In the non-destructive inspection of welds of steam generators in nuclear power plants, radiographic testing (RT) using a high-energy radiation source and X-ray films is performed. Since the welds of the steam generator are thick, the contrast of defects in the RT image is low and the inspector is required to have high-level skill and concentrate for a long time in order to identify weld defects, which is a heavy burden. Therefore, in collaboration with the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) has developed an image processing algorithm that can detect low-contrast defects with high accuracy and plans to apply this developed technology to an inspection support system that helps inspectors identify defects.
