在线超声检测系统中螺旋线圈换能器的应用*

针对在线车轮超声检测系统的工程应用,研究了圆形螺旋线圈电磁超声换能器由洛伦兹力换能机制在钢中产生的辐射声场。给出了涡流、等效表面力源和辐射声场的计算方法,分析了圆形螺旋线圈换能器在钢试块上的辐射指向性。结果表明,辐射的圆周径向偏振横波为两边瓣中空指向性,对理解圆形螺旋线圈换能器的辐射声场和在重载货车车轮轮辋在线辋裂缺陷检测中的工程应用具有一定的指导意义。     

Circuit-field coupled finite element analysis method for an electromagnetic acoustic transducer under pulsed voltage excitation

This paper presents an analytical method for electromagnetic acoustic transducers (EMATs) under voltage excitation and considers the non-uniform distribution of the biased magnetic field. A complete model of EMATs including the non-uniform biased magnetic field, a pulsed eddy current field and the acoustic field is built up. The pulsed voltage excitation is transformed to the frequency domain by fast Fourier transformation (FFT). In terms of the time harmonic field equations of the EMAT system, the impedances of the coils under different frequencies are calculated according to the circuit-field coupling method and Poynting’s theorem. Then the currents under different frequencies are calculated according to Ohm’s law and the pulsed current excitation is obtained by inverse fast Fourier transformation (IFFT). Lastly, the sequentially coupled finite element method (FEM) is used to calculate the Lorentz force in the EMATs under the current excitation. An actual EMAT with a two-layer two-bundle printed circuit board (PCB) coil, a rectangular permanent magnet and an aluminium specimen is analysed. The coil impedances and the pulsed current are calculated and compared with the experimental results. Their agreement verified the validity of the proposed method. Further- more, the influences of lift-off distances and the non-uniform static magnetic field on the Lorentz force under pulsed voltage excitation are studied.     

Elastic wave propagation in sinusoidally corrugated waveguides

The ultrasonic wave propagation in sinusoidally corrugated waveguides is studied in this paper. Periodically corrugated waveguides are gaining popularity in the field of vibration control and for designing structures with desired acoustic band gaps. Currently only numerical method (Boundary Element Method or Finite Element Method) based packages (e.g., PZFlex) are in principle capable of modeling ultrasonic fields in complex structures with rapid change of curvatures at the interfaces and boundaries but no analyses have been reported. However, the packages are very CPU intensive; it requires a huge amount of computation memory and time for its execution. In this paper a new semi-analytical technique called Distributed Point Source Method (DPSM) is used to model the ultrasonic field in sinusoidally corrugated waveguides immersed in water where the interface curvature changes rapidly. DPSM results are compared with analytical solutions. It is found that when a narrow ultrasonic beam hits the corrugation peaks at an angle, the wave propagates in the backward direction in waveguides with high corrugation depth. However, in waveguides with small corrugation the wave propagates in the forward direction. The forward and backward propagation phenomenon is found to be independent of the signal frequency and depends on the degree of corrugation.     

Controlled Space Radiation concept for mesh-free semi-analytical technique to model wave fields in complex geometries

Numerical modelling of the ultrasonic wave propagation is important for Structural Heath Monitoring and System Prognosis problems. In order to develop intelligent and adaptive structures with embedded damage detector and classifier mechanisms, detailed understanding of scattered wave fields due to anomaly in the structure is inevitably required. A detailed understanding of the problem demands a good modelling of the wave propagation in the problem geometry in virtual form. Therefore, efficient analytical, semi-analytical or numerical modelling techniques are required. In recent years a semi-analytical mesh-free technique called Distributed Point Source Method (DPSM) is being used for modelling various ultrasonic, electrostatic and electromagnetic wave field problems. In the conventional DPSM approach point sources are placed along the transducer faces, problem boundaries and interfaces to model incident and scattered fields. Every point source emits energy in all directions uniformly. Source strengths of these 360° radiation sources are obtained by satisfying interface and boundary conditions of the problem. In conventional DPSM modelling approach it is assumed that the shadow zone does not require any special consideration. 360° Radiation point sources should be capable of properly modelling shadow zones because all boundary and interface conditions are satisfied. In this paper it is investigated how good this assumption is by introducing the ‘shadow zone’ concept at the point source level and comparing the results generated by the conventional DPSM and by this modified approach where the conventional 360° radiation point sources are replaced by the Controlled Space Radiation (CSR) sources.     

