Stress analysis of aircraft tow hook using non-destructive testing techniques and numerical simulation

Turbine blades are core components in turbine. It is of great significance to diagnose the blade failures at early stage and regularly inspect them at run time. Based on the analysis of blade failures, a comprehensive application summarize of different non-destructive testing techniques in blade inspection was made in this paper. The non-destructive testing techniques include visual testing, liquid penetrant testing, magnetic particle testing, radiological testing, conventional ultrasonic testing, ultrasonic phased array testing, eddy current testing and metal magnetic memory testing. The applicability and limitation of different methods were demonstrated through comparison and analysis.

Magnetic particle testing (MT) has been widely used in nondestructive testing (NDT) of ferromagnetic materials. MT can be divided into wet method and dry method. The wet method is highly sensitive for microcracks and easy to operate. But the problem is that magnetic suspension liquid utilized in the wet method pollutes both test objects and environment. Dry magnetic particles utilized in dry method are recyclable and environmentally friendly. But the irrelevant magnet particles must be manually removed to reveal the magnetic particle indication (MPI). This operation limits both the detection efficiency and sensitivity of dry method. To increase the automation in MT, this article proposes a thermography-based dry MT method (TDMT). Specifically, the dry magnetic particles are heated before utilization and then thermal data are utilized for crack identification. TDMT inherits the economic and environmental advantages of the dry method. Additionally, the time-varying thermal data can provide more useful information than conventional MPI, which makes it possible to identify cracks without manual assistance. The mathematical model of TDMT is designed to prove its feasibility and a dimensionality reduction-based algorithm is applied for crack signal enhancement. Experiments on different specimens with artificial and natural cracks have been conducted. The notch with both a depth of <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$15~\mu \text{m}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> on the standard test shim and a width up to 0.8 mm on the steel plate can be successfully detected. The high sensitivity and wide detection range can be seen from TDMT.

The 18MND5 steel is rolled and welded by the submerged arc welding process to fabricate the upper cylinder shell of the steam generator of a nuclear power project. After the shell is welded, Heat treatment is performed. Then, magnetic particle test (MT), ultrasonic testing (UT), and radiographic testing (RT) were performed on the longitudinal Joint, and no defects were found. However, there are MT nonrelevant indications characterized continuous linear at the position of the weld fusion line on both sides of the longitudinal Joint. Through the peeling observation of the Product Weld Test Coupon with the same linear indication, no defects were found. It can be determined that continuous linear indications are nonrelevant. Optical microstructure observation (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) analysis was carried out on the 18MND5 welded joints to determine the cause of MT nonrelevant indication. The result showed that there is a noticeable growth texture in the coarse-grained lath martensite (M) region of the weld with MT nonrelevant indication, which is closely related to the ferrite (F) and parent metal of the weld metal on both sides. The ferrite (growth direction and morphology of the material structure are different. This growth texture leads to a significant difference in magnetic properties at the fusion line position of the welded joint, resulting in a mutation in the magnetic properties of the coarse-grained region, resulting in an uncorrelated MT indication.

NON-DESTRUCTIVE TESTING (NDT) utilizes the physical properties of a material for detection, location and evaluation of flaws/defects and judging of the microstructure and mechanical properties without damaging the functionality of component being inspected. Flaws or imperfections that are detected by inspection of the component may be obtained by several reasons. It may be due to originality of the material caused by the process used created by some human error or defects initiated during the operating life of components etc. NDT method ranges from the simple to the tangled. NDT is also used for condition monitoring of various components during operation to forecast and assess the rest of the life of components while retaining its structural integrity. Based on availability, accessibility, suitability, analysis and experience the choice of specific method varies. The end result is the saving of time, money and development in precision and reliability of results obtained. There are a vast number of techniques in NDT. Visual inspection testing, liquid penetrate testing, ultrasonic testing, magnetic particle testing, eddy current testing, thermal infrared testing, acoustic emission, leak testing, thermography, instinct metallographic examination. The industrial applications of NDT are mostly found in railways, nuclear, non – nuclear and chemical industries, aircraft and petroleum projects, coal mining industry. This paper presents the knowledge for selection of specific NDT detecting surface flaws and requisite applications. It presents vital aspects in each method along with their advantages and disadvantages.

