Acoustic emission weld monitoring of nuclear components

Abstract

Acoustic emission monitoring augments other nondestructive testing methods and is sometimes applicable when other tests cannot be applied. This is, in part, due to the high sensitivity of acoustic emission monitoring. Acoustic emission monitoring is only sensitive to active flaw-growth, however, and will not detect a flaw in equilibrium. This paper describes the application of acoustic emission monitoring to nuclear reactor fuel pin end closure welds and other weldments of the reactor piping.