Techniques for High Temperature Ultrasonic Inspection of Arc Welding

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Back to Core Research Programme AMorph – 4D Printing for Field Morphing Structures Automation of Composite and Hybrid Joining Process Coaxial Wire Additive Manufacturing Processes and In-Line Monitoring Tools Development of Coded Excitation Technique for Non-Metallic Pipes Inspection Development of Digital Twin technology as a demonstrator for real-time integrity assessment of crack growth in tensile specimens Development of Friction Stir Welding (FSW) for Hydrogen Fuel Storage Tanks Development of Leak-Before-Break Hydrogen Storage Composite Pressure Vessels With Polymeric Liner Establishing Assessment Methods for Determining Safe Service Limits of High-Temperature Materials in Extreme Environments Fracture toughness in aggressive environments: effect of crack monitoring techniques on test results In-process detection and non-destructive testing of electron beam weld imperfections Internal Bore Coatings for Applications in Corrosion and Hydrogen Environment Joining of Additively Manufactured Materials Long term behaviour of polymeric liner materials/coatings in hydrogen service Techniques for High Temperature Ultrasonic Inspection of Arc Welding Ultimate Leverage Fund

Project Code: 34727

Start date and planned duration: January 2022, 24 months

Objectives

This project aims at investigating the application of machine learning methods and conventional signal processing techniques to adaptively address the adverse impacts of high temperature during welding process. To achieve this goal, a test rig and prototype system will be developed to facilitate experiment and ultrasonic inspection under 450°C. Ultrasonic A-scans and transient temperature profiles are to be recorded for post analysis and algorithm development.

Project Outline

The project consists of three work packages, namely:

Work Package 1 – Literature research on state-of-the-art. The aim for this work package is to develop knowledge regarding the state-of-the-art of correction methods for high temperature UT applications.

Work Package 2 – High temperature experiment and data collection. In this work package, current development of the high temperature test rig will be improved in terms of couplant delivery, leakage prevention and data collection system optimisation, to enable high temperature UT capabilities for arc welding, the targeted temperature will be 450°C.

Work Package 3 – Comparative study of correction methods for high temperature UT application. In this work package, comparative study will be conducted using the UT data collected from the experiment. Both machine learning techniques and conventional image processing techniques will be investigated to develop an adaptive algorithm to address the high temperature impacts on the UT data.

Industry Sectors

- Power

- Oil & Gas

- Manufacturing

Benefits to Industry

Upon successful delivery of the project, the expected benefits include:

Reliable ultrasonic inspection techniques for Arc Welding at elevated temperature conditions
Early detection of indications will reduce cost, improve quality and assist scheduling
A prototype system capable of ultrasonic inspection at high temperature which is able to be adapted for validation and further development work
Investigation results on using Machine Learning technologies for Non-Destructive Evaluation.