ASSESSMENT OF ULTRASONIC NONDESTRUCTIVE INSPECTION DATA USING MONTE CARLO SIMULATION
Ultrasonic NDE is one of important technologies in the life-time maintenance of nuclear power plant. Ultrasonic inspection system is consisted of the operator, equipment and procedure. The reliability of ultrasonic inspection system is affected by its ability. The performance demonstration round robin was conducted to quantify the capability of ultrasonic inspection for in-service. The small number of teams who employed procedures that met or exceeded ASME Sec. XI Code requirements detected the piping of nuclear power plant with various cracks to evaluate the capability of detection and sizing. In this paper, the statistical reliability assessment of ultrasonic nondestructive inspection data using Monte Carlo simulation is presented. The results of the probability of detection (POD) analysis using Monte Carlo simulation are compared to these of logistic probability model. In these results, Monte Carlo simulation was found to be very useful to the reliability assessment for the small NDE hit/miss data sets.
Quantitative Nondestructive Evaluation
Abstract : This manual has been prepared primarily for the non-NDE specialist. Its aim is to increase understanding of NDE capabilities among those involved in structural design and fracture mechanics calculations, and to provide physical details pertaining to most of the important NDE techniques. Since NDE has been so actively applied in the aerospace industry most of the application examples discussed are related to aerospace structures: however the basic ideas apply to any structure containing fracture critical components. The introduction discusses the relationship of fracture mechanics and quantitative NDE. The present practice of NDE, including military specifications, airplane inspection manuals, and inspector training are discussed next. The 'big five' methods of NDE -- liquid penetrant, magnetic particle, ultrasonic inspection, eddy current, and radiography -- are introduced as well as certain advanced inspection methods -- methods still undergoing development. The state-of-the-art, the sensitivity and reliability, of various methods along with the statistical analysis for determining flaw detection probability and confidence levels is presented. Excerpts from two actual airplane inspection manuals are included in the appendix to illustrate the degree to which instructions to inspectors are detailed and specified.
Hygroscopic Expansion of some Casting Investments
CREDIT is generally given to Taggart1 for introducing the cast gold inlay to the dental profession. Although he realized that gold shrinks when cooled from molten state to solid state of room temperature, the investment available to him did not supply sufficient compensation. In 1910, Van Horn2 published a paper dealing with a method by which he obtained the compensation by means of wax expansion. The next major research in connection with this problem was the work of Coleman3 at the National Bureau of Standards. He determined the gold shrinkage to be 1.25 per cent and presented a casting technic with compensation values of quantitative nature. The total compensation for the gold shrinkage was obtained by the combination of the setting and thermal expansion of the mold. This procedure is the general practice followed at the present time for compensation. There are some disadvantages to this method. Skinner has indicated the difficulty of obtaining smooth castings and the improper compensation for the casting shrinkage.4 It has been found by Hollenback5 and Scheu6a that castings made at a high temperature are rougher than those made at a low temperature (450° C.), depending upon the great difference in thermal expansion between plaster of Paris and silica, which causes a poor union of the fine particles. This may also result in friability and there may be some warpage due to the differential expansion. A method which provides sufficient compensation at a low mold temperature is the hygroscopic casting technic.b Wilson7 showed that certain plasters expand as much as 0.0044 inch to the inch by taking up moisture from the air. With this information at hand, Scheula, b tested some commercial investment to determine what results the addition of moisture would have. He found6b: (1) All of the casting investments that were tested expanded. (2) The thicker the mix, the greater the expansion. (3) A mix with hot water expanded more than one with cold water. (4) The time at which the mix is placed in the water is of great importance. It was found that if the mix is placed in the water early, it would not expand so much as when placed in a little later. It was also found that if the mix was placed in the water after a certain time, it could not expand to the maximal amount. (5) The temperature of the water in which the mix is placed is important, for two reasons; (a) the temperature of the water controls slightly the expansion of the investment, and (b) water at a temperature of 1000 F. slightly softens the wax pattern so that the fine margins are not marred while expansion is taking place. The mix should remain in the water at least 20 minutes to obtain the full expansion, after which time no further expansion is obtained.