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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2022

What, why and when to go virtual: An international analysis of early adopters of virtual building energy codes inspections

To meet greenhouse gas reduction targets, several countries are pursuing more ambitious policies in their buildings and construction sectors, such as introducing zero net energy/carbon building codes. Countries often report not having enough qualified staff for performing building energy code inspections and many are exploring faster, easier, and more reliable methods to check the compliance of buildings with their codes. Building inspections are a critical element for ensuring code compliance and they have traditionally been performed in person. However, in-person inspections can be labor and travel intensive, costly, and prone to human error. In this paper, the authors explore how virtual inspections, particularly in light of the recent COVID-19 pandemic, have impacted processes for building code compliance checks in jurisdictions and communities around the world. Here, the authors collected data on four key parameters (time and financial savings, scope of inspections, changing practices and technological innovation, and benefits to consumers) from six jurisdictions and communities in five countries (Australia, Canada, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, and the United States) to analyze the impacts of virtual inspections on code compliance checks. The analysis found the greatest value from virtual inspections in geographically dispersed regions and for cities experiencing rapid building construction. The study also explored emerging technologies that are being piloted for virtual inspections. Although many of these technologies hold promise, more resources and capacity are needed to make them viable for use in building energy code inspections.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2011

ANNUAL RADIOACTIVE WASTE TANK INSPECTION PROGRAM 2010

Aqueous radioactive wastes from Savannah River Site (SRS) separations and vitrification processes are contained in large underground carbon steel tanks. Inspections made during 2010 to evaluate these vessels and other waste handling facilities along with evaluations based on data from previous inspections are the subject of this report. The 2010 inspection program revealed that the structural integrity and waste confinement capability of the Savannah River Site waste tanks were maintained. All inspections scheduled per SRR-LWE-2009-00138, HLW Tank Farm Inspection Plan for 2010, were completed. Ultrasonic measurements (UT) performed in 2010 met the requirements of C-ESG-00006, In-Service Inspection Program for High Level Waste Tanks, Rev. 3, and WSRC-TR-2002-00061, Rev.6. UT inspections were performed on Tanks 30, 31 and 32 and the findings are documented in SRNL-STI-2010-00533, Tank Inspection NDE Results for Fiscal Year 2010, Waste Tanks 30, 31 and 32. A total of 5824 photographs were made and 1087 visual and video inspections were performed during 2010. Ten new leaksites at Tank 5 were identified in 2010. The locations of these leaksites are documented in C-ESR-G-00003, SRS High Level Waste Tank Leaksite Information, Rev.5. Ten leaksites at Tank 5 were documented during tank wall/annulus cleaning activities. None of these new leaksites resulted in a release to the environment. The leaksites were documented during wall cleaning activities and the waste nodules associated with the leaksites were washed away. Previously documented leaksites were reactivated at Tank 12 during waste removal activities.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2015

In-situ visual inspection of the CASTOR V/21 used nuclear fuel dry storage cask: a demonstration of camera system capabilities - 15505

On June 11, 2014 the Gesellschaft fur Nuklear Service (GNS) CASTOR V/21 spent fuel dry storage cask was inspected in-situ at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC). The purpose of this inspection is to demonstrate and document the technology necessary to perform inspections of spent fuel dry storage casks. The inspection includes internal temperature measurement, internal radiation measurement, and a visual examination using a bore-scope type camera system inserted through the cask fill/drain penetration. It is concluded from this inspection that in-situ inspections of bolted lid spent fuel storage containers is possible using current camera technologies. Using 3D Phase Measurement Technology, measurements of entities such as cracks or corrosion are possible. The internal surfaces of the CASTOR V/21 cask that were inspected were free of corrosion and exhibited no evidence of degradation. One crack identified in previous inspections was examined and appeared the same as in the previous inspections. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2015

