Non-destructive examination of Strains in Standard and Corroded Fasteners through Energy-Resolved Neutron Imaging

Joining structures using threaded connections remains one of the most popular assembly methods. However, the unintentional disassembly, because of operational loads, of these structures remains an unsolved problem, especially important for remote applications where periodic maintenance is impossible or resource consuming. Typical examples are offshore structures that experience high vibrations. In the latter case besides the operational loads, corrosion plays a major negative role which undermines further the structural integrity of the structure. The scientific aim of this experiment is to non-destructively map the strains in torqued bolts in different self-loosened conditions using Bragg edge neutron imaging. Standard and corroded bolts will be considered. The objective is to develop validated Finite Element models for prognostics and automated vision-based maintenance.