IMPROVING ULTRASONIC INSPECTION RELIABILITY.

THE WORK REPORTED HERE CONCENTRATES ON IMPROVING THE RELIABILITY AND REPRODUCIBILITY OF UT INSPECTIONS THROUGH THREE DIFFERENT APPROACHES. FIRST, THE COUPLANT LAYER INFLUENCES THEULTRASONIC RESPONSE OF REFLECTORS BY MODIFYING THE ENERGY TRANSMITTED THROUGH IT. DATA ARE PROVIDED TO ILLUSTRATE THESEEFFECTS, AND AN ALGORITHM TO GUARANTEE ADEQUATE COUPLING ISDEVELOPED. SECOND, A SPECIFICATION TO DIGITIZE UT SIGNALS WILL PROVIDE A STANDARD TO PERMIT AN EXPEDITIOUS EXCHANGE OF DATA BETWEEN EPRI RESEARCHERS. THIRD, METHODS ARE DISCUSSED FOR CHARACTERIZING UT EQUIPMENT SO THAT OPTIMIZED ULTRASONICSYSTEMS CAN BE ASSEMBLED AND SO THAT SUBSYSTEMS CAN BE SCREENED TO ASSURE INTERCHANGEABILITY.