Title: Automated eddy current data analysis

Authors: Raimond Grimberg, Adriana Savin, Sorin Leitoiu, Alina Bruma, Rozina Steigmann, Lalita Udpa, Satish S. Udpa

Addresses: Non-Destructive Testing Department, National Institute of Research and Development for Technical Physics, 47 D., Mangeron Blvd., Iasi 700050, Romania. ' Non-Destructive Testing Department, National Institute of Research and Development for Technical Physics, 47 D., Mangeron Blvd., Iasi 700050, Romania. ' Non-Destructive Testing Department, National Institute of Research and Development for Technical Physics, 47 D., Mangeron Blvd., Iasi 700050, Romania. ' Non-Destructive Testing Department, National Institute of Research and Development for Technical Physics, 47 D., Mangeron Blvd., Iasi 700050, Romania. ' Non-Destructive Testing Department, National Institute of Research and Development for Technical Physics, 47 D., Mangeron Blvd., Iasi 700050, Romania. ' Electrical and Computer Engineering, Michigan State University, 2214 Engineering Building, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA. ' Electrical and Computer Engineering, Michigan State University, 2214 Engineering Building, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA

Abstract: Pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWRs) have two components which can present risks during the operation time. These are the tubes bundle of steam generator, made now from Incoloy 800, and pressure tubes made from Zr 2.5% Nb in which the nuclear fuel bundles are inserted and through which heavy water circulates as coolant agent. During the outage, both the components are non-destructive tested using eddy current method with differential transducers and, for confirmation of flaws, rotating pancake probe. This paper presents the possibility of using a new eddy current transducer – the transducer with rotating magnetic field as well as the algorithms for processing and automated evaluation of data.

Keywords: eddy current transducers; data analysis; steam generators; pressure tubes; pressurised heavy water reactors; PHWR; nuclear power plants; NPP; nuclear energy; nuclear power; nondestructive testing; NDT; differential transducers; rotating pancake probes.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMPT.2011.040287

International Journal of Materials and Product Technology, 2011 Vol.41 No.1/2/3/4, pp.75 - 88

Published online: 28 Feb 2015 *

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