Electromagnetic tensor imaging for in-process welding inspection

焊接是当今制造业中最常用的制造技术之一。特别是，核工业中使用铁素体和奥氏体钢制造的重型船舶依赖于高质量的接缝和接头焊接，以确保部件的完整性和安全性。焊接过程中无损检测和评估（NDT/E）技术的发展对于支撑此类部件的安全性至关重要，同时也显著提高了核制造生产率。目前，为了最大限度地减少焊缝和接头返工的需要，在专用的无损检测/电子检测设备中使用昂贵、耗时和潜在危险的中期射线照相技术。在转移到专用的NDT/E舱之前，制造中期检查需要允许焊接组件冷却，通常长达4小时。过程中的焊接检测能够提供缺陷或异常的实时指示，允许立即进一步调查，并在必要时采取纠正措施。这将对设备运行效率产生积极影响，避免在后期采取昂贵的补救措施，从而降低总体测试和返工成本，提高生产率。目前，还没有这样的商业技术。在这个项目中提出的工具如果成功，将在这一领域做出一步改变，并将对英国制造商的重型核船舶的生产力及其在全球市场上的竞争力产生重大影响。

Welding is one of the most commonly practiced fabrication techniques within manufacturing today. In particular, the manufacture of heavy 5 vessels such as in the nuclear industry from ferritic and austenitic steels is dependent on high quality welding of seams and joints to ensure component integrity and safety.The development of in-process welding Non-Destructive Testing and Evaluation (NDT/E) technologies is vital to underpin the safety of such components, but also provide a significant improvement in nuclear manufacturing productivity. Currently, in order to minimise the need for rework of the welded seams and joints, costly, time-consuming, and potentially hazardous mid-manufacture radiography in a dedicated NDT/E bay is used for NDT/E. Mid-manufacture inspection suffers from the need to allow the welded components to cool down, typically up to 4 hours, before transferring to a dedicated NDT/E bay.In-process weld inspection would be able to provide real time indication of defects or abnormalities with the weld permitting immediate further investigation and if necessary corrective actions to be taken. This would have positive impact on facility operation efficiency, avoid costly remedy actions at a later stage, and consequently deliver a reduction in overall testing & rework costs and increased productivity. Currently, there are no such commercial techniques available.The instrument proposed in this project if successful would make a step change in this area andwould have significant impact on the UK manufacturers' productivity for heavy nuclear vessels and their competiveness in the global market.