Pub Date : 2021-10-01DOI: 10.32548/10.32548/2021.me-04233
H. Jalali, Yuhui Zeng, P. Rizzo, A. Bunger
This paper delves into the use of highly nonlinear solitary waves for the nondestructive identification and characterization of anisotropy in rocks. The nondestructive testing approach proposed expands upon a technique developed recently by some of the authors for the nondestructive characterization of engineering materials and structures. The technique uses the characteristics of solitary waves propagating in a periodic array of spherical particles in contact with the rock to be characterized. The features of the waves that bounce off the chain rock interface are used to infer some properties of the geomaterial under consideration. Numerical models and experimental validation were conducted to explore the feasibility of the method and to standardize the methodology for future widespread applications.
{"title":"Highly Nonlinear Solitary Waves to Estimate Orientation and Degree of Anisotropy in Rocks","authors":"H. Jalali, Yuhui Zeng, P. Rizzo, A. Bunger","doi":"10.32548/10.32548/2021.me-04233","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.32548/10.32548/2021.me-04233","url":null,"abstract":"This paper delves into the use of highly nonlinear solitary waves for the nondestructive identification and characterization of anisotropy in rocks. The nondestructive testing approach proposed expands upon a technique developed recently by some of the authors for the nondestructive characterization of engineering materials and structures. The technique uses the characteristics of solitary waves propagating in a periodic array of spherical particles in contact with the rock to be characterized. The features of the waves that bounce off the chain rock interface are used to infer some properties of the geomaterial under consideration. Numerical models and experimental validation were conducted to explore the feasibility of the method and to standardize the methodology for future widespread applications.","PeriodicalId":49876,"journal":{"name":"Materials Evaluation","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2021-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46647081","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Shotcrete structures are widely used in tunnel engineering. Quality inspection is difficult, and the traditional ultrasonic testing (UT) method based on first arrival velocity has limitations. In this paper, shotcrete-rock specimens were made in a laboratory and evaluated using UT. Wavelet packet decomposition is introduced for better frequency analysis of the condition evaluation. Two methods, including calculation of the energy eigenvalues and machine learning, are used to describe the contact quality at the interface between the shotcrete and rock. The relative energy eigenvalue increases with the gradual reduction of contact quality, which can become a quantitative index of the contact quality. Machine learning performed well in the rapid recognition of discontinuities in the multiple-classification models. Both methods based on wavelet packet decomposition achieved good results in identifying discontinuities and have the potential to be used in practical engineering applications.
{"title":"Research on Ultrasonic Testing with Wavelet Packet Analysis for Shotcrete","authors":"Fei Yao, Y. Cao","doi":"10.32548/2021.me-04217","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.32548/2021.me-04217","url":null,"abstract":"Shotcrete structures are widely used in tunnel engineering. Quality inspection is difficult, and the traditional ultrasonic testing (UT) method based on first arrival velocity has limitations. In this paper, shotcrete-rock specimens were made in a laboratory and evaluated using UT. Wavelet packet decomposition is introduced for better frequency analysis of the condition evaluation. Two methods, including calculation of the energy eigenvalues and machine learning, are used to describe the contact quality at the interface between the shotcrete and rock. The relative energy eigenvalue increases with the gradual reduction of contact quality, which can become a quantitative index of the contact quality. Machine learning performed well in the rapid recognition of discontinuities in the multiple-classification models. Both methods based on wavelet packet decomposition achieved good results in identifying discontinuities and have the potential to be used in practical engineering applications.","PeriodicalId":49876,"journal":{"name":"Materials Evaluation","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2021-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"69699126","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sanjaya Sahoo, Srinivas Kuchipudi, R. Rao, M. Buragohain, C. S. Chaitanya
Adhesively bonded interfaces of glass fiber– reinforced plastics (GFRP) composite to rubber and rubber to propellant were investigated for planar interfacial defects with a spatial resolution of 100 μm. Single-sided low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) with a magnetic field strength of 0.3 T (12.88 MHz proton frequency) has been used for noninvasive inspection of planar defects in GFRP-based multilayered composite structures. Further, in this paper, the application of low-field NMR for adhesive liner thickness measurement is also demonstrated. The investigation revealed applicability of single-sided low-field NMR for onsite field applications. Results were compared with other nondestructive evaluation (NDE) techniques: acousto-ultrasonic and radiographic testing (RT). It is observed that single-sided low-field NMR is an excellent NDE tool to study adhesive bonds and defects such as debonding, variations in thickness to accuracies ranging from 50 to 200 μm, and degradation. In comparison with the acousto-ultrasonic technique and RT, single-sided low-field NMR is observed to be more sensitive.
