Cone-beam tomography system used for non-destructive evaluation of critical components in power generation

We present a three-dimensional (3D) X-ray tomography system used for non-destructive evaluation (NDE) of critical components in power generation. The system consists of a microfocus X-ray tube, a precise manipulation table and a detection system comprising a high-resolution image intensifier coupled to a CCD camera, which enables circular-scan cone-beam data acquisition geometry. We use a Cu filter to reduce polychromaticity of the beam and apply a geometrical calibration technique to correct for misalignments and tilt of the system. Dedicated mathematical methods are applied to provide fast 3D image reconstruction and volume rendering. The whole process of measurement and visualization is fully automated. An example of NDE of turbine blades is considered.