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.

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.

Non-Invasive On-Line Monitoring for Nuclear Power Plants Using Guided Waves Propagating in Steel Pipes With Different Types of Structural Complexity

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesco Bertoncini ◽  
Mauro Cappelli ◽  
Francesco Cordella ◽  
Marco Raugi
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Nuclear Power Plants ◽  
Guided Waves ◽  
Structural Complexity ◽  
Ultrasonic Waves ◽  
Steel Pipes ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Different Types ◽  
On Line

On-line monitoring for installed piping in Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs), as well as for Oil & Gas and other kind of plants, is crucial to early detect local ageing effects and locate single defects before they may result in critical failures. All the actions able to prevent failures are of great value especially if non-invasive and allowing an In-Service Inspection (ISI). In particular the Long Term Operation (LTO) and Plant Life Extension (PLEX) may be invalidated from radiation, thermal, mechanical stresses besides their own ageing. Hence on-line monitoring techniques are of much interest especially if they assure the required safety levels and at the same time are simple and cost-effective. Guided Waves (GW) satisfy these requirements since they are structure-borne ultrasonic waves that propagate themselves without interfering along the same pipe structure, which in turns through its geometric boundaries serves as a confining structure for the GW used to test its integrity. The frequencies used for GW testing extend up to 250 kHz, thus allowing a long-range inspection of pipes (tens of meters in favorable circumstances). The experimental conditions (e.g. temperature, complex piping structure, wall thickness, materials) have to be considered since they strongly affect the results but GW generated through magnetostrictive sensors are expected to overcome such issues due to their robustness and positioning ease. In this paper, new experimental tests conducted using the proposed methodology for steel pipes having different types of structural complexity are described.

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.

Non-Contact Gas Accumulation Detection in Water Loaded Pipes Using Guided Waves

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhenhua Tian ◽  
Xiaoyi Sun ◽  
Linlin Ma ◽  
Lingyu Yu
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Nuclear Power Plants ◽  
Guided Waves ◽  
Detection Method ◽  
Safety Concern ◽  
Laser Doppler Vibrometer ◽  
Quantitative Information ◽  
Guided Wave ◽  
Gas Accumulation

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued Generic Letter 2008-01 due to the safety concern associated with gas accumulation events in emergency core cooling pipes of nuclear power plants. Since the gas accumulation may critically damage pipes, pumps, and valves, and affect the safety operation of nuclear power plants, the gas accumulation needs to be detected as well as quantified. This paper presents a quantitative gas accumulation detection method for water loaded pipes by using guided waves. To establish the detection method, we investigated the differences between guided waves in a free pipe and those in a water loaded pipe. The guided waves in both cases were measured by using a scanning laser Doppler vibrometer, and analyzed by using frequency wavenumber analysis. Analysis results show that guided wave characteristics such as wavenumbers and wave speeds are different between the free and water loaded pipes. Based on those findings, we developed a gas accumulation detection method that can also provide quantitative information of the gas accumulation. Through a proof-of-concept test, the quantitative gas accumulation detection method was verified.

In-Service Inspection and On-Line Monitoring of Inaccessible Components in Nuclear Power Plants Using Guided Wave Technology

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Florin Turcu ◽  
Mauro Cappelli ◽  
Davide Mazzini ◽  
Sergio Pistelli ◽  
Marco Raugi
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Scientific Community ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Guided Waves ◽  
Guided Wave ◽  
Ultrasonic Guided Waves ◽  
Critical Parameters ◽  
Nuclear Plants ◽  
On Line ◽  
Service Inspection

One of the most challenging problems in the on-line monitoring of critical parameters of nuclear plants is the inspection of components that result inaccessible or difficult to reach. In this context, there is an increasing interest of the scientific community and industry for the use of Ultrasonic Guided Waves (UGW) for addressing this issue. In this work, the problem of the applicability of the UGW technique with magnetostrictive sensors to NPP structures is described, together with the outline of the related advantages as well as the main technical concerns that may arise from such applications. This methodology has been tested on experimental activities concerning high temperature applications. Results show the effectiveness of such an approach.

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