研究了玻璃纤维增强塑料(GFRP)与橡胶和橡胶与推进剂的粘接界面的平面缺陷，空间分辨率为100 μm。采用磁场强度为0.3 T (12.88 MHz质子频率)的单侧低场核磁共振(NMR)对gfrp基多层复合材料结构中的平面缺陷进行了无创检测。此外，本文还论证了低场核磁共振在胶粘剂衬里厚度测量中的应用。调查显示单面低场核磁共振适用于现场现场应用。结果比较了其他无损评价(NDE)技术:声-超声和射线检测(RT)。结果表明，单侧低场核磁共振是一种很好的无损检测工具，可用于研究粘接键和缺陷，如脱粘、厚度变化(精度范围为50 ~ 200 μm)和降解。与声-超声技术和RT技术相比，单侧低场核磁共振具有更高的灵敏度。
{"title":"Detection of Planar Defects in Multilayered GFRP Composite Structures Using Low-Field Nuclear Magnetic Resonance","authors":"Sanjaya Sahoo, Srinivas Kuchipudi, R. Rao, M. Buragohain, C. S. Chaitanya","doi":"10.32548/2021.me-04201","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.32548/2021.me-04201","url":null,"abstract":"Adhesively bonded interfaces of glass fiber– reinforced plastics (GFRP) composite to rubber and rubber to propellant were investigated for planar interfacial defects with a spatial resolution of 100 μm. Single-sided low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) with a magnetic field strength of 0.3 T (12.88 MHz proton frequency) has been used for noninvasive inspection of planar defects in GFRP-based multilayered composite structures. Further, in this paper, the application of low-field NMR for adhesive liner thickness measurement is also demonstrated. The investigation revealed applicability of single-sided low-field NMR for onsite field applications. Results were compared with other nondestructive evaluation (NDE) techniques: acousto-ultrasonic and radiographic testing (RT). It is observed that single-sided low-field NMR is an excellent NDE tool to study adhesive bonds and defects such as debonding, variations in thickness to accuracies ranging from 50 to 200 μm, and degradation. In comparison with the acousto-ultrasonic technique and RT, single-sided low-field NMR is observed to be more sensitive.","PeriodicalId":49876,"journal":{"name":"Materials Evaluation","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2021-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44451652","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Implementing a new program is often the most challenging stage of an education organization. The seasoned project manager or entrepreneur knows the maintenance of a program, process evaluation, and prioritizing actions into the next phase of planning are the signs of a robust program. This is the same process for the implementation and maintenance of a nondestructive testing (NDT) program. This paper will focus on the critical considerations for the design, implementation, and maintenance of an NDT program in community colleges. In addition, the paper will describe the measures needed to assess the program’s effectiveness and the student learning outcomes for technicians.
