Effect of Temperature on Acoustic Emission Evaluation of FRP Vessels (Tensile Specimens)

Abstract

Current American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) provisions require that acoustic emission testing for class II vessels be carried out at operating temperature in the event that the operating temperature exceeds 120°F(49°C). This causes increased cost due to the need for a boiler. Safety is also a concern due to the possibility of a leak or failure of the vessel during testing. More important than these two items is the lack of data that is available from fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) vessels and/or components that have been subjected to acoustic emission evaluation at elevated temperature. This has lead to speculation regarding the appropriateness of conducting acoustic emission evaluations at elevated temperature. To address these issues an experimental investigation was conducted on representative coupon specimens at differing temperatures. The results of the investigation are described.