Development of Radiation Resilient Ultrasonic Sensors (ReDRESS)

在核电工业中，需要测试难以接近的厚截面钢部件的焊接缺陷和可能导致压力容器/部件失效的在役腐蚀，这就要求应用高灵敏度的超声波检测(UT)技术。然而，产生超声束的换能器在放射性环境中不能很好地工作，它们的响应迅速恶化，因此它们对缺陷检测/监测几乎没有用处。该项目将研究由外来材料和各种探头组装技术制造的新型、抗辐射的超声波换能器的结构和测试。其目标是为核工业提供可靠的UT解决方案，用于长期在役检查和永久监测。设想了两种情况：(A)在核反应堆附近进行高温、高辐射检查；(B)低辐射--对长期储存在定制场地的核废料容器进行检查。我们的目标是开发一系列原型超声波探头，以适应特定的在役检测需求。

The need to test difficult to access, thick section steel components for weld defects and in-service corrosion that may lead to pressure vessel/component failure in the nuclear power generation industry requires the application of high sensitivity ultrasonic testing (UT) techniques. However the transducers that generate the beams of ultrasound do not operate well in radioactive environments and their response quickly deteriorates such that they are rendered of little use for defect detection/monitoring. This project will research the construction and testing of novel, radiation resilient, ultrasonic transducers manufactured from exotic materials and a variety of probe assembly techniques. The goal is to provide the nuclear industry with a reliable UT solution for prolonged in-service inspection and permanent monitoring. Two scenarios are envisaged: (a) elevated temperature, high radiation inspection close to the nuclear reactor (b) low radiation - inspection of nuclear waste containers stored at bespoke sites over very long periods. Our objective is to develop a series of prototype ultrasonic probes designed to suit the specific in-service inspection needs.