TPi July 2015

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38 Tube Products International July 2015
products & developments
Tubing Solutions LLC offers solutions for your tubing needs.
Thin wall tubing is available in a variety of alloys to meet
your specific applications. Stainless steel alloy, nickel alloys,
copper alloys and other alloys.
We can achieve tube walls thickness 0.0025” with as tight
tolerance as ±.0003”. We also can do telescope tubes as
many layers as you like. That is Tubing Solutions’ dedication
to PRECISION.
881 Dunbar Ave, Oldsmar, Florida 34677, USA
Jerry Wang - Cell: +1 813-298-6667
Email:
MADE IN CHINA
0.004" wall
thickness
telescope tubes
One end blind
thin wall tubes
One end blind
bellows
Bellows
Flight and nuclear safety
boosted by sound research
A system for using sound waves to
spot potentially dangerous cracks in
pipes, aircraft engines and nuclear
power plants has been developed by an
academic at University of Strathclyde,
UK.
A study found that transmitting different
types of sound waves can help to
detect structural defects more easily.
This is achieved by varying the duration
and frequency of the waves and using
the results to recreate an image of the
component’s interior.
The system is a model for a form of
non-destructive testing that uses high-
frequency mechanical waves to inspect
structure parts and ensure they operate
reliably, without compromising their
integrity. It will be developed further and
could potentially also have applications
in medical imaging and seismology.
Katherine Tant, a research associate
with Strathclyde’s Department of
Mathematics and Statistics who led the
study, said, “Welds are vitally important
in ‘safety critical’ structures, like nuclear
power plants, aeroplane engines and
pipelines, where flaws can put lives at
risk. However, as with any type of bond,
they constitute the weak part of the
structure.
“One particular type of weld, made of
austenitic steel, is notoriously difficult
to inspect. We were able to devise
solutions involving the use of ‘chirps’ –
coded signals with multiple frequencies
which vary in time. The type of flaw
identified depends on the method used.
An analogy would be the type of echoes
produced by clapping loudly in a cave
– a single clap may allow you to judge
the depth of the cave while a round
of applause will give rise to a range of
echoes, perhaps allowing you to locate
boulders.”
The study has been published in
the journal Proceedings of the Royal
Society A.
It was funded through the UK Research
Centre in NDE Targeted Programme by
the Engineering and Physical Sciences
Research Council, AMEC, the National
Nuclear Laboratory, Rolls-Royce, Shell
and Weidlinger.
University of Strathclyde – UK
The study was led by Katherine Tant,
a research associate at Strathclyde