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Detection of Localized Damage in Water Wall Tubes of Thermal Power Plants Using GMR Sensor Array Based Magnetic Flux Leakage Technique

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Abstract

A flexible giant magneto-resistive (GMR) sensor array based magnetic flux leakage technique has been developed for nondestructive inspection of carbon steel water wall tubes (outer diameter 64.0 mm and wall thickness 6.3 mm) used in a thermal power plant. Two saddle coils are used for magnetisation of the tube and a flexible GMR sensor array is used for detection of leakage fields from localized damage in the tube. 3D-nonlinear finite element modeling has been performed to optimize the magnetizing current, inter-coil spacing of the saddle coils and location of the GMR sensor array within the saddle coils. The performance of the technique has been evaluated by measuring the axial component of leakage flux from outer diameter (OD) erosion and inner diameter (ID) corrosion type flaws artificially machined on the water wall tube. Studies reveal that the proposed technique detects both OD erosion and ID corrosion damage in the water wall tubes.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Dr. S. Thirunavukkarasu and Mr. S. Mahadevan, NDE Division, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR), Kalpakkam, India for many useful technical discussions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Non-Destructive Evaluation Division, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam, 603 102, Tamil Nadu, India

    W. Sharatchandra Singh, B. Purnachandra Rao, C. K. Mukhopadhyay & T. Jayakumar

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  1. W. Sharatchandra Singh
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  2. B. Purnachandra Rao
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  3. C. K. Mukhopadhyay
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  4. T. Jayakumar
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Correspondence to C. K. Mukhopadhyay.

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Singh, W.S., Rao, B.P., Mukhopadhyay, C.K. et al. Detection of Localized Damage in Water Wall Tubes of Thermal Power Plants Using GMR Sensor Array Based Magnetic Flux Leakage Technique. J Nondestruct Eval 34, 19 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10921-015-0295-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10921-015-0295-7

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