{"title":"Implementing a Successful NDT Education Program: Planning, Design, Resources, Curriculum, and Evaluation","authors":"Tracie Clifford","doi":"10.32548/2021.me-04203","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.32548/2021.me-04203","url":null,"abstract":"Implementing a new program is often the most challenging stage of an education organization. The seasoned project manager or entrepreneur knows the maintenance of a program, process evaluation, and prioritizing actions into the next phase of planning are the signs of a robust program. This is the same process for the implementation and maintenance of a nondestructive testing (NDT) program. This paper will focus on the critical considerations for the design, implementation, and maintenance of an NDT program in community colleges. In addition, the paper will describe the measures needed to assess the program’s effectiveness and the student learning outcomes for technicians.","PeriodicalId":49876,"journal":{"name":"Materials Evaluation","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2021-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42514780","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
High schools in the United States are taking a fresh look at the future of career and technical education with the implementation of new learning pathways that lead directly to the workforce, including the nondestructive testing (NDT) industry. These programs directly connect high school curriculums with post-secondary education and employment, reaching kids as young as junior high. This resurgence in technical education can be traced to the current demand for “new collar” jobs—jobs that require a post-secondary degree, although not necessarily a four-year college degree. The demand for new collar jobs continues to increase, as millions of jobs requiring only a high school diploma have disappeared. Harvard’s influential Pathways to Prosperity report, released in 2011, warned that nearly two-thirds of new jobs of the 2010s would require more than a high school education—yet only 40% of Americans had obtained an associate’s or bachelor’s degree by their mid-20s (Harvard 2011). In response, a new vision of 21st century vocational training is emerging across the United States. Vocational education has traditionally taught students how to weld or how to fix a car. Today’s career and technical education encompasses a wide variety of industries and skills. Students are learning to code software, design websites, or operate robots and artificial intelligence systems that have replaced manual labor jobs across much of the economy. Through new technical and career programs, high school students have the opportunity to learn valuable skills, gain job experience and support from participating sponsor companies and mentors, and complete coursework to graduate with a high school diploma and, often, an associate’s degree as well. This article explores new high school technical and career programs in Texas, Minnesota, and North Carolina that specifically provide a pathway to careers in NDT. These new initiatives are fueled by the desires of students, parents, and educators for options outside of the traditional four-year college path, as well as urgent workforce needs within industry. Support from local industry and academia (such as community colleges) are essential to the success of the programs.
{"title":"New Pathways to NDT: 21st Century Technical Education Connects High School Students to Real-World Careers","authors":"J. Ross","doi":"10.32548/2021.me-04251","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.32548/2021.me-04251","url":null,"abstract":"High schools in the United States are taking a fresh look at the future of career and technical education with the implementation of new learning pathways that lead directly to the workforce, including the nondestructive testing (NDT) industry. These programs directly connect high school curriculums with post-secondary education and employment, reaching kids as young as junior high.\u0000This resurgence in technical education can be traced to the current demand for “new collar” jobs—jobs that require a post-secondary degree, although not necessarily a four-year college degree. The demand for new collar jobs continues to increase, as millions of jobs requiring only a high school diploma have disappeared. Harvard’s influential Pathways to Prosperity report, released in 2011, warned that nearly two-thirds of new jobs of the 2010s would require more than a high school education—yet only 40% of Americans had obtained an associate’s or bachelor’s degree by their mid-20s (Harvard 2011). In response, a new vision of 21st century vocational training is emerging across the United States. Vocational education has traditionally taught students how to weld or how to fix a car. Today’s career and technical education encompasses a wide variety of industries and skills. Students are learning to code software, design websites, or operate robots and artificial intelligence systems that have replaced manual labor jobs across much of the economy. Through new technical and career programs, high school students have the opportunity to learn valuable skills, gain job experience and support from participating sponsor companies and mentors, and complete coursework to graduate with a high school diploma and, often, an associate’s degree as well.\u0000This article explores new high school technical and career programs in Texas, Minnesota, and North Carolina that specifically provide a pathway to careers in NDT. These new initiatives are fueled by the desires of students, parents, and educators for options outside of the traditional four-year college path, as well as urgent workforce needs within industry. Support from local industry and academia (such as community colleges) are essential to the success of the programs.","PeriodicalId":49876,"journal":{"name":"Materials Evaluation","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2021-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46643034","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Water utilities have been struggling to replace their aging infrastructure and have increasingly faced crisis related to the presence of lead pipelines that can affect the health of many communities across the United States. Replacement of lead pipelines is a daunting task because often their location is unknown and technologies to discover such hazardous water lines are unreliable. Driven by these needs, the researchers have explored nondestructive evaluation (NDE) strategies based on ultrasonic stress waves as a tool to discover lead pipelines. While such approaches present great potential, the complexity of wave propagation must be understood to develop an effective NDE strategy. This paper discusses the theoretical foundation and complexities of this approach by showing how stress wave propagation is quite different in pipelines of different materials such as lead, steel, copper, and PVC, which are the common materials used to provide drinking water to households. In particular, different stress wave speeds allow for the identification of different pipeline materials. The simulations presented in this study suggest how ultrasonic stress waves could be deployed in the coming years to help discover and replace lead pipelines.
