• Transactions of the Korean Society of Pressure Vessels and Piping
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.15-19
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• 2014

A Failure or degradation of reactor upper head penetration is a recurring problem due to long term operation at nuclear power plants. And a flaw in the reactor upper head penetration has caused unplanned plant shutdown for repair as well as high economic impact on the plants. Consequently, a detection of flaws is of the utmost importance. Prior to the replacement of reactor upper head penetration, some utilities have repaired the flaws of reactor upper head penetration generated by overlay weld. Until now, only the base metal in reactor upper head penetration has been inspected according to 10 CFR 50.55a and ASME code case N-729-1. Accordingly, it is difficult to detect manufacturing defects and repair defects in overlay weld. This paper presents a case study on the application of Time of Flight Diffraction technique for reactor head penetration mockup with artificial flaws in overlay weld. This study offers a way to understand the flaws detected in reactor upper head penetration overlay weld.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Pressure Vessels and Piping
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.1-5
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• 2015

A failure or degradation of reactor upper head penetration is a troublesome problem at Nuclear Power Plants. A flaw in the reactor upper head penetration can result in unplanned plant shutdown for repair, and cause serious economic losses on the plants. Consequently, a detection of flaws is a matter of more importance. Until now, only the base metal, not including J-groove weld, in reactor upper head penetration has been inspected in accordance with 10 CFR 50.55a and ASME code case N-729-1 requirements. Accordingly, it is rather difficult to detect manufacturing defects and repair defects in J-groove weld. This paper presents a case study on the application of Time of Flight Diffraction UT technique to examine the J-groove weld in reactor head penetration using reactor head penetration mockup with artificial flaws. We expect that this study result will offer a way to understand the non-destructive examination technology for J-groove weld in reactor upper head penetration.

• Proceedings of the Korea Crystallographic Association Conference
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• 2002.11a
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• pp.17-17
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• 2002

Time-of-flight impact collision ion scattering spectroscopy (TOF-ICISS) was applied to study the geometrical structure of the epitaxially grown BaTiO₃ layers on the MgO(100) surface. Hetero-epitaxial BaTiO₃ layers can be deposited by the following steps: first thermal evaporation of titanium onto the MgO(100) surface in the atmosphere of oxygen at 400℃, secondly thermal evaporation of barium in the same manner, and finally annealing at 800℃. Well ordered perovskite BaTiO₃ was confirmed from the ICISS spectra and reflection high electron energy diffraction (RHEED) patterns. It was also revealed that BaTiO₃ had cubic structure with the same lattice parameter of bulk phase.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.273-280
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• 2016

The simulation of nondestructive testing has been used in the prediction of the signal characteristics of various defects and in the development of the procedures. CIVA, a simulation tool dedicated to nondestructive testing, has good accuracy and speed, and provides a three-dimensional graphical user interface for improved visualization and familiar data displays consistent with an NDE technique. Even though internal validations have been performed by the CIVA software development specialists, an independent validation study is necessary for the assessment of the accuracy of the software prior to practical use. In this study, time of flight diffraction signals of ultrasonic inspection of a calibration block for reactor vessel head penetrations were simulated using CIVA. The results were compared to the experimentally inspected signals. The accuracy of the simulated signals and the possible range for simulation were verified. It was found that, there is a good agreement between the CIVA simulated and experimental results in the A-scan signal, B-scan image, and measurement of depth.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2014

A two-dimensional numerical model based on the finite element method was built to simulate the wave propagation phenomena that occur during the ultrasonic time of flight diffraction (TOFD) process. First, longitudinal-wave TOFD was simulated, and the numerical results agreed well with the theoretical results. Shear-wave TOFD was also investigated because shear waves have higher intensity and resolution. The shear wave propagation was studied using three models with different boundary conditions, and the tip-diffracted shear-to-longitudinal wave was extracted from the A-scan signal difference between the cracked and non-cracked specimens. This signal showed very good agreement between the geometrical and numerical arrival times. The results of this study not only provide better understanding of the diffraction phenomena in TOFD, but also prove the potential of shear-wave TOFD for practical application.

