TECHNICAL NOTE | Enhancing high-temperature PAUT and TOFD inspection for weld root erosion
Enhancing high-temperature PAUT and TOFD inspection for weld root erosion
TOFD
TECHNICAL NOTE | High-Temperature Weld Root Corrosion Inspection
Conventional TOFD struggles with high-temperature inspections due to transducer limitations and signal interference. In this case, Ionix high-temperature TOFD transducers with integrated wedges enabled reliable inspection of a carbon steel pipe weld at 200 °C. Mounted on a modified EddyFi Lyncs scanner and paired with a Mantis UT system, the setup successfully identified weld root corrosion, demonstrating suitability for continuous operation up to 350 °C.
CASE STUDY | In-process weld repair of ammonia converter with HotSense™ TOFD
High-temperature TOFD inspection was conducted during weld repairs at elevated temperatures and varying fill levels, providing accurate, repeatable defect detection. This approach eliminated the need for cooling and reheating, reducing maintenance time and increasing productivity by performing both welding and inspection simultaneously.
CASE STUDY | High-temperature TOFD for high-pressure steam lines
Wright Quality Services (WQS), a leading Canadian NDT service provider, conducted routine maintenance inspections on a high-pressure steam line for a refinery operator. Utilizing advanced Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing (PAUT) and high-temperature Time of Flight Diffraction (TOFD) methods, WQS effectively detected weld root erosion under extreme conditions exceeding 300 °C. The inspection, focused on identifying early signs of deterioration, provided high-resolution imaging and superior accuracy, ensuring the reliability of critical welds in high-pressure steam systems.
Application Note – High-Temperature Weld Root Corrosion Inspection
Ionix high-temperature TOFD transducers, with integrated wedges, are suitable for weld inspections at continuous elevated temperatures up to 350 °C. Here, the transducers with integrated wedges are mounted on to a modified EddyFi Lyncs scanner for high-temperature encoding, with high-temperature couplant, connected to
commercially available Mantis UT set, and a carbon steel pipe weld inspected at 200 °C for weld root corrosion.
Application Note – High-Temperature TOFD Inspection of Carbon Steel Weld
Ultrasonic time-of-flight diffraction (TOFD) is a popular method widely used in petrochemical, energy and other industries for the in-service detection and characterisation of welds defects such as root corrosion, porosity, inclusions, and cracks. This latest application note explores Time-of-flight diffraction on carbon steel welded plate up to 240 °C.
High-temperature TOFD trial
A demonstration of the Ionix high-temperature TOFD transducers, with integrated wedges, for their suitability for weld inspection at elevated temperatures up to 240 °C is shown here. The wedges are mounted on to a modified EddyFi Lyncs scanner for high-temperature
encoding, with high-temperature couplant, connected to commercially available UT sets from EddyFi and
Olympus.
High-temperature TOFD inspection of carbon steel weld
Ionix high-temperature TOFD transducers, with integrated wedges, are suitable for weld inspection at elevated temperatures up to 350 °C. Here, the transducers with integrated wedges are mounted on to a modified EddyFi Lyncs scanner for high-temperature encoding, with high-temperature couplant, connected to commercially
available Mantis UT set, and a carbon steel plate inspected at 240 °C for lack of side wall fusion and notches in the weld.
High Temperature Weld Root Corrosion Inspection
Ultrasonic time-of-flight diffraction (TOFD) is a popular method widely used in petrochemical, energy and other industries for the in-service detection and characterisation of welds defects such as root corrosion, porosity, inclusions, and cracks. However, with increasing demand for on-stream measurements, conventional TOFD is limited due to the temperature at which these probes can operate, often causing failure of the transducer, or causing noise in the wedges to mask the ultrasound signal.
High temperature weld root corrosion inspection with HotSense™ TOFD
This latest blog explores Ionix high-temperature TOFD transducers, with integrated wedges. Suitable for weld inspections at continuous elevated temperatures up to 350 °C enabling on-stream inspection of critical, hot, assets.