• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.185-193
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• 1994

Conventional ultrasonic flaw detection system uses a large amplitude narrow pulse to excite a transducer. However, these systems are limited in pulse energy. An excessively large amplitude causes a dielectric breakage of the transducer, and an excessively long pulse causes decrease of the resolution. Using the pulse compression, a long pulse of pseudorandom signal can be used without sacrificing resolution by signal correlation. In the present work, the pulse compression technique was implemented into an ultrasonic system. Golay code was used as a pseudorandom signal in this system, since pair sum of autocorrelations has no sidelobe. The equivalent input pulse of the Golay code was derived to analyze the pulse compression system. Throughout the experiment, the pulse compression technique has demonstrated for its improved SNR(signal to noise ratio) by reducing the system's white noise. And the experimental data also indicated that the SNR enhancement was propotional to the square root of the code length used. The technique seems to perform particularly well with highly energy-absorbent materials such as polymers, plastics and rubbers.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.118-128
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• 1999

There are many ultrasonic measurement methods that are used in nondestructive testing applications. Some typical applications include material property determination, microstructural characterization. and flaw detection. Ultrasonic parameters such as velocity and attenuation are most commonly required in these applications. The accuracy and repeatability of testing results are dependent on both the hardware used to generate and receive the ultrasonic waves and on the analysis software for calculating these parameters. In this study, five analysis algorithms were implemented on a computer for measuring wave speed in a pulse echo. immersion testing configuration. In velocity measurements comparisons were made between the overlap. cross-correlation. Fourier transform. Hilbert transform, wavelet transform algorithms. Velocity measurement was applied to an isotropic steel sample using the five analysis algorithms. Frequency-dependent phase/group velocity and attenuation were also measured using the Fourier transform and wavelet transform algorithms on a composite laminate containing voids.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 1999.07a
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• pp.36-36
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• 1999

한국중공업(주)에서 수행한 KSTAR 진공용기 시작품 제작이 완성됨에 따라 제작과 관련된 종합기술을 분석하여 보았다. KSTAR 진공용기 시작품(그림1)은 전체의 1/4섹터인 90도 부분으로서 NBI(Neutral Beam Injection) 포트를 포함하는 45도 섹터와 축소포트(Reduced Port)를 포함하는 45도 섹터를 각각 먼저 제작한 후 두 부분을 용접하여 최종 시작품을 완성하였다. 용접은 SMAW법과 GTAW법 등 두가지 방법을 사용하였으며, 초기 용접시는 용접 면적이 작기 때문에 GTAW법을 이용하였고, 마무리 용접과 같이 용접 면적이 넓고 거친 부분에는 SMAW법을 이용하여 용접하였다. 모든 용접이 완전통과 용접이기 때문에 구조적 안전 면에서 좋으나, 진공측면에서는 다소 미흡한 점이 있다. 시작품은 상하 대칭구조로서 원통부분, 원형부분, 원추부분, 너클부분 (그림2) 등으로 나뉘어 지며 이중 원형품은 금형을 이용하여 성형하였고, 나머지 부분은 굽힘가공 후 절단적업을 하였다. 진공용기 조립은 안쪽과 바깥쪽 내벽부터 용접한 후 폴로이달 리브를 용접하고 외벽을 용접한다. 수평포트와 수직포트를 위해 스터브를 용접한 후 미리 용접해둔 NBI 포트 및 축소포트를 부착시켰다. 용접부위의 누설시험을 위한 방법으로, 용접주위 표면에서 개구하고 있는 홈에 적색 침투액을 침투시켜 침투 후 이 액을 홈의 개구로부터 빨아 내어 용접부위 표면상태에서 실제의 홈의 폭보다 확대한 홈의 지시모양으로 나타내게 하여 누설여부를 알기 쉽게 하는 액체 침투 탐상법을 적용하였다. 지시모양의 크기가 5mm 이상인 부분에 대해서는 재용접을 하였다. 누설 시험으로 초음파 탐상시험이 본제품 제작시 수행되어야 한다. 완성된 시작품에 대해 3군데의 위치에서 각각의 부분들이 용접되기 전과 후에 치수를 각각 측정하여 비교하였다. 또한 포트들에 대해서도 용접 전후 치수를 각각 측정하였다. 이러한 측정은 줄자를 사용하여 측정하였으므로 차 후 3차원 정밀 측정이 수반되어야 한다. 이상과 같이 시작품 제작을 통하여 문제점을 파악하고 개선책을 마련함으로서 향 후 KSTASR 진공용기 본 제품 제작할 때 반영코자 한다.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.162-169
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• 2012

