NON DESTRUCTIVE EXAMINATION
ULTRASONIC TESTING
LARSEN AND TOUBRO LIMITED
HEAVY ENGINEERING DIVISION
ULTRASONIC SYSTEMS
• THROUGH TRANSMISSION SYSTEM
• PULSE ECHO SYSTEM
• RESONANCE SYSTEM
ULTRASONIC SYSTEMS
THROUGH TRANSMISSION SYSTEM:
1. Sound Energy is continuous or Pulsed
2. Separate transmitter / reciever
3. Soundness of test specimen based on energy lost
4. Indicates only presence of defect and not the location
Transmitter
Reciever echo
Reduced echo
Reciever
Through Trans. Testing CRT Display - defect free area CRT Display - defective area
RESONANCE SYSTEM
1. CONTINUOUS WAVES ARE NEEDED.
2. USED FOR THICNESS MEASUREMENT, LACK OF
BONDING
IN CLAD & FOR DETECTING LAMINATION.
T= 1
Resonance will occur only when the specimen thickness
is equal to a half wave length or an exact multiple of
a half wave length.
Fundamental Resonance Frequency F = V/2T
PULSE ECHO SYSTEM
1. WIDELY USED FOR FLAW DETECTION
2. SOUND ENERGY IS TRANSMITTED IN PULSES
3. USED IN CONTACT AND IMMERSION METHODS
4. CRT DISPLAY -
A-SCAN : ANALOG DISPLAY - TIME VERSUS AMPLITUDE
B-SCAN : CROSS SECTIONAL VIEW
C-SCAN : PLANAR VIEW
5. MAY BE USED IN CONTACT AS WELL AS IMMERSION
TESTING OF PLATES, PIPES, FORGINGS , CASTINGS &
WELDS.
ULTRASONIC EXAMINATION
Basic Principles
Ultrasonic Pulse Echo equipment generates high voltage
electrical pulses. These pulses are applied to the
Transducer ( Probe ) which converts them into mechanical
vibrations ( sound energy at high frequency i.e. Ultrasonic
sound energy > 20,000 cycles per second ) that are
transmitted into the material being tested. The reflected
sound energy either from the back surface or from
discontinuities is again converted into electrical pulses by
the transducer and is displayed on the CRT ( Cathode ray
tube )
TYPICAL A- SCAN DISPLAY
Normal Beam Scanning:
CRT Display
Transducer
A B C
Specimen Defect
Thicknes (Time-Distance)
A- Initial Pulse
B- Defect Echo
C- Back Surface Echo
TYPICAL A-SCAN DISPLAY
Angle Beam scanning
CRT Display
A B
Time - Distance
A- Initial Pulse
B- Defect Echo
ULTRASONIC TRANSDUCERS
1. LONGITUDINAL MODE PROBES ARE USED IN GENERAL
FOR STRAIGHT BEAM EXAMINATION.
2. SHEAR WAVE PROBES ARE USED FOR ANGLE BEAM
EXAMINATION.
3. HIGHER THE FREQUENCY OF THE PROBE, HIGHER
WILL BE THE SENSITIVITY AND RESOLUTION BUT
LESSER PENETRATION.
4. LOWER THE FREQUENCY OF PROBE LESSER WILL BE
THE SENSITIVITY AND RESOLUTION BUT HIGHER WILL
BE THE PENETRATION.
ULTRASONIC TRANSDUCERS
1. IN GENERAL CONTACT TESTING IS CARRIED OUT USING
PROBES IN THE FREQUENCY RANGE OF 1 TO 5MHz.
2. HIGHER FREQUENCY PROBES IN RANGE OF 2.25MHz TO
25MHz ARE USED IN IMMERSION TESTING.
3. LONGITUDINAL MODE COARSE GRAIN ANGLE BEAM PROBES
FOR SPECIAL APPLICATION ARE AVAILABLE FOR TESTING
OF AUSTENITIC / NICKLE BASE WELDS.
4. TWIN CRYSTAL PROBES ARE USED FOR TESTING WELDS AND
MATERIALS FOR BETTER NEAR SURFACE RESOLUTION.
NDE PERSONNEL QUALIFICATIONS
NDE Personnel are qualified as per L&T’s Written
Practice which is based on SNT-TC-1A of ASNT
LEVEL -I
Functions as per the written instructions from Level II/III.
LEVEL - II
Prepare Procedures , carry out testing , guide level -I ,
evaluate results etc.
LEVEL-III
Train & qualify Level-I & II personnel as per L&T’s
Written Practice , prepare procedures, approve
procedures etc.
ULTRASONIC EXAMINATION
APPLICATION
Plates are usually tested for laminations using normal
beam probes.
