Manufacturing Technology 2025, 25(4):569-574 | DOI: 10.21062/mft.2025.046

Crack Detection and Monitoring of their Growth in Critical Parts of Steam Pipeline by Electric Potential Drop Method

Petr Živný ORCID..., Jindřich Jansa ORCID..., Marek Měkuta ORCID..., Pavla Lukášová ORCID...
Research Centre Řež, Morseova 1244/4, 301 00 Plzen, Czech Republic

An innovative way of using DCPD (Direct Current Potential Drop) method for off-line and online monitoring of critical parts of energy equipment in operation is presented. There are only a few NDT methods that allow detection and monitoring of defect growth in components at high temperatures and pressures. Monitoring of steam pipes and critical pipeline components in operation has been carried out for several years with different results. a relatively new way of using the DCPD method outside the laboratory is described. The carried-out tests were intended to resemble operational loads as much as possible. Therefore, the tests were performed at a temperature of 20 °C and at an increased temperature of 550 °C. By gradually deepening the groove (slot) simulating the crack type defect in predefined steps, the growth of the defect was simulated up to the full wall thickness of the test sample. The primary evaluation was carried out from the absolute and relative values of measured resistance. The disadvantage of these values is their dependence on the temperature of the monitored area of the test sample and on possibly interfering DC voltages.

Keywords: Direct Current Potential Drop, NDT, pipeline
Grants and funding:

The presented work has been realized within Institutional Support by Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic

Received: June 12, 2025; Revised: September 12, 2025; Accepted: September 22, 2025; Prepublished online: October 23, 2025; Published: November 11, 2025  Show citation

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Živný P, Jansa J, Měkuta M, Lukášová P. Crack Detection and Monitoring of their Growth in Critical Parts of Steam Pipeline by Electric Potential Drop Method. Manufacturing Technology. 2025;25(4):569-574. doi: 10.21062/mft.2025.046.
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