Quebec, Canada & Department of mechanical engineering, École de technologie supérieure, 1100 rue Notre-Dame Ouest, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Mohammad Jahazi et Pierre Belanger | Department of mechanical engineering, École de technologie supérieure, 1100 rue Notre-Dame Ouest, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Abstract

Ultrasonic non-destructive inspection is generally used in the industry to warrant the component integrity by following strict standards. Pipe inspection is usually done in several steps: thickness measurements, and crack detection, axial and circumferential orientations. The detection of axial cracks may become challenging due to pipe geometry. Indeed, it is generally specified in the standards that the outer diameter should not exceed twice the inner diameter. In this study, the propagation of different modes is simulated to determine the different possible combinations and configurations for this type of inspection. It is shown that the combination of several wedge angles was a reliable option. Finally, simulations were compared with experiments in order to confirm the method.

FULL ARTICLE HERE (FRENCH ONLY)

The article appreared in the Numéro Spécial : Contrôle non destructif par Ultrasons d’Acoustique & Techniques, trimestriel d’information de l’ingénierie acoustique en langue française co-édité par le Centre d’information sur le Bruit et la Société Française d’Acoustique.

To consult previous articles : www.bruit.fr