ID Creep Wave Detection

and Sizing Principles

Presented by Tim Armitt

09/11/2004 Lavender International NDT Ltd : email:

[email protected]
 Application
„ Limited to a method of flaw size
estimation in a qualitative rather
than finite quantitative value.
„ Particularly useful for detection of
cracking emanating from the inside
surface of pipe work of pressure
vessels.
„ Ability to detect very small cracks
09/11/2004 Lavender International NDT Ltd : email:
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 Principles of Physics
„ Creep waves are a term given to
longitudinal wave mode beams that graze
either the inside or outside surfaces of
component.
„ In order to obtain these waves the
incident angle within the probe housing is
set before the first critical angle.
„ Longitudinal waves are refracted to
around 70-900
„ This is not a Rayleigh or surface wave
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 Incidence On the 1st
Critical Angle
1st critical
angle
Reflected
Incident energy
energy
Longitudinal

Longitudinal
Refracted refracted to 900

energy
Transverse

Normal axis
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 Coarse Grained Materials
„ Can be used to examine Austenitic welds
„ 300 transverse wave passes easily through
rolled austenitic parent plate
„ Mode converted 700 and creep waves
penetrate the coarse austenitic structure
due to their long wavelength and direction
of atomic excitation
„ The technique has been used extensively
on high nickel welds associated with liquid
natural gas containers for cryogenic
service conditions

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 Mode Converted ID
Creep Wave
1st critical
angle
Reflected
Incident energy
energy
Longitudinal

Longitudinal OD
Creep Wave
refracted to 720
Transverse
refracted to 310 Reflected transverse

Mode converted
Creep wave CE2

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 CE2
„ Attenuates quickly so not useful over
long ranges (Typically 10 to 40mm
max at -12dB of peak response)
„ Exhibits short echo dynamic pattern
„ Very sensitive to small cracks,
0.5mm or less at 4MHz
„ Good signal to noise ratio from small
cracks in fine grained material

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 Mode Converted
Waves: CE2 Creep
1st critical
angle
Reflected
Incident energy
energy
Longitudinal

Refracted
Longitudinal
Wave
Reflected
Refracted
Transverse
Transverse
Wave
Wave
Creep wave
Collateral
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Echo 2
 CE1
„ 30,70,70 Shear, Long, Long modes
„ Exhibits a broad echo dynamic
envelope extending with increase in
flaw size
„ Generally occurs from crack sizes of
2 to 3mm upwards

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 Mode Converted
Waves: CE1 (30,70,70)
1st critical
angle
Reflected
Incident energy
energy
Longitudinal

Longitudinal
700

Transverse
300 Longitudinal
700
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 70L
„ Generally only occurs from crack
sizes of 40 to 50% material thickness
or greater
„ Relies on tip diffraction or specular
reflection
„ Amplitude very dependant upon
orientation and tightness of the crack
tip
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 70L wave

1st critical
angle
Reflected
Incident energy
energy
Longitudinal

700Longitudinal
Pulse-echo
Detection

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 Mode Converted
Waves Combined
1st critical
angle
Reflected
Incident energy
energy
Longitudinal

700L

Collateral
Echo 1

Collateral
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Echo 2
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 Typical Echo Pattern

CE1

700L CE2

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 CE1, CE2 & 70L
CE2 echo maximised response
Sensitivity 5mm slot CE2 set at 80% FSH + 6dB

Slot size CE2 Amplitude % Presence CE1 (Y / N) & Presence of 700 Longitudinal &
(mm) FSH Amplitude % FSH Amplitude % FSH

0.5 100 + 4dB No No

5.0 100 + 4dB Yes 16% No

9.5 100 + 4dB Yes 16% No

16.5 100 + 4dB Yes 36% Yes 67%

23.5 100 + 4dB Yes 27% Yes 100% + 4dB

28.0 100 + 4dB Yes 25% Yes 5%

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 Echo Dynamic and
Peak Response
Echo Dynamic and peak results

Slot size (mm) Echo dynamic range of Echo dynamic range of Peak range of 700
CE1 (mm) CE2 (mm) Longitudinal (mm)

0.5 No response 53-68 No response

5.0 50-66 53-76 56

9.5 46-87 53-78 44

16.5 44-105 53-86 26

23.5 44-133 53-91 14

28.0 44-133 53-91 4.5

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 Demonstration
Use of a 4MHz 10mm single crystal

700 Longitudinal wave transducer

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 Advantages
„ Sensitive to all sizes of crack that
break the far surface of a material
„ Useful in detection of smooth defects
that do not have any resolvable
facets
„ Vertical defects are detectable that
are not conducive to conventional
pulse echo detection
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 Disadvantages
„ This is not an accurate sizing technique
„ Large cracks that are 80% through the
material or greater offer similar responses
„ Creeping waves along the inside face only
last for a few millimetres
„ Profiled counter bores can prevent creep
wave propagation
„ Rough internal surfaces may produce a
large number of signals reducing the S/N
ratio of flaw to noise
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 Errors
„ Use of longitudinal angle beam
transducers can be confusing when
calibrating and evaluating the numerous
mode combinations received
„ Close proximity of other flaws will produce
more than one set of echo patterns at
once
„ Positioning of the flaw due to
combinations of acoustic velocity from the
CE1 & CE2 signals

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 Missed defects
„ Refracted angles are modified in the
test item due to:
profiled components, materials of
uncertain velocity, wear on probe
shoes
„ Defects that do not break the surface
can lose the CE2 response causing
confusion in identification of signals

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 Any questions?

09/11/2004 Lavender International NDT Ltd : email:

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