Ultrasonic Testing Part 1

Course Layout
Duration : 9.5 Days (Mon Fri) Start : 8:30 am Coffee Break : 10:00 10:30 am Lunch : 12:30 1:30 pm Tea Break : 3:00 3:15 pm Day End : 4:30 pm Course Objective: To train and prepare participants to obtain required skill and knowledge in Ultrasonic Testing and to meet the examination schemes requirements.

NON-DESTRUCTIVE TESTING
Examination of materials and components in such a way that allows material to be examinated without changing or destroying their usefulness

NDT
Most common NDT methods:
Penetrant Testing (PT)
Magnetic Particle Testing (MT) Eddy Current Testing (ET) Radiographic Testing (RT) Ultrasonic Testing (UT) Mainly used for Internal Testing

Mainly used for surface testing

NDT
Which NDT method is the best ? Depends on many factors and conditions

Basic Principles of Ultrasonic Testing

To understand and appreciate the capability and limitation of UT

History of Ultrasonic Testing (UT)

First came sonic testing The piezo-electric effect discovered in 1880/81 Marine echo sounding developed from 1912 In 1929 Sokolov used vibrations in metals to find flaws Cathode ray tubes developed in the 1930s Sproule made the first flaw detector in 1942

Ultrasonic Inspection
Sub-surface detection
This detection method uses high frequency sound waves, typically above 2MHz to pass through a material A probe is used which contains a piezo electric crystal to transmit and receive ultrasonic pulses and display the signals on a cathode ray tube or digital display

The actual display relates to the time taken for the ultrasonic pulses to travel the distance to the interface and back
An interface could be the back of a plate material or a defect For ultrasound to enter a material a couplant must be introduced between the probe and specimen

Ultrasonic Inspection
Pulse echo signals A scan Display UT Set, Digital

Compression probe

Thickness checking the material

Ultrasonic Inspection
initial pulse defect echo Back wall echo

Material Thk defect

10

20

30

40

50

Compression Probe

CRT Display

Basic Principles of Ultrasonic Testing

The distance the sound traveled can be displayed on the Flaw Detector The screen can be calibrated to give accurate readings of the distance Signal from the backwall

Bottom / Backwall

Basic Principles of Ultrasonic Testing

The presence of a Defect in the material shows up on the screen of the flaw detector with a less distance than the bottom of the material The BWE signal Defect signal

Defect

10

20

30

40

50

60

60 mm

The depth of the defect can be read with reference to the marker on the screen

Thickness / depth measurement

The closer the reflector to the surface, the signal will be more to the left of the screen C B A

30

46

68

The thickness is read from the screen The THINNER the material the less distance the sound travel

C B A

Ultrasonic Inspection
UT Set A Scan Display

Angle Probe

Ultrasonic Inspection
initial pulse
Surface distance defect echo

defect

sound path
0 10 20 30 40 50

Angle Probe

CRT Display

Ultrasonic Inspection

Advantages

Disadvantages

Trained and skilled Rapid results operator required Sub-surface detection Requires high operator Safe skill Can detect planar defect Good surface finish Capable of measuring the required depth of defects Difficulty on detecting May be battery powered volumetric defect Portable Couplant may

contaminate No permanent record

Ultrasonic Testing

Principles of Sound

What is Sound ?
A mechanical vibration The vibrations create Pressure Waves Sound travels faster in more elastic materials Number of pressure waves per second is the Frequency Speed of travel is the Sound velocity

Sound
Wavelength : The distance required to complete a cycle
Measured in Meter or mm

Frequency : The number of cycles per unit time

Measured in Hertz (Hz) or Cycles per second (cps)

Velocity : How quick the sound travels

Distance per unit time
Measured in meter / second (m / sec)

Wavelength

Velocity

V f
Frequency

Sound Waves
Sound waves are the vibration of particles in solids liquids or gases Particles vibrate about a mean position In order to vibrate they require mass and resistance to change

One cycle

Properties of a sound wave

Sound cannot travel in vacuum Sound energy to be transmitted / transferred from one particle to another