Aiming at addressing the weakness of traditional method in safety assessment of bridge cranes, a multi-modal information fusion method was proposed which based on finite element analysis (FEA) - Deformation test (DT) - non-destructive testing (NDT). Firstly, FEA models of the girders and trolley were conducted to obtain the dynamic properties of steel structures. Secondly, DT was adopted to achieve geometric tolerance and stiffness of structures, where the key indicators such as the upward camber, lateral bending of the main beam and the geometric accuracy of the trolley track were measured by total station theodolite. Thirdly, NDT were adopted to locate interior damages which combined ultrasonic testing and magnetic particle testing. Finally, the multi-modal data integrated FEA, DT and NDT were fused to approach synthetic safety assessment. Through case study of a typical bridge crane, the analysis results verify the accuracy and reliability of the proposed method, which realized a multi-scale safety assessment from macro to micro. The proposed method could provide a technical reference to safety assessment of similar special equipment.

The article presents research of the welding technology of S960QL quenched and tempered steel with the thickness of 10 mm. The main problem during welding heat-treated fine-grained steels is cold cracking. The aim of the research was to develop welding technology of tested steel to obtain high ductility and strength properties of the joint and to avoid the problem of crack formation after welding process. For the test the butt joint was welded. For this it was used MAG process in the flat position. Welding process was carried out based on preliminary tests and pre-prepared Welding Procedure Specification according to ISO 15609-1 standard. During welding the M21 mixture was used as the shielding gas. As the filler metal a solid wire G Mn4Ni2.5CrMo was used. The welded joint was tested in accordance with the ISO 15614 standard requirements. The research included non-destructive tests and destructive tests. The non-destructive tests included visual, magnetic particle and radiographic tests. The destructive tests included transverse tensile, root and face bend, impact, macroscopic, microscopic and hardness. Impact test was carried out in the temperature of - 20°C. Hardness measurements were made using the Vickers method and the load of 9.80 N. All of the tests ended with the positive result. The results of research show that tested welding technology and pre-heating temperature equal to 80°C allow to obtain a welded joint meeting the high quality requirements and the international standards requirements.

This article describes the applications, methods, and limitations of five principal nondestructive test methods, namely, penetrant testing, magnetic-particle testing, eddy current testing, radiographic testing, and ultrasonic testing. The article also provides guidance for the method selection for respective applications.

This study presents a comprehensive multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) framework for evaluating and selecting optimal non-destructive testing (NDT) techniques for oil and gas facility maintenance operations. This research used a Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP) integrated with multiple MCDM methods to assess eight NDT techniques including radiographic testing, ultrasonic testing, and thermographic testing. The evaluation framework incorporated seven technical criteria and seven economic criteria. The FAHP results revealed spatial resolution (0.175) as the most critical technical criterion, followed by depth penetration (0.155) and defect characterization (0.143). For economic criteria, downtime costs (0.210) and operational costs (0.190) emerged as the most significant factors. This study used TOPSIS (Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution), PROMETHEE (Preference Ranking Organization Method for Enrichment of Evaluations), and VIKOR (VIseKriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje) methods to rank NDT techniques, with results consolidated using the CRITIC (CRiteria Importance Through Intercriteria Correlation) method. The final techno-economic analysis identified radiographic testing as the most suitable NDT method with a score of 0.665, followed by acoustic emission testing at 0.537. Visual testing ranked lowest with a score of 0.214. This research demonstrates the effectiveness of combining fuzzy logic with multiple MCDM approaches for NDT method selection in offshore welding operations.

Scope Advanced Non Destructive Testing (NDT) techniques rely on consistent acquisition of data and its reliable analysis. As technology advances, new challenges emerge. For instance, the amount of data produced is exceeding the qualified personnel available for data analysis; moreover, the files produced can be easily handle unethically. Our project proposes the implementation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques to develop algorithms to better harness the data available, in order to enhance the quality of data analysis and better monitor ethical practices. Method: For any NDT technique, the consistency of the results and the reliability of the findings depends heavily on the personnel performing the inspections and evaluating the results. As more advanced NDT techniques are available in the areas of ultrasound, digital data becomes available opening the door for intelligent tools for analysing and handling ultrasound data. This project proposes an innovative analysis software based on Computational Intelligence (CI) techniques. The implementation of this software reduces the time needed for a single analysis and the consistency of results, more importantly; it can be use as an audit tool to ensure data files have not been mishandle. Results/conclusions For the first stage of the proposed CI cloud-based software, the data collected by the inspector is send via internet connection to web-based servers. During the second stage, the data will be verify for quality; if any data is missing or poor-quality is detected, the software will inform the inspector that data must be resubmitted. Once the verification of data is completed, the data analysis is then perform by CI-based algorithms, which can recognise and classify features within the data such as geometry indications, anomalies and defects. Following the CI-based analysis, the software generates a complete report and the results are be available to the user via a 3D visualization interface. This report includes details of sizing, characterisation, location of defects, geometry indications and other relevant information related to the analysed data. The information contained in the interface and generated by the software will be available to the final user for validation and approval. The CI-based analysis tools have already been use to monitor several data files from NDT inspections using Phased Array Ultrasound (PAUT) and the results have successfully verify the authenticity of the ultrasound raw data, which is a critical verification step and evidence of any mal practices or mistakes of data handling. Novelty There is a lack of reliable tools available to NDT experts that can facilitate the task of analysing data; this innovative software takes advantage of the CI techniques and expert knowledge to address this issue. Furthermore, our approach offers a high degree of consistency for identifying defects; improves the quality of the analysis and reduces the time invested in such critical NDT duty. Auditing raw data from ultrasound inspection is a challenging task; by taking advantage of CI-based analysis tools this task can be easily implement it as reliable auditing practice.

