Nondestructive global corrosion measurement using guided wavefield data

Beata Zima; Emil Roch

doi:10.1016/j.measurement.2024.114949

Nondestructive global corrosion measurement using guided wavefield data

Abstract

Metallic structures often face degradation, and corrosion ranks among the most prevalent forms of deterioration. Accurate quantification of corrosion is crucial, especially for structures exposed to harsh environmental conditions, such as marine vessels and offshore installations. Because the traditional measurement methods based on scanning by ultrasonic gauge are time-consuming and provide only rough information on the thickness variability, there is a need to develop new robust and accurate diagnostics methods. This paper aims to investigate the corrosion monitoring of metal plates using guided wave propagation. Guided waves propagate within the entire volume of the specimen. If it is undamaged and isotropic, the velocity in all directions is the same, and the spreading wavefront takes a circular shape. The primary assumption presented in this paper is that the potential damage caused by corrosion leads to disturbance of this symmetry. The study shows Bilateral and Rotational Corrosion Symmetry Degree (BCSD and RCSD) functions, demonstrating a consistent decrease in symmetry values with increasing degree of degradation (DoD) caused by the corrosion process. The main aim of the study was to test the possibility of corrosion monitoring by using variable number of sensors comprising the transducer network. Also, the influence of the distance between the sensors affecting the size of the monitored area on the corrosion monitoring procedure was investigated. The paper contains the results of numerical and experimental campaigns conducted for corroded plates characterized by variable DoD and monitored using nine different transducers configurations. It is the first step in developing a novel measurement procedure specially designed for the ship and offshore industry. Therefore, because of the initial stage of the study, the last part of the paper discusses the limitations and drawbacks of the presented wave symmetry-based approach.