Abstract:
"An Intelligent Flaw Monitoring System: From Flaw Size Uncertainty to Fatigue Life Prediction with Confidence Bounds in 24 Hours"
To assist in the real-time, on-site monitoring and damage assessment of aging structures, this paper proposes a novel "structural soundness" monitoring system. The system operates in two phases: the Inspection Phase and the Analysis and Modeling Phase. The Inspection Phase involves a field inspection program that provides a stream of nondestructive evaluation (NDE) data, such as ultrasonics or radiography, for a specific structural component. The Analysis and Modeling Phase employs a web-based, intelligent, and multi-tasking algorithm. This algorithm converts the raw flaw size data into a new set that incorporates uncertainty. It then uses a finite-element-method (FEM)-based damage modeling algorithm to predict the remaining fatigue life for selected future loading scenarios, drawing on a customized material property database with historical data on similar components. The remaining life prediction is not presented as a single value but is delivered with a 95% confidence bounds in real time to the field for decision-making. The results are verified through a statistically designed experiment using a public-domain software package called DATAPLOT. Examples of potential applications in bridge inspection, aging piping systems, and high-temperature pressure vessels are discussed to highlight the system's significance.
