FEM comparisons between RF-ECT signals in quasi-static or
transient and linear or nonlinear regimes: ECT probe speed effect for
in-service inspection of magnetic SG tubes in FBR
Issue title: Selected Papers from the 15th International
Symposium on Applied Electromagnetics and Mechanics (ISEM 2011)
Affiliations: [a] Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Fast Breeder Reactor Plant
Engineering Research Center, Fukui-ken, Japan
Correspondence:
[*]
Corresponding author: Ovidiu Mihalache, Japan atomic energy
agency, fast breeder reactor plant engineering research center 1 Shiraki,
Tsuruga-shi, Fukui-ken, 919-1279, Japan. Tel.: +81 770 39 1031; Fax: +81 770 39
9228; E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract: Two-dimensional axis-symmetric finite element method (FEM)
simulations are conducted to study remote field eddy current testing (RF-ECT)
in ferromagnetic steam generator (SG) tubes for fast breeder reactors (FBR).
The present work investigates a combination of quasi-static and transient
analysis with both linear and non-linear material properties. Two FEM codes are
employed: a commercial one based on COMSOL and a 2D-FEM code developed
in-house. Both codes are used to evaluate the influence of the speed of the ECT
probe during in-service inspection of SG tubes at a low excitation frequency.
As a result, the maximum error in SG tube defect detection when using the
classical linear and quasi-static approximations is obtained.
Keywords: Steam generator, fast breeder reactor, remote-field eddy current, non-linear, ferromagnetic, time transient, speed effect, finite element
