Project EU 1161

(ANNOUNCED)

EUREKA PROJECT

PART I : PROJECT INFORMATION

1. Project title

	STRESSMODEL	AN INTEGRATED TESTING SYSTEM FOR NON-DESTRUCTIVE DIAGNOSIS
	OF MICROSTRUCTURE AND RESIDUAL STRESSES

2. Project description or technological area of interest

	A proposal to develop an integrated non-destructive testing	for diagnosis systems, for assessment of microstructural	and residual stress states of manufactured products and	in-service industrial (power plant) components.		Industrial components and products undergo changes during	service in their material characteristics, viz.	composition, micro-structure and residual stresses.  Such	changes are limited in the case of composition and can be	significant in the other two.  The performance and life of	such components will be seriously affected by these	changes.  To name a few examples, creep damage in boiler	tubes operating at elevated temperatures is caused by	microstructural changes and fatigue damage in rotating	components are caused by residual stresses.		Though the importance of changes in the material	characteristics on the performance and functional	properties are well-recognised and even understood, the	means to monitor them in service are limited.		In many cases, destructive techniques are the only	solution.  It is in this context that the non-destructive	evaluation (NDE) of microstructure and residual stresses in	operating components, assumes its necessity and importance.	Considerable research is in progress to develop such	techniques.		A number of different NDE techniques based on ultrasonic,	magnetic and X-ray or neutron diffraction principles have	demonstrated their suitability for assessment of residual	stresses.  However, each technique has its own advantages	and limitations.  In spite of a higher speed and greater	flexibility of measurements, use of both ultrasonic and	magnetic methods is limited due to the strong impact of	the microstructural effects on the stress measurements.		When suitable means can be found to separate and quantify	the individual contributions of microstructure and	stresses, both techniques can offer much more attractive	and wider industrial applications.  When an integrated	system is developed which incorporates the most reliable	aspects of each of the techniques, a powerful inspection	and condition-monitoring tool will emerge.		The system to be developed could be used for other	purposes, e.g. pipe/tube wall thickness, oxide (magnetite)	layer thickness and hardness measurements which are	important in assessing the rate of the critical components	in power plant boilers.  These applications could also be	extended to other industrial sectors, e.g. petrochemical,	paper and pulp, fertiliser and oil gas industries.		Development of an integrated system will improve the	inspection and condition monitoring capabilities, reduce	replacement costs, reduce risk of a catastrophe occurring	and enhance plant availability.  This is to be achieved	through a successful completion of the following RTD tasks:		1) Development of ultrasonic techniques based on contacting	   (piezo-electric) transducers;		2) Development of ultrasonic techniques employing	   non-contacting Electro-Magnetic Acoustic Transducers	   (EMAT);		3) Development of magnetic techniques based on Barkhausen	   Noise (BN) analysis;		4) Development of a Knowledge-Based System (KBS);		5) Development of an integrated testing and diagnosis	   system incorporating developments 1 to 4;		6) Calibration experiments on a variety of materials and	   components with well established characteristics,	   cross-checks with other techniques such as X-ray	   diffraction, metallography, etc.;		7) Industrial field-testing and validation of the developed	   techniques and methods;		8) Drawing up of specifications and diagnostic procedures	   for the developed integrated system and for the	   envisaged power plant (and eventually other)	   applications.

3. Participants

	Main :	PORTUGAL		- INSTITUTO DE SOLDADURA E QUALIDADE		  INVESTIGACAO E DESENVOLVIMENTO/DIVISAO ENGENHARIA SISTEMAS
	Partners :	PORTUGAL		- ABB-MAGUE - ENERGIA E AMBIENTE S.A.		- PROET - PROJECTOS, ENGENHARIA E TECNOLOGIA S.A.	SPAIN		- FELGUERA CALDERERIA PERSADA S.A.		- FELGUERA MONTAJES Y MANTENIMIENTO S.A.	THE NETHERLANDS		- METSEARCH B.V.
4. Main contact
	INSTITUTO DE SOLDADURA E QUALIDADE	INVESTIGACAO E DESENVOLVIMENTO/DIVISAO ENGENHARIA SISTEMAS		ENG. EDUARDO DIAS LOPES		Dept. : R & D		Funct.: DIRECTOR R & D		Addr. : CABANAS-LEIAO (TAGUSPARK) ESTRADA NACIONAL 249, KM 3		        APARTADO 119		        2781 OEIRAS		        PORTUGAL		Tel   : +351 1 914 9107		Fax   : +351 1 913 7618		Telex : 13 41 15 INSOLD P
5. Estimated costs
	Total project cost : 3.00 MECU
6. Timescale
	Start date : JAN 1996	End date   : JAN 1999	Duration   : 36 months	IMPLEMENTATION PHASE : JAN 1996 - JAN 1999 36 months
7. Technological developments envisaged
	The major objectives of this project are to develop, test
	and validate an integrated NDE system incorporating
	magnetic and ultrasonic principles, for simultaneous
	assessment of microstructure and residual stresses in
	industrial products and components.
	
