A review of acoustic emission for pressurised water reactor applications

In reviewing the potential of acoustic emission testing of pressurised water reactor vessels the following applications are considered; detection of defects during pre-service and in-service hydrotest, continuous monitoring for crack growth, continuous monitoring for leakage, and fabrication weld monitoring. It is concluded that the technique can detect some of the small manufacturing defects in welds, but there is insufficient evidence to quantify the sizes or types detectable. (U.K.)