241-AY-102 Leak detection pit drain line visual inspection - 15678

In October 2012, Washington River Protection Solutions LLC (WRPS) determined that waste had leaked into the annulus of Tank 241-AY-102. WRPS conducted an extensive review of Tank AY-102 and increased both inspection and monitoring of the tank; however, the precise cause and location of the leak could not be determined. In parallel with the leak in the primary tank, the Tank AY-102 leak detection pit (LDP) was accumulating water through the drain system external to the secondary tank liner. Liquid collecting in the LDP is suspected to be from water intrusion and collects at a rate such that the LDP must be pumped routinely. Following a routine pumping event on June 20, 2013, elevated radiation dose rates were noted on the transfer hose and surface contamination readings were found on the transfer pump when it was removed from the Tank AY-102 LDP. These two field readings suggested that tank waste from a secondary liner breach could be leaking into the LDP. As a result, WRPS initiated a plan to ascertain the integrity of the secondary tank liner including a robotic inspection of the LDP. To perform the robotic visual inspection, a custom robotic crawler with a deployment device was designed, built, and operated by IHI Southwest for WRPS to inspect the 6 in (152 mm) leak detection pit drain line. To ensure success when deployed in the field, the inspection equipment was demonstrated at both the IHI facility in Denver, Colorado, and the Hanford Site using full scale piping mockups. On November 20, 2013 WRPS inspected the 6 in (152 mm) diameter drain line. The deployment device successfully attached to the drain line, and the crawler entered the drain line and traversed to within approximately 7 ft (2.1 m) of the central sump located under the center of the tank before losing traction. Crawler performance was satisfactory, and the quality of the camera image and lighting provided sufficient detail to document the current condition of the visible regions of the pipe. The inspection showed that the majority of the drain line was dry. Two wet areas were observed, a portion of the line nearest the LDP and a portion near the center of the tank. The portion nearest the LDP was under water prior to pumping on November 14, 2013. Although sediment and debris were seen during the inspection, it is believed to be construction debris and corrosion products. No material was found in the inspection that looked like tank waste or the material seen in the Tank AY-102 annulus (i.e., no greenish or yellowish deposits or dark fluids, dried salt deposits, or crystalline material). The contamination levels seen on the crawler were consistent with past values seen on LDP pumping equipment. Sampling and analysis of the recovered residues from the crawlers did not find material consistent with tank waste. (authors)

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NASA NTRS2003

Thermographic Inspection of Aerospace Tankage

Thermography has been shown to be the ideal technical and economic inspection method for two applications - post-machining evaluations and for field inspections of damage and repair. For most manufacturing applications ultrasonic inspections are already available and established. There is no question about the detectability or cost when inspecting hardware out of the autoclave. But when the part is too large to bring to the scanning inspection system or you do not want to remove the hardware from its current setup then a more portable or field applicable inspection is required. This paper will describe two applications of thermography on composite inspections. The NASA NDE Team and Lockheed Martin conducted the work at NASA s George C. Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). The first application was inspecting machined hardware. The technique and example data will be presented along with the advantages of thermography. Examples of drilling holes and trimming the edges will be discussed. The second application will be the evaluation of damage in a composite part and the subsequent repair of the region will be presented. The technique, data, and benefits of this application will also be presented along with the follow-up inspection of the post- repaired hardware.

Bouvier, Carl↗
NASA NTRS2007

Full Life-Cycle Defect Management Assessment: Initial Inspection Data Collection Results and Research Questions for Further Study