SOLID

LIQUID

GAS

Velocity
The velocity of sound in a particular material is CONSTANT It is the product of DENSITY and ELASTICITY of the material It will NOT change if frequency changes Only the wavelength changes Examples: V Compression in steel : 5960 m/s V Compression in water : 1470 m/s V Compression in air : 330 m/s
5 M Hz

STEEL

WATER

AIR

Sound travelling through a material

Velocity varies according to the material
Compression waves Steel 5960m/sec Shear waves Steel Water Air 3245m/sec NA NA

Water
Air

1470m/sec
344m/sec

Copper

4700m/sec

Copper

2330m/sec

Ultrasonic
Sound : mechanical vibration

What is Ultrasonic? Very High Frequency sound above 20 KHz 20,000 cps

Acoustic Spectrum
Sonic / Audible Human 16Hz - 20kHz Ultrasonic > 20kHz = 20,000Hz

10

100

1K

10K 100K 1M 10M 100m

Ultrasonic Testing
0.5MHz - 50MHz Ultrasonic : Sound with frequency above 20 KHz

Frequency
Frequency : Number of cycles per second

1 second 1 cycle per 1 second = 1 Hertz

1 second 3 cycle per 1 second = 3 Hertz

1 second 18 cycle per 1 second = 18 Hertz

THE HIGHER THE FREQUENCY THE SMALLER THE WAVELENGTH

Pg 21

Frequency
1 Hz = 1 cycle per second 1 Kilohertz = 1 KHz = 1000Hz 1 Megahertz = 1 MHz = 1000 000Hz

20 KHz = 5 M Hz =

20 000 Hz 5 000 000 Hz

ULTRASONIC TESTING Very High Frequency 5 M Hz

Glass High Frequency 5 K Hz DRUM BEAT Low Frequency Sound 40 Hz

Wavelength and frequency

The higher the frequency the smaller the wavelength The smaller the wavelength the higher the sensitivity Sensitivity : The smallest detectable flaw by the system or technique

In UT the smallest detectable flaw is

(half the wavelength)

High Frequency Sound

V f
5MHz compression wave probe in steel

5,900 ,000 1.18 mm 5,000 ,000

Frequency

1 M Hz LONGEST

5 M Hz

10 M Hz

25 M Hz SMALLEST

=v/f

Which probe has the smallest wavelength? Which probe has the longest wavelength?

 Which of the following compressional probe has the highest sensitivity? 1 MHz 2 MHz 5 MHz 10 MHz

10 MHz

What is the velocity difference in steel compared with in water? 4 times If the frequency remain constant, in what material does sound has the highest velocity, steel, water, or air? Steel If the frequency remain constant, in what material does sound has the shortest wavelength, steel, water, or air? Air Remember the formula =v/f

Sound Waveforms
Sound travels in different waveforms in different conditions

Compression wave Shear wave Surface wave Lamb wave

Compression / Longitudinal
Vibration and propagation in the same direction / parallel Travel in solids, liquids and gases

Particle vibration

Propagation

Shear / Transverse
Vibration at right angles / perpendicular to direction of propagation Travel in solids only Velocity 1/2 compression (same material)

Particle vibration

Propagation

Compression v Shear
Frequency 0.5MHz 1 MHz 2MHz 4MHz 6MHZ Compression 11.8 5.9 2.95 1.48 0.98 Shear 6.5 3.2 1.6 0.8 0.54

The smaller the wavelength the better the sensitivity

Sound travelling through a material

Velocity varies according to the material
Compression waves Steel 5960m/sec Shear waves Steel Water Air 3245m/sec NA NA

Water
Air

1470m/sec
344m/sec

Copper

4700m/sec

Copper

2330m/sec

Surface Wave
Elliptical vibration Velocity 8% less than shear Penetrate one wavelength deep

Easily dampened by heavy grease or wet finger

Follows curves but reflected by sharp corners or surface cracks

Lamb / Plate Wave

Produced by the manipulation of surface waves and others Used mainly to test very thin materials / plates Velocity varies with plate thickness and frequencies

SYMETRIC

ASSYMETRIC