Advanced Signal Processing Techniques for Guided Wave Corrosion Monitoring System in Secondary Circuits of Nuclear Power Plants

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrei Gribok ◽  
Vivek Agarwal
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Nuclear Power Plants ◽  
Signal To Noise Ratio ◽  
Guided Wave ◽  
Detection Sensitivity ◽  
Complex Geometries ◽  
Corrosion Monitoring ◽  
Coherent Noise ◽  
Induced Defects

This paper describes the application of independent component analysis (ICA) to detect corrosion-induced defects in commercial nuclear power plants. This paper analyzes the applicability and benefits of ICA when applied to guided wave (GW) technology to detect corrosion in secondary circuits, as well as studying the potential for expanding the range of GW technology to include complex geometries and piping components. The ultrasonic GWs can inspect long stretches of straight piping; however, more complex geometries that include elbows, welds, and tees are causing spurious reflections and coherent noise, which significantly decreases the sensitivity of the GW systems. The potential of ICA to improve detection sensitivity is analyzed and practical recommendations are provided. It is demonstrated on GW data collected at one of the commercial nuclear power plants that ICA, under certain conditions, is capable of separating different coherent noise components and has potential for improving signal-to-noise ratio.

Guided Waves as an Online Monitoring Technology for Long-Term Operation in Nuclear Power Plants: Experimental Results on a Steam Discharge Pipe

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mauro Cappelli ◽  
Francesco Cordella ◽  
Francesco Bertoncini ◽  
Marco Raugi
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Nuclear Power Plants ◽  
Guided Waves ◽  
Complex Structure ◽  
Theoretical Background ◽  
Guided Wave ◽  
Experimental Results ◽  
Term Operation

Guided wave (GW) testing is regularly used for finding defect locations through long-range screening using low-frequency waves (from 5 to 250 kHz). By using magnetostrictive sensors, some issues, which usually limit the application to nuclear power plants (NPPs), can be fixed. The authors have already shown the basic theoretical background and simulation results concerning a real steel pipe, used for steam discharge, with a complex structure. On the basis of such theoretical framework, a new campaign has been designed and developed on the same pipe, and the obtained experimental results are now here presented as a useful benchmark for the application of GWs as nondestructive techniques. Experimental measures using a symmetrical probe and a local probe in different configurations (pulse-echo and pitch-catch) indicate that GW testing with magnetostrictive sensors can be reliably applied to long-term monitoring of NPPs components.

Development of On-Line Health Monitoring System for Pipes in Nuclear Power Plants

2006 ◽  
Vol 321-323 ◽  
pp. 441-444
Author(s):  
Heung Seop Eom ◽  
Sa Hoe Lim ◽  
Jae Hee Kim ◽  
Young H. Kim ◽  
Hak Joon Kim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Monitoring ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Nuclear Power Plants ◽  
Guided Waves ◽  
Guided Wave ◽  
Wave System ◽  
Ultrasonic Guided Wave ◽  
On Line ◽  
Series Of Experiments

This study was aimed at developing an effective method and a system for on-line health monitoring of pipes in nuclear power plants by using ultrasonic guided waves. For this purpose we developed a multi-channel ultrasonic guided wave system for a long-range inspection of pipes and a few techniques which can effectively find defects in pipes. To validate the developed system we performed a series of experiments and analyzed the results.

Application of Laser-Generated Ultrasound for Evaluation of Thickness Reduction in Carbon Steel Pipes

2006 ◽  
Vol 321-323 ◽  
pp. 743-746 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jong Ho Park ◽  
Joon Hyun Lee ◽  
Gyeong Chul Seo ◽  
Sang Woo Choi
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Steel ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Nuclear Power Plants ◽  
Guided Wave ◽  
Thickness Reduction ◽  
Steel Pipes ◽  
Time Frequency ◽  
Wall Thinning ◽  
Local Wall Thinning

In carbon steel pipes of nuclear power plants, local wall thinning may result from erosion-corrosion or flow-accelerated corrosion(FAC) damage. Local wall thinning is one of the major causes for the structural fracture of these pipes. Therefore, assessment of local wall thinning due to corrosion is an important issue in nondestructive evaluation for the integrity of nuclear power plants. In this study, laser-generated ultrasound technique was employed to evaluate local wall thinning due to corrosion. Guided waves were generated in the thermoelastic regime using a Q-switched pulsed Nd:YAG laser with a linear slit array. . In this paper, time-frequency analysis of ultrasonic waveforms using wavelet transform allowed the identification of generated guided wave modes by comparison with the theoretical dispersion curves. Modes conversion and group velocity were employed to detect thickness reduction.

Guided Waves in Pitch-Catch Configuration: A Theoretical Framework to Steer Toward Experimental Tests

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesco Cordella ◽  
Mauro Cappelli ◽  
Francesco Bertoncini
Keyword(s):  
Theoretical Analysis ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Nuclear Power Plants ◽  
Guided Waves ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Theoretical Background ◽  
Guided Wave ◽  
Nuclear Industry ◽  
Discharge Pipe

Abstract Guided waves testing allows a long-range screening in pipes of different types and represents an effective and powerful non-destructing technique for defect detections using a limited number of points of measures. This kind of testing hence represents an appealing technique not only for the Oil and Gas industries but also for the Nuclear Industry, in particular regarding the Structural Health Monitoring of Nuclear Power Plants components. Another point of strength of this technique is that it can be applied in different configurations as the pulse-echo (the same probe is used both for transmission and signal receiving) or the pitch-catch (two symmetric probes are used one for the signal transmission and the second one for the signal receiving). In this way, the guided wave testing with magnetostrictive sensors can be reliably used for the short and long-term monitoring of Nuclear Power Plants components. The objective of this paper is to establish a strong theoretical background to pave the way for a robust experimental investigation. In particular, after the characterization through a general theoretical analysis, the focus is on a real steam discharge pipe with a high mechanical complexity used for many years in a research facility and now dismissed. The experimental method applied is the pitch-catch configuration of two magnetostrictive sensors. Preliminary experimental results conducted on a real complex steam discharge pipe are consistent with the theoretical analysis.

Corrosion monitoring in nuclear power plants

2008 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 57-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Ritter ◽  
Anders Molander
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Nuclear Power Plants ◽  
Corrosion Monitoring
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