Stress evaluation method and apparatus therefor

Claim 2

A stress evaluation method comprising the steps of: propagating a longitudinal wave in a thickness direction at a non-loaded portion of a test piece to be tested; measuring a propagation time of the longitudinal wave in the test piece at the non-loaded portion upon reception of a reflection wave reflected in the thickness direction from a bottom surface of the test piece at the non-loaded portion; propagating a longitudinal wave and a shear wave in a thickness direction at a loaded portion of the test piece; measuring a respective propagation time of said longitudinal wave and said shear wave in said test piece at the loaded portion upon reception of a respective reflection wave reflected in the thickness direction from a bottom surface of said test piece at the loaded portion; calculating a thickness at said loaded portion using a longitudinal wave acoustic velocity at the non-loaded portion which is obtained from a ratio between a thickness at the non-loaded portion and the propagation time of the longitudinal wave at the non-loaded portion; calculating a shear wave acoustic velocity based on a relationship between said thickness at the loaded portion and said propagation time of said shear wave at said loaded portion; and evaluating a magnitude of an internal average stress in said thickness direction acting in said loaded portion based on said shear wave acoustic velocity and a predetermined relationship between shear wave acoustic velocities and corresponding stresses.

Claim 3

A stress evaluation method comprising the steps of: assuming a hypothetical stress distribution in a thickness direction of a test piece to be tested; correcting said hypothetical stress distribution in said thickness direction of said test piece such that a surface stress of said hypothetical stress distribution is corrected by a stress value in the surface layer evaluated by a stress evaluation method including the steps of changing a propagational direction of a surface wave which propagates in a surface layer of said test piece both at a non-loaded portion and a loaded portion of the test piece, measuring an acoustic velocity of said surface wave, and evaluating stress at the loaded portion of said test piece based on a difference in acoustic velocities of said surface wave between the non-loaded portion and the loaded portion of said test piece; correcting an average stress in the thickness direction of said hypothetical stress distribution by an internal average stress value evaluated by a stress evaluation method including the steps of propagating a longitudinal wave in a thickness direction at the non-loaded portion of said test piece, measuring a propagation time of the longitudinal wave in the test piece at the non-loaded portion upon reception of a reflection wave reflected in the thickness direction from a bottom surface of the test piece at the non-loaded portion, propagating a longitudinal wave and a shear wave in a thickness direction at the loaded portion of the test piece, measuring a respective propagation time of said longitudinal wave and said shear wave in said test piece at the loaded portion upon reception of a respective reflection wave reflected in the thickness direction from a bottom surface of said test piece at the loaded portion, calculating a thickness at said loaded portion using a longitudinal wave acoustic velocity at the non-loaded portion which is obtained from a ratio between a thickness at the non-loaded portion and the propagation time of the longitudinal wave at the non-loaded portion, calculating a shear wave acoustic velocity based on a relationship between said thickness at the loaded portion and said propagation time of said shear wave at said loaded portion, and evaluating a magnitude of an internal average stress in said thickness direction acting in said loaded portion based on said shear wave acoustic velocity and a predetermined relationship between shear wave acoustic velocities and corresponding stresses; and verifying a stress distribution thus obtained in the thickness direction of said test piece.

Claim 4

A stress evaluation method comprising the steps of: assuming a hypothetical stress distribution in a thickness direction of a test piece to be tested; correcting said hypothetical stress distribution in said thickness direction of said test piece such that a surface stress of said hypothetical stress distribution is corrected by a stress value in the surface layer evaluated by a stress evaluation method including the steps of changing a propagational direction of a surface wave which propagates in a surface layer of said test piece both at a non-loaded portion and a loaded portion of the test piece, measuring an acoustic velocity of said surface wave, and evaluating stress at the loaded portion of said test piece based on a difference in acoustic velocities of said surface wave between the non-loaded portion and the loaded portion of said test piece; correcting an average stress in the thickness direction of said hypothetical stress distribution by an internal average stress value evaluated by a stress evaluation method including the steps of propagating a longitudinal wave in a thickness direction at the non-loaded portion of said test piece, measuring a propagation time of the longitudinal wave in the test piece at the non-loaded portion upon reception of a reflection wave reflected in the thickness direction from a bottom surface of the test piece at the non-loaded portion, propagating a longitudinal wave and a shear wave in a thickness direction at the loaded portion of the test piece, measuring a respective propagation time of said longitudinal wave and said shear wave in said test piece at the loaded portion upon reception of a respective reflection wave reflected in the thickness direction from a bottom surface of said test piece at the loaded portion, calculating a thickness at said loaded portion using a longitudinal wave acoustic velocity at the non-loaded portion which is obtained from a ratio between a thickness at the non-loaded portion and the propagation time of the longitudinal wave at the non-loaded portion, calculating a shear wave acoustic velocity based on a relationship between said thickness at the loaded portion and said propagation time of said shear wave at said loaded portion, and evaluating a magnitude of an internal average stress in said thickness direction acting in said loaded portion based on said shear wave acoustic velocity and a predetermined relationship between shear wave acoustic velocities and corresponding stresses; and verifying a stress distribution thus obtained in the thickness direction of said test piece.