	The currently available
	(i)   magnetic methods based on Barkhausen Noise and
	incremental permeability, and
	(ii)  ultrasonic methods based on Time-Of-Flight
	measurements employing both contacting-type piezo-electric
	transducers and non-contacting type EMATs,
	are capable of evaluating the residual stresses when the
	microstructural effects are uniform and low.  The results
	become highly unreliable if the product has both
	microstructural and stress variations.  Measured signals
	from these techniques are due to contributions from both,
	and the means to quantify the individual contributions are
	not yet available.  This research aims at developing a
	method and the means to achieve this.
	
	Each of these techniques are better suited for certain
	conditions or materials, and some of the electronics and
	the signal-processing are similar.  Ultrasonic techniques
	using piezo-electric dual transducers can be applied
	(i)   on both metallic and non-metallic materials
	(ii)  on curved surfaces
	(iii) to determine depth stress profiles, and
	(iv)  to assess defects like catitation porosity, when
	      stress effects are minimal.
	
	Ultrasonic techniques based on EMATs, are
	(i)   suitable for ferromagnetic materials only
	(ii)  can be applied for non-contacting applications at
	      ambient and moderate elevated temperature (e.g.
	      measurements on moving steel strips in cold rolling
	      mills)
	(iii) capable of generating both surface and bulk waves,
	      and
	(iv)  can be applied for either microstructure (e.g.  creep
	      damage) or residual stress measurements, when the
	      contribution from the other is constant or minimal.
	
	Both these techniques require similar electronics (pulser,
	receiver, signal sampling/conditioning/storage) and signal
	analysis (Fourier, cross spectrum, cross correlation)
	procedures, though the type of wave, the frequency ranges
	and methods of signal conditioning and comparisons used,
	may be different.
	
	Magnetic methods are suitable
	(i)   for ferromagnetic materials only
	(ii)  for assessment of hardness, depth of hardening,
	      microstructure variations in complex shaped products
	      and
	(iii) for stress measurements when the microstructure is
	      homogeneous.
	This technique is extremely sensitive to microstructural
	variations as compared to stress variations.  Some of the
	electronics used (magnetising and analysing coil circuits),
	are similar to those used with EMATs, though the designed
	field strengths and frequencies are different.
	
	In this project we aim to develop a system incorporating
	the salient features of the different techniques (both in
	terms of electronics, signal processing and analysing).
	All these techniques require extensive calibrations on
	different materials with varying microstructural and stress
	conditions, before the measured signals can be interpreted
	in terms of microstructure and residual stress variations.
	