The analysis of adhesive bonds using electromagnetic acoustic transducers

The paper presented here outlines a technique for examining aerospace adhesive bonds using electromagnetic acoustic transducers (EMAT). The main restriction on the use of bonded structures is the lack of a reliable, applicable non-destructive test. Simple acoustic theory shows that a shear wave at normal incidence to an interface should be a more sensitive probe of interfacing coupling than a longitudinal wave. Conventional piezoelectric shear transducers require a very viscous couplant which makes scanning problematic. The EMAT described here consists of a pancake coil, and a permanent magnet behind the coil provides a static magnetic field normal to the surface of the sample and the plane of the coil. The EMATs used have the advantage of generating broadband radially polarized shear waves, while requiring no acoustic couplant. They are also comparable in size to typical piezoelectric transducers. The broadband nature of the transducer gives it a high spatial resolution in the direction of wave propagation. Experiments performed on plate-like samples have successfully detected deliberately constructed defects, while monitoring the adhesive thickness. Defects have been identified using a C-scan technique using a single EMAT in send-receive mode from either side of the bond.     

Shear Wave Field Radiated by an Electromagnetic Acoustic Transducer

The horizontally polarized ultrasonic shear wave field emitted by an electromagnetic acoustic transducer （EMAT） is studied by the surface force distribution on the EMAT approximately described as an inhomogeneous horizontal shear force. The shear wave directivity pattern is plotted by numerical calculations based on our strictly analytic solutions of the wave field we presented previously. An experimental system of EMAT generation and piezoelectric transducer reception is set up to check the predictions of the theoretical wave field by measuring the ultrasonic signals through aluminium block. The directivity pattern of the wave field obtained from the experimental results conforms the theoretical prediction, which lays a foundation for engineering applications of EMATs.     

2019年中国声学学会青年人才托举工程项目交流会在南昌召开

为改善电磁超声换能器(electromagnetic acoustic transducer,EMAT)激发横波的特性,提出一种基于正交试验的优化方法,并利用有限元仿真软件COMSOL Multiphysics建立了横波EMAT的有限元模型,应用正交试验和极差分析法,分析了线圈各参数对电磁超声横波的近场长度和半扩散角的影响,比较了线圈各参数影响程度的大小。结果表明,激励电流的频率和线圈的尺寸对横波的传播特性有着明显影响,提高频率会使得横波的近场长度增大及半扩散角减小;其次,减小导线的宽度及间距,以缩小线圈尺寸能有效改善横波的传播特性。     

Scattering of focused ultrasonic beams by cavities in a solid half-space

The ultrasonic field generated by a point focused acoustic lens placed in a fluid medium adjacent to a solid half-space, containing one or more spherical cavities, is modeled. The semi-analytical distributed point source method (DPSM) is followed for the modeling. This technique properly takes into account the interaction effect between the cavities placed in the focused ultrasonic field, fluid-solid interface and the lens surface. The approximate analytical solution that is available in the literature for the single cavity geometry is very restrictive and cannot handle multiple cavity problems. Finite element solutions for such problems are also prohibitively time consuming at high frequencies. Solution of this problem is necessary to predict when two cavities placed in close proximity inside a solid can be distinguished by an acoustic lens placed outside the solid medium and when such distinction is not possible.     

Modal expansion analyses of ultrasonic Lamb waves generated by electromagnetic ultrasonic transducers

A modal expansion approach has been proposed for investigating generation of ultrasonic Lamb waves by electromagnetic acoustic transducers（EMATs）.Based on the current distribution of the EMAT＇s meandering coil,the formal solution for the Lorentz surface stress applied on the plate surface has been derived.Then the function of the wave-number spectral density of the Lorentz surface stress for generating ultrasonic Lamb waves has been obtained using the spatial Fourier transform.On this basis,with the modal expansion approach for waveguide excitation,the mathematical expression of the Lamb wave＇s mode expansion coefficient has been deduced,which is closely related with the geometrical parameters of the EMAT＇s meandering coil.The mathematical relationship between the Lamb wave＇s mode expansion coefficient and the EMAT＇s geometrical parameters,obtained in this paper,lays a theoretical foundation for exactly analyzing generation of Lamb waves by EMATs.Further,the numerical analyses performed indicate that the Lamb wave＇s mode expansion coefficient can be appropriately adjusted by changing the geometrical parameters of the EMAT＇s coil,and thus the unwanted Lamb wave modes can be effectively restrained.This result provides a theoretical basis for generating a single and pure Lamb wave mode by the meandering coil EMAT.     

Lamb wave signal selective enhancement by an improved design of meander-coil electromagnetic acoustic transducer

In this paper, we investigate a method of selectively enhancing the single mode signal of a Lamb wave by using a meander-coil electromagnetic acoustic transducer(EMAT) with a new magnetic configuration. We use the Lamb antisymmetric(A0) mode and symmetric(S0) mode as an example for analysis. The analytical expression of the magnitude of the spatial Fourier transform of the Lorentz force generated by different meander coils is used to determine the optimal driving frequency for single mode generation. The numerical calculation is used to characterize the new magnetic configuration and the conventional EMAT magnet. Experimental examinations of each meander coil in combination with the conventional and new magnetic configuration show that the Lamb wave signal can be selectively enhanced by choosing the appropriate driving frequency and coil parameters through using the improved meander-coil EMAT.     

