Erosion/corrosion data handling for reliable NDE

Abstract

Ruptures in wet-steam and single-phase water lines at fossil and nuclear plants due to erosion/corrosion of of the inside surface have resulted in comprehensive measurement of wall thickness of components prone to failure. The large number of components to be inspected as well as the required resolution to make that inspection require effective management of the large amounts of ultrasonic testing data. Recognizing this need, Northern States Power (NSP) Company initiated compilation and organization of a database which contained inspection history, component type and history, flow conditions in the component along with detailed wall thickness measurements. The database was organized using a commercially available personal computer (PC)-based database management software package. This paper discusses the background of erosion/corrosion (E/C) damage at U.S. utilities; the industry response; NDE approaches to wall thinning examination; and practical techniques used to analyze wall thickness data from components and compare data between inspection intervals. The data were compiled from nuclear and fossil units.