It is often the case in software projects that when schedule and budget resources are limited, the Verification and Validation (V&V) activities suffer. Fewer V&V activities can be afforded and moreover, short-term challenges can result in V&V activities being scaled back or dropped altogether. As a result, too often the default solution is to save activities for improving software quality until too late in the life-cycle, relying on late-term code inspections followed by thorough testing activities to reduce defect counts to acceptable levels. As many project managers realize, however, this is a resource-intensive way of achieving the required quality for software. The Full Life-cycle Defect Management Assessment Initiative, funded by NASA s Office of Safety and Mission Assurance under the Software Assurance Research Program, aims to address these problems by: Improving the effectiveness of early life-cycle V&V activities to make their benefits more attractive to team leads. Specifically, we focus on software inspection, a proven method that can be applied to any software work product, long before executable code has been developed; Better communicating this effectiveness to software development teams, along with suggestions for parameters to improve in the future to increase effectiveness; Analyzing the impact of early life-cycle V&V on the effectiveness and cost required for late life-cycle V&V activities, such as testing, in order to make the tradeoffs more apparent. This white paper reports on an initial milestone in this work, the development of a preliminary model of inspection effectiveness across multiple NASA Centers. This model contributes toward reaching our project goals by: Allowing an examination of inspection parameters, across different types of projects and different work products, for an analysis of factors that impact defect detection effectiveness. Allowing a comparison of this NASA-specific model to existing recommendations in the literature regarding how to plan effective inspections. Forming a baseline model which can be extended to incorporate factors describing: the numbers and types of defects that are missed by inspections; how such defects flow downstream through software development phases; how effectively they can be caught by testing activities in the late stages of development. The model has been implemented in a prototype web-enabled decision-support tool which allows developers to enter their inspection data and receive feedback based on a comparison against the model. The tool also allows users to access reusable materials (such as checklists) from projects included in the baseline. Both the tool itself and the model underlying it will continue to be extended throughout the remainder of this initiative. As results of analyzing inspection effectiveness for defect containment are determined, they can be shared via the tool and also via updates to existing training courses on metrics and software inspections. Moreover, the tool will help satisfy key CMMI requirements for the NASA Centers, as it will enable NASA to take a global view across peer review results for various types of projects to identify systemic problems. This analysis can result in continuous improvements to the approach to verification.

Shull, Forrest↗
DOE OSTI2017

Novel Serpentine Robot Combinations for Inspection in Hard-to-Reach Areas of Damaged or Decommissioned Structures - 17335

U.S. government agencies, particularly the Dept. of Energy, need robotic tools to handle and inspect high-consequence materials - materials for which mishandling would result in great risk to both application operators and the general public. The remediation and documentation of nuclear waste has become a problem of national significance and it cannot be addressed without robotic tools. The use of robots bypasses the danger and decreases the preparation time to handle harmful materials. In the 1980's and 90's, the US Dept. of Energy (DOE) invested heavily in robotic technologies as part of a comprehensive program of research and development aimed at enabling safer and more efficient cleanup of nuclear waste sites. For the next generation of harder, more complex clean-up problems, there is a clear need for more R and D. There is a clear need for flexible, quickly deployable robotic technologies that can be configured to respond to unforeseen situations -- or can be purpose-built for planned activities -- while keeping human workers safe, yet effective. Modularity and inter-operability are core capabilities for inspection tasks in contaminated facilities with a large variety of inspection problems. With any tool, familiarity breeds ingenuity, and ingenuity leads to new innovations in efficiency, effectiveness, safety, and performance. For example, the simple screwdriver can be held fourteen different ways by an experienced machinist who knows exactly what he or she wants to accomplish at any given moment. As a tool, robots are no different. To maximize the efficiency, effectiveness, safety and performance, redeployment and reuse of familiar tools is essential. Modularity can assist with re-deployment and modularity manifests itself in both hardware and software. In some applications of inspection of high-consequence materials, a common concern has been the simplicity of the tool -- often correlated with cost (which is not always accurate) -- in case it becomes unrecoverable. In the case of robots, which have complex user interfaces and complex dynamics of interaction, the lack of familiarity can lead to clumsy operations and reduced accumulation of knowledge. As a result, while incremental successes may be achieved with sequential uses of different robots, there often is little knowledge gain that is generalizable across multiple uses. Total cost often goes down when a more sophisticated, but more familiar tool, can be used more frequently.An example is the inspection of the H-Canyon Exhaust Air Tunnel at the Savannah River Site nuclear waste facility in the United States [1]. This is a particularly nasty environment, due to the acidic gases, large amounts of erosion and debris, and wet, mucky puddles. Over the past twelve years, six inspections have been attempted with five different robotic vehicles. In fact, these inspections have been successful with their limited, but progressively increasing objectives, although most robots have been abandoned in the tunnel. While each vehicle has cost less than $75,000 (the sacrificial part), the total costs of development have been much higher. The robots used to investigate changed much from iteration to iteration and it is not clear a strong body of generalizable expertise was built up across trials. The authors of this study demonstrated the combination of two types of modular, serpentine, re-configurable robots for locomotion over complex terrains and the inspection of hard-to-reach areas. The MOTHERSHIP is a tread/limb/serpentine hybrid robot design for locomotion over complex terrains, while the CMU snake robot provides highly articulated inspection of highly confined spaces. The demonstration at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant involves a combination of the two whereby gross locomotion is achieved with the MOTHERSHIP and the CMU Snake deploys a sensor package to gather data from behind and under obstacles. Although statically configured in its present state, the combined robot is built of individual modules for which reconfiguration has been demonstrated in both labs at Purdue and CMU. In future work, much higher degrees of reconfiguration and re-purposing of both software and hardware are easily achievable with these unique platforms. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2015

