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    ECT of Ferro Mag Tubes

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    Bhavani Prasad
    This document summarizes a two-frequency eddy current examination technique developed to detect defects in ferromagnetic steam generator tubes with wall thickness variations. Ultrasonic testing is first used to identify regions of thickness variation. A two-frequency mixing procedure is optimized to suppress signals from the variations and detect localized defects. The technique was successfully implemented to test over 600 tubes, rejecting 19 tubes based on established acceptance thresholds. The method provides stringent quality control and significant cost savings for production.

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    ECT of Ferro Mag Tubes

    Uploaded by

    Bhavani Prasad
    79 views2 pages
    This document summarizes a two-frequency eddy current examination technique developed to detect defects in ferromagnetic steam generator tubes with wall thickness variations. Ultrasonic testing is first used to identify regions of thickness variation. A two-frequency mixing procedure is optimized to suppress signals from the variations and detect localized defects. The technique was successfully implemented to test over 600 tubes, rejecting 19 tubes based on established acceptance thresholds. The method provides stringent quality control and significant cost savings for production.

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    ECT of Ferro mag tubes

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    This document summarizes a two-frequency eddy current examination technique developed to detect defects in ferromagnetic steam generator tubes with wall thickness variations. Ultrasonic testing is first used to identify regions of thickness variation. A two-frequency mixing procedure is optimized to suppress signals from the variations and detect localized defects. The technique was successfully implemented to test over 600 tubes, rejecting 19 tubes based on established acceptance thresholds. The method provides stringent quality control and significant cost savings for production.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    79 views2 pages

    ECT of Ferro Mag Tubes

    Uploaded by

    Bhavani Prasad
    This document summarizes a two-frequency eddy current examination technique developed to detect defects in ferromagnetic steam generator tubes with wall thickness variations. Ultrasonic testing is first used to identify regions of thickness variation. A two-frequency mixing procedure is optimized to suppress signals from the variations and detect localized defects. The technique was successfully implemented to test over 600 tubes, rejecting 19 tubes based on established acceptance thresholds. The method provides stringent quality control and significant cost savings for production.

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    of 2

    TECHNOLOGY-15

    Duel Frequency Saturation Eddy Current Examination of


    Ferromagnetic Tubes
    n EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
    For quality assurance of modified 9Cr-1Mo ferromagnetic steam generator (SG) tubes during manufacturing, eddy
    current and ultrasonic non-destructive evaluation (NDE) methods are employed. Eddy current examination of these tubes
    is difficult due to variations in magnetic permeability and hence, D.C. Saturation method is followed. During
    manufacturing of these tubes, extended wall thickness variations within acceptable limits of ultrasonic testing have
    produced disturbing signals during eddy current examination. In order to detect defects in these regions, a two-frequency
    approach has been developed based on the wall thickness measurements made by ultrasonic testing. The approach has
    shown identical detection performance in wall thickness variation regions as well as other regions for detection of
    standard reference 1.2 mm diameter hole. After establishing suitable thresholds for implementing the accept/reject
    criteria, this approach has been successfully implemented in production-line to test 600 SG tubes of PFBR. Apart from
    enhanced quality assurance of SG tubes, significant cost saving has been resulted in.

    n OUTLINE
    Stringent quality control of modified 9Cr-1Mo
    steel tubes of SGs is ensured using eddy current
    (EC) and ultrasonic testing (UT) techniques
    during manufacture of tubes at Nuclear Fuel
    Complex (NFC), Hyderabad (Figure 1).
    Immersion ultrasonic testing is performed for
    detection of longitudinal and transverse defects
    and for measurement of wall thickness. Two 190
    focussed angle beam transducers (5 MHz) and
    two 190 angle beam ultrasonic transducers are
    used in bidirectional scanning mode for Fig. 1 : Non-destructive examination of steam generator
    detection of longitudinal and transverse defects,
    respectively. For eddy current testing, localized
    variations in magnetic permeability of the tube
    have predominant influence on the impedance of
    EC coil and do not allow full wall examination
    due to skin-effect. The permeability variations
    drastically reduce signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). To
    overcome this, DC saturation based EC testing
    procedure has been developed after systematic
    optimisation of saturation current, EC signal
    parameters, pulling speed, tube centering, and
    demagnetization enabling reliable detection of
    calibration defects. This optimised procedure is
    being routinely used at NFC for examination of
    SG tubes.
    During ultrasonic examination of one lot of SG
    tubes, gross wall thickness variations extending
    100 mm and in the depth range of 0.05 to 0.1 mm
    have been detected on the inner side surface
    thickness. These variations, attributed to
    improper pilgering of tubes, are within the
    acceptable limits. However, they produce large
    amplitude signals during saturation EC testing
    as typically shown in Figure 2. In order to detect
    defects, if any, present in those regions of the
    tubes, first of its kind, two-frequency EC
    technique has been developed. This approach
    involves
    l Identification of defect-free tubes with
    known wall thickness variations based on
    ultrasonic data
    l Introducing standard localised defects in
    wall thickness variation regions
    l Optimisation of two-frequency mixing
    procedure for suppression of wall
    thickness variations
    l Validation of mixing procedure to detect Fig. 2 : Ultrasonic wall thickness data using a 5 MHz normal beam probe and EC
    localised defects in wall variation region response for the thickness variation region (Top). Channel-1 and mixer
    l Determination of appropriate threshold channel EC data for a 1.2 mm diameter reference hole in wall thickness
    for accept/reject criterion variation region (bottom)

