Some non-linear aspects of the electronic stages in time-domain modelling of NDE pulse-echo ultrasonic systems

Electronics interfacing with NDE probes frequently include non-linear switching devices and semiconductor networks, which influence the excitation pulses and detected echo signals. Classical approaches to modelling a pulse-echo process use ideal assumptions for the electronics and do not consider these influences on the echoes, which can be very relevant in HF cases. This paper proposes new ways to consider these non-linear effects in a time-domain simulation process, extending previous approaches by including new elements in the modelling. Specific electrical models covering the pulse-echo process are applied in the evaluation of echo-graphic signals. They include semiconductor devices and other non-ideal elements. From these models, and using SPICE as a simulation tool, strong non-linear effects on pulsed responses, computed for both E/R stages of typical NDE transceivers, are analysed.     

双近贴管纳秒单幅高速摄影机

作为一种性能优越的二维图象记录设备,双近贴管纳秒单幅高速摄影机在高速摄影领域已越来越受到人们的重视。这方面的研究成果已经而且正在为核物理研究及其它学学科的发展提供有效的测量工具。     

Sparse signal representation and its applications in ultrasonic NDE

Many sparse signal representation (SSR) algorithms have been developed in the past decade. The advantages of SSR such as compact representations and super resolution lead to the state of the art performance of SSR for processing ultrasonic non-destructive evaluation (NDE) signals. Choosing a suitable SSR algorithm and designing an appropriate overcomplete dictionary is a key for success. After a brief review of sparse signal representation methods and the design of overcomplete dictionaries, this paper addresses the recent accomplishments of SSR for processing ultrasonic NDE signals. The advantages and limitations of SSR algorithms and various overcomplete dictionaries widely-used in ultrasonic NDE applications are explored in depth. Their performance improvement compared to conventional signal processing methods in many applications such as ultrasonic flaw detection and noise suppression, echo separation and echo estimation, and ultrasonic imaging is investigated. The challenging issues met in practical ultrasonic NDE applications for example the design of a good dictionary are discussed. Representative experimental results are presented for demonstration.     

Complete ultrasonic transducer characterization and its use for models and measurements

Transmitting and receiving properties of ultrasonic piezoelectric crystal transducers that directly affect the measured output voltage in an ultrasonic measurement system are described. These transducer properties are the transducer's electrical impedance and sensitivity, the transducer's radiation impedance, and the transducer's effective parameters (effective radius and focal length). It is shown that all these properties can be obtained with a series of calibration measurements, most of them purely electrical in nature. This series of measurements is described, including a newly developed method that makes the determination of the transducer sensitivity simpler than with previous methods. It is demonstrated that by combining these transducer properties with knowledge of the electrical properties of the pulser/receiver and cabling and the acoustic/elastic processes present in an ultrasonic measurement system, it is possible to accurately simulate the output voltage of the system.     

Porosity estimation of concrete by ultrasonic NDE

The increasing number of concrete structures with symptoms of premature deterioration due to environmental action demands procedures to estimate the durability of this type of component. Concrete durability is related to porosity, which determines the intensity of interactions of the material with aggressive agents. The pores and capillaries inside the structure facilitate the destructive processes that generally begin in the surface. In this work, an ultrasonic NDE technique to estimate the porosity of concrete is developed. The method is based on the analysis of the mechanical behaviour of mortar probes built with calibrated sand, in which the concentration of water-cement mixture has been varied. In this sense, data of sound velocity are correlated with data of porosity, which have been previously measured by destructive measurements.     

Modeling of ray paths of head waves on irregular interfaces in TOFD inspection for NDE

The TOFD (Time of Flight Diffraction) technique is a classical ultrasonic inspection method used in ultrasonic non-destructive evaluation (NDE). This inspection technique is based on an arrangement of two probes of opposite beam directions and allows a precise positioning and a quantitative evaluation of the size of cracks contained in the inspected material thanks to their edges diffraction echoes. Among the typical phenomena arising for such an arrangement, head waves, which propagate along the specimen surface and are chronologically the first waves reaching the receiver, are notably observed. Head wave propagation on planar surfaces in TOFD configurations is well known. However, realistic inspection configurations often involve components with irregular surfaces, like steel excavated specimens.     

