A Bayesian Quantitative Nondestructive Evaluation (QNDE) Approach to Estimating Remaining Life of Aging Pressure Vessels and Piping

Published

January 1, 2013

Author(s)

Jeffrey T. Fong, William F. Guthrie, James J. Filliben, Nathanael A. Heckert

Abstract

In this paper, we use a Bayesian quantitative nondestructive evaluation (QNDE) approach to estimating the remaining life of aging structures and components. Our approach depends on in-situ NDE measurements of detectable crack lengths and crack growth rates in a multi-crack region of an aging component as a basis for estimating the mean and standard deviation of its remaining life. We introduce a general theory of crack growth involving multiple cracks such that the mean and standard deviation of the initial crack lengths can be directly estimated from NDE-measured crack length data over a period of several inspection intervals. A numerical example using synthetic NDE data for high strength steels is presented to illustrate this new methodology.

Proceedings Title

AIP Proceedings of 39th Annual Review of Progress in QNDE

Volume

1511

Issue

1

Conference Dates

July 15-20, 2012

Conference Location

Denver, CO

Pub Type

Conferences

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DOI Link

Keywords

Computational methods in continuum mechanics, cracks detection, eddy-current testing, failure materials, fatigue structural failure of materials, materials testing and analysis, mechanical properties of solids, mechanical testing, metals and alloys, Monte Carlo methods in probability theory and statistics, nondestructive testing of materials, nuclear reactor safety, statistics, ultrasonic testing.

Citation

Fong, J. , Guthrie, W. , Filliben, J. and Heckert, N. (2013), A Bayesian Quantitative Nondestructive Evaluation (QNDE) Approach to Estimating Remaining Life of Aging Pressure Vessels and Piping, AIP Proceedings of 39th Annual Review of Progress in QNDE , Denver, CO, [online], https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4789248 (Accessed October 6, 2024)