Ultrasonic modelling to design a phased array probe for the testing of railway solid axles from the end face

摘要

The structural integrity of wheelsets used in rolling stock is of great importance to the rail industry and its customers. In the last 15 years, 33 deaths and 48 injuries have occurred in Europe alone due to train axle failures. Visual inspection, magnetic particle inspection (MPI) and conventional ultrasonic testing (UT) are the current standard inspection practices used for manual non-destructive testing (NDT) of axles. However, some of these inspection processes require removal of the wheelset from the wagon/locomotive bogie, and the partial or full disassembly of the wheelset in order to facilitate access. Phased array ultrasonic techniques can provide the required flexibility and inspection depth to make the inspection of train axles from the end face feasible without requiring full disassembly of axle and bogie. This paper presents the simulation work carried out using the CIVA ultrasonic simulation software in order to design a suitable phased array (PA) transducer capable of inspecting a variety of axle geometries. The axles have different end face diameters (110mm-160mm) and different numbers of boltholes. The PA transducer should be capable of steering and skewing the beam at the required inspection angles and provide the required focal depth. It should also account for the existence of boltholes on the axle's end face. The simulation work was validated by comparing the simulation results with experimental results.