NDE

In-situ fatigue monitoring procedure using nonlinear ultrasonic surface waves considering the nonlinear effects in the measurement system

Second harmonic generation using nonlinear ultrasonic waves have been shown to be an early indicator of possible fatigue damage in nuclear power plant components. This technique relies on measuring amplitudes, making it highly susceptible to …

Ultrasound Modeling and Simulation: Status Update

The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is conducting confirmatory research for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission for establishing standard methods of modeling and simulation to assess the effectiveness and reliability of ultrasonic …

Validation of Ultrasound NDE Simulation Models

Supporting regulatory guides for the nuclear power plant industry in relation to using ultrasound computational models for non-destructive inspection.

Challenges and Solutions in SHM for Nuclear Power Environments

As the nation’s nuclear fleet looks to life extension, advanced reactor (AdvRx) concepts are being considered as alternatives that may help meet anticipated energy needs. AdvRx concepts include small modular reactors (SMRs) where the electrical …

On the usage of ultrasound computational models for decision making under ambiguity

Computer modeling and simulation is becoming pervasive within the non-destructive evaluation (NDE) industry as a convenient tool for designing and assessing inspection techniques. This raises a pressing need for developing quantitative techniques for …

Preliminary design of high temperature ultrasonic transducers for liquid sodium environments

Advanced reactor concepts include fast reactors (including sodium-cooled fast reactors), gas-cooled reactors, and molten-salt reactors. Common to these concepts is a higher operating temperature (when compared to light-water-cooled reactors), and the …

Validation of Ultrasonic Nondestructive Examination (NDE) Computational Models – Phase 1

The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is conducting confirmatory research for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission for the validation of computational models for ultrasonic testing (UT). The purpose of this research is to determine if UT …

Detecting Water in Dry Storage Canisters for Used Fuel

As the United States transitions to storing used fuel from commercial nuclear reactors in interim dry storage facilities for extended periods, utilities must be prepared to technically justify the viability of extended storage to the regulating …

Machine Learning and Statistical Signal Processing for Guided Wave Structural Health Monitoring

Building statistical methods to assess damage detection reliability and machine learning models for damage detection

Experimental Design for Evaluating Selected Nondestructive Measurement Technologies

The harsh environments in advanced reactors (AdvRx) increase the possibility of degradation of safety-critical passive components, and therefore pose a particular challenge for deployment and extended operation of these concepts. Nondestructive …