TITLE:
Flaw Detection Capability and Sensitivity in the Inspection of Nuclear Containment Liner and Shell Mock-Ups Utilizing a Magnetostrictive Sensor (MsS) Guided Wave UT Technique
AUTHORS:
Brian P. Hohmann, Joseph P. Crosson, Thomas C. Esselman, James J. Wall, Mike Quarry, Luke Breon
KEYWORDS:
Ultrasonic, Guided Wave, Nondestructive Inspection, Nuclear, Containment, Concrete, Mockup, Flaw Detection, Magnetostrictive Sensor, Pressurized Water Reactor, Boiling Water Reactor
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Modern Physics,
Vol.5 No.13,
July
30,
2014
ABSTRACT: This
paper describes the results of a project on the inspection of visually
inaccessible areas of nuclear containment liners and shells via the advanced
Magnetostrictive sensor (MsS) Guided Wave (GW) nondestructive inspection
technique. Full scale mockups that simulated shell and liner regions of
interest in the containment of both a Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) and
Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) were constructed. Inspections were performed on the
mock-ups in three stages to discern the signal attenuation caused by flaws and
caused by concrete in the structures. The effect of concrete being in close
proximity to the liner and shell was determined, and the capability to detect
and size flaws via this GW technique was evaluated.