Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: This research focuses on ultrasonic inspection of large-thickness forgings (100–300 mm) used in power generation applications. Conventional manual ultrasonic testing (UT) following ASTM A388 and EN 10228-3 increasingly struggles to detect small defect sizes (0.5–1 mm FBH-equivalent) due to microstructure-driven scattering, acoustic attenuation and hardware limitations. The research evaluates the performance of pulse-echo straight-beam longitudinal-wave UT using Probability of Detection (PoD) curves and compares conventional techniques (manual and immersion) with advanced approaches including, for example, phased array (PAUT) and Total Focusing Method (TFM) or SAFT. The study includes characterization of acoustic behavior of F22 steel grade and 718 nickel superalloy and numerical modelling via Model-Assisted Probability of Detection (MAPoD) techniques. The outcome provides a quantitative framework for selecting UT methods aligned with operational requirements.
DOI: 10.58286/33011
Institution: Politecnico di Milano
Language: English
Subfield: Mechanics of Materials
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7167202829