DEVELOPMENT OF INSPECTION TECHNIQUES FOR NON-SHARP DEFECTS

The proposal aims to develop inspection (and inspection modelling) to fully capture the defect acuity. The programme includes two main elements:
1. Development of an NDT technique to distinguish between sharp (fatigue) cracks and ‘non-sharp defects’ in parent material and weldments containing artificial defects.
2. Finite element modelling of the inspection procedure in parent material and weldments containing artificial defects.
Objectives
1. To evaluate the use of Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing (PAUT).
2. To evaluate the use of Full Matrix Capture (FMC) methods (and other techniques), if appropriate) to distinguish between sharp and non-sharp artificial flaws in steel and steel weldments.
3. To optimise the inspection method through numerical modelling.
4. To demonstrate the application of the method to natural flaws in welded steel.

2- Details of collaboration:
Dr Channa Nageswaran, a TWI expert in NDT will provide support to the student in the development of NDT methods and application to real life problems. Dr Nicolas Larrosa, the academic supervisor, will provide support on the modelling of the NDE method and structural integrity assessment aspects. In addition, Dr Isabel Hadley, TWI’s Technology Fellow, who is also a Visiting Professor at the UoB, will support the project and provide an interface with the standard committees to ensure that the outcomes of this project are put into practice and have a genuine impact on engineering practice.