A Study on the Development of the Stainless Steel Tube Bundle Structure Detecting System Using Ultrasonic Guided Wave.

In this study, an ultrasonic guided wave system that can be used to detect broken tubes in stainless steel tube bundle structures (e.g., heat exchangers) with fairly narrow spacing between the tubes was designed.

Ultrasonic tomography imaging enhancement approach based on deep convolutional neural networks.

Abstract: The containment liner plate (CLP) is a thin layer of carbon steel material applied as a base for concrete structures protecting nuclear material. The structural health monitoring of the CLP is critical to ensure the safety of nuclear power plants. Hidden defects in the CLP can be identified utilizing ultrasonic tomographic imaging techniques such as the reconstruction algorithm for the probabilistic inspection of damage (RAPID) methodology.

A novel ultrasonic inspection method of the heat exchangers based on circumferential waves and deep neural networks.

The heat exchanger (HE) is an important component of almost every energy generation system. Periodic inspection of the HEs is particularly important to keep high efficiency of the entire system. In this paper, a novel ultrasonic water immersion inspection method is presented based on circumferential wave (CW) propagation to detect defective HE.

Defect Detection and Characterization in Concrete Based on FEM and Ultrasonic Techniques.

In order to estimate the crack depth in concrete using time-of-flight, finite element analysis and experiments were performed on non-cracked concrete blocks and 45 mm and 70 mm vertical cracks. As a result of measuring the time-of-flight change by changing the positions of the transmitter and receiver, it was confirmed that the finite element analysis results agreed with the experimental results, and high accuracy was confirmed by various formulas for calculating the depth of defects using the obtained experimental measurements for comparison. In addition to the verification of the simulation and experimental theory, research was conducted through actual field cases, and methodologies for crack detection and depth evaluation for concrete structures were presented, and furthermore, the expected effects of improving the soundness and safety of structures were shown.

Defect Imaging Enhancement through Optimized Shape Factors of the RAPID Algorithm Based on Guided Wave Beam Pattern Analysis.

In this study, a modified imaging algorithm was implemented to improve the imaging accuracy for defects located on a structure. Based on analysis of the Lamb wave mode, a guided ultrasonic wave inspection technique was applied, which was able to illustrate images of defects in a 6 mm steel plate simulating containment liner plate (CLP) in nuclear power plants. The dominant Lamb wave mode was determined through short-time Fourier transform waveform analysis and imaging verification.

An Investigation on a Quantitative Tomographic SHM Technique for a Containment Liner Plate in a Nuclear Power Plant with Guided Wave Mode Selection.

The containment liner plate (CLP) in a nuclear power plant is the most critical part of the structure of a power plant, as it prevents the radioactive contamination of the surrounding area. This paper presents feasibility of structural health monitoring (SHM) and an elastic wave tomography method based on ultrasonic guided waves (GW), for evaluating the integrity of CLP. It aims to check the integrity for a dynamic response to a damaged isotropic structure.

A closed-form solution to propagation of guided waves in a layered half-space under a time-harmonic load: An application of elastodynamic reciprocity.

This article is concerned with the application of reciprocity in computing guided wave motions generated by a time-harmonic load in a layer of uniform thickness joined to a half-space. Explicit expressions for free Rayleigh waves and Love waves propagating in the layered half-space are introduced. Exact solutions of Rayleigh waves and Love waves are derived from reciprocity relations between an actual state - guided waves generated by a time-harmonic line load and a virtual state - an appropriately chosen free wave traveling in the structure.

A theoretical approach to multiple scattering of surface waves by shallow cavities in a half-space.

The current theoretical work investigates multiple scattering of surface waves from shallow cavities at the surface of an elastic half-space. The multiple scattered field is shown to be equivalent to the field generated by the application of a distribution of tractions, obtained from the incident wave, on the surfaces of the cavities. Using a self-consistent method, an analytical approach is proposed to derive an explicit set of equations which approximate the multiple scattered field.

