학술논문

Risk Assessment of Pressure Vessels by Using Fracture Mechanics and Advanced Ultrasonic Testing
Document Type
Academic Journal
Source
Tehnicki Vjesnik - Technical Gazette. January, 2024, Vol. 31 Issue 1, p118, 7 p.
Subject
Serbia
Language
English
ISSN
1330-3651
Abstract
1 INTRODUCTION To prevent failure, one can apply fracture mechanics equations to assess structural integrity of a component or construction, as applied for example in early Eighties, to solve problem […]
Risk assessment of cracked cylindrical pressure vessels for compressed air by using basic fracture mechanics and advanced methods of non-destructive testing (NDT), such as Phased Array Ultrasound (PAUT) and Time-of-Flight Diffraction (TOFD), is presented. Basic fracture mechanics equations are used to calculate the stress intensity factor, [K.sub.I], in the case of unacceptable defects found in the pressure vessel 970 in the Reversible Hydro Power Plant "Bajina Basta", and get the ratio [K.sub.I]/[K.sub.Ic], according to the minimum measured values for fracture toughness for welded joints, as the typical zones where crack-like defects are found. The ratio [S.sub.net]/[S.sub.c], where [S.sub.net] is the net stress in cross-section with a crack, and [S.sub.c] is the critical stress, is then evaluated to define the operating point in the Failure Assessment Diagramme (FAD), and thus, to estimate the likelihood of failure of the pressure vessel 970. In combination with estimated high consequence for the pressure vessel 970, the risk matrix was used, as a simple tool to assess the risk. In this paper the focus is on one aspect of this procedure, being the NDT role, since it is of utmost importance to use as precise as possible method for detected defects in welded joints. In this paper advanced ultrasound methods, PAUT and TOFD, are used to get precise image of defects in pressure vessel 970 welded joints, which were previously detected by conventional NDT methods. It is shown that the use of PAUT and TOFD is of utmost importance for decision making process in this case. Keywords: PAUT; risk assessment; structural Integrity; TOFD