1. A New Eddy Current 3-D Profilometry for a Quantitative Measurement of Geometric Anomaly in Steam Generator Tubes of Nuclear Power Plants
- Author
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Jung Ho Han, Un Chul Lee, Do Haeng Hur, Deok Hyun Lee, Myung Ho Song, and Myung Sik Choi
- Subjects
Engineering ,business.industry ,Mechanical Engineering ,Boiler (power generation) ,Mechanics ,Nuclear power ,law.invention ,Mechanics of Materials ,law ,Residual stress ,Nondestructive testing ,Eddy current ,Electronic engineering ,General Materials Science ,Profilometer ,business ,Laser profilometry - Abstract
Most of the corrosive degradations in steam generator tubes of nuclear power plants are closely related to the residual stress existing in the local region of a geometric change, that is, an expansion transition, u-bend, ding, dent, bulge, etc. Therefore, accurate information on a geometric anomaly in a tube is a prerequisite to the activity of a non destructive inspection for a precise and earlier detection of a defect in order to prevent a failure during an operation, and also for a root cause analysis of a failure. In this paper, a newly developed eddy current technique of a three-dimensional profilometry is introduced and the proof for the applicability of the technique to a plant inspection is provided. The quantitative profile measurement using a new eddy current probe was performed on steam generator expansion mock-up tubes with various geometric anomalies typically observed in the operating power plants, and the accuracy of the measured data was compared with those from the laser profilometry.
- Published
- 2006