One dimensional modeling of a step-down ultrasonic densitometer for liquids

This article studies the possibilities and limitations of modeling a step-down ultrasonic densitometer using its electrical analogous representation. The purpose of the model is to simulate the system in order to optimize its performance. The advantage of an analogous electrical is the complete simulation of both the electrical and mechanical parts of the system. The ultrasonic densitometer and the need for the step down are presented. The analogy to the electrical representation is briefly introduced along with the step down notion. Experimental results of probes equipped with piezoceramic disk of 10 and 16 mm in diameter are shown to consider diffraction. Simulated signals from modeled probes are judged against the real signals. The limitations of the simulations are discussed. They are beam spreading, reference echo to different media and superfluous multiple reflections.     

Material damage diagnosis and characterization for turbine rotors using three-dimensional adaptive ultrasonic NDE data reconstruction techniques

Damage diagnosis for turbine rotors plays an essential role in power plant management. Ultrasonic non-destructive examinations (NDEs) have increasingly been utilized as an effective tool to provide comprehensive information for damage diagnosis. This study presents a general methodology of damage diagnosis for turbine rotors using three-dimensional adaptive ultrasonic NDE data reconstruction techniques. Volume reconstruction algorithms and data fusion schemes are proposed to map raw ultrasonic NDE data back to the structural model of the object being examined. The reconstructed volume is used for automatic damage identification and quantification using region-growing algorithms and the method of distance-gain-size. Key reconstruction parameters are discussed and suggested based on industrial experiences. A software tool called AutoNDE Rotor is developed to automate the overall analysis workflow. Effectiveness of the proposed methods and AutoNDE Rotor are explored using realistic ultrasonic NDE data.     

利用计算全息技术重构激光超声的激发面源

把计算全息技术引入激光超声无损检测系统,此系统借助直接搜索算法生成计算全息图,利用空间光调制器液晶器件代替传统全息干板再现全息图像,并将此生成、再现方法具体用于空间调制的脉冲激光源的产生,以辅助固体表面的窄带超声波的激发。由于算法的稳健性和重建方法灵活性,大大简化了激光超声实验系统,缩短了实验周期,在激光超声无损检测领域有广泛的应用空间。     

Correlation-based imaging technique using ultrasonic transmit–receive array for Non-Destructive Evaluation

This paper describes a novel array post-processing method for Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDE) using phased-array ultrasonic probes. The approach uses the capture and processing of the full matrix of all transmit–receive time-domain signals from a transducer array as in the case of the Total Focusing Method (TFM), referred as the standard of imaging algorithms. The proposed technique is based on correlation of measured signals with theoretical propagated signals computed over a given grid of points. In that case, real-time imaging can be simply implemented using discrete signal product. The advantage of the present technique is to take into account transducer directivity, dynamics and complex propagation patterns, such that the number of required array elements for a given imaging performance can be greatly reduced. Numerical and experimental application to contact inspection of isotropic structure is presented and real-time implementation issues are discussed.     

Water content and its effect on ultrasound propagation in concrete--the possibility of NDE

It is known that water content or moisture affects the strength of concrete. The purpose of this study is to examine the possibility of the NDE of concrete from a knowledge of the relationship between water content and ultrasonic propagation in concrete. The results of measurements made on the ultrasound velocity and the frequency component on ultrasonic propagation as a function of the water content in concrete are reported. Test pieces of concrete made from common materials were made for the fundamental studies. The test piece dimensions were 10 cm in diameter and 20 cm in length. Test pieces were immersed in water for about 50 days to saturate them. To measure the effect of different water contents, test pieces were put in a drying chamber to change the amount of water between measurements. This procedure was repeated until the concrete was completely dried and the weight no longer changed. Water contents were defined as weight percentage to full dried state. Thus water content could be changed from 8% to 0%. Using the pulse transmission method, ultrasonic propagation in the frequency range 20 to 100 kHz was measured as a function of water content. The sound velocity varied gradually from 3000 m/s to 4500 m/s according to the water content. The frequency of maximum transmission also depended on the water content in this frequency range. It is considered that the ultrasonic NDE of concrete strength is feasible.     

