Inspection of complex components using 2D arrays and TFM

Inspection of welded components typical of the primary circuit pipework in nuclear power plants is essential to evaluate their integrity. The inspection surface of such components is often complex and non-planar, resulting in coupling issues for a conventional probe, with a fixed footprint. In general this instigates complex and lengthy data analysis to retrieve meaningful results. An efficient solution for inspecting such components is sought by using 2D arrays, collecting FMC and using TFM to construct the surface profile, which is then extracted and subsequently used to compose a TFM image of the component. The solution has been developed within the software platform cueART, designed to operate on GP-GPU processors, in a move towards real time imaging. The method has been used to inspect a 304n section of stainless steel with a surface representing the worst acceptable error of form expected in a practical inspection scenario. The results show the full surface of the test block can be reconstructed, as well as a range of artificial defects being accurately identified.