Dry coupled magnetostrictive transducers for robotic inspection of dry storage casks - 15304

The lack of a national repository for used nuclear fuel has lead to the usage of dry storage casks as the de facto long term storage solution, the usage of which is prevalent throughout the United States. Furthermore, as shown in figure 3, the usage of dry storage is only expected to increase over time. Because these casks were originally intended as only an interim measure, there is an urgent need to develop methods to monitor their structural health over the long-term. Additionally, when concerns about the susceptibility of these casks to cracking is considered, the need for inspection becomes even more apparent. The use of robotic devices to inspect the interior of these casks for signs of damage has been proposed, but in order for this to be realized, advances in sensing technology must occur. We develop a novel type of transducer for non-destructive evaluation to aid in these efforts. We construct a prototype sensor, demonstrate simple defect detection with it, and present a design for an inspection robot equipping these transducers. Ultrasonic inspection is a well known method of non-destructive evaluation which works by measuring the response of ultrasonic waves propagating through a material. In through-transmission inspection, a transmitter and receiver are used to generate and detect waves in the material to be inspected. The presence of a crack or defect in the material will scatter some of the transmitted wave's energy, reducing the strength of the response at the receiver. Magnetostrictive transducers are often used to generate and detect guided waves. These transducers depend on the magnetostrictive effect, where certain materials will deform in the presence of a magnetic field. The typical construction of one of these transducers is shown in figure 5, consisting of a magnetostrictive foil, meandering coil, and a biasing magnet. Materials typically used for the foil include Fe-Co and Terfenol-D. For wave generation, a high-frequency alternating current is supplied to the coil of the transducer, which generates an oscillating magnetic field that causes the foil to deform. For reception, the inverse occurs: deformation of the foil results in a current in the coil that can be detected. The deformation of the foil is usually coupled to the material to be inspected with an adhesive, and waves are transmitted through this bond. Obviously, an inspection robot cannot have its sensors bound to the surface of the cask. A robot is being designed for inspection, and it must deal with many challenges inside the cask, including tight confines, right-angle transitions, high temperatures, and radiation. For our initial design, we consider only the geometrical constraints, and present a design for a prototype that can be assembled from COTS components. The robot needs to be articulated to navigate the bends in the cask, so each wheel is individually actuated. The robot is controlled via a tether, which also supplies electrical power and compressed air. For localization, ultrasonic range-finders and a camera are equipped. Using the basic transducer, we experimented with various configurations of materials and geometry. In order to gather relevant data, we used force sensitive resistors to measure applied force, and a Matec computer system to generate and measure ultrasonic waves. A testing rig was constructed to simulate the geometrical constraints of the interior of the cask, and we experimented using deadweights, a pneumatic cylinder, and an air bladder to apply the force. It was discovered early in the testing process that the performance of the transducer was very sensitive to the alignment of the components, and the method by which the foil was attached. To maximize performance, we designed an enclosure that would hold the components in alignment while still allowing the foil to float. To test the effectiveness of our new transducer, we cut circular holes of varying diameter in 2 mm aluminum plate, and measured the response across them. It can be seen that there is a clear relationship between the strength of the received signal and the force applied, and to a lesser extent, the size of the defect. This design performs adequately as a proof of concept, and a more precisely fabricated enclosure should further increase the accuracy of its measurements.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2018

A Prototype Dual Robot System to Perform Ultrasonic and Visual Inspection for the Bottom of Double-Shell Tanks - 18624