Selective generation of ultrasonic Lamb waves by electromagnetic acoustic transducers

In this paper, we describe a modal expansion approach for the analysis of the selective generation of ultrasonic Lamb waves by electromagnetic acoustic transducers(EMATs). With the modal expansion approach for waveguide excitation, an analytical expression of the Lamb wave's mode expansion coefficient is deduced, which is related to the driving frequency and the geometrical parameters of the EMAT's meander coil, and lays a theoretical foundation for exactly analyzing the selective generation of Lamb waves with EMATs. The influences of the driving frequency on the mode expansion coefficient of ultrasonic Lamb waves are analyzed when the EMAT's geometrical parameters are given. The numerical simulations and experimental examinations show that the ultrasonic Lamb wave modes can be effectively regulated(strengthened or restrained) by choosing an appropriate driving frequency of EMAT, with the geometrical parameters given. This result provides a theoretical and experimental basis for selectively generating a single and pure Lamb wave mode with EMATs.     

Modeling for quantitative non-destructive evaluation

A quantitative approach to non-destructive evaluation (NDE) must be based on models of the measurement processes. A model's purpose is to predict, from first principles, the measurement system's response to material properties and anomalies in a material or structure. For the ultrasonic case a measurement model should include modeling of the generation, propagation and reception of ultrasonic signals, and the ultrasonic interactions that generate the system's response function. A measurement model has many benefits, which are discussed in the paper. Three examples of the productive use of quantitative modeling in conjunction with measured data are presented: the detection and sizing of fatigue cracks which emanate from weep holes in the risers of wing panels in the interior of an aircraft wing by the use of ultrasound generated on the exterior surface of the wing, the determination of the elastic constants of anisotropic thin films deposited on a substrate, and the detection and sizing of surface-breaking cracks by the use of the laser-source scanning technique for laser generated and detected ultrasound.     

Quasi pulse-echo ultrasonic technique for flaw classification

One of the important flaw characterization tasks in the field of ultrasonic non-destructive evaluation (NDE) is to provide flaw type information by analysing the flaw responses acquired during an inspection. Here a new quasi pulse-echo ultrasonic classification technique is presented which utilizes the time separation and amplitude difference of mode-converted diffracted signals to distinguish between smooth and sharp-edged flaw geometries. Experiments with cylindrical cavities, surface-breaking fatigue cracks and slag inclusions have been used to test the practicality of this approach. All results of these tests show good consistency in the separation of smooth and sharp-edged flaws, provided that the signal-to-noise ratio is sufficient. Furthermore, the scattering feature used for classification in this method is also verified by detailed elastodynamic scattering calculations.     

PSpice circuital modelling of ultrasonic imaging transceivers including frequency-dependent acoustic losses and signal distortions in electronic stages

A new global circuital model is proposed taking into account some piezoelectric and electronic non-ideal aspects of the broadband ultrasonic transceivers used in NDT and imaging applications. A quadratic approach, alternative to previous linear Spice implementations, is proposed for the frequency dependence of the mechanical losses into the piezoelectric sections. Non-ideal frequency-dependent electrical effects influencing excitation circuitry performance, and attenuations in the propagation medium varying with frequency, are also considered. Results calculated, by using PSpice implementations, from conventional and the new modelling approaches show how the quadratic option to calculate losses clearly reduces the rippled and sharpened waveforms typically originated in many echo-signals simulations, and which are not observed in real measured responses. Experimental waveforms for driving spikes and for echo-signals, in very good agreement with responses simulated from the new modelling here proposed, are also shown.     

