AE Source Location and Evaluation of Artificial Defects

The application and development of on-line monitoring technology of AE to surveillance of crack propagation will contribute to the structural integrity of reactor pressure vessel and piping system. This research has been performed in order to obtain the evaluation technology for source location of AE and the analysis for the AE signal of the welded specimen. AE is detected by 4-channels AE system during pressurization in small pressure vessels. The cracking of artificial defects can be accurately located and categorized in real time. The welded specimens have more events rate and higher amplitude than the weldless less specimens, and the events rate have a peak around the yield point and just before the failure under tensile test.