Up to this point, ultrasonic inspection-based condition data has only been available for double-shell tank (DST) sidewalls because direct inspection access to the primary tank bottom is limited to vent duct channels in an insulating refractory pad that the primary tank rests on. Probe access through the air slot would provide the opportunity to get information about the condition of the bottom of the primary tank, but it is a challenge to deploy a crawling robot that is capable of performing nondestructive ultrasonic and visual inspection through confined air slots. As such, a conceptual prototype of a deployable inspection robot system to enable ultrasonic and visual inspection for DST base through ventilation ducts was designed and fabricated. This prototype dual robot system consisting of the AnnulusBot and the MouseBot can be integrated with nondestructive evaluation (NDE) sensors to inspect and examine the physical properties of the underside of DSTs to enable status assessment. The AnnulusBot was designed to carry the MouseBot and to be deployed to the annulus space through a riser. To deploy the MouseBot to every ventilation channel in the annulus, the arm consisting of a boom and a forearm was used to place the MouseBot on the underside of the tank. The AnnulusBot used segmented wheels enable to traverse pipes and other potential obstacles. The cable management system utilized motorized wheels to feed the cable into the ventilation channel. This would reduce the amount of work that the MouseBot would have to do during inspection. This feeding mechanism would also be used to retrieve the MouseBot at the end of its inspection. Additionally, if the MouseBot fails, this mechanism would be used for retrieval. Once deployed, the MouseBot navigates to the center of the tank via the air ventilation channel beneath the inner shell (the primary tank) while inspecting the space. The MouseBot is then retrieved from the channel by a combination of its own drive power and the AnnulusBot retracting the attached umbilical cord. Compare with the AnnulusBot, the physical dimensional limitations of the MouseBot were a greater challenge. As the surface state of the concrete of the air channels could have variable texture, and may contain debris, it was decided not to travel along this surface. The ceiling of these channels is carbon steel and can be utilized throughout the channel. To use this travel surface, magnetic wheels were employed. A foreseeable problem with the use of magnets on this surface, is that they would preclude the use of eddy currents sensors. However, other technologies like ultrasonic technology sensors should be unaffected. Laboratory scale test was performed on a mock-up single wedge of the refractory pad to evaluate maneuverability of the MouseBot. The electronic components for the prototype would work in the ranges of 150-185 deg. F (65.6-85 deg. C). Both the AnnulusBot and MouseBot will be subject to constant radiation. All major printed circuit board (PCB) microcontroller components were designed to be situated outside of the annulus space and inside the main control panel to avoid radiation-induced failure. As future work, electronic components including the Arduinos that used Atmel commercial microcontrollers will be replaced with the high temperature rated Atmel microcontrollers so that the robots can be operated reliably at ambient temperatures up to 200 deg. F (93.3 deg. C). In addition, the robots will be service life tested to evaluate performance at elevated temperature and under gamma irradiation. (authors)

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2012

Post-Closure Inspection Report for the Tonopah Test Range, Nevada, For Calendar Year 2011

This report provides the results of the annual post-closure inspections conducted at the closed Corrective Action Units (CAUs) located on the Tonopah Test Range (TTR), Nevada. This report covers calendar year 2011 and includes inspection and repair activities completed at the following CAUs: (1) CAU 400: Bomblet Pit and Five Points Landfill (TTR); (2) CAU 407: Roller Coaster RadSafe Area (TTR); (3) CAU 424: Area 3 Landfill Complexes (TTR); (4) CAU 453: Area 9 UXO Landfill (TTR); and (5) CAU 487: Thunderwell Site (TTR) Inspections were conducted according to the post-closure plans in the approved Closure Reports. The post-closure inspection plan for each CAU is included in Appendix B. The inspection checklists are included in Appendix C, field notes are included in Appendix D, and photographs taken during inspections are included in Appendix E. The annual post-closure inspections were conducted May 3 and 4, 2011. Maintenance was performed at CAU 424, CAU 453, and CAU 487. At CAU 424, two surface grade monuments at Landfill Cell A3-3 could not be located during the inspection. The two monuments were located and marked with lava rock on July 13, 2011. At CAU 453, there was evidence of animal burrowing. Animal burrows were backfilled on July 13, 2011. At CAU 487, one use restriction warning sign was missing, and wording was faded on the remaining signs. A large animal burrow was also present. The signs were replaced, and the animal burrow was backfilled on July 12, 2011. As a best management practice, the use restriction warning signs at CAU 407 were replaced with standard Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order signs on July 13, 2011. Vegetation monitoring was performed at the CAU 400 Five Points Landfill and CAU 407 in June 2011, and the vegetation monitoring report is included in Appendix F.