This study detected SCC defects of dissimilar metal welded(STS304 and SA106 Gr. b) pipes using the ultrasonic infrared thermography method and the lock-in image treatment method among infrared thermography method. The infrared excitement equipment has 250 Watt of output and 20 kHz of frequency. By using the ultrasound infrared thermography method, the internal defects of dissimilar metal weld joints of pipes used at nuclear power plants could get detected. By an actual PT test, it was observed that the cracks inside the pipe existed not as a single crack but rather as a multiple cracks within a certain area and generated a hot spot image of a broad area on the thermography image. In addition, UT technology could not easily defects detected by the width of $10\;{\mu}m$ fine hair cracks. but, ultrasound infrared thermography technique was defect detected.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.30-37
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• 2003

In order to replace the manual ultrasonic testing(UT) with an automated UT(AUT), a scanner which enables us to control the positions of a transducer is essential. Encoders have been commonly used to obtain the position information from the conventional scanners controlled by motor. Encoders have various advantages in many aspects. However, if the slip of motor wheel occurs during scanning, various errors are involved in the position accuracy. Thus, the position information of encoders becomes meaningless in case of slip. The reliability of AUT results nay become serious problem. Hence, slip must be avoided, but it can not be completely avoided at present time. In this paper, a new idea that surface wave is used to solve this problem and replace encoders has been proposed. It is shown that this idea can be employed in AUT scanner without encoders. That is, one transducer transmitting surface wave is fixed and the other transducer attached to the scanner receives UT signal. Then, computer calculates the present position of scanner based on the information given by surface wave. Thus, the movement of a scanner can be controlled by the amount of input based on the information obtained.

• The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.81-89
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• 1996

It is very important for ultrasonic test method to evaluate the integrity of the class I components in nuclear power plants. However, as the rltrasonic test is affected by internal structures and configurations of test materials, backscattering, that is, time invariant noise is generated in large grain size materials. Due to the above reason, the received signal results in low signal to noise(S/N) ratio. Split spectrum processing(SSP) technique is effective to suppress the grain noise. The conventional SSP technique. however, has been applied to unique algorithm. This paper shows that MPO(minimization and polarity threshold) algorithm which two algorithms are applied simulatancously, was utilized, the signal processing time was shorten by using the new constant-Q SSP with the FIR filter which frequency to bandwidth ratio is constant and the optimum parameters were analysed for the signal processing to longitudinal wave and shear wave with the same requirements of inspection on nuclear power plant site. Moreover, the new ultrasonic test instrument, the reference block of the same product form and material specification, stainless stell test specimens and copper test specimens block of the same fabricated for the application of new SSP technique. As the result of experimental test with new ultrasonic test instrument and test specimens, the signal to noise ratio was improved by appying the new SSP technique.

• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.225-235
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• 2020

Ultrasonic investigation of damage detection has been widely used for non-destructive testing of various concrete structures. This study focuses on damage detection analysis with the aid of wave propagation in two-phase composite concrete with aggregate (inclusion) and mortar (matrix). To fabricate a realistic simulation model containing a variety of irregular aggregate shapes, the mesh generation technique using an image processing technique was proposed. Initially, the domains and boundaries of the aggregates were extracted from the digital image of a typical concrete cut-section. This enables two different domains: aggregates and mortar in heterogeneous concrete sections, and applied the grids onto these domains to discretize the model. Subsequently, finite element meshes are generated in terms of spatial and temporal requirements of the model size. For improved analysis results, all meshes are designed to be quadrilateral type, and an additional process is conducted to improve the mesh quality. With this simulation model, wave propagation analyses were conducted with a central frequency of 75 kHz of the Mexican hat incident wave. Several void damages, such as needle-shaped cracks and void-shaped holes, were artificially introduced in the model. Finally, various formats of internal damage were detected by implementing energy mapping based signal processing.

