Circular arrays

Application

Internal tube inspection

Principle

The circular active part with radial radiation allows 360° scanning of the inner wall of the tube, without mechanical rotation.
The radiating part can be cone-shaped to give the beam a non-zero angle of incidence.

Specifications

The design of this type of probe must integrate the different constraints linked to the application in a very interdependent way:

  • The geometry of the tubes to be inspected: the diameter, lengths, curvature, regularity of the geometry, defects to be detected and sizing
  • The method of centring the probe and of traction in the tube
  • The performance expected: the axial and lateral resolution and the inspection speed
  • The environmental constraints: the temperature pressure, radiation, pressure, coupling liquid, etc;
  • The cable length required.

In general, this type of probe requires several design stages in order to validate the different points above.
For this reason, we do not propose a standard configuration, or even general characteristics, but we do recommend the preliminary drawing up of a set of specifications integrating the above specifications.

Do not hesitate to contact us for further information on this type of product, in particular to assess the relevance of using it for your application.

Papers

  • Circular phased array probes for inspection of Superphoenix steam generator tubes
    J Poguet, G Fleury – IMASONIC S.A. / O Burat & G Moreau – FRAMATOME ,
    EPRI Phased Array inspection seminar, September 1998, Portland, Main, USA
    Download paper (pdf)