    198
    TECHNOLOGY-15

    n ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
    For validating this approach, the ultrasonic testing results of tubes are innovatively used to introduce reference defects.
    Six tubes which are ultrasonically defect-free and found to be having variations in wall thickness in the range of 0.012 to
    0.130 mm are chosen for optimising the two-frequency mixing procedure. For recording and evaluation purpose, signals
    from channel-1 and mixer channel are oriented along the Y-axis of the strip chart recorder and the amplitude is measured.
    Using this procedure all recorded and rejected indications of channel-1 data from wall thickness variation regions are
    verified in the mixer channel.

    n GENERAL EXPLANATION RELATED TO THE DESCRIPTION


    The channel-1 and mixer channel data for 1.2 mm diameter hole in the wall thickness variation region is shown in Figure
    2. Through the use of a separate threshold, it is possible to reliably detect localised defects in the wall thickness variation
    regions.
    The following criterion has been arrived at for acceptance and rejection of a tube based on the Kc value: (Kc=Ad/Ar, where Ad
    is the signal amplitude of a defect indication and Ar is signal amplitude of the 1.2 mm diameter reference hole)
    Kc < 0.5 for accept
    0.5 > Kc < 1 for Record and accept
    Kc > 1 for Reject

    n BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THEORETICAL BACKGROUND


    As the tubes are ferromagnetic, D.C saturation based EC technique is employed. In this technique, the tube material is
    magnetised to near saturation region such that the variations due to magnetic permeability are minimized and the
    disturbing signals that reduce the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) are not produced. In that situation, encircling differential EC
    probe embedded in the magnetising solenoid coil can detect localised defects. The observed disturbing signals during EC
    testing due to extended wall thickness variations are similar to that of the support plate signals from heat exchanger tubes
    using a bobbin type coil. In case of heat exchanger tubes, two-frequency mixing technique is adopted for eliminating the
    disturbing signal from support plate for detection of localised defects, if any, under it. In an analogous manner, a two-
    frequency approach is proposed to suppress the high-amplitude signals from the wall thickness variations which mask
    feeble indications of localised defects, if any. The challenge in implementing two-frequency mixing technique, in the
    present case, is the lack of proper reference standard replicating such extended wall thickness variations to tune the mixer
    settings for suppressing the disturbing signals. Further, fabrication of a reference standard replicating the wall thickness
    variations is difficult, essentially because, the variations are on the ID side. In view of this, this approach innovatively uses
    the ultrasonic thickness measurement data.

    n ACHIEVEMENT
    This approach has been successfully implemented at NFC, Hyderabad to test more than 600 tubes having wall thickness
    variations. A total of 15 tubes have been rejected based on the conventional EC testing i.e. channel-1 threshold, due to
    localised defects in regions other than wall thickness variations. Four tubes have been rejected based on the mixer
    channel threshold, due to localised defects in wall thickness variation region. This effective procedure is routinely used at
    NFC for imparting stringent quality control of SG tubes. This approach can be applied to other similar situations in
    metallic tubes.

    n PUBLICATIONS ARISING OUT OF THIS STUDY AND RELATED WORK


    1. B.P.C. Rao, S. Thirunavukkarasu, T. Jayakumar and Baldev Raj; INSIGHT-Non-Destructive Testing and Condition
    Monitoring (Journal of the British Institute of Non-Destructive Testing) 49 (2007) 698.
    2. Internal Report No: IGCAR/NDED/EMSI/1/2005, July 2005.

    Further inquiries:
    Dr. B. P. C. Rao, Non Destructive Evaluation Division
    Metallurgy and Materials Group, IGCAR, e-mail: [email protected]

    199

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