With the increasing use of High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) piping for nuclear applications, nondestructive evaluation is an important tool for evaluation of the integrity in fused joints. This paper will discuss the method of using Ultrasonic Phased Array for inspecting Butt-Fusion (BF) joints in HDPE piping. The benefit of Phased Array is the ability to perform a volumetric inspection using multiple angles which greatly increases the probability of detection of defects, and allows the data to be analyzed using a representative 2-dimentional image of the joint [1]. It has been determined that successfully producing BF joints is highly dependent on environmental and mating-surface conditions. The primary defects of concern are lack-of-fusion (LOF), an area of the joint where there is no bond [2], cold fusion (CF), an area of partial bond, and inclusion. Phased Array has successfully demonstrated the ability of detecting and characterizing these defects using low frequency ultrasound. Factors addressed include joint location, wall thickness, material temperature, transducer wedge material, and manual vs. automated data acquisition.
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ASME 2009 Pressure Vessels and Piping Conference
July 26–30, 2009
Prague, Czech Republic
Conference Sponsors:
- Pressure Vessels and Piping
ISBN:
978-0-7918-4369-7
PROCEEDINGS PAPER
High-Density Polyethylene Piping Butt-Fusion Joint Examination Using Ultrasonic Phased Array
Caleb Frederick,
Caleb Frederick
Structural Integrity Associates, Inc., Charlotte, NC
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Allen Porter,
Allen Porter
Structural Integrity Associates, Inc., Charlotte, NC
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Dave Zimmerman
Dave Zimmerman
Duke Energy, Charlotte, NC
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Caleb Frederick
Structural Integrity Associates, Inc., Charlotte, NC
Allen Porter
Structural Integrity Associates, Inc., Charlotte, NC
Dave Zimmerman
Duke Energy, Charlotte, NC
Paper No:
PVP2009-77783, pp. 1295-1299; 5 pages
Published Online:
July 9, 2010
Citation
Frederick, C, Porter, A, & Zimmerman, D. "High-Density Polyethylene Piping Butt-Fusion Joint Examination Using Ultrasonic Phased Array." Proceedings of the ASME 2009 Pressure Vessels and Piping Conference. Volume 6: Materials and Fabrication, Parts A and B. Prague, Czech Republic. July 26–30, 2009. pp. 1295-1299. ASME. https://doi.org/10.1115/PVP2009-77783
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