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DOE OSTI2013

Camera Inspection Arm for Boiling Water Reactors - 13330

Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) outage maintenance tasks can be time-consuming and hazardous. Reactor facilities are continuously looking for quicker, safer, and more effective methods of performing routine inspection during these outages. In 2011, S.A. Technology (SAT) was approached by Energy Northwest to provide a remote system capable of increasing efficiencies related to Reactor Pressure Vessel (RPV) internal inspection activities. The specific intent of the system discussed was to inspect recirculation jet pumps in a manner that did not require manual tooling, and could be performed independently of other ongoing inspection activities. In 2012, SAT developed a compact, remote, camera inspection arm to create a safer, more efficient outage environment. This arm incorporates a compact and lightweight design along with the innovative use of bi-stable composite tubes to provide a six-degree of freedom inspection tool capable of reducing dose uptake, reducing crew size, and reducing the overall critical path for jet pump inspections. The prototype camera inspection arm unit is scheduled for final testing in early 2013 in preparation for the Columbia Generating Station refueling outage in the spring of 2013. (authors)

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2020

History of Ultrasonic Inspection of High-Level Waste Tanks at SRS - 20220

The Liquid Waste Disposition Projects (LWDP) Structural Authority and Inspection Engineering Support Group has teamed with the Materials Science and Technology Non-destructive Evaluation Group of Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) to implement a comprehensive In-Service Inspection (ISI) program for the High-Level Waste (HLW) tanks in the sites tank farms. The purpose of this program is to demonstrate the structural and leak integrity of the tanks to maintain the function of waste containment throughout the desired service life. Four types of waste tanks were constructed at Savannah River Site (SRS) from 1951 thru 1981 to store radioactive nuclear waste from the separations process. The Type I, II and III are carbon steel cylindrical tanks with varying degrees of access to the side walls and very limited access to the tank bottom. The tanks contain 750,000 to 1.3 million gallons of waste and are buried or backfilled with soil. The tanks are 75'-85' in diameter and 24'-33' from tank bottom to the tank roof. Inspection of the HLW tanks is made difficult by radiation, contamination, and small access openings. Through the years these challenges have been overcome by progressive improvements to programs and equipment resulting in the sophisticated wall crawler Ultrasonic Testing (UT) technology of today. A formal inspection program was developed and put in service in 1972. UT thickness measurements were first made in 1967 and 1969 of selected waste tanks using an analog-type instrument to measure the thickness of the carbon steel walls. Routine inspections for thinning were performed from 1972-1985 and then discontinued because no thinning had been observed and this technique could not detect pitting or cracking. UT inspections resumed in 1994 using a sophisticated robotic wall crawler with UT technology capable of detecting thinning, cracking and pitting. The current program focuses on the newer Type III tanks that are used primarily for storage. The program was upgraded in 2003 to include selected regions of the tank wall, secondary wall and annulus floor on a 7 to 10-year frequency. The facility is currently in its third cycle of tank inspections. Thus far, there have been no reportable indications of service induced degradation. This result provides assurance that the chemistry control program has been effective at mitigating corrosion and that the tanks remain structurally sound even after more than 40 years of service. This paper will present the UT technology first used at SRS and the evolution to the current systems and their capabilities. Additionally, plans for equipment upgrades that will improve the extent of inspection will be discussed. (authors)

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DOE OSTI2012

Visual inspection: a review of the literature

This report provides a review of 212 documents published in the visual inspection literature from the 1950s to the present. The inspection task is defined and characterized and trends in inspection research are reviewed. The prevailing two component model of inspection and various techniques to measure inspection performance are discussed. The majority of the report reviews the parameters that may impact inspection performance and describes the relevant findings from the literature. The report concludes with a re-iteration of the value of inspection research and a summary of the major recommendations for improving inspection performance.