For special application such as Nuclear / Aerospace, plates
are also tested with angle beam.
Forgings depending on their shape and size are tested
using normal as well as angle beam probes.
Weld overlay is usually tested with twin crystal normal
beam probes. In some special application angle beam
scanning is also carried out.
Welds such as butt / nozzle welds are tested both with
normal & angle beam probes
ULTRASONIC EXAMINATION
Application ( cont..)
Frequency of sound energy used in general for contact
testing is up to 5 MHz, whereas in immersion testing the
frequency used may be as high as 25 MHz.
Probe angles used in general in angle beam examination
are 45, 60 & 70 Deg. Some other angles such as 35, 80 deg
etc are also used for some special applications depending
on the geometry of the specimen.
In general normal beam testing is carried out using
longitudinal mode, whereas shear waves are used in case of
angle beam scanning. But in some cases like angle beam
examination of weld overlay, longitudinal waves are used
ULTRASONIC EXAMINATION
ADVANTAGES
•Testing can be carried out with one side access.
•Any thickness on higher side can be tested ( Superior
penetrating power ).
•Results are immediate.
•Exact depth and locations of flaws can be estimated.
•Compact and portable equipments are available.
ULTRASONIC EXAMINATION
LIMITATIONS
Highly skilled and trained personnel are
required.
•Coarse grain weld material like Austenitic
stainless steel & Nickel based non ferrous welds
are difficult to test.
•Equipment cost is very high for automated
testing with recording / imaging facility.
ULTRASONIC EXAMINATION
SPECIAL APPLICATIONS / DEVELOPMENTS
1. High Temperature Ultrasonic Examination of
welds upto 250 ° C using special purpose
RTD make probes & Silicone oil as couplant.
2. Ultrasonic Examination of Ausenitic Stainless
Steel welds using Coarse Grain Longitudinal
Mode Probes.
ULTRASONIC EXAMINATION
SPECIAL APPLICATIONS / DEVELOPMENTS contd...
Ultrasonic Examination of Coarse Grain Nickle Based
weld overlay for detecting underbead transverse cracks
at the clad interface using RTD make , longitudinal
mode, twin crystal focussed probes.
SPECIAL APPLICATIONS / DEVELOPMENTS contd...
USM - 3S FLAW DETECTOR
0 2 4 6 8 10
CLAD
REDUCTION
GEAR BOX
XY - RECORDER
PROBE
PROBE - FIXTURE ASSEMBLY
TUBESHEET
SCHEMATIC DIAGRAM
DC LOW SPEED MOTOR
Ultrasonic Examination of Tube# Tubesheet welds in
Carbamate Condenser using Auto-Immersion Technique.
ULTRASONIC EXAMINATION
TRANSDUCERS FOR SPECIAL APPLICATIONS:
1. Panametric make Videoscan Immersion Transducer
with Mirror Reflector for Ultrsonic Examination of
Tube to Tubesheet welds.
2. High Temperature RTD make probes.
3. RTD make coarse grain angle beam probe for testing of
overlay.
ULTRASONIC EXAMINATION
EQUIPMENTS & ACCESSORIES
ULTRSONIC FLAW DETECTORS:
1. USM 3S - MAKE- KRAUTKRAMER GERMANY RANGE 5- 15000MM
2. USIP -11 - MAKE - KRAUTKRAMER GERMANY RANGE 5-15000MM
3. USN - 50 - MAKE - KRAUTKRAMER GERMANY RANGE 5-5000MM
STORAGE FACILITY UPTO 30 CALIBRATIONS
DIGITAL AND ANALOG DISPLAY
4. USK -6 /7S -MAKE - KRAUTKRAMER GERMANY RANGE 10-2500MM
ULTRASONIC EXAMINATION
EQUIPMENTS & ACCESSORIES contd...
ULTRASONIC TRANSDUCERS
Contact Probes : Normal, 35° ,45°,60 °,70°,80°
Frequency 1MHz to 4MHz
Krautkramer make
Immersion Type probes : Frequency 5MHz to 15 MHz
Krautkramer, Panametrics
& Ultran make
Finger Tip probes: Miniature probes ,
Frequency 2.25MHz - 5MHz
VARIOUS TYPES OF WELDS AND MATERIALS
EXAMINED BY UT
• White metal lining examination on bearings.
• Austenitic stainless steel welds on Nuclear End Shields.
• Austenitic S.S to Inconel Weld joints in Steam
Generators.
• Weld joints on Maraging Steel M-250 materials for space
application.
• Monel, Inconel & Austenitic stainless steel weld overlay
• Carbon Steel and Alloy Steel welds and materials
• Titanium clad testing for bond and flaw detection