DPSM technique for ultrasonic field modelling near fluid-solid interface

Distributed point source method (DPSM) is gradually gaining popularity in the field of non-destructive evaluation (NDE). DPSM is a semi-analytical technique that can be used to calculate the ultrasonic fields produced by transducers of finite dimension placed in homogeneous or non-homogeneous media. This technique has been already used to model ultrasonic fields in homogeneous and multi-layered fluid structures. In this paper the method is extended to model the ultrasonic fields generated in both fluid and solid media near a fluid-solid interface when the transducer is placed in the fluid half-space near the interface. Most results in this paper are generated by the newly developed DPSM technique that requires matrix inversion. This technique is identified as the matrix inversion based DPSM technique. Some of these results are compared with the results produced by the Rayleigh-Sommerfield integral based DPSM technique. Theory behind both matrix inversion based and Rayleigh-Sommerfield integral based DPSM techniques is presented in this paper. The matrix inversion based DPSM technique is found to be very efficient for computing the ultrasonic field in non-homogeneous materials. One objective of this study is to model ultrasonic fields in both solids and fluids generated by the leaky Rayleigh wave when finite size transducers are inclined at Rayleigh critical angles. This phenomenon has been correctly modelled by the technique. It should be mentioned here that techniques based on paraxial assumptions fail to model the critical reflection phenomenon. Other advantages of the DPSM technique compared to the currently available techniques for transducer radiation modelling are discussed in the paper under Introduction.     

Frequency domain finite-element and spectral-element acoustic wave modeling using absorbing boundaries and perfectly matched layer

Wave propagation modeling as a vital tool in seismology can be done via several different numerical methods among them are finite-difference, finite-element, and spectral-element methods (FDM, FEM and SEM). Some advanced applications in seismic exploration benefit the frequency domain modeling. Regarding flexibility in complex geological models and dealing with the free surface boundary condition, we studied the frequency domain acoustic wave equation using FEM and SEM. The results demonstrated that the frequency domain FEM and SEM have a good accuracy and numerical efficiency with the second order interpolation polynomials. Furthermore, we developed the second order Clayton and Engquist absorbing boundary condition (CE-ABC2) and compared it with the perfectly matched layer (PML) for the frequency domain FEM and SEM. In spite of PML method, CE-ABC2 does not add any additional computational cost to the modeling except assembling boundary matrices. As a result, considering CE-ABC2 is more efficient than PML for the frequency domain acoustic wave propagation modeling especially when computational cost is high and high-level absorbing performance is unnecessary.     

Dispersion of acoustic waves in the plasma of a self-sustained gas discharge

The dispersion effects appearing during the propagation of acoustic waves through the plasma of a weakly ionized gas are studied. The main theoretical results are based on the equation of propagation of sound in the medium with the so-called Rayleigh energy release mechanism, which has been obtained earlier. Unlike the previous investigations, the problem of propagation of a perturbation from a source and not the problem of propagation of the initial perturbation is solved. In particular, the sources of an N-shaped shock wave and a wave in the form of a symmetrical step are analyzed in detail. It is shown that depending on the direction of wave propagation (along or across the electric field in a plasma), it degenerates either into a wave packet with a wave frequency lower than a certain frequency characterizing heating, or into a wave packet with a frequency higher than this value. In addition, a quantitative criterion is obtained, which makes it possible to estimate the plasma parameters for which it will be possible to observe the dispersion of acoustic waves in the plasma.     

Conventional electromagnetic acoustic transducer development for optimum Lamb wave modes

Lamb waves are normally utilized for inspecting thin metal sheets. Wheel type probes using piezoelectric oscillators have generally been used as the sensors for Lamb waves. Recently, the electromagnetic acoustic transducer (EMAT) has been developed and is beginning to be used as a Lamb wave detector. We have developed a useful type of transducer for Lamb waves. The new EMAT consists of a meander coil with a narrow distance of 2.5 mm and has a symmetrical structure in the vertical direction for both surface sides. The new EMAT can generate Lamb waves with variable wavelengths corresponding to the frequency range from approximately 300 kHz to 2.5 MHz and multiple modes, and can also generate selected symmetrical and anti-symmetrical mode Lamb waves. It is demonstrated that the optimum Lamb wave mode could be produced by the appropriate positioning of the EMATs and controlling the phase (same or inversed) of the electrical signal driving the device. The described EMAT can be used to examine steel (or other material) sheets of different thickness. It is also shown that the S0 (0.3 MHz) mode Lamb wave is the most effective for the deepest (up to 6 mm) penetration.     

