Evaluation of the creep damage of the Type 316LN stainless steel by the ultrasonic wave velocity

초음파 속도를 이용한 Type 316LN 스테인리스 강의 크리프 손상 평가

Creep damage is one of the mosl important characteristics for the stability of high temperature structures such as huge energy converting facilities. Creep failure of Type 316LN stainless steel is highly correlated to generation and growth of the voids. In this paper, in order to investigate the correlation of creep rupture time and ultrasonic parameters (group velocity, angular velocity), creep-damaged Type 316LN specimens and measurements for the ultrasonic parameters were made. However, bi-directional measurements were applied along the load direction and the perpendicular direction to the load line by means of the contact type probe of which the central frequencies are 10MHz, 15MHz and 20MHz. Analyzing the angular velocities of the ultrasonic signals obtained from the load direction, it was confirmed that the angular velocities were declined as the creep time passed when 15MHz and 20MHz probes were used. Also, the group velocities were declined for all three frequencies as the creep time increased. Thus, positive feasibility for the creep damage evaluation by means of the angular and group velocities was confirmed. Moreover, result of analysis for the ultrasonic signal which was obtained from the perpendicular direction upon the angular and group velocities indicated little variation for both of the angular and group velocities. Therefore, the creep damage is likely to represent anisotropic itself.