Modelling ultrasonic inspection in PISC III, Action 6: Results and overview from two participating UK companies

Part of Action 6 of PISC III (Programme of Inspection of Steel Components) was concerned with validation of mathematical models of ultrasonic inspection. In the first phase, the predictions of three models, from Nuclear Electric, AEA Technology and Kassel University, were compared with data taken in a series of carefully controlled experiments on PISC II Parametric Studies blocks. In the second phase, model predictions from CEA, EdF and Rolls-Royce and Associates were included. Other work, on diffraction of ultrasound at different geometries of defect tip, and on the response from crack-like defects very close to the scanning surface was also carried out. Work, with the aim of clarifying some of the experimental results of Action 3, on dissimilar metal welds, was proposed and remains to be done. This paper reviews the whole of Action 6 of PISC III, but concentrates on the results obtained by the authors' companies