ULTRASONIC TESTING OF RAILWAY TRANSPORT UNITS WITH PHASED ARRAY FLAW DETECTORS
Journal: NDT WORLD
Volume 18 № 3
, 2015
Rubrics: NDT IN THE RAILWAYS
Authors:
2.
Railway Research Institute
(kafedra "DIT", docent)
Moskva, Russian Federation
Moskva, Russian Federation
Type:
Article
Pages:
from 72
to 76
Status:
Published
Received:
09.08.2015
Accepted:
01.09.2015
Published:
01.09.2015
Language:
Russian
Keywords:
ultrasonic flaw detector, phased array, nondestructive testing, railway transport units, axle, wheel, solebar
Abstract (English):
The article describes possibilities of phased array flaw detectors application for testing of railway transport units, such as wheel set axles, all-rolled wheels, solebars of freight cars. The task was to reproduce the standard testing procedures using phased array flaw detectors and demonstrate their advantages in visibility, efficiency, repeatability, results validity. Unfortunately, one of the main advantages of phased array flaw detectors, namely – a possibility to control the focusing depth – are lost while testing of large scale objects. Sector scanning technique with the phased array flaw detectors OmniScan and Isonic 2010 in the minimum configuration was used for the research. In the all cases acoustical images of the following reflectors were obtained within the range of selected angles: saw-cuts in axles, spot-drillings and saw-cuts in wheels, side drilled holes and natural defects in solebars. The Multi Group software (Isonic 2000) at testing of wheel set axles has enabled the testing schemes to be realized with one prism and one phased array instead of several classical piezoelectric transducers. Circumferential testing of all-rolled wheels from internal lateral surface under the roll surface level has allowed transverse cracks and flange embedded defects to be detected. Solebar testing has been more complicated because of a form and irregularity of scanning surface, necessity of its cleaning and a complex profile of back surface. Nevertheless the usage of phased array flaw detectors has made it possible to identify the back surface profile. Application of phased arrays substantially increases testing efficiency and improves visibility of obtained results.
The article describes possibilities of phased array flaw detectors application for testing of railway transport units, such as wheel set axles, all-rolled wheels, solebars of freight cars. The task was to reproduce the standard testing procedures using phased array flaw detectors and demonstrate their advantages in visibility, efficiency, repeatability, results validity. Unfortunately, one of the main advantages of phased array flaw detectors, namely – a possibility to control the focusing depth – are lost while testing of large scale objects. Sector scanning technique with the phased array flaw detectors OmniScan and Isonic 2010 in the minimum configuration was used for the research. In the all cases acoustical images of the following reflectors were obtained within the range of selected angles: saw-cuts in axles, spot-drillings and saw-cuts in wheels, side drilled holes and natural defects in solebars. The Multi Group software (Isonic 2000) at testing of wheel set axles has enabled the testing schemes to be realized with one prism and one phased array instead of several classical piezoelectric transducers. Circumferential testing of all-rolled wheels from internal lateral surface under the roll surface level has allowed transverse cracks and flange embedded defects to be detected. Solebar testing has been more complicated because of a form and irregularity of scanning surface, necessity of its cleaning and a complex profile of back surface. Nevertheless the usage of phased array flaw detectors has made it possible to identify the back surface profile. Application of phased arrays substantially increases testing efficiency and improves visibility of obtained results.
Keywords:
ultrasonic flaw detector, phased array, nondestructive testing, railway transport units, axle, wheel, solebar
ultrasonic flaw detector, phased array, nondestructive testing, railway transport units, axle, wheel, solebar
1. Introduction to phased array ultrasonic technology applications: R/D Tech Guideline. Quebec (Canada), R/D Tech Inc., 2004, 348 pp.
2. Shcherbinskii V. G. Tekhnologiya ul´trazvukovogo kontrolya svarnykh soedineniy [Technology of welded joints ultrasound testing]. St. Petersburg, SVEN Publ., 2014, 500 p. (in Russ.).
3. Prokhorenko A. A. V mire NK [NDT World]. 2014, no. 3, pp. 56-58 (in Russ.).
4. Dymkin G. Ya., Tsomuk S. R. V mire NK [NDT World]. 2014, no. 1, pp. 78-80 (in Russ.).
