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Scientific Reports:

F. Rauscher, M Bayray:
"Weld Defect in a Pressure Vessel Investigation of Acoustic Emission during Pressure Tests and Pressure Cycling";
2005; 78 pages.



English abstract:
Abstract:
For the investigation of the acoustic emission during pressure tests, an artificial weld defect, similar to partial penetration, was introduced on an old vessel, made of carbon steel, with 15 mm wall thickness, and 800 mm diameter. The defect was introduced in the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical shell, and it was designed so that failure had been expected to occur within 10 000 full pressure cycles with a pressure range near to a specified maximum allowable pressure. For a comparison an additional weld, with no intentional defect, was introduced.

Before introducing the defect and the additional weld, the vessel was pressurised up to a pressure larger than the maximum pressure during the tests afterwards. After introducing the defect and the other weld, the testing started with a pressure test. In the next step, the vessel was pressure cycled until crack initiation was indicated. Afterwards, another pressure test was performed. Pressure cycling and pressure tests were repeated until the sixth pressure test at which the vessel failed due to leakage. During all the pressure tests and cycling testing, acoustic emissions were acquired.

This report describes the setup and the test procedure, outlines the results of fractographic, metallographic, and radiographic testing, and shows some simple analysis of the acquired acoustic emission data.

Created from the Publication Database of the Vienna University of Technology.