Imaging of flange bore internal defects using phased array ultrasonic testing

The ability of phased array ultrasonic testing (PAUT) to adapt to a large range of applications has led to its prevalence within the non-destructive testing (NDT) industry. There are, however, demonstrated weaknesses in its use when inspecting non-parallel surfaces with unknown dimensions. One such example is flange bore inspection. Utilising simulation and real-world testing, this paper proposes and evaluates the use of a wide-angled sweep method, used in conjunction with compound scan imaging for flange bore inspection. It is concluded that the wide-angle sweep method is capable of determining the required parameters to allow for inspection and that compound scan imaging provides the best means of visualisation for defect detection and sizing.