See, Judi E.↗
DOE OSTI2017

Probability of Detection Study to Assess the Performance of Nondestructive Inspection Methods for Wind Turbine Blades.

Wind turbine blades pose a unique set of inspection challenges that span from very thick and attentive spar cap structures to porous bond lines, varying core material and a multitude of manufacturing defects of interest. The need for viable, accurate nondestructive inspection (NDI) technology becomes more important as the cost per blade, and lost revenue from downtime, grows. NDI methods must not only be able to contend with the challenges associated with inspecting extremely thick composite laminates and subsurface bond lines, but must also address new inspection requirements stemming from the growing understanding of blade structural aging phenomena. Under its Blade Reliability Collaborative program, Sandia Labs quantitatively assessed the performance of a wide range of NDI methods that are candidates for wind blade inspections. Custom wind turbine blade test specimens, containing engineered defects, were used to determine critical aspects of NDI performance including sensitivity, accuracy, repeatability, speed of inspection coverage, and ease of equipment deployment. The detection of fabrication defects helps enhance plant reliability and increase blade life while improved inspection of operating blades can result in efficient blade maintenance, facilitate repairs before critical damage levels are reached and minimize turbine downtime. The Sandia Wind Blade Flaw Detection Experiment was completed to evaluate different NDI methods that have demonstrated promise for interrogating wind blades for manufacturing flaws or in-service damage. These tests provided the Probability of Detection information needed to generate industry-wide performance curves that quantify: 1) how well current inspection techniques are able to reliably find flaws in wind turbine blades (industry baseline) and 2) the degree of improvements possible through integrating more advanced NDI techniques and procedures. _____________ S a n d i a N a t i o n a l L a b o r a t o r i e s i s a m u l t i m i s s i o n l a b o r a t o r y m a n a g e d a n d o p e r a t e d b y N a t i o n a l T e c h n o l o g y a n d E n g i n e e r i n g S o l u t i o n s o f S a n d i a , L L C , a w h o l l y o w n e d s u b s i d i a r y o f H o n e y w e l l I n t e r n a t i o n a l , I n c . , f o r t h e U . S . D e p a r t m e n t o f E n e r g y ' s N a t i o n a l N u c l e a r S e c u r i t y A d m i n i s t r a t i o n u n d e r c o n t r a c t D E - N A 0 0 0 3 5 2 5 .

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2019

43-0434 Bridge Inspection Report 2019

The documentation includes the following: 1. 2019 NMDOT Bridge Inspection Report including Element Level Data Collection (in hardcopy and digital formats prepared by NMSU) conforms to the National Bridge Inspection Standards and AASHTO Manual for Bridge Element Inspection; 2. 2019 Supplemental Report (in hardcopy and digital formats prepared by NMSU) provides detailed information related to current condition of major bridge components; 3. 2019 Inspection Pictures (in digital format prepared by NMSU); 4. 2019 Delamination Map (in hardcopy format prepared by LANL) During the 2019 inspection, a critical finding was reported by email on June 22, 2019 regarding the condition of the north joint. The joint had suffered impact damage, possibly due to snow plows. This damage resulted in the seal being pulled out and the exposure of the reinforcing steel plate which was bent upward and in direct alignment with the vehicle wheel path. This was reported as a critical finding because the steel plate posed a serious hazard that could result in a punctured tire to vehicles, motorcyclists and/or bicyclists, and ultimately loss of control. This issue was immediately addressed and the hazard was eliminated by June 23, 2019. Based on the 2019 inspection, the bridge deck is rated in condition. Chain dragging the deck identified several areas with delamination. The delaminations are concentrated near the expansion joints, in the closure joint of the deck near the bridge centerline, and at the south end northbound lanes. The chain drag performed during the 2019 inspection revealed 34,620 sq. in. (240 sq. ft.) of delaminations (not including the sidewalk). It is recommended that the delaminations and spalls with exposed rebar be repaired. e 2019 inspection is provided in the supplemental report.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2021

