Theoretical models of ultrasonic inspection and their validation

In response to the perception of demands by the public for higher than ever standards of safety, the nuclear industry in Britain embarked on an extensive program of nuclear safety research in support of the safety case for the new Sizewell B pressurized water reactor, which is now approaching completion. A suite of diverse computer models, of various aspects of ultrasonic inspection, is described, ranging from transducer design to ray-tracing in anisotropic stainless steel weldments or complex geometries. These provide aids to inspection design, verification, validation and data analysis, but the models must also be validated