DIGITAL RADIOGRAPY
Conventional Radiography
• Conventional radiography uses a sensitive film that reacts to
the emitted radiation to capture an image of the part being
tested.
• This image can then be examined for evidence of damage or
flaws.
• The biggest limitation to this technique is that films can only
be used once and they take a long time to process and
interpret.
Film RT
• Radiation source Object under test - X-ray film -Film
processor - Dryer - Viewing and reporting- Filing Film
archiving
• FRT Limitations :
• Time consuming -long exposure time
• Expensive – Recurring film and chemical cost
• Chemical processing – hazardous
• Low dynamic range - difficult for varying thickness objects
• Nonlinear response of films
Film/Screen Limited Latitude
• Film dictates
proper
radiation
exposure
• No post
processing
• Improperly
exposed films
lose contrast
Digital Radiography
• Digital radiography doesn’t require film
• It uses a digital detector to display radiographic images on
a computer screen almost instantaneously.
• It allows for a much shorter exposure time so that the
images can be interpreted more quickly.
• Digital images are of much higher quality when compared
to conventional radiographic images.
• With the ability to capture high-quality images, the
technology can be utilized to identify flaws in a material
and foreign objects in a system, examine weld repairs etc,.
Digital Radiography
Digital Radiography..
• Digital RT or radioscopy is an electronic system that enables X-
ray images of products to be generated and analysed on
radiography image monitor.
• Real time RT
• Direct RT
• Computed RT
• Digital RT mainly includes the latest direct imaging techniques:
• Imaging plates
• CCD detectors
• Flat panel detectors
Digital Radiography..
• Commonly utilized digital radiography techniques in the oil &
gas and chemical processing industries are:
• Computed Radiography
• Direct Radiography
• Real-time radiography,
• Computed tomography
• Automated radiographic testing
Computed Radiography (CR)
• CR uses a phosphor imaging plate that replaces film
• Technique is much quicker than film radiography
but slower than direct radiography.
• CR requires several steps compared to direct
radiography.
• It indirectly captures the image of a component on
a phosphor plate.
• Converts the image into a digital signal that can be
visualized on a computer monitor.
• .
• Image quality is fair but can be enhanced using
appropriate tools and techniques (i.e., adjusting
contrast, brightness, etc. without compromising
integrity).
• It’s important to know how tools, such as adjusting
contrast, affect the image.
• Care should also be taken to make sure minor defects
are not hidden after enhancements are made
Computed Radiography
Computed Radiography (CR)
Re-usable metal imaging plates replace film &
cassette
Uses conventional bucky & x-ray equipment
CR Exposure & Readout
Another View: CR Operation
Computer Radiography (CR)
• photostimulable
phosphor plate
• radiation causes
electrons to move Higher Energy
to higher energy - Electron
states St at e
– Excitation
• Plate’s structure Photon pumps
traps electrons in X-Ray
electron to
higher energy state
higher energy Photon
states - - - -
Lower Energy - - - - -
– Form latent image Electron - - - - - -
- - -
St ate - - - - - - -
- -
Reading Imaging Plate
laser scans plate with
laser releases
electrons trapped in Lase r Be am
high energy
states
electrons fall to low Higher Ene rgy
energy states giving up Ele c t ro n
St a t e
-
energy as visible light
light intensity is
measure of incident Lower Energy
radiation Electron State
Lower Ene rgy - - - - - - - - -
Ele c t ro n - - - - - -
- - -
St a t e - - - - - - -
- -
Direct Radiography
• Direct Radiography (DR) is also a form of digital radiography
and is very similar to CR.
• The key difference lies in how the image is captured.
• In DR, a flat panel detector is used to directly capture an
image and display that image on a computer screen.
• Although this technique is fast and produces higher-quality
images, it is more costly than CR.
Digital Radiography (DR)
• Digital
electronic
bucky
Digital Radiography (DR)
• Receptor provides direct digital output
• No processor / reader required
– Images available virtually immediately
– Far fewer steps for radiographer
Types of DR Receptors
TFT = THIN-FILM TRANSISTOR ARRAY
Direct Radiography
Real-Time Radiography
• Real-time radiography (RTR), like its name suggests, is a
form of digital radiography that occurs in real-time.
• RTR works by emitting radiation through an object.
• These rays then interact with either a special phosphor
screen or flat panel detector containing micro-electronic
sensors.
• The interaction between the panel and the radiation
creates a digital image that can be viewed and analyzed
in real-time
Real time radiography
• Uses X or gamma radiation to produce a visible
volumetric image of an object.
• In Film radiography, the image is viewed in a
static mode;
In Real time radiography, the image is
interpreted at the same time as the radiation
passes through the object (Dynamic mode).
•
• A positive image is normally presented in Real time
radiography, whereas the X-ray film gives a negative
image.
• Basic equipment consists of a source of radiation,
a fluorescent screen, mirrors and a viewing port.
• Object is placed between the source and the
screen.
• The fluorescent screen converts the transmitted
radiation to visible light.
Remote real-time radiographic viewing system.
• Real time radiography has the advantages of high
speed and low cost of inspection.
• Real-time radiographic concept can be applied in the
case of microfocal radiography. (focal spot = 100 µm)
• In Real-time microfocal radiography the zooming is
done by dynamically positioning the object with the
manipulators between X-ray tube and image
receptor.
•
Real-time radiography can be applied to the
inspection of laser welds or electron beam welds in
thin pipes having thickness 1mm and porosities in
the range of 0.025mm – 0.1mm can be detected in 1
second.
Computed Tomography
• Computed tomography (CT) is a technique
that takes hundreds to thousands (depending
on the size of the component) of 2D
radiography scans and superimposes them to
create a 3D radiographic image.
Automated Radiographic Testing
• Automated radiographic testing (ART) was developed to
provide a faster, safer, and more consistent means of
detecting internal corrosion in above-ground piping and
pipelines.
• ART utilizes a semi-autonomous motion control platform that
carries safe, low-level X-ray emitters projecting onto
complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS)
• Photon detectors that produce radiographic mapping in
fractions of a second.
• This allows providers who utilize robotic technology services
to radio graphically map large regions of interest in
significantly less time than traditional methods and
immediately displays a digital image
Computed Radiography
• Computerised image intensifying systems with
image processing techniques known as
Computed Radiography (CR)
Reading Imaging Plate
• Reader scans plate
with laser
• Beam moved using
rotating mirror
• Plate pulled
through scanner
by rollers
• Light emitted by
plate measured by
PM tube &
recorded by
computer
CR Erasure
• after read-out, plate erased using a
bright light
• plate can be erased and re-used
– Erasure re-use cycle can be repeated
without limit
• Plate life defined not by erasure cycles
but by physical wear
Digital Radiography (DR)
• High latitude as for CR
• DR portables now in
available
– Radiographer immediately
sees image