Surface cracks in the raceway of hub bearings pose a significant safety threat. Magnetic particle testing (MPT) can be used to locate these cracks regardless of the influences caused by raceway structure. However, crack identification and evaluation in conventional MPT are quite challenging due to the low correlation between magnetic particle indication (MPI) and inspection images. To address this problem, this article introduces a dynamical MPI measuring method through 3-D vision. Specifically, a scanning 3-D vision system, an approach to forming MPI, and a curvature feature–based algorithm for MPI identification are newly proposed. 3-D measurement directly captures the spatial aggregation state of the magnetic particles, thereby enabling the connection between MPI and the cause of it, which is the leakage magnetic field above cracks. Starting from the electromagnetic field, we analyze the potential features of the 3-D profile of MPI. Magnetic force serves as a link, providing a theoretical basis for the identification and evaluation. Experiments show that our method successfully detects artificial notches with depths of 0.5–2.5 mm and natural microcracks with a maximum width of 40 <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">μ</i> m and differentiates between variations in crack depths of 0.5 mm. The sensitivity, stability, and evaluation ability can be demonstrated.

"The paper discusses the influence of mechanical factors on the performance and aging process of rocking machines, specifically focusing on oilfield equipment such as the downhole rod pump jack. The authors emphasize the importance of analyzing the condition and aging process of oilfield equipment to ensure reliability, safety, and efficiency in oil production processes. The mechanical factors discussed in the paper include vibrations, loads, wear, and corrosion. Vibrations can be caused by improper balance, bearing failures, or other factors, and they have a negative impact on equipment performance and can lead to breakdowns. High mechanical loads associated with raising and lowering sucker rods can cause wear and damage to the pump jack. Operating in harsh environments with sand, abrasive particles, or chemicals can also cause wear on surfaces and equipment parts. Corrosion of metal components can occur due to moisture, chemical attack, or improper storage and maintenance, leading to deterioration and breakage of equipment. The consequences of these mechanical factors on the aging of an oil pump jack include accelerated aging, decreased performance, and an increased risk of accidents. Continuous exposure to vibration, stress, wear, and corrosion accelerates the aging process, resulting in deterioration and reduced equipment life. Damage and breakdowns caused by mechanical factors lead to decreased efficiency, negatively impacting oil production processes. Moreover, insufficient maintenance and failure to address mechanical influences increase the risk of accidents, downtime, and damage to other parts of the manufacturing process. To assess the health and aging status of an oil pump jack, various analysis and diagnostic methods are used, including visual inspection, strength testing, monitoring of parameters, and non-destructive testing. Visual inspection helps identify visible damage, wear, and defects. Strength testing evaluates the reliability of pump jack parts and identifies potential issues. Monitoring parameters like vibrations, temperature, and pressure allows for detecting deviations from normal operation and preventing breakdowns. Non-destructive testing methods such as ultrasonic testing, magnetic particle testing, and radiography help identify hidden defects and damage. The authors recommend several strategies to maintain the reliability and efficiency of an oil pump jack. These strategies include implementing a preventive maintenance program with regular inspection, testing, and parts replacement based on manufacturer’s recommendations and equipment condition analysis. Determining optimal service and part replacement intervals based on historical data, monitoring results, and manufacturer’s recommendations is crucial. Additionally, utilizing more durable materials, anti-corrosion coatings, improved designs, and technologies can increase equipment resistance to mechanical stress and improve performance. The paper also describes the device and components of a pump jack, such as the installation base, platform, balancer, electric motor, crank, connecting rod, and control station. It emphasizes the importance of considering various characteristics when selecting and evaluating the effectiveness of a pump jack, including working load, maximum plunger stroke, reducer dimensions, output torque, and swing frequency. The kinematics of the pump jack drive system are discussed, highlighting the need for reconfiguration to adapt to changing operating conditions and optimize oil production performance. Overall, the paper emphasizes the importance of analyzing mechanical factors, managing the aging process, and implementing maintenance strategies to ensure the reliable and efficient operation of oilfield equipment, specifically the pump jack used in oil production processes.

