• Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.174-178
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• 2015

This paper describes a signal processing technique for identifying signals from defects by using an electromagnetic-ultrasonic guided waves method based on a magnetostrictive sensor that generates a torsional mode (T(0, 1)). Because this technique is based on the digital filtering, the filtered signals provide information on the relationship between the cutoff frequency of band-pass filter and the characteristic of defect signals in heat exchange tubes. To verify the performance of the technique, artificial defects with various thickness reduction ration and shape were machined in titanium tubes, and digital filtering results are reported. The results show that digital filtering provides information to the identify shape of defects and the contact condition between the tube and support ring. Therefore, the proposed technique has good potential as a tool for evaluating the integrity of heat exchange tubes.

• Journal of Power System Engineering
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.58-65
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• 2008

A method to test thin-walled tubes by guided ultrasonic wave is reported. The principle is that applicate two types of axially symmetric ultrasonic tube modes and "longitudinal" modes with particle displacement, which is coupled in axial and radial directions for transverse failures and torsional modes, oscillating in the circumferential direction only, for longitudinal failures. Both types of modes propagate along the tube in the axial direction. Therefore, a pulse-echo technique is possible. The pulses are excited and received at one end of the tube without contact electro-dynamic transducers. As soon as the tubes is put into a transducer coil at one end, the test of the whole tube can be accomplished in a few milliseconds. It is not necessary to rotate and transport the tubes during the test.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.587-614
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• 2014

In recent years the interest in online monitoring of lightweight structures with ultrasonic guided waves is steadily growing. Especially the aircraft industry is a driving force in the development of structural health monitoring (SHM) systems. In order to optimally design SHM systems powerful and efficient numerical simulation tools to predict the behaviour of ultrasonic elastic waves in thin-walled structures are required. It has been shown that in real industrial applications, such as airplane wings or fuselages, conventional linear and quadratic pure displacement finite elements commonly used to model ultrasonic elastic waves quickly reach their limits. The required mesh density, to obtain good quality solutions, results in enormous computational costs when solving the wave propagation problem in the time domain. To resolve this problem different possibilities are available. Analytical methods and higher order finite element method approaches (HO-FEM), like p-FEM, spectral elements, spectral analysis and isogeometric analysis, are among them. Although analytical approaches offer fast and accurate results, they are limited to rather simple geometries. On the other hand, the application of higher order finite element schemes is a computationally demanding task. The drawbacks of both methods can be circumvented if regions of complex geometry are modelled using a HO-FEM approach while the response of the remaining structure is computed utilizing an analytical approach. The objective of the paper is to present an efficient method to couple different HO-FEM schemes with an analytical description of an undisturbed region. Using this hybrid formulation the numerical effort can be drastically reduced. The functionality of the proposed scheme is demonstrated by studying the propagation of ultrasonic guided waves in plates, excited by a piezoelectric patch actuator. The actuator is modelled utilizing higher order coupled field finite elements, whereas the homogenous, isotropic plate is described analytically. The results of this "semi-analytical" approach highlight the opportunities to reduce the numerical effort if closed-form solutions are partially available.

• Structural Monitoring and Maintenance
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.215-232
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• 2016

This paper presents a multi helical ultrasonic imaging approach for quantitative corrosion damage monitoring of cylindrical structures. The approach consists of two stages. First a multi helical ultrasonic imaging (MHUI) algorithm is used to provide qualitative images of the structure of interest. Then, an optimization problem is solved in order to obtain quantitative damage information, such as thickness map. Experimental tests are carried out on a steel pipe instrumented with six piezoelectric transducers to validate the proposed approach. Three thickness recesses are considered to simulate corrosion damage. The results show the efficiency of the proposed approach for quantifying corrosion location, area and remnant thickness.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.114-121
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• 2009

Ultrasonic guided waves have been widely utilized for long range inspection of structures. Especially, development of array guided waves techniques and its application for long range gas pipe lines(length of from hundreds meters to few km) were getting increased. In this study, focusing algorithm for array guided waves was developed in order to improve long range inspectability and accuracy of the array guided waves techniques for long range inspection of gas pipes, and performance of the developed techniques was verified by experiments using the developed array guided wave system. As a result, S/N ratio of array guided wave signals obtained with the focusing algorithm was increased higher than that of signals without focusing algorithm.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.221-232
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• 2008

