Eric D. Larsen

Noncontacting Ultrasonic System for Concurrent Defect Detection in Solidified Weld Metal

In-process ultrasonic sensing of welding allows detection of weld defects in real time. A noncontacting ultrasonic system is being developed to operate in a production environment. The principal components are a pulsed laser for ultrasound generation, an electromagnetic acoustic transducer (EMAT) for ultrasound reception, and a PC-based data acquisition system which determine the quality of the weld on a pass-by-pass basis. The laser/EMAT system interrogates the area in the weld volume where defects are most likely to occur [5]. This area of interest is identified by computer calculations on a pass-by-pass basis using weld planning information provided by the off-line programmer. The absence of a signal above the threshold level in the computer-calculated time interval indicates a disruption of the sound path by a defect. The ultrasonic sensor system then provides an input signal to the weld controller about the defect condition.

The Effects of Stress Mitigation on Nondestructive Examination

Ultrasonic volumetric and eddy current and visual profile surface inspections of the completed weld securing the outer lid of the Yucca Mountain waste package are required after stress mitigation. However, the technique implemented may affect the ability of the different evaluation techniques to properly characterize the completed weld. An evaluation was performed to determine the extent the nondestructive evaluation techniques are affected by two candidate mitigation processes: controlled plasticity burnishing and laser peening. This report describes the work performed and summarizes the results.