	To achieve this, a Knowledge Based System (KBS) will be
	developed within the integrated system.  Different types of
	transducers and mathematical models needed for the
	different principles, will also be developed.  The
	developed system will be tested both in laboratory and
	industrial/plant conditions.  Necessary specifications will
	be drawn up for testing, data analysis and interpretation
	purposes of the developed system.
8. Relationship to other European technological co-operation programmes
	NON
		Unknown relationship
9. Financial or other contribution of each participant to the project
	THE NETHERLANDS      : 30 %	   - METSEARCH B.V.	     (i) develop modules related to magnetic technique based on	     Barkhausen Noise/incremental permeability (ii)calibration	     experiments using X-rays, neutrons, magnetic methods (iii)	     assist in system design;carry out modelling/transducer work.	PORTUGAL             : 50 %	   - ABB-MAGUE - ENERGIA E AMBIENTE S.A.	     Will be involved in providing as many manufactured power	     plant components and fabrication details as are needed in	     the detailed calibration experiments and in in-plant testing	     of the developed system.	   - INSTITUTO DE SOLDADURA E QUALIDADE	     INVESTIGACAO E DESENVOLVIMENTO/DIVISAO ENGENHARIA SISTEMAS	     Involved in (i) developments of the KBS/interfaces needed	     for the integrated system (ii) some calibration experiments	     involving hole drilling ultrasonics/X-rays (iii)  modelling	     activities;responsible for assembling the integrated system.	   - PROET - PROJECTOS, ENGENHARIA E TECNOLOGIA S.A.	     Will be involved in supplying representative in service	     damaged/undamaged components needed for the project and will	     assist in the in-plant testing and validation of the system	     to be developed in this project.	SPAIN                : 20 %	   - FELGUERA CALDERERIA PERSADA S.A.	     Study of ageing problems affecting materials because of	     pressure & teperature. Validation by means of tests of the	     techniques & methods being studied, as well as ensurance	     of applicable test specifications and procedures.	   - FELGUERA MONTAJES Y MANTENIMIENTO S.A.	     Formerly "DF DIVISION DE MONTAJES" which heads the services	     of GRUPO DURO FELGUERA.
10. Relevant qualifications of participants
	ABB-MAGUE - ENERGIA E AMBIENTE S.A.		Designs, manufactures and erects/commissions power		generation equipment such as boilers, turbo-generators,		etc. and has long standing expertise.	FELGUERA CALDERERIA PERSADA S.A.		This is a company specialized in fabricating capital goods,		especially in the design and fabrication of pressure		vessels.	FELGUERA MONTAJES Y MANTENIMIENTO S.A.		A general contracting company specialising in work		involving the highest level of requirements.  It offers its		services in the fields of mechanical and electrical		industrial construction, maintenance of industrial plants		and the operation and computerisation of maintenance		management.		The company has a wide range of cranes and lifting		equipment, as well as the most recent heat treatment		equipment, non-destructive testing, preventive and		predictive maintenance, fitting, aligning, measuring, etc.	INSTITUTO DE SOLDADURA E QUALIDADE	INVESTIGACAO E DESENVOLVIMENTO/DIVISAO ENGENHARIA SISTEMAS		Research institute whose main business interests include		advanced materials testing and characterisation, different		conventional and advanced joining techniques, NDE, quality		control, robotics, automation, instrumentation for process		control, process modelling and industrial troubleshooting.	METSEARCH B.V.		Has expertise in the fields of materials testing/		characterisation and NDE of microstructure/residual		stresses using different techniques.  It uses the different		techniques for troubleshooting and performs on-site		inspections/investigations for clients.	PROET - PROJECTOS, ENGENHARIA E TECNOLOGIA S.A.		The Portuguese Electrical Utility whose main business is to		design, build and operate power plants and the generation,		supply and distribution of electricity to consumers.
11. Status of agreement between participants
	All the indicated participants have committed in principle	to join and contribute to this research proposal.  A formal	agreement will be drawn up at a later stage, after EUREKA	status has been granted.
PART II : ADDITIONAL MEASURES REQUESTED
12. Additional measures requested
	NO SUPPORTIVE MEASURES ARE REQUESTED	   - No action specified
13. Competent authorities
	NO SUPPORTIVE MEASURES ARE REQUESTED		No authority specified.
14. Authorities responsible for progress report to high level group
	NO SUPPORTIVE MEASURES ARE REQUESTED		No authority specified
PART III : OPTIONAL SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION
15. Application/market
	Although the importance of microstructure and residual	stress assessment in finished industrial products and	in-service industrial components is here recognised from	quality standardisation, safety, reliability and plant	availability (achieved through a reduction in catastrophic	failures) points of view, the means to achieve the same is	limited.  Although the knowledge and techniques exist, a	widespread application of NDE techniques for microstructure	and residual stresses has yet to emerge (whereas NDE	techniques for defects assessment are mostly used on a	routine basis and are a must in qualification of products).	This is due to lack of availability of a reliable system.		When the outcome of this research is successful and meets	envisaged industrial needs, a widespread application to	different manufacturing and processing industrial sectors	is envisaged.  However, some time may be required for the	recognition of the potential and confidence before use of	the system to be developed.		A market as good as the one that currently exists for the	NDE of defects, is envisaged.  This will give a reasonable	quantitative idea of the market both at EU and	international levels.
16. Location of development work
	- FELGUERA MONTAJES Y MANTENIMIENTO S.A.	  at GIJON - SPAIN	- INSTITUTO DE SOLDADURA E QUALIDADE	  at LISBOA, OEIRAS - PORTUGAL	- METSEARCH B.V.	  at ENSCHEDE - THE NETHERLANDS	- PROET - PROJECTOS, ENGENHARIA E TECNOLOGIA S.A.	  at LISBOA - PORTUGAL
17. Where and by whom is development to be exploited initially
	- FELGUERA MONTAJES Y MANTENIMIENTO S.A.	- INSTITUTO DE SOLDADURA E QUALIDADE	- METSEARCH B.V.	- PROET - PROJECTOS, ENGENHARIA E TECNOLOGIA S.A.	The manufacturing partners (ABB MAGUE), electrical	utilities (PROET/EDP) and the service	organisations/companies (ISQ, FELGUERA MONTAJES Y	MANTENIMIENTO, METSEARCH), can exploit the developments	almost simultaneously in their own environments.  However,	within this research framework, the initial exploitation is	envisaged within the manufacturing industries and the	electrical utilities.
18. Partners sought
	No.