STUDY ON THE USE OF PHASED ARRAY TECHNOLOGY FOR EXAMINATION OF PIPELINES OF THE WWR-K RECATOR

The first circuit of the WWR-K nuclear research reactor consists of a large number of austenitic welded joints of various configurations. Such welds exhibit anisotropic and inhomogeneous structures with elongated grains, which can complicate interpretation of radiographic and ultrasonic data. The root part of the weld is of particular concern since it is under the constant influence of moving demineralized water, mechanical and thermal loads, which can cause the appearance and propagation of cracks and erosion processes. In this paper, we consider an integrated approach to the study of defects in austenitic welded joints in the primary circuit of the WWR-K reactor, commissioned in 1967. Small overall dimensions, complex pipeline configuration, one-way access and an unknown weld shape do not allow us to use the standardized test procedures. Radiographic control data showed the presence of unexpressed extended discontinuities similar to lack of fusion. The use of ultrasonic testing with a linear array is considered to improve the reliability and efficiency of testing of the circumferential welds. The study implied selection of the optimal scanning modes, obtaining of a set of acoustic images of defects in welded joints of the tested samples using a 16-element ultrasonic linear array. Practical testing was performed on austenitic welded joints of WWR-K pipelines with a non-metallic coating. The main problems of pipeline testing, that require further improvement, were the low scanning speed, the impossibility of using the built-in weld model for interpretation and determination of the true size of defects. In general, the work results showed a fairly good detection of root defects and an assessment of their conditional sizes using the phased array technology.

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