Resonant ultrasound spectroscopy and homogeneity in polycrystals

Resonant ultrasound spectroscopy (RUS) is capable of determining the bulk elastic properties of a solid from its characteristic vibration frequencies, given the dimensions, density and shape of the sample. The model used for extracting values of the elastic constants assumes perfect homogeneity, which can be approximated by average-isotropic polycrystals. This approximation is excellent in the small grain regime assumed for most averaging procedures, but for real samples with indeterminate grain size distributions, it is not clear where the approximation breaks down. RUS measurements were made on pure copper samples where the grain size distribution was changed by progressive heat treatments in order to find a quantitative limit for the loss of homogeneity. It is found that when a measure of the largest grains is 15% of the sample’s smallest dimension, the deviation in RUS fits indicates elastic inhomogeneity.     

Minimization of finite beam effects in the determination of reflection and transmission coefficients of an elastic layer

A special data acquisition technique was applied to determine the acoustic plane-wave reflection and transmission properties of a plane-parallel aluminum plate. In this technique, the reflected and transmitted wavefield along a plane or line normal to the reflected or transmitted wave vector is recorded at equidistant receiver positions. The obtained traces are subsequently added up in the temporal domain to satisfy plane-wave conditions, thus effectively removing the effect of the limited beam of commonly used transducers. The agreement between plane-wave theory and experiment was found to be excellent, both in the temporal and in the frequency domain.     

Attenuation coefficient estimation using experimental diffraction corrections with multiple interface reflections

The ultrasonic attenuation coefficient of a fluid or solid is an acoustic parameter routinely estimated for the purpose of materials characterization and defect/disease detection. This paper describes a broadband attenuation coefficient estimation technique that combines two established estimation approaches. The key elements of these two approaches are: (1) the use of magnitude spectrum ratios of front surface, first back surface, and second back surface reflections from interfaces of materials with plate-like geometries, and (2) the use of an experimental diffraction correction approach to avoid diffraction losses. The combined estimation approach simplifies the attenuation coefficient estimation process by eliminating the need to explicitly make diffraction corrections or calculate reflection/transmission coefficients. The approach yields estimates of the attenuation coefficient, reflection coefficient, and material density. Models, experimental procedures, and signal analysis procedures, which support implementation of the approach, are presented. Attenuation coefficient and reflection coefficient estimates are presented for water and solid samples with estimates based on measurements made with multiple transducers.     

Measurement of tortuosity in aluminum foams using airborne ultrasound

The slow compressional wave in air-saturated aluminum foams was studied by means of ultrasonic transverse transmission method over a frequency range from 0.2 MHz to 0.8 MHz. The samples investigated have three different cell sizes or pores per inch (5, 10 and 20 ppi) and each size has three aluminum volume fractions (5%, 8% and 12% AVF). Phase velocities show minor dispersion at low frequencies but remain constant after 0.7 MHz. Pulse broadening and amplitude attenuation are obvious and increase with increasing ppi. Attenuation increases considerably with AVF for 20 ppi foams. Tortuosity ranges from 1.003 to 1.032 and increases with AVF and ppi. However, the increase of tortuosity with AVF is very small for 10 and 20 ppi samples.     

Air-coupled ultrasonic assessment of wood veneer

Air-coupled ultrasound (ACU) provides a tool to evaluate wood samples of small or moderate thickness (<30 mm) thereby avoiding direct contact or liquid coupling. Results of through-transmission ACU measurements on wood veneer samples and related products are reported with respect to a wide variety of quality aspects. Fluctuations in the averaged received signal levels appear to be correlated to the presence of natural or machine-induced thickness and density variations, flaws and grain damage, errors produced by the manufacturing process, insufficient bonding on a substrate, etc. In addition it is seen that the variability of the signal levels enables to distinguish between quarter and crown areas.     

In-line ultrasonic monitoring of semi-solid magnesium die casting process

Ultrasonic velocity and attenuation measurements in AZ91D magnesium (Mg) alloy with dendritic, rosette and globular microstructures were performed at elevated temperatures using a non-contact laser-ultrasonic technique. It was found that the ultrasonic velocity in the globular microstructure and the ultrasonic attenuation in the dendritic microstructure are the highest among the three microstructures. An ultrasonic clad steel buffer rod sensor embedded in the die has been used to monitor the semi-solid die casting process in-line for the AZ91D Mg alloy. This probe monitored the completion of the die filling, the release of the pressure, the opening of the die, part detachment, solidification of the part, the averaged temperature of the die and the part.     

The detectability of kissing bonds in adhesive joints using ultrasonic techniques

This paper concerns a study of the detectability of dry contact kissing bonds in adhesive joints using three ultrasonic inspection techniques. Conventional normal incidence longitudinal and shear wave inspection were conducted on dry contact kissing bonds using a standard damped ultrasonic transducer and an electro-magnetic acoustic transducer (EMAT) respectively. The detectability of the dry contact kissing bonds was assessed by calculating the reflection coefficient of the imperfect interface at varying loads for a number of surface roughnesses. A high power ultrasonic method was also employed to determine the non-linear behavior of the adhesive interface. The non-linearity of the interface was determined by the ratio of the amplitudes of the first harmonic and fundamental frequencies of the transmitted waveform. It was found that the high power technique showed the greatest sensitivity to these kissing bonds at low contact pressures, however at high loads conventional longitudinal wave testing was more sensitive. It was also noted that a combination of two or more techniques could provide enhanced information about the kissing bond compared to a single technique alone.     