Introduction. The technology of single-pass arc welding under a thin layer of slag (AST) of thick plate welded structures in the thermal and nuclear engineering is considered. The structure material is 09G2S steel. The work objective is the experimental study on the applicability of the AST method instead of the automatic welding under flux (AWF) and electroslag welding (ESW) under manufacturing the package units of the power plants. Materials and Methods. The technology is developed on the basis of the calculation results of the thermal welding mode (thermal cycle parameters and welding mode settings). Test joint weld-samples, 100 mm thick, are made of 09G2S lowcarbon low-alloy steel. Welding is performed on the certified equipment of “EMC-Atommash” JSC. The welded joints quality is assessed on the standard control results by the following techniques: magnetic-particle testing (MPT), ultrasonic control (USC) and radiographic testing (RT). The non-destructive testing results were supplemented with the metallographic study data. To investigate the nature of the weld metal crystallization along the length of the weld, the macrotemplates were cut out mechanically from the middle through-the-thickness and at the distance of 10 mm from the surface. The technique and installation of “TCS-1” for simulating the thermal cycle of the metal welding of the heat affected zone (HAZ) of the welded joints; standard methods for determining mechanical properties; hardness and microhardness indices; and method for determining the grain size in micrographs according to GOST 5639-82 were used in the experiments. The microstructure was studied with MMP-2P and Reichert optical microscopes with increase up to thousandfolds. Besides, the distribution pattern and identification of the second phases of nonmetallics; welded samples and samples modeling the HAZ metal for the notch sensitivity; structure stability and welding cracking resistance were studied through the replica technique using the EMV-100LM electron microscope. Research Results. Based on the thermal calculation results and the HAZ metal modeling, the optimum values of the heat input and welding variables are validated and experimentally verified. The welded joints quality is estimated by the nondestructive and destructive methods. The effect of the welding method on the structure, quality and mechanical properties of the welded joints is established. Discussion and Conclusions. Positive results of the theoretical and experimental studies are obtained. They indicate the technological and economic efficiency of the AST method application (instead of AWF and ESW) under manufacturing the 100 mm thick welded joints of 09G2S low-alloy steel. Moderate heat input in AST allows for the one-pass forming of a welded joint with better fine-grained structure and higher mechanical characteristics as compared to the ESW and AWF. Recommendations on the use of the AST technique in the welding production are given.

Review of Non-destructive Testing (NDT) Techniques and their Applicability to Thick Walled Composites

Comparison of electromagnetic inspection methods for creep-degraded high chromium ferritic steels

The invention of Friction Stir Welding (FSW) (Thomas, 2009) has contributed for a significant push forward in the weldability criteria for many engineering materials and the concept of how they can be mechanically processed in solid state. From the many materials processed by FSW the most remarkable results were obtained for the aluminium and all its alloys including wrought and cast original conditions. The main technological procedures and parameters are presented and most relevant tool features and architecture are established (Vilaca, 2003). Some industrial applications of FSWelds of aluminium alloys are also summarized. The quality of FSWelds of aluminium and its alloys is easy to reproduce and usually excellent, exceeding for some particular conditions the performance of base materials. Nevertheless, some imperfections can occur. The geometry, location, and microstructural nature of these imperfections will be established and classified for butt and overlap joints, which are the basic geometries enabling the production of all the remaining joint configurations, by combination of the previous. These imperfections bear no resemblance to the imperfections typically found in aluminium fusion welds. Consequently, it is difficult or even impossible, to identify all the FSWelds imperfections with commercially available conventional and advanced non-destructive testing (NDT) techniques. A paradigmatic example is the micro defects located at the root of conventional FSWeld joints with less than 100-50 μm. This state-of-the-art has been revealed as one important drawback preventing a wider transition of FSW to industrial applications, mainly focusing those where the quality standards are highly demanding and pursue the total quality assurance paradigm. The review of physical fundaments and some technological features of the different NDT concepts is included supporting the presentation of the following content of the present chapter (Santos, 2009). The assessment of the applicability of the conventional and advanced available NDT techniques to the most relevant FSW imperfections is established. The lack of assertiveness of the available NDT techniques in detecting the FSW joint imperfections are identified emphasizing the importance of the most recent new advances in the NDT technological