• 한국방재학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2011.02a
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• pp.184-184
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• 2011

선로의 레일은 재료적인 특성과 현장의 많은 주변 요소에 의한 불확실성이 매우 높은 시스템으로 결함의 위험이 상존한다. 결함 발생과 조치에 따라 영업손실로 이어지므로 레일 결함 발생과 동시에 적절한 조치가 요구된다. 따라서 레일결함 발생 시 레일교환시기를 파악하는 것이 선로관리비용을 줄일 수 있으며 레일교환에 대한 신속한 판단을 위함 관리기준을 정립하는 것이 요구된다. 현재 국내에서 고속선의 경우 관리 기준이 있으나, 일반철도는 없는 실정이다. 본 연구는 차후 일반철도 180km/h 속도상승을 계획하고 있는 현 시점에 국외 관리기준을 분석하여 결함관리기준을 정립에 기여하고자 한다. 국내의 경우, 2004. 4. 1 프랑스 기술을 전수받아 개통한 고속선은 프랑스 레일관리기준을 적용한 "레일손상 등급별 관리기준"을 제정하여 레일관리를 시행하고 있다. 국외의 경우, INNOTRACK프로젝트 안에서 관련된 다른 IM(Infrastructure Managers, 사회기반시설 관리자들)에게 최근의 활동과 변화의 이해를 제공하기 위해서, 선택된 결함들의 최소조치들의 조사가 Network Rail, OBB, Prorail, Banverket 그리고 DB에서 수행되고 있으며 UIC 지침에도 포함되고 있다. 모든 최소조치 원칙은 초음파나 육안에 의해 발견된 길이나 초음파 또는 와류탐상기(eddy current system)를 이용한 깊이에 대한 제한(limits)을 준다. 또한 침목과 이음매 또는 용접부에 관한 위치에 관한 결함의 제한이 있다. 명시된 기간은 즉각적일 수도 있으며, 보통 속도 제한이나 비상 죔쇠(Clamps)같은 경감시키는 수단에 적용될 수 있으며, 또는 더 긴 기간이 될 수도 있다. 더 긴 기간들은 수리나 레일 교체를 통하여 선로로부터 결함이 제거되어야 하는 최대의 시간이다. 본 연구에서는 Transverse Breaks, Squats, Head Checks 3가지 결함 유형에 대해 각 국에서 사용하는 최소 조치를 비교하여 분석하였다. 분석결과, 유럽에서는 레일결함에 대하여 깊이 있는 연구를 통하여 관리기준을 정하여 관리하고 있으며 이에 따라 상세하고 구체적인 레일 관리가 가능하므로 효율적이며 안전성이 제고되는 것으로 판단된다. 차후 일반철도의 180km/h 속도상승을 계획하고 있는 현 시점에서 국내철도 일반선 여건에 적합한 레일결함관리기준을 정립하기 위한 추가적인 연구가 필요할 것으로 판단된다.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.45-52
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• 2003

A number of stress corrosion cracks in turbine rotor disk keyway in power plants have been found and the necessity has been raised to detect and evaluate the cracks prior to the catastrophic failure of turbine disk. By ultrasonic RF signal analysis and using a neural network based on bark-propagation algorithm, we tried to evaluate the location, size and orientation of cracks around keyway. Because RF signals received from each reflector have a number of peaks, they were processed to have a single peak for each reflector. Using the processed RF signals, scan data that contain the information on the position of transducer and the arrival time of reflected waves from each reflector were obtained. The time difference between each reflector and the position of transducer extracted from the scan data were then applied to the back-propagation neural network. As a result, the neural network was found useful to evaluate the location, size and orientation of cracks initiated from keyway.

• 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.