U.S.-Romania Engineering Research on New Methods for Computing Electromagnetic Fields Generated by Transducers of Arbitrary Shapes

Michigan State University, East Lansing MI

Investigators

Abstract

This U.S.-Romanian research project between Lalita Udpa of Michigan State University and Raimond Grimberg of the Romanian National Institute of Research Development for Technical Physics will examine the effect of rotating magnetic fields in a layered cylindrical media with the goal of conducting nondestructive evaluations of cylindrical tubes and pipes in the field. Their approach has two major components: 1) development of a new nondestructive evaluation method based on the creation of a rotating magnetic field in a pipe wall under test conditions and 2) development of an analytical model for the operation based on the dyadic Green's functions in cylindrical coordinates. The US-Romanian team plans to use the resulting simulation model to solve the forward problem for different material discontinuities that are specific for both nuclear and gas transportation pipelines. Their theoretical models and signals predicted by numerical simulations will be validated by experimental measurements. Finally, an experimental system including rotating magnetic field probes and associated control instrumentation will be designed and built, then tested at the Romanian Cernadova nuclear power plant. Results are expected to lead systems and components such as a transducer, control equipment and numerical codes and algorithms, that can be combined to conduct un-invasive nondestructive evaluations capable of diagnosing conditions in many critical elements of the power and energy industrial infrastructure. This engineering research project fulfills the program objective of advancing scientific knowledge by enabling experts in the United States and Central Europe to combine complementary talents and share research resources in areas of strong mutual interest and competence. Broader impacts include the introduction of U.S. junior researchers to the international research community through work at the partner institution and direct involvement in the project's advanced modeling techniques and experimental design.