Monitoring of the structural integrity of reactor circuit (RAKEMON): Ultrasonic inspection simulations with Civa version 8

The geometry and the material properties of the component to be inspected must always be considered when an ultrasonic test is planned. In many cases these factors can be challenging and careful examination of the case is needed to ensure reliability of the inspection. Simulation of the ultrasonic inspection using computer program can be one part of necessary work providing tools to study how the ultrasonic beam is propagating in structure and what kind of signals can be expected to be received from the reflectors in the inspection area. The well done preparation including simulation of the inspection usually decreases inspection time drastically and therefore can also decrease total inspection costs. There are also other aspects that can be improved with simulations. For example health aspect in nuclear power plants where it is essential to keep the inspection time as low as possible due to radiation exposure. The features and possibilities of Civa version 8 ultrasonic simulation program to take into account material properties and geometry of the inspection object are discussed in this article. Using examples some possibilities are shown how the inspection of a challenging nozzle geometry could be performed and which echoes are seen in the simulation results.