{"title":"Identification of Water Pipe Material Based on Stress Wave Propagation: Numerical Investigations","authors":"P. Aminpour, K. Sjoblom, I. Bartoli","doi":"10.32548/2021.me-04185","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.32548/2021.me-04185","url":null,"abstract":"Water utilities have been struggling to replace their aging infrastructure and have increasingly faced crisis related to the presence of lead pipelines that can affect the health of many communities across the United States. Replacement of lead pipelines is a daunting task because often their location is unknown and technologies to discover such hazardous water lines are unreliable. Driven by these needs, the researchers have explored nondestructive evaluation (NDE) strategies based on ultrasonic stress waves as a tool to discover lead pipelines. While such approaches present great potential, the complexity of wave propagation must be understood to develop an effective NDE strategy. This paper discusses the theoretical foundation and complexities of this approach by showing how stress wave propagation is quite different in pipelines of different materials such as lead, steel, copper, and PVC, which are the common materials used to provide drinking water to households. In particular, different stress wave speeds allow for the identification of different pipeline materials. The simulations presented in this study suggest how ultrasonic stress waves could be deployed in the coming years to help discover and replace lead pipelines.","PeriodicalId":49876,"journal":{"name":"Materials Evaluation","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2021-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47246449","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Phased array ultrasonic testing (PAUT) has become a popular nondestructive technique for weld inspections in piping, pressure vessels, and other components such as turbines. This technique can be used both in manual and automated modes. PAUT is more attractive than conventional angle-beam ultrasonic testing (UT), as it sweeps the beam through a range of angles and presents a cross-sectional image of the area of interest. Other displays are also available depending on the software. Unlike traditional A-scan instruments, which require the reconstruction of B- and C-scan images from raster scanning, a phased array image is much simpler to produce from line scans and easier to interpret. Engineering codes have incorporated phased array technology and provide steps for standardization, scanning, and alternate acceptance criteria based on fracture mechanics. The basis of fracture mechanics is accurate defect sizing. There is, however, no guidance in codes and standards on the selection and setup of phased array probes for accurate sizing. Just like conventional probes, phased array probes have a beam spread that depends on the probe’s active aperture and frequency. Smaller phased array probes, when used for thicker sections, result in poor focusing, large beam spread, and poor discontinuity definition. This means low resolution and oversizing. Accurate sizing for fracture mechanics acceptance criteria requires probes with high resolution. In this paper, guidance is provided for the selection of phased array probes and setup parameters to improve resolution, definition, and sizing of discontinuities.
{"title":"Optimizing Probe Active Aperture for Phased Array Weld Inspections","authors":"A. Birring","doi":"10.32548/2021.me-04220","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.32548/2021.me-04220","url":null,"abstract":"Phased array ultrasonic testing (PAUT) has become a popular nondestructive technique for weld inspections in piping, pressure vessels, and other components such as turbines. This technique can be used both in manual and automated modes. PAUT is more attractive than conventional angle-beam ultrasonic testing (UT), as it sweeps the beam through a range of angles and presents a cross-sectional image of the area of interest. Other displays are also available depending on the software. Unlike traditional A-scan instruments, which require the reconstruction of B- and C-scan images from raster scanning, a phased array image is much simpler to produce from line scans and easier to interpret. Engineering codes have incorporated phased array technology and provide steps for standardization, scanning, and alternate acceptance criteria based on fracture mechanics. The basis of fracture mechanics is accurate defect sizing. There is, however, no guidance in codes and standards on the selection and setup of phased array probes for accurate sizing. Just like conventional probes, phased array probes have a beam spread that depends on the probe’s active aperture and frequency. Smaller phased array probes, when used for thicker sections, result in poor focusing, large beam spread, and poor discontinuity definition. This means low resolution and oversizing. Accurate sizing for fracture mechanics acceptance criteria requires probes with high resolution. In this paper, guidance is provided for the selection of phased array probes and setup parameters to improve resolution, definition, and sizing of discontinuities.","PeriodicalId":49876,"journal":{"name":"Materials Evaluation","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2021-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46937101","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
B. Amend, M. Gould, P. Veloo, O. Oneal, R. González, N. Switzner
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines metallography as “a study of the structure of metals, especially with the microscope.” The structure of a steel visible at high magnification can reveal information about how the steel was formed or heat-treated, the general “quality” of the steel, whether any observed discontinuities originated during manufacturing or while the component was in service, and the extent to which properties may be consistent across the wall thickness. Microstructural features such as grain size, the amount and distribution of inclusions, and the types and amounts of different microstructural phases are known to influence a material’s properties. In some cases, the observed attributes are qualitatively characterized. In other cases, manual or digital image analysis facilitates quantitative descriptions of attributes such as grain size, the percent of a selected phase, or inclusions that are present. Typically, small sections are cut from the pipe or other component and metallographic sample preparation and examination are performed in a laboratory. When destructive sampling is impractical, the specimen preparation, visual examination, and related photo documentation can be performed nondestructively in the field. That process is known as “in situ metallography” and is the subject of this paper.
