Acoustic Emission Testing of a Friction Stir Welding Aluminum Alloy Pressure Vessel

摘要

To study the acoustic emission (AE) characteristics of an aluminum alloy pressure vessel manufacrured by use of a friction stir welding (FSW) method, a tubular aluminum alloy pressure vessel containing an incomplete penetration defect was monitored by AE technology during hydraulic blasting testing. The characteristic parameter analysis method and fracture surface morphology observation were used to analyze the AE signal characteristics. The results show that the characteristic parameters of the AE amplitude, signal count, and energy jumped significantly when a large expansion of the defect occurred, and they stayed at a high level with the rise in pressure. AE technology can effectively monitor FSW aluminum alloy pressure vessel incomplete penetration defects and provide early warning. The results of this study are of great relevance to the detection of incomplete penetration defects in FSW aluminum alloy pressure vessels.