Rock bolts have been installed into rockmass as a main support system. In order to evaluate the rock bolt integrity using non-destructive technique, the transmission method of the guided ultrasonic wave has been successfully performed. For the transmission method, however, the source for the generation o# guided ultrasonic waves should be installed at the end of the steel bar during construction of the rock bolt in the field. The purpose of this study is to suggest a reflection method that the source and the receiver are installed on the head of the steel bar. The reflection method is compared with the transmission method using non-embedded rock bolts and rock bolts embedded in concrete block. In this experiment, the piezo disc element is used as the source and the AE sensor is used as the receiver. The wavelet transform is applied to determine the energy velocity. The experimental studies show that the reflection method produces almost identical value of the transmission method, and the energy velocity increases with the defect ratio. This study suggests that the reflection method of the guided ultrasonic wave may be a suitable method fur the rock bolt integrity evaluation in the field.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.297-305
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• 2006

The thermal ratcheting deformation at the reactor baffle and upper internal structure of the liquid metal reactor (LMR) can occur due to movement of the hot sodium free surface. In in-service inspection of reactor internals of LMR, a new inspection technique should be developed for the detection of the thermal ratcheting damage. In this study, an inspection technique using ultrasonic guided wave is proposed for the detection of the thermal ratcheting damage of cylindrical vessels. A 316L stainless steel cylindrical shell specimen has been prepared. The thermal ratchet structural tests were cyclically performed by heat-up up to $550^{\circ}C$ with steep temperature gradients along the axial direction after cool-down by cooling water. Ultrasonic guided wave propagation has been characterized by analysis of dispersion curve of the stainless steel plate. The zero-order antisymmetric $A_0$ guided wave has been selected as the optimal mode for detection of the ratcheting deformation. It is confirmed that the thermal ratcheting deformation can be detected by the measurement of transit time difference of circumferentially propagated $A_0$ guided waves.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.570-578
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• 2009

Excitation and propagation of guided waves are very complex problems in pipes due to their dispersive nature. Pipes are commonly used in the oil, chemical or nuclear industry and hence must be inspected regularly to ensure continued safe operation. The normal mode expansion(NME) method is given for the amplitude with which any propagating waveguide mode is generated in the pipes by applied surface tractions. Numerical results are calculated based on the NME method using different sources, i.e., non-axisymmetric partial loading and quasi-axisymmetric loading sources. The sum of amplitude coefficients for 0~nineth order of the harmonic modes are calculated based on the NME method and the dispersion curves in pipes. The superimposed total field which is namely the angular profile, varies with propagating distance and circumferential angle. This angular profile of guided waves provides information for setting the transducer position to find defects in pipes.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.371-382
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• 2017

Concrete filled steel tubes are extensively applied in engineering structures due to their resistance to high tensile and compressive load and convenience in construction. But one major flaw, their vulnerability to environmental attack, can severely reduce the strength and life of these structures. Degradation due to corrosion of steel confining the concrete is one of the major durability problems faced by civil engineers to maintain these structures. The problem accelerates as inner surface of steel tube is in contact with concrete which serves as electrolyte. If it remains unnoticed, it further accelerates and can be catastrophic. This paper discusses a non-destructive degradation monitoring technique for early detection corrosion in steel tubes in CFST members. Due to corrosion, damage in the form of debonding and pitting occurs in steel sections. Guided ultrasonic waves have been used as a feasible and attractive solution for the detection and monitoring of corrosion damages in CFST sections. Guided waves have been utilized to monitor the effect of notch and debond defects in concrete filled steel tubes simulating pitting and delamination of steel tubes from surrounding concrete caused by corrosion. Pulse transmission has been used to monitor the healthy and simulated damaged specimens. A methodology is developed and successfully applied for the monitoring of concrete filled steel tubular sections undergoing accelerated chloride corrosion. The ultrasonic signals efficiently narrate the state of steel tube undergoing corrosion.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.20 no.6 s.73
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• pp.1-6
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• 2006

Corrosion of reinforcing steel bars is a major concern for ocean engineers when reinforced concrete structures are exposed to marine environments. Evaluating the degree of corrosion and corrosion-induced defects is extremely necessary to pursue a proper retrofit or rehabilitation plan for reinforced concrete structures. A promising inspection should be carried out for the evaluation, otherwise the retrofit or rehabilitation process would be useless. Nowadays, ultrasonic guided wave-based inspection techniques become quite promising for the inspection, mainly because of their long-range propagation capability and their sensitivity to different types of defects or conditions. Evaluating haw the guided waves response to the different types of defects or conditions is quite challenging and important. This study shows how surface conditions of reinforcing bars and a corrosion-induced defect, separation, affect guided wave propagation in reinforced concrete. Experiments and associated signal analysis show the sensitivity of guided waves to the surface conditions, as well as the amounts of separation at the interface between. concrete and steel bar.