• 전기의세계
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• v.38 no.8
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• pp.9-18
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• 1989

초음파 CT는 시기적으로 가장 빨리 X-ray CT와 함께 연구되어 왔으나 인체내의 투과성, 난반사, 긴파장등에 의해 실용화가 아직은 요원하다. 초음파 CT는 크게 Time of flight (TOF)CT, Attenuation CT, Reflection CT, Diffraction CT등으로 나눌수 있다. 초기에는 TOF CT, Attenuation CT의 연구가 주로 이루어 졌으나 투과의 문제로 인하여 실제로는 유방의 진단에 국한되고 있다. Reflection CT는 초음파의 특성상 실용화가 가장 쉬우나 Transducer 크기등의 문제로 연구가 지연되고 있다. Diffraction CT는 모든 초음파 CT의 특성을 갖고 있으며 현재에 실용화는 요원한 실정이다. KAIST에서는 TOF CT와 Reflection CT의 특징을 결합한 초음파 CT를 연구 발표한 바 있다. 3-D Image은 지금까지의 초음파진단장치에서 표시하는 2-D Image가 갖고 있는 제반의 문제들을 극복하기 위해 현재 KAIST에서 활발히 연구가 진행중에 있다.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.420-425
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• 1999

Time of flight diffraction(TOFD) method is used in nondestructive tests of piping and pressure vessels because of its advantages over a pulse echo technique: its speed, objectivity, repeatability and its insensitivity to specimen surface conditions and discontinuity orientation. But it is the one of weak points in TOFD method that it has the dead zone in sub-surface resolution induced by lateral waves. We solved the dead-zone problem near the sub-surface by using the deconvolution method and the developed ultrasonic testing system showed high performance.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.597-606
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• 2019

Ultrasonic Time-of-Flight Diffraction (TOFD) techniques are useful methods for non-destructive evaluation of fracture characteristics. This study focuses on the reliability and accuracy of ultrasonic diffraction methods to estimate the depth of rock fractures. The study material includes three different rock types; andesite, basalt and ignimbrite. Four different ultrasonic techniques were performed on these intact rocks. Artificial near-surface fracture depths were created in the laboratory by sawing. The reliability and accuracy of each technique was assessed by comparison of the repeated measurements at different path lengths along the rock surface. The standard error associated with the predictive equations is very small and their reliability and accuracy seem to be high enough to be utilized in estimating the depth of rock fractures. The performances of these techniques were re-evaluated after filling the artificial fractures with another material to simulate natural infills.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.39 no.5
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• pp.433-437
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• 2002

Impact-collision ion scattering spectroscopy was applied to study the geometrical structure of epitaxially grown TiO layers on the MgO(100) surface. Hetero-epitaxial TiO layer was formed by thermal evaporation of titanium onto the MgO(100) surface followed by the exposure to oxygen at $400{\circ}$. The well-ordered TiO structure was confirmed by the impact-collision ion scattering spectroscopy and reflection high energy electron diffraction patterns. It is revealed that the Ti and O atoms are located on the on-top site of the MgO(100) surface and the TiO overlayers are composed of little three dimensional islands.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.49 no.7
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• pp.1524-1536
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• 2017

During the fabrication process of reactor vessel head penetration (RVHP), the grain size of the tube material can be changed by hot or cold work and the inner side of the tube can also be shrunk due to welding outside of the tube. Several nonregular time-of-flight diffraction (TOFD) signals were found because of deformed grains. In this paper, an investigation of nonregular TOFD indications acquired from RVHP tubes using experiments and computer simulation was performed in order to identify and distinguish TOFD signals by coarse grains from those by Primary Water Stress Corrosion Crack (PWSCC). For proper understanding of the nonregular TOFD indications, microstructural analysis of the RVHP tubes and prediction of signals scattered from the grains using Finite Element Method (FEM) simulation were performed. Prediction of ultrasonic signals from the various sizes of side drilled holes to find equivalent flaws, determination of the size of the nonregular TOFD indications from the coarse grains, and experimental investigation of TOFD signals from coarse grain and shrinkage geometry to identify PWSCC signals were performed. From the computer simulation and experimental investigation results, it was possible to obtain the nonregular TOFD indications from the coarse grains in the alloy 690 penetration tube of RVHP; these nonregular indications may be classified as PWSCC. By comparing the computer simulation and experimental results, we were able to confirm a clear difference between the coarse grain signal and the PWSCC signal.