• Transactions of the Korean Society of Pressure Vessels and Piping
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.40-45
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• 2008

There exist many types of pipe and component fatigue through vibrations, thermal fatigues or shifting. In some cases of thermal stratification/thermal fatigue, pipes & components are receiving thermal stress by means of material expansion and shrinkage by continuous thermal repetitive variation. Small cracks initially occur on the inside surface by thermal stress. These cracks grow in depth the pipe wall and finally come to a rupture. Pipe parts of susceptibility to thermal stratification and thermal fatigue are now being examined by conventional UT(ultrasonic test) as volumetric examination. It is difficult to fully satisfy the code & standards requirements because 3" weldolet weldments of RCS 16" pipe to 3" branch connection lines have complex structural shape. To solve the problems of conventional UT examination, we made a realistic mock-up and UT calibration block. We performed a simulation of phased array UT utilizing CIVA as NDE(Non-Destructive Examination) simulation software. Also we designed phased array UT transducer and wedge, optimal frequency by using simulation data. We performed phased array UT experiment through mock-up including artificial flaws(notch). The phased array UT technique is finally developed to improve the reliability of ultrasonic test at RCS 16" pipe to 3" branch connection weld.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Pressure Vessels and Piping
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.40-47
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• 2011

KSNPs(Korea Standard Nuclear Power Plant) have been applied the break exclusion criteria to the high energy lines passing through containment penetration area to ensure that piping failures would not cause the loss of containment isolation function, and to reduce the resulting dynamic effects. Systems with the criteria are the Main Steam system, Feed Water system, Steam Generator Blowdown system, and Chemical & Volume Control system. In accordance with FSAR(Final Safety Analysis Report), a 100% volumetric examination by augmented in-service inspection of all pipe welds appled the break exclusion criteria is required for the break exclusion application piping. However, it is difficult to fully satisfy the requirements of inspection because 12", 8" and 6" weldolet weldments of Main Steam pipe line have complex structural shapes. To resolve the difficulty on the application of conventional UT(Ultrasonic Testing) technique, realistic mock-ups and UT calibration blocks were made. Simulations of conventional UT were performed utilizing CIVA, a commercial NDE(Nondestructive Examination) simulation software. Phased array UT experiments were performed through mock-up including artificial notch type flaws. A phased array UT technique is finally developed to improve the reliability of ultrasonic test at main steam line pipe to 12", 8" and 6" branch connection weld.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 2011.07a
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• pp.902-903
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• 2011

발전설비에 대한 비파괴 검사 기술은 발전소 운전 신뢰성 및 안전성 유지확보 그리고 건전성을 보장하기 위한 필수적인 기술이다. 이 설비 중 터빈, 보일러 등 주요 발전설비에 대한 초음파 검사는 매우 신중하고 정확하게 검사할 필요성이 있으나, 일반적 초음파 검사방법으로는 불가능한 부분이 많고 일부분에 대해서는 이를 외국 제작사 기술용역에 의존하고 있는 실정이다. 특히 발전기 로타 웨지와 같이 재질상 감쇄가 심한 재료에 대해서는 검사 자체가 어렵고, 지금의 초음파 검사 방법으로는 결함의 크기나 형태를 파악하기도 어려워 이에 대한 개선책이 시급한 실정이다. 최근에 개발이 시작된 Phased Array UT분야는 발전설비중 접근자체가 어렵고, 형상이 복잡하여 결함의 탐지 및 평가가 힘든 부분에 적용하면 검사신뢰도 및 신속성을 향상시킬 수 있으며 접근성에 대한 제한 또한 감소시킬 수 있다. 따라서 본 논문은 발전기 부품에 발생하는 일반적인 결함에 대하여 Phased array UT 기술을 도입하여 신호의 특성을 분석하는 결과평가에 도음이 되고자 하였다.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Pressure Vessels and Piping
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.14-19
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• 2009

NDE(Nondestructive examination) detects a flaw or discontinuity in materials. Flaws detected by the examination shall be evaluated for the decision basis of the integrity. The internal flaws of forging products can be detected by UT. However, UT has detection limits because of its reflected signal weakness. Normally, a 1mm or less flaw is known as the limit. If a flaw was detected, the size of flaw would be evaluated by AVG(or DGS) technique. To verify the evaluation data, alternative examination methods are needed. But there is no alternative examination methods until now. In this study, Phased array ultrasonic technique can be used to size the flaws in the generator rotor with focused beam of ultrasonic wave as a supplement method of AVG. Also, the phased array ultrasonic technique described enables the shape of flaw to be depicted exactly.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.15-20
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• 2009