3D computational method to study the focal laws of transducer arrays for NDE applications

Based on the impulse response and the discrete representation methods, a 3D computational method has been developed to calculate the optimal focal laws to focus the ultrasonic beams through interfaces of complex geometry, and the respective transmitted ultrasonic field generated by NDE transducer arrays. 1- and 2D array transducers are considered. Two different focusing techniques are used to obtain the time delays: the first travel time on each center of the array element, and the cross correlation between the simulated signals from neighboring array elements. Applying the time delays to the array, the transmitted field can be simulated using the same computational method. Several simulations were performed to present the ability of the computational method to focus through, for instance, curved and plane surfaces between two media (acrylic-steel). A comparison between the two focusing techniques is presented.     

固体粗糙界面与超声的非线性相互作用研究

本文提出了一种随机弹性接触界面与超声的非线性相互作用理论. 首先建立了描述随机弹性接触界面的模型, 然后分别研究了界面间应力-应变关系在线性简化模型、指数模型、高斯模型下与超声的非线性相互作用. 数值仿真和实验研究结果均表明高斯模型更适合描述固体接触界面. 本文在介观结构上解释了固体界面与超声的相互作用, 对工业超声无损检测裂缝、缺陷及损伤有指导意义. 关键词： 超声无损检测 固体粗糙界面 非线性效应     

Various aspects of ultrasound assisted emulsion polymerization process

In this paper, the effects of ultrasonic (US) power, pulse ratio, probe area and recipe composition were investigated on two process responses namely, monomer (methyl methacrylate, MMA) conversion and electrical energy consumption per mass of product polymer (PMMA). Pulsed mode US is more suitable than continuous mode US for emulsion polymerization. The probe (tip) area has little effect on the yield of polymerization when comparing 19 and 13 mm probes, 13 mm probe performing slightly better for high conversion levels. Meanwhile, large probe area is beneficial for high conversion efficiency of electric energy to US energy as well as for high radical generation yield per energy consumed. The conversion increased slightly and electrical energy consumption decreased substantially by using a recipe with high SDS and monomer concentrations. Conclusions presented in this paper may be useful for scale-up of US assisted emulsion polymerization.     

A comparison of stochastic and effective medium approaches to the backscattered signal from a porous layer in a solid matrix

This paper reports a study of the backscattering behavior of a solid layer containing randomly spaced spherical cavities in the long wavelength limit. The motivation for the work arises from a need to model the responses of porous composite materials in ultrasonic NDE procedures. A comparison is made between models based on a summation over discrete scatterers, which show interesting emergent properties, and an integral formulation based on an ensemble average, and with a simple slab effective medium approximation. The similarities and differences between these three models are demonstrated. A simple quantitative criterion is established which sets the maximum frequency at which ensemble average or equivalent homogeneous medium models can represent echo signal generation in a porous layer for given interpore spacing, or equivalently, given pore size and concentration.     

Information contained in the radiating ultrasound during ultrasonic welding

During ultrasonic welding, unnecessary ultrasound together with audible sound is radiated into the air. Audible sound is noisy and uncomfortable, and ultrasound may have bed effects on adjacent equipment. However, it is considered that these sounds potentially contain useful information such as welding state. This article reports the relationship between radiated ultrasound and the change of the welding state during ultrasonic welding. It is known that the welding state can be presumed from the change of the mechanical load impedance, which can be calculated from resonant frequency, motional voltage and the driving current of the vibrating system for the welder when a constant-velocity motional-feedback power oscillator is used. In this study, radiated ultrasound picked up with a microphone and an amplifier is recorded and analyzed with a personal computer. Analyzed results are compared with the change of the mechanical load impedance that is also calculated from the recorded data of the resonant frequency, motional voltage and the driving current of the vibrating system for the welding. Experiments were made on the ultrasonic welding of plastic rods. The relationship between the parameters of radiated ultrasound and the electrical parameters of the vibrating system were compared. The peak amplitude of the radiated ultrasound and the mechanical impedance versus time were very similar. It is shown in this study that radiated ultrasound contains lots of useful information.