Acoustic Emission Solutions
What is acoustic emission?
Acoustic Emission can be defined as the spontaneous release of elastic energy by a material when it undergoes deformation. It refers to sounds, in the form of acoustic and ultrasonic energy, emitted from either a process or material, which can provide further information about that process, or material.
Acoustic Emission measurement is potentially a very important technology for the future, with the recent increase in computer processing capability providing the opportunity for more sophisticated methods of data analysis.
Examples of use of Acoustic Emission testing covers a wide spectrum, from monitoring crack growth in large pressure vessels, storage tanks, and large structures such as bridges and aircraft, to studying tool wear and compositions of liquids. McWade Monitoring Systems have exclusive acoustic emission testing experience in all these fields.
McWade Monitoring Systems design and develop Acoustic Emission Sensors and Preamplifiers for the Offshore, Marine, Structural and Aerospace Industries.
Acoustic Emission Applications
Acoustic emission should be considered the ideal technique for these applications.
| Storage tank testing or monitoring | Aircraft structure testing |
| Pressure vessel testing | Nuclear power plant monitoring |
| Pig tracking during pipe work cleaning operations | Composite materials testing |
| Monitoring stresses in wooden structures | Cavitation detection |
| Monitoring stresses in concrete structures | Stress corrosion detection |
| Heat exchangers | Lifting equipment testing |
| Offshore structures | Termites or woodworm detection in buildings |
| Estimation of sand production rate in producing oil wells | |
Acoustic Emission Deployment
| The location of propagating cracks or defects | Confirmation of an active defect (defect growth) |
| Confirmation of a dormant defect (no defect growth) | Fibre breakage in composite materials |
| Stress waves produced by structural changes in stressed materials | High pressure leaks |
| Analysing conditions causing cavitation in pumps and marine applications | Optimising ‘sand free’ oil production rate to minimise sand erosion of pipe work and production equipment |
| Chemical plant and pharmaceutical process monitoring | Fatigue crack initiation |
| Determination of Crack growth rate | Hydrogen embrittlement |