Extension of the distributed point source method for ultrasonic field modeling

The distributed point source method (DPSM) was recently proposed for ultrasonic field modeling and other applications. This method uses distributed point sources, placed slightly behind transducer surface, to model the ultrasound field. The acoustic strength of each point source is obtained through matrix inversion that requires the number of target points on the transducer surface to be equal to the number of point sources. In this work, DPSM was extended and further developed to overcome the limitations of the original method and provide a solid mathematical explanation of the physical principle behind the method. With the extension, the acoustic strength of the point sources was calculated as the solution to the least squares minimization problem instead of using direct matrix inversion. As numerical examples, the ultrasound fields of circular and rectangular transducers were calculated using the extended and original DPSMs which were then systematically compared with the results calculated using the theoretical solution and the exact spatial impulse response method. The numerical results showed the extended method can model ultrasonic fields accurately without the scaling step required by the original method. The extended method has potential applications in ultrasonic field modeling, tissue characterization, nondestructive testing, and ultrasound system optimization.     

Numerical time-domain modeling of linear and nonlinear ultrasonic wave propagation using finite integration techniques--theory and applications

This survey paper summarizes the basic principles of the Elastodynamic Finite Integration Technique (EFIT) for linear and nonlinear elastic wave propagation in homogeneous and heterogeneous media and presents various examples of application in the field of ultrasonic nondestructive testing. These examples involve modeling of pulse-echo, acoustic emission, and Lamb wave problems in various structures as well as nonlinear wave propagation simulations based on third-order elasticity.     

High-performance modeling acoustic and elastic waves using the parallel Dichotomy Algorithm

A high-performance parallel algorithm is proposed for modeling the propagation of acoustic and elastic waves in inhomogeneous media. An initial boundary-value problem is replaced by a series of boundary-value problems for a constant elliptic operator and different right-hand sides via the integral Laguerre transform. It is proposed to solve difference equations by the conjugate gradient method for acoustic equations and by the GMRES(k) method for modeling elastic waves. A preconditioning operator was the Laplace operator that is inverted using the variable separation method. The novelty of the proposed algorithm is using the Dichotomy Algorithm [26], which was designed for solving a series of tridiagonal systems of linear equations, in the context of the preconditioning operator inversion. Via considering analytical solutions, it is shown that modeling wave processes for long instants of time requires high-resolution meshes. The proposed parallel fine-mesh algorithm enabled to solve real application seismic problems in acceptable time and with high accuracy. By solving model problems, it is demonstrated that the considered parallel algorithm possesses high performance and efficiency over a wide range of the number of processors (from 2 to 8192).     

平面叶栅气动噪声的高精度谱元方法求解

本文建立了一种用于气动噪声预测的高精度三角谱元方法。结合CBS法(Characteristic-based split method)求解Navier-Stokes方程获取伪声压声源后,基于波动方程求解声传播问题。谱元法的谱收敛特性满足了气动声学问题的高精度需求,而CBS法的引入保证了高雷诺数问题的计算稳定性。通过两组基准解问题求解验证了本文方法的正确性。将本文方法应用于平面叶栅气动噪声计算,并考察了不同攻角下噪声的变化规律。研究内容为进一步探究各类流体机械的气动噪声提供了一种新的途径。     

多网格谱元法及其在高性能计算中的应用*

针对传统谱元法在每个单元内只能存在单一均匀介质,应用在复杂非均匀介质的波传播模拟中可能造成极大计算规模的问题,发展了多网格谱元法。该方法在谱元法单元内引入独立的辅助网格,用于精细描述单元内的介质和外力分布变化,在较稀疏的主网格上进行波场的求解。基于声波和弹性波方程推导了多网格谱元法公式,并对几种典型模型进行了波场的数值模拟。与传统谱元法的对比结果表明,此算法在复杂非均匀介质的弹性波传播模拟中可以利用较少的网格点数达到不低于传统算法的精度。此外,实现了并行化的多网格谱元法,获得了较好的并行效率。     

一种磁场优化结构电磁超声传感器设计*

为了进一步增强电磁超声检测技术在管道厚度测量领域的检测能力,该文对电磁超声传感器(EMAT)的结构进行了优化。提出了多磁铁对称分布型EMAT,能实现更小的磁铁体积,产生更强的表面剩磁强度。采用在硅钢表面开槽的方式限制涡流形成的区域,解决了涡流对测量的影响。建立厚度测量实验系统,对比出单磁铁型与多磁铁对称分布型EMAT在不同提离距离上检测信号的变化规律。结果表明,多磁铁对称分布型结构可通过增强EMAT的偏置磁场达到信噪比更优的效果。采用耐高温探头外壳和钐钴磁铁,提高了EMAT探头在高温环境下的检测性能。