Claim 5

A diagnosis method for diagnosing a test piece to be tested comprising the steps of: evaluating stress in the test piece by means of the stress evaluation method according to claim 1 or 2 to obtain an evaluated stress value; and comparing the evaluated stress value with a predetermined allowable stress value.

Claim 6

A diagnosis method for diagnosing a test piece to be tested according to claim 3, further comprising the steps of: repeating the step of evaluating stress in the test piece if the evaluated stress value is smaller than the predetermined allowable stress value; and identifying a mode of material degradation in the test piece based on time variations of said evaluated stress value.

Claim 7

A welding procedure management method comprising the steps of: evaluating residual stress in a test piece which has been subjected to a first welding and heat treatment by the stress evaluation method according to claim 1 or 2 to obtain an evaluated residual stress value; and applying a second welding and heat treatment process to the test piece if said evaluated residual stress value is greater than a predetermined allowable residual stress value.

Claim 8

The welding procedure management method according to claim 5, wherein conditions of the second welding and heat treatment process are the same as conditions of the first welding and heat treatment process.

Claim 9

The welding procedure management method according to claim 6, further comprising the steps of: reevaluating a residual stress in the test piece which has been subjected to the second welding and heat treatment process by repeating the step of evaluating residual stress in the test piece to obtain a reevaluated residual stress value; applying to the test piece a third welding and heat treatment process having conditions which are different from the conditions of the first and second welding and heat treatment processes if said reevaluated residual stress value is greater than said predetermined allowable residual stress value; and repeating the :step of evaluating residual stress in the test piece.

Claim 10

The welding procedure management method according to claim 5, wherein conditions of the second welding and heat treatment process are different from conditions of said first welding and heat treatment process.

Claim 11

A stress evaluation apparatus comprising: acoustic wave propagation means for propagating a longitudinal wave through a test piece under inspection in a thickness direction at a non-loaded portion of said test piece, and propagating a longitudinal wave and a shear wave through the test piece in a thickness direction at a loaded portion of said test piece; receiver means for receiving each acoustic wave which has propagated through the test piece; propagation time measuring means for measuring a propagation time of the longitudinal wave in the test piece at the non-loaded portion, and measuring a respective propagation time of said longitudinal wave and said shear wave in said test piece at the loaded portion, each propagation time being obtained upon reception of a respective reflection wave reflected in the thickness direction from a bottom surface of said test piece; longitudinal wave acoustic velocity calculating means for calculating a longitudinal wave acoustic velocity at the non-loaded portion from a ratio of a thickness at the non-loaded portion and the propagation time of the longitudinal wave at the non-loaded portion; thickness calculating means for calculating a thickness at said loaded portion based on said longitudinal wave acoustic velocity; shear wave acoustic velocity calculating means for calculating a shear wave acoustic velocity of the shear wave which has propagated at the loaded portion based on said thickness at said loaded portion and the propagation time of said shear wave at said loaded portion; and evaluation means for evaluating a magnitude of an average stress acting internally at said loaded portion in said thickness direction based on said shear wave acoustic velocity and a predetermined relationship between shear wave acoustic velocities and corresponding stresses.

Claim 12

A stress evaluation apparatus comprising: acoustic wave propagation means for propagating a longitudinal wave through a test piece under inspection in a thickness direction at a non-loaded portion of said test piece, and propagating a longitudinal wave and a shear wave through the test piece in a thickness direction at a loaded portion of said test piece; receiver means for receiving each acoustic wave which has propagated through the test piece; propagation time measuring means for measuring a propagation time of the longitudinal wave in the test piece at the non-loaded portion, and measuring a respective propagation time of said longitudinal wave and said shear wave in said test piece at the loaded portion, each propagation time being obtained upon reception of a respective reflection wave reflected in the thickness direction from a bottom surface of said test piece; longitudinal wave acoustic velocity calculating means for calculating a longitudinal wave acoustic velocity at the non-loaded portion from a ratio of a thickness at the non-loaded portion and the propagation time of the longitudinal wave at the non-loaded portion; thickness calculating means for calculating a thickness at said loaded portion based on said longitudinal wave acoustic velocity; shear wave acoustic velocity calculating means for calculating a shear wave acoustic velocity of the shear wave which has propagated at the loaded portion based on said thickness at said loaded portion and the propagation time of said shear wave at said loaded portion; and evaluation means for evaluating a magnitude of an average stress acting internally at said loaded portion in said thickness direction based on said shear wave acoustic velocity and a predetermined relationship between shear wave acoustic velocities and corresponding stresses.