Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Integrity evaluation of pipe welding zones using wavelet transforms, and specific sensitivities based on SH-EMAT pulse-echo method

  • Published:
International Journal of Precision Engineering and Manufacturing Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Pipes in facilities contain lots of welding zones and requires automated ultrasonic inspection. An electromagnetic acoustic transducer (EMAT) can be usefully applied in an automated ultrasonic inspection system. In this study, shear horizontal waves (SH-waves) generated by EMAT were implemented for the inspection of pipe welding zones. In analyzing of SH-EMAT signals, wavelet transforms were useful to extract key information. The intensity of the directly transmitted signal was used as a reference signal. A ratio of the reflected signal to the reference was proposed as the specific sensitivity. The sizes of defects were evaluated quantitatively using the specific sensitivity.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Rose, J. L., “Ultrasonic Waves in Solid Media”, Cambridge University Press, pp. 241–259, 1999.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Achenbach, J., “Wave Propagation in Elastic Solids,” Elsevier, pp. 10–59, 1984.

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  3. Lee, J. H., Lim, S. J., Park, I. K., and Kim, D. H., “Development of Automated Ultrasonic Testing System for Partial Joint-Weld of Heat Exchanger’s Header to Tube in Power Plant,” Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing, Vol. 30, No. 4, pp. 367–372, 2010.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Hirao, M. and Ogi, H., “EMATs for Science and Industry: Noncontacting Ultrasonic Measurements,” Kluwer Academic Publisher, pp. 13–56, 2003.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Hirao, M. and Ogi, H., “An SH-wave EMAT Technique for Gas Pipeline Inspection,” NDT & E International, Vol. 32, No. 3, pp. 127–132, 1999.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Fujisawa, K., “Application of EMAT to Steel and Nonferrous Metal,” Journal of Japanese Society for Non-Destructive Inspection, Vol. 51, No. 2, pp. 68–73, 2002.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Lee, J. H., Park, I. K., Kim, Y. K., and Kim, D. H., “Evaluation of Thickness Reduction in Steel Plate by using SH-EMATs,” Vol. 31, No. 1, pp. 47–52, 2011.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Park, I. K., Kim, H. M., Park, T. S., Kim, Y. K., Cho, Y. S., and Song, W.J., “Non-Contact Ultrasonic Inspection Technology of Fillet Weldments Monitoring,” Key Engineering Materials, Vol. 321–323, pp. 513–517, 2006.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Lei, K., Wujun, M., Chao, L., and Shujuan, W., “Research on Weak Signal Detection Technique for Electromagnetic Ultrasonic Inspection System,” Proc. of 3rd IEEE Conference on on Industrial Electronics and Applications, pp. 2394–2399, 2008.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Soto-Cajiga, J., Pedraza-Ortega, J., Rubio-Gonzalez, C., Bandala-Sanchez, M., and Romero-Troncoso, R. D. J., “Fpga-based Architecture for Real-Time Data Reduction of Ultrasound Signals,” Ultrasonics, Vol. 52, No. 2, pp. 230–237, 2012.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Liu, S., Du, C., Mou, J., Martua, L., Zhang, J., and Lewis, F., “Diagnosis of Structural Cracks using Wavelet Transform and Neural Networks,” NDT & E International, Vol. 54, No. pp. 9–18, 2013.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Kim, H. W., Lee, J. K., and Kim, Y. Y., “Circumferential Phased Array of Shear-Horizontal Wave Magnetostrictive Patch Transducers for Pipe Inspection,” Ultrasonics, Vol. 53, No. 2, pp. 423–431, 2013.

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  13. Siqueira, M., Gatts, C., Da Silva, R., and Rebello, J., “The Use of Ultrasonic Guided Waves and Wavelets Analysis in Pipe Inspection,” Ultrasonics, Vol. 41, No. 10, pp. 785–797, 2004.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Gori, M., Giamboni, S., D’Alessio, E., Ghia, S., Cernuschi, F., and Piana, G., “Guided Waves by EMAT Transducers for Rapid Defect Location on Heat Exchanger and Boiler Tubes,” Ultrasonics, Vol. 34, No. 2, pp. 311–314, 1996.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Salajegheh E. and Heidari A., “Time History Dynamic Analysis of Structures using Filter Banks and Wavelet Transforms,” Computers and Structures Vol. 83, pp. 53–68, 2005

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Mertins, A., “Signal Analysis: Wavelets, Filter Banks, Time-Frequency Transforms and Applications,” Wiley, pp. 210–226, 1999.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Park, I. K. and Ahn, H. K., “Time-Frequency Analysis of Lamb Wave Mode,” Journal of KSMTE, Vol. 10, No. 1, pp. 133–140, 2001.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Büssow, R., “An Algorithm for the Continuous Morlet Wavelet Transform,” Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing, Vol. 21, No. 8, pp. 2970–2979, 2007.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Lee, J. H. and Kim, D. H., “Flaw Detection in Pipe-Welded Zone by Using Wavelet Transform and SH-EMAT,” Trans. Korean Soc. Mech. Eng. A., Vol. 36, No. 12, pp. 1511–1519, 2012.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Energy and Environment, Seoul National University of Science and Technology, 232 Gongneung-ro, Nowon-gu, Seoul, South Korea, 139-743

    Jin-Hyuk Lee

  2. Department of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering, Seoul National University of Science and Technology, 232 Gongneung-ro, Nowon-gu, Seoul, South Korea, 139-743

    Dae-Hyun Kim

Authors
  1. Jin-Hyuk Lee
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Dae-Hyun Kim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Dae-Hyun Kim.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Lee, JH., Kim, DH. Integrity evaluation of pipe welding zones using wavelet transforms, and specific sensitivities based on SH-EMAT pulse-echo method. Int. J. Precis. Eng. Manuf. 15, 2051–2057 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12541-014-0562-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12541-014-0562-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation