Question

Advantages, disadvantages and typical applications for the Acoustic Emission Testing.

Answer 1

Advantages:

1. High sensitivity: It has very high sensitive sensors for detection of cracks or defects that is it uses highly sensible sensors.

2. Cost reduction: It even tests the system under dynamic condition and by doing so it helps in determine defects in the system without stopping the system. Hence it saves the time implies saves the money.

3. In welding many cracks develop due to many pollutants entering on the surface and early detection of such cracks in the processes like welding and also helps in detection of cracks if any present

4. Helps in minimising plant downtime that is no need to scan whole surface during inspection. Just if we scan anywhere on the surface is sufficient.

5. Helps in monitoring the time.

Applications:

1. Weld monitoring: during weldibg temperature changes release stresses between weld and base metal. These stresses are released by heat treating the weld.

2. Bridges contain many welds, connections and many load factors and also environmental factors influence bridge failure. All these are taken care by acoustic emission testing.

3. Many aerospace structures are complex in shape. All these carry low loads. So Acoustic testing is used in aeroplane applications.

4. Used in leakage tests like tank bottoms, large pressure vessels , engine cylinders, large pipe line systems etc

5. Suppose a component is failing and it helps in identifying the behaviour of failure, breakdown mechanisms and material properties etc.

Disadvantages:

1. Instead of supplying energy to the Object under examination AE simply listens for the energy released by the object.

2. Detection of crack, processing of Acoustic signal and displaying signal takes time.

3. It doesn’t help in determining the shape and size of the defect. Only helps in location of defect.