Use of the reciprocity theorem for a closed form solution of scattering of the lowest axially symmetric torsional wave mode by a defect in a pipe.

Guided waves can effectively be used for inspection of large scale structures. Surface corrosion is often found as major defect type in large scale structures such as pipelines. Guided wave interaction with surface corrosion can provide useful information for sizing and classification.

Characterization of Degradation Progressive in Composite Laminates Subjected to Thermal Fatigue and Moisture Diffusion by Lamb Waves.

Laminate composites which are widely used in the aeronautical industry, are usually subjected to frequency variation of environmental temperature and excessive humidity in the in-service environment. The thermal fatigue and moisture absorption in composites may induce material degradation. There is a demand to investigate the coupling damages mechanism and characterize the degradation evolution of composite laminates for the particular application.

A novel ultrasonic NDE for shrink fit welded structures using interface waves.

Reactor vessel inspection is a critical part of safety maintenance in a nuclear power plant. The inspection of shrink fit welded structures in a reactor nozzle can be a challenging task due to the complicated geometry. Nozzle inspection using pseudo interface waves allows us to inspect the nozzle from outside of the nuclear reactor.

Combination of nonlinear ultrasonics and guided wave tomography for imaging the micro-defects.

The use of guided wave tomography has become an attractive alternative to convert ultrasonic wave raw data to visualized results for quantitative signal interpretation. For more accurate life prediction and efficient management strategies for critical structural components, there is a demand of imaging micro-damages in early stage. However, there is rarely investigation on guided wave tomographic imaging of micro-defects.

Overexpression of malic enzyme in the larval stage extends Drosophila lifespan.

Metabolic modifications during the developmental period can extend longevity. We found that malic enzyme (Men) overexpression during the larval period lengthened the lifespan of Drosophila. Men overexpression by S106-GeneSwitch-Gal4 driver increased pyruvate content and NADPH/NADP(+) ratio but reduced triglyceride, glycogen, and ATP levels in the larvae.

Verification of surface wave solutions obtained by the reciprocity theorem.

Surface wave motions generated by a time-harmonic point load applied at the surface of an isotropic linearly elastic half-space are conventionally solved by the use of integral transform techniques. The inverse transforms, are often complicated and will not always yield closed-form solutions. In this paper expressions for the displacements for surface wave motions radiated from point-load excitation are determined in a simple manner by the use of the elastodynamic reciprocity theorem.

Frictional response of normal and osteoarthritic articular cartilage in human femoral head.

We evaluated the microscale frictional response of human articular cartilage in different osteoarthritis stages using an atomic force microscope. Four human femoral heads (60-80 years old) with different osteoarthritis stages were explanted, and two cylindrical cartilage samples were sectioned from each femoral head. The microscale frictional coefficient mu of human cartilage in phosphate-buffered saline increased with increasing osteoarthritis stages, resulting in mu = 0.

Validity of the reciprocity approach for determination of surface wave motion.

Expressions for the displacements and the stresses for surface wave motion generated by a time-harmonic line load applied to the surface of an isotropic linearly elastic half-space are determined in a simple manner by the use of the reciprocity theorem. It is shown that their amplitudes show perfect agreement with the corresponding amplitudes obtained in the conventional manner by applying the Fourier transform technique. As an application of the reciprocity approach, the surface wave motion generated by uniform pressure over a cylindrical cavity located on the surface of a half-space has been determined.

Effect of protein concentrations of bovine serum albumin and γ-globulin on the frictional response of a cobalt-chromium femoral head.

The study aims to identify the concentration-dependent role of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and γ-globulin in the lubricating ability of a cobalt-chromium femoral head. The frictional coefficients of the cobalt-chromium femoral head decreased with increasing BSA concentrations from 10 to 40 mg/ml and showed statistical differences between any of the BSA concentration groups, except between the 30 and 40 mg/ml concentration groups. In γ-globulin, the frictional coefficients significantly decreased at concentrations of 2.