Non-destructive evaluation is an important part of the process to assure the quality of goods in manufacturing lines. This paper presents a comparative study of two methods of leak testing using acoustic waves. The objective of the experiment is to evaluate the response of ultrasonic-based techniques for leak testing. The first method is based on an active arrangement, which detects leaks by analyzing acoustic data generated by the gas leakage, which is measured by an ultrasound transducer. The second one is also based on ultrasonic signals, but it uses a passive arrangement in which an ultrasound emitter is placed inside the vessel. The leakage is then detected because the fluid from inside the vessel conducts the sonic signal to an external ultra-sound detector through the discontinuity. Data from a practical case study are presented and, based on the experimental results with real defective parts, strong points and weaknesses of each method are discussed and evaluated.

This content is only available via PDF.
You do not currently have access to this content.