TULA TECHNIQUE

INNOVATION TO SOLUTION
™

Tim Armitt: Lavender International

David Miller: Lavender International

Innovation, Application, Validation & Solution

tim@lavender-ndt.com
The Complete NDT Inspection Support Organisation

1 © 2018 Lavender International NDT USA, LLC. All rights reserved

TULA INSPIRATION
• TOFD found to be most
reliable at detecting early
stage HTHA

• Conventional TOFD approach

extremely useful on welds

• Conventional TOFD limited by

large PCS values on thick
material

• Lateral wave dead zone

another limitation

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INNOVATION

• Innovative solution needed

• TULA™: TOFD Ultra Low Angle
• TULA™ originally developed by
carving up standard TOFD wedges to
produce extremely low refracted
angles
• Prototypes were developed in
partnership with GB Inspection
Systems Ltd.
• TULA™ series made including a new
angle beam series to be launched
later this year. TULA™ patent pending all rights reserved

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VALIDATION

Blind Flange Section

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BLIND FLANGE TULA™ : SAMPLE Z1

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BLIND FLANGE SUMMARY: SAMPLE Z1

Velocity Ratio No HTHA

Attenuation Indicative of HTHA
Spectral Frequency Indicative of HTHA
AUBT Indicative of HTHA
PAUT Indicative of HTHA
TOFD Indicative of HTHA
TFM Indicative of HTHA
TULA Indicative of HTHA
Metallography: Colony of HTHA

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BLIND FLANGE SAMPLE Z1: METALLOGRAPHY

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ASSESSMENT OF PARENT PLATE: TULA™ C

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JIP PHASE 1 SAMPLE W: TULA™ C

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ASSESSMENT OF PARENT PLATE: SUMMARY

Velocity Ratio Indicative of HTHA

Attenuation Indicative of HTHA
Spectral Frequency Indicative of HTHA
AUBT Indicative of HTHA
PAUT Isolated indications
TOFD Localised inclusions
TFM Isolated indications
TULA Localised inclusions
Metallography: Not HTHA
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ASSESSMENT OF PARENT PLATE: METALLOGRAPHY

Original steelmaking inclusions

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HYDROGEN INDUCED COLD CRACKING: HICC

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HICC: TULA™ C IMAGE

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TUBE PLATE SAMPLE: TULA™ A

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TUBE PLATE SAMPLE: TULA™ A IMAGES

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TUBE PLATE SAMPLE: SUMMARY

Velocity Ratio  Isolated points of HTHA

Attenuation  Indicative of HTHA
Spectral Frequency  Indicative of HTHA
AUBT  Indicative of HTHA
PAUT  Indicative of HTHA
TOFD  Indicative of HTHA
TULA  Indicative of HTHA

Metallography: Colony of HTHA

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TUBE PLATE SAMPLE: MICRO VALIDATING NDE

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HEAT EXCHANGER SKID BAR ATTACHMENT WELD TO SHELL HAZ

Crack top tips visible full length of can 3

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HEAT EXCHANGER SKID BAR: TULA™ B

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HEAT EXCHANGER SKID BAR HTHA CRACKING

Tip of 3mm HTHA crack Colony of micro cracks

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HEAT EXCHANGER SKID BAR ATTACHMENT WELD TO SHELL HAZ

NDT validated by metallography

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CHANNEL SECTION: TULA™ A (OD) & C (ID)

Sample removed for sectioning

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SURFACE / BULK DECARBURIZATION
• Complete decarburization (left)
• Partial decarb (right)

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REDUCED TOUGHNESS DUE TO HTHA
Charpy samples fail outside
notch
Samples have failed at only
2 Joules
Decarburization and voiding
attributed to these sobering low
impact results
(4 C)
Early stages of voiding and
decarb are not detectable with
NDE
Bulk decarb and extensive
voiding has been detected by
NDE
NDE has been proven to detect
(65 C)
small colonies of microcracks

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OD NOZZLE SECTION: TULA™ A (OD)

HTHA detected
using 10MHz
TULA probe,
infinity focus,
imaging very fine
damage

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ID NOZZLE SECTION: TULA™ C (ID)

HTHA detected
best from ID
using focussed
TULA probe

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VALIDATION OF TULA™ INDICATIONS

Small manganese sulphide inclusions surrounded by incipient HTHA damage

(methane voids)

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SEM RESULTS

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SUMMARY

• TULA™ approach has been proven to a very

simple but highly sensitive means of
detecting HTHA
• TULA™ scan speed far exceeds PAUT & TFM
• TULA™ probes with specific focal depths
are required to optimise detection
throughout a range of thickness
• TULA concept has also been applied to
angle beam probes for the purpose of
detecting HTHA in weld HAZ regions
• Operator training is essential for choice of
parameters, equipment set-up and reliable
data analysis
• HTHA training courses are available and
proven to be a great success

29 © 2018 Lavender International NDT USA, LLC. All rights reserved

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Innovation, design and solutions:
Lavender International NDT Ltd.
+44-1226-765-769

Probe design and build:

TULA™ patent pending all rights reserved GB Inspection Systems
+44 121-351-5025

Scanner design and build:

Jireh Industries Houston
+1-832-564-0626

JIP Manager & Materials Experts

Equity Engineering Inc
Mike Nugent +1-201-446-6693

30 © 2018 Lavender International NDT USA, LLC. All rights reserved

 QUESTIONS?

Innovation, Application, Validation & Solution

The Complete NDT Inspection Support Organisation
tim@lavender-ndt.com

31 © 2018 Lavender International NDT USA, LLC. All rights reserved