The results of crack evaluation by conventional UT(Ultrasonic Test)is highly depend on the inspector's experience or knowledge of ultrasound. Phased array UT system and its application methods for small crack length evaluation will be a good alternative method which overcome present UT weakness. This study was aimed at checking the accuracy of crack length evaluation method by electronic scanning and discuss about characteristics of electronic scanning for crack length evaluation. Especially ultrasonic phased array with electronic scan technique was used in carrying out both sizing and detect ability of crack as its length changes. The response of ultrasonic phased array was analyzed to obtain the special method of determining crack length without moving the transducer and detect-ability of crack minimal length and depth from the material. A method of crack length determining by electronic scanning for the small crack is very real method which has it's accuracy and verify the effectiveness of method compared to a conventional crack length determination.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Pressure Vessels and Piping
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.78-82
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• 2010

The feeder pipe of Main Primary Heat Transfer System in Wolsong Nuclear Power Plant was inspected by the Ultrasonic Phase Array technique in 2010. It is the first time to apply this method to the construction at Nuclear Power Plant in Korea. The time required for UT technique is less than RT method. The UT method doesn't need to evacuate personnel who works nearby inspecting area and doesn't need to wait developing of film. For these reasons, the UT method is the fastest method among the volumetric inspections. As a result of the examination, it became clear that main defect of the feeder pipe is the Lack of fusion in the welded area. Moreover, the rate of defect was reduced gradually as improvement of welder's skill. If welding machine has problem, the defect has tended to same pattern(occurred same position in the welding area) but these defects were founded without specific rules. For these reasons, the creation of defect is dependent on the skill of worker not on the automatic welding machine. This evaluation of defect signal and collecting data would be useful to further examination in ISI.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.63-70
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• 2017

As the Non Destructive Test (NDT) for the welded structure, PT(Penetration Test). MT(Magnetic Test), RT (Radioisotope Test) and UT(Ultrasonic Test) methods are widely used in practice. These NDT methods have been developed toward high efficiency, low cost, real time, and high precise new NDT. For example, RT methods are developed to CT(Computed Tomography)and DR(Digital Radiography), and UT metheds are developed into Phased array, Guide wave, TOFD method. Moreover, the Infrared thermography and Laser ultrasonic technique are newly developed for applying in high temperature objects as the non-contact NDT methods. In this review paper the new high efficiency NDT methods for the welded structure are introduced and the trend of NDT rules applying in welded structure are described.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.52-60
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• 2015

Nuclear power plant contain many dissimilar metal welds that connect carbon steel components with stainless steel pipes using alloy600 welding materials. Primary water stress corrosion cracks at dissimilar metal welds have been continuously reported around the world. In periodic integrity evaluations, dissimilar metal welds are examined using a generic ultrasonic testing procedure, KPD-UT-10. In this procedure, the gap between the probe and examination surface is limited to 1/32 inch (0.8mm). It is not easy to test some dissimilar metal welds in Korean plants applying ordinary technology because of their tapered shapes and irregular surface conditions. This paper introduces a method for applying a flexible phased array technology to improve the reliability of ultrasonic testing results for various shapes and surface conditions. The artificial flaws in specimens with irregular surfaces were completely detected using the flexible phased array ultrasonic technology. Therefore, it can be said that the technology is applicable to field examination.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Pressure Vessels and Piping
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.29-36
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• 2010

Ultrasonic inspection of heavy walled cast austenitic stainless steel(CASS)welds is very difficult due to complex and coarse grained structure of CASS material. The large size of anisotropic grain strongly affects the propagation of ultrasound by severe attenuation, change in velocity, and scattering of ultrasonic energy. therefore, the signal patterns originated from flaws can be difficult to distinguish from scattered signals. To improve detection and sizing capability of ID connected defect for heavy walled CASS piping welds, the low frequency segmented TRL Pulse Echo and Phased Array probe has been developed. The experimental studies have been performed using CASS pipe mock-up block containing artificial reflectors(ID connected EDM notch). The automatic pulse echo and phase array technique is applied the detection and the length sizing of the ID connected artificial reflectors and the results for detection and sizing has been compared respectively. The goal of this study is to assess a newly developed ultrasonic probe to improve the detection ability and the sizing of the crack in coarse-grained CASS components.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.151-157
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• 2004

Ultrasonic testing is a kind of nondestructive test to detect a crack or discontinuity in materials or on material surfaces by sending ultrasound to it. This conventional ultrasonic technique has some limitations in reliably detecting crack or accurately assessing materials in the case of complex-shaped power plant components such as a turbine blade root. An alternative method for such a difficult inspection is highly needed. In this study, application of a phased array ultrasonic testing (UT) system to a turbine blade, one of the critical power plant components, has been considered, and the particular incident angle has been determined so that the greatest track detectability and the most accurate crack length evaluation nay be achieved. The response of ultrasonic phased array was also analyzed to establish a special method to determine the track )ength without moving the transducer. The result showed that the developed method for crack length assessment is a more accurate and effective method, compared with the conventional method.