43-0434 Bridge Inspection Report 2021

The documentation includes the following: 1. 2021 NMDOT Bridge Inspection Report including Element Level Data Collection (in digital formats prepared by NMSU)--conforms to the National Bridge Inspection Standards and AASHTO Manual for Bridge Element Inspection; 2. 2021 Supplemental Report (in digital formats prepared by NMSU)--provides detailed information related to current condition of major bridge components; 3. 2021 Inspection Pictures (in digital format prepared by NMSU); 4. 2021 Delamination Map (in digital format prepared by LANL). During the 2021 inspection, three critical findings were reported to our LANL contact, Mr. Jonathan Stein, by text and/or email on June 26, 2021. 1. The south joint of the bridge had a modular section of the joint that could potentially come loose during the passing of vehicles. This was reported as a critical finding for safety. If the modular section becomes dislodged or deformed it could pose a serious hazard that could result in a punctured tire to vehicles, motorcyclists and/or bicyclist causing drivers/riders to lose control; 2. The bracket plate located at the north end of the bridge on the pedestrian walkway was corroded through and provides little protection to pedestrians and bicyclists. This was reported as a critical finding for safety to prevent injuries to people; 3. The north approach rail has three missing posts. These posts help ensure that traffic is redirected and the energy is absorbed by the rail. This was reported as a critical finding for safety. Additionally, the approach rail is on a curve with a nearby drop off. Immediate repair is recommended. Based on the 2021 inspection, the bridge deck is rated in "fair" condition. The chain drag performed on the deck identified several areas with delamination that are concentrated near the expansion joints, in the closure joint of the deck near the bridge centerline, and at the south end of the northbound lanes. The chain drag performed during the 2021 inspection revealed 215,333 sq. in. (1495 sq. ft) of delaminations and patched areas (not including the sidewalk). This is approximately a 600% increase from 2019. It is recommended that the delaminations and spalls with exposed rebar be repaired. The "delaminated area" map for the 2021 inspection is provided in the supplemental report.

42 ENGINEERING↗
NASA NTRS1990

An analysis of defect densities found during software inspections

Software inspection is a technical evaluation process for finding and removing defects in requirements, design, code, and tests. Detailed data was collected during the first three years of experience at JPL on 203 inspections. Statistics are discussed for this set of inspections. Included, on a per inspection basis, are averages of: staff time expended, pages covered, major defects found, minor defects found, and inspection team size. Analysis of variance showed a significantly higher density of defects during requirements inspections. It was also observed, that the defect densities found decreased exponentially as the work products approached the coding phase. Increasing the pace of the inspection meeting decreased the density of defects found. This relationship was observed to hold for both major and minor defect densities, although it was more pronounced for minor defects. Guidelines are provided for conducting successful software inspections based upon three years of JPL experience.

Kelly, John C.↗
NASA NTRS2004

"GSFC FSB Application of Perspective-Based Inspections"

The scope of work described in our proposal consisted of developing inspection standards targeted to Branch-specific types of defects (gained from analysis of Branch project defect histories), and including Branch-relevant perspectives and questions to guide defect detection. The tailored inspection guidelines were to be applied on real Branch projects with support as needed from the technology infusion team. This still accurately describes the scope of work performed. It was originally proposed that the Perspective-Based inspection standard would be applied on three projects within the Branch: GPM, JWST, and SDO. Rather than apply the proposed standard to all three, we inserted a new step, in which the standard was instead applied on a single pilot project, cFE (described above). This decision was a good match for the Branch goals since, due to the "design for reuse" nature of cFE, inspections played an even more crucial than usual role in that development process. Also, since cFE is being designed to provide general-purpose functionality, key representatives fiom our target projects were involved in inspections of cFE to provide perspectives from different missions. In this way, they could get some exposure to and the chance to provide feedback on the proposed standards before applying them on their own projects. The Branch-baselined standards will still be applied on GPM, JWST, and SDO, although outside the time frame of this funding. Finally, we originally proposed using the analysis of Branch defect sources to indicate in which phases Perspective-Based inspections could provide the best potential for future improvement, although experience on previous Branch projects suggested that our efforts would likely be focused on requirements and code inspections. In the actual work, we focused exclusively on requirements inspections, as this was the highest-priority work currently being done on our cFE pilot project.

Shell, Elaine↗