{"title":"In Situ Metallography Applications in the Pipeline Industry","authors":"B. Amend, M. Gould, P. Veloo, O. Oneal, R. González, N. Switzner","doi":"10.32548/2021.me-04240","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.32548/2021.me-04240","url":null,"abstract":"The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines metallography as “a study of the structure of metals, especially with the microscope.” The structure of a steel visible at high magnification can reveal information about how the steel was formed or heat-treated, the general “quality” of the steel, whether any observed discontinuities originated during manufacturing or while the component was in service, and the extent to which properties may be consistent across the wall thickness. Microstructural features such as grain size, the amount and distribution of inclusions, and the types and amounts of different microstructural phases are known to influence a material’s properties. In some cases, the observed attributes are qualitatively characterized. In other cases, manual or digital image analysis facilitates quantitative descriptions of attributes such as grain size, the percent of a selected phase, or inclusions that are present. Typically, small sections are cut from the pipe or other component and metallographic sample preparation and examination are performed in a laboratory. When destructive sampling is impractical, the specimen preparation, visual examination, and related photo documentation can be performed nondestructively in the field. That process is known as “in situ metallography” and is the subject of this paper.","PeriodicalId":49876,"journal":{"name":"Materials Evaluation","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2021-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42004836","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Xiaodong Shi, Anthony Olvera, C. Hamilton, Er-zhuo Gao, Jiaoyang Li, Lucas Utke, A. Petruska, Zheng Yu, L. Udpa, Y. Deng, Hao Zhang
The aim of this paper is to develop the concept and a prototype of an intelligent mobile robotic platform that is integrated with nondestructive evaluation (NDE) capabilities for autonomous live inspection and repair. In many industrial environments, such as the application of power plant boiler inspection, human inspectors often have to perform hazardous and challenging tasks. There is a significant chance of injury, considering the confined spaces and limited visibility of the inspection environment and hazards such as pressurization and improper water levels. In order to provide a solution to eliminate these dangers, the concept of a new robotic system was developed and prototyped that is capable of autonomously sweeping the region to be inspected. The robot design contains systematic integration of components from robotics, NDE, and artificial intelligence (AI). A magnetic track system is used to navigate over the vertical steel structures required for examination. While moving across the inspection area, the robot uses an NDE sensor to acquire data for inspection and repair. This paper presents a design of a portable NDE scanning system based on eddy current array probes, which can be customized and installed on various mobile robot platforms. Machine learning methods are applied for semantic segmentation that will simultaneously localize and recognize defects without the need of human intervention. Experiments were conducted that show the NDE and repair capabilities of the system. Improvements in human safety and structural damage prevention, as well as lowering the overall costs of maintenance, are possible through the implementation of this robotic NDE system.
