Quality Testing of Welded Joints of Wind Towers with Advanced Ultrasonic Techniques – a Case Study

The application of advanced quality control tests for welds is essential for enhancing competitiveness in thewelded construction industry. The global focus on obtaining energy from alternative sources is leading to the increased production of wind towers. Improving the method of conducting inspections is necessary as wind tower structuresare subject to 100% quality control of welded joints. The article presents the comparison of tests involving a modelof an actual wind tower structure and ultrasonic methods, i.e. the conventional UT technique and the advanced andautomated PAUT technique. An important element of the tests was the development of the instrumentation enablingthe more accurate recording of the process.