Pitch-Catch Phased Array for Flange Face Corrosion Inspections
Tracks
NDT Methods
| Thursday, October 24, 2024 |
| 8:00 AM - 8:30 AM |
| 213/214 - Campfire & Deep Dive |
Details
Inspection and measurement of corrosion on flange faces can be very challenging due to limited access for transducer placement. In many cases, positioning the transducers on the tapered flange neck is not possible due to space limitations from bolted connections. The alternative is to inspect from the edge of the flange, which provides a very narrow window through which to transmit sound. The bolt holes also present blind spots which can occupy up to 50 percent of the coverage. Experiments were performed to test the efficacy of using a three-probe combination, using one probe in a traditional pulse-echo orientation, and a probe pair in pitch-catch oriented circumferentially to direct a sound beam around the bolt holes. The result is full coverage of the flange face without any blind spots. The technique is discussed, and limitations addressed in respect to probability of detection and specialized hardware.
Speaker
Paul Holloway
President
Holloway NDT & Engineering Inc.
Pitch-Catch Phased Array for Flange Face Corrosion Inspections
8:00 AM - 8:30 AMPresentation Description
Inspection and measurement of corrosion on flange faces can be very challenging due to limited access for transducer placement. In many cases, positioning the transducers on the tapered flange neck is not possible due to space limitations from bolted connections. The alternative is to inspect from the edge of the flange, which provides a very narrow window through which to transmit sound. The bolt holes also present blind spots which can occupy up to 50 percent of the coverage. Experiments were performed to test the efficacy of using a three-probe combination, using one probe in a traditional pulse-echo orientation, and a probe pair in pitch-catch oriented circumferentially to direct a sound beam around the bolt holes. The result is full coverage of the flange face without any blind spots. The technique is discussed, and limitations addressed in respect to probability of detection and specialized hardware.
Biography
Paul Holloway, President of Holloway NDT & Engineering Inc. is a Professional Engineer and UT Level 3 based out of Ontario, Canada, providing advanced ultrasonic field services, R&D, training and consulting. He has a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and over 20 years experience in ultrasonic testing. He holds numerous international patents and trademarks, including the PA-CAT technique and various calibration blocks in collaboration with PH Tool. He regularly publishes articles for industry journals and hosts a popular YouTube channel related to UT.