{"title":"AI-Enabled Robotic NDE for Structural Damage Assessment and Repair","authors":"Xiaodong Shi, Anthony Olvera, C. Hamilton, Er-zhuo Gao, Jiaoyang Li, Lucas Utke, A. Petruska, Zheng Yu, L. Udpa, Y. Deng, Hao Zhang","doi":"10.32548/2021.ME-04214","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.32548/2021.ME-04214","url":null,"abstract":"The aim of this paper is to develop the concept and a prototype of an intelligent mobile robotic platform that is integrated with nondestructive evaluation (NDE) capabilities for autonomous live inspection and repair. In many industrial environments, such as the application of power plant boiler inspection, human inspectors often have to perform hazardous and challenging tasks. There is a significant chance of injury, considering the confined spaces and limited visibility of the inspection environment and hazards such as pressurization and improper water levels. In order to provide a solution to eliminate these dangers, the concept of a new robotic system was developed and prototyped that is capable of autonomously sweeping the region to be inspected. The robot design contains systematic integration of components from robotics, NDE, and artificial intelligence (AI). A magnetic track system is used to navigate over the vertical steel structures required for examination. While moving across the inspection area, the robot uses an NDE sensor to acquire data for inspection and repair. This paper presents a design of a portable NDE scanning system based on eddy current array probes, which can be customized and installed on various mobile robot platforms. Machine learning methods are applied for semantic segmentation that will simultaneously localize and recognize defects without the need of human intervention. Experiments were conducted that show the NDE and repair capabilities of the system. Improvements in human safety and structural damage prevention, as well as lowering the overall costs of maintenance, are possible through the implementation of this robotic NDE system.","PeriodicalId":49876,"journal":{"name":"Materials Evaluation","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2021-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46258475","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
C. Lara, Julie Villamil, A. Abrahão, Aparna Aravelli, Guilherme Daldegan, S. Sarker, Daniel Martinez, D. McDaniel
Fossil fuel power plants are complex systems containing multiple components that require periodic health monitoring. Failures in these systems can lead to increased downtime for the plant, reduction of power, and significant cost for repairs. Inspections of the plant’s superheater tubes are typically manual, laborious, and extremely time-consuming. This is due to their small diameter size (between 1.3 and 7.6 cm) and the coiled structure of the tubing. In addition, the tubes are often stacked close to each other, limiting access for external inspection. This paper presents the development and testing of an electrically powered pipe crawler that can navigate inside 5 cm diameter tubes and provide an assessment of their health. The crawler utilizes peristaltic motion within the tubes via interconnected modules for gripping and extending. The modular nature of the system allows it to traverse through straight sections and multiple 90° and 180° bends. Additional modules in the system include an ultrasonic sensor for tube thickness measurements, as well as environmental sensors, a light detecting and ranging (LiDAR) sensor, and camera. These modules utilize a gear system that allows for 360° rotation and provides a means to inspect the entire internal circumference of the tubes.
{"title":"Development of an Innovative Inspection Tool for Superheater Tubes in Fossil Fuel Power Plants","authors":"C. Lara, Julie Villamil, A. Abrahão, Aparna Aravelli, Guilherme Daldegan, S. Sarker, Daniel Martinez, D. McDaniel","doi":"10.32548/2021.ME-04212","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.32548/2021.ME-04212","url":null,"abstract":"Fossil fuel power plants are complex systems containing multiple components that require periodic health monitoring. Failures in these systems can lead to increased downtime for the plant, reduction of power, and significant cost for repairs. Inspections of the plant’s superheater tubes are typically manual, laborious, and extremely time-consuming. This is due to their small diameter size (between 1.3 and 7.6 cm) and the coiled structure of the tubing. In addition, the tubes are often stacked close to each other, limiting access for external inspection. This paper presents the development and testing of an electrically powered pipe crawler that can navigate inside 5 cm diameter tubes and provide an assessment of their health. The crawler utilizes peristaltic motion within the tubes via interconnected modules for gripping and extending. The modular nature of the system allows it to traverse through straight sections and multiple 90° and 180° bends. Additional modules in the system include an ultrasonic sensor for tube thickness measurements, as well as environmental sensors, a light detecting and ranging (LiDAR) sensor, and camera. These modules utilize a gear system that allows for 360° rotation and provides a means to inspect the entire internal circumference of the tubes.","PeriodicalId":49876,"journal":{"name":"Materials Evaluation","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2021-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49447488","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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