Signal enhancement in Rayleigh wave interactions using a laser-ultrasound/EMAT imaging system

Enhancement of signal amplitudes from Rayleigh wave interaction at solid surface features has been investigated when signals were detected by an in-plane electromagnetic acoustic transducer (EMAT). A laser-ultrasound system was used to inspect surface-breaking slots, serving as artificial defects. Nd:YAG laser pulses were delivered onto a metal surface via an optical fiber and focused to a line source by a cylindrical lens. An in-plane EMAT receiver detected transient surface acoustic waves. A-scan signals and B-scan images from surface defects revealed increased signal amplitude up to 2.8+/-0.3 depending on the distance of the transducer from a slot. An explanation is based on the interaction of the EMAT sensor with the Rayleigh wave. A supporting computer model was derived to show that experimental signal enhancements were consistent with numerical predictions.     

Ultrasonic density measurement cell design and simulation of non-ideal effects

This paper presents a theoretical analysis of a density measurement cell using an unidimensional model composed by acoustic and electroacoustic transmission lines in order to simulate non-ideal effects. The model is implemented using matrix operations, and is used to design the cell considering its geometry, materials used in sensor assembly, range of liquid sample properties and signal analysis techniques. The sensor performance in non-ideal conditions is studied, considering the thicknesses of adhesive and metallization layers, and the effect of residue of liquid sample which can impregnate on the sample chamber surfaces. These layers are taken into account in the model, and their effects are compensated to reduce the error on density measurement. The results show the contribution of residue layer thickness to density error and its behavior when two signal analysis methods are used.     

Modelling the attenuation in the ATHENA finite elements code for the ultrasonic testing of austenitic stainless steel welds

Multipass welds made in austenitic stainless steel, in the primary circuit of nuclear power plants with pressurized water reactors, are characterized by an anisotropic and heterogeneous structure that disturbs the ultrasonic propagation and makes ultrasonic non-destructive testing difficult. The ATHENA 2D finite element simulation code was developed to help understand the various physical phenomena at play. In this paper, we shall describe the attenuation model implemented in this code to give an account of wave scattering phenomenon through polycrystalline materials. This model is in particular based on the optimization of two tensors that characterize this material on the basis of experimental values of ultrasonic velocities attenuation coefficients. Three experimental configurations, two of which are representative of the industrial welds assessment case, are studied in view of validating the model through comparison with the simulation results. We shall thus provide a quantitative proof that taking into account the attenuation in the ATHENA code dramatically improves the results in terms of the amplitude of the echoes. The association of the code and detailed characterization of a weld’s structure constitutes a remarkable breakthrough in the interpretation of the ultrasonic testing on this type of component.     

Measurements of velocity and attenuation of leaky waves using an ultrasonic array

A new method of measuring velocity and attenuation of leaky surface waves is presented. A single focused transmitting transducer and linear receiving array in a pitch-catch arrangement are used in the proposed system. The spatial distribution of the acoustic field in the leaky wave is recorded by the array, and the parameters of the leaky wave can be obtained by processing the output waveforms. In comparison with existing material characterization systems, the mechanical scanning of the transducers is not used any more, and the measurement time is only limited by the time of the wave propagation and speed of the electronic data acquisition system.     

Ultrasonic wave propagation in heterogeneous solid media: theoretical analysis and experimental validation

This research deals with the ultrasonic characterization of thermal damage in concrete. This damage leads to the appearance of microcracks which then evolve in terms of volume rate and size in the material. The scattering of ultrasonic waves from the inclusions is present in this type of medium. The propagation of the longitudinal wave in the heterogeneous media is studied via a homogenization model that integrates the multiple scattering of waves. The model allows us to determine the phase velocity and the attenuation according to the elements which make the medium. Simulations adapted to the concrete are developed in order to test the responses of the model. These behaviors are validated by an experimental study: the measurements of phase velocity and attenuation are performed in immersion, with a comparison method, on a frequency domain which ranges from 160 kHz to 1.3 MHz. The analysis of different theoretical and experimental results obtained on cement-based media leads to the model validation, on the phase velocity behavior, in the case of a damage simulated by expanded polystyrene spheres in granular media. The application to the case of a thermally damaged concrete shows a good qualitative agreement for the changes in velocity and attenuation.     

Acoustic coupling between the loudspeaker and the resonator in a standing-wave thermoacoustic device

Thermoacoustic refrigerators work with high amplitude sound waves, which are often created using an acoustic source coupled to a resonator. This coupling can be calculated analytically using linear acoustic equations and a linear model of the loudspeaker. This paper makes a comparison between such a coupling and measurements obtained in a large-scale thermoacoustic resonator constructed at the University of Manchester. The resonator was driven from low to large pressure amplitudes, with drive ratios up to 10%. It is shown that a good agreement is obtained for small amplitudes and this progressively worsens as the amplitude is increased. In the absence of wave harmonics and loudspeaker nonlinearities, the increasing discrepancy is attributed to the presence of minor losses.     

Impact of localized inhomogeneity on the surface-wave velocity and bulk-wave reflection in solids

The effect of a weak surface, near-surface and interfacial inhomogeneity on the frequency dependence of the surface wave velocity and of the SH (shear horizontal) wave reflectivity in isotropic elastic media is studied analytically and numerically. The inhomogeneity is modeled as an infinite planar layer with continuously varying properties. Weak inhomogeneity may markedly affect the dispersion of the Rayleigh velocity and especially of the reflectivity. It is demonstrated how this effect, particularly pronounced at high frequency, depends on the extent of inhomogeneity. The material data for damaged and ideal concrete and several simple examples of inhomogeneity profiles are utilized for the numerical calculations based on the Peano expansion. The use of explicit low- and high-frequency approximations is also exemplified. Among these, simple WKB asymptotics are shown to be particularly helpful for the Rayleigh velocity in the case of a prominent inhomogeneity attached to the surface and for the reflection on weak interfaces.     

Air-coupled ultrasound stimulated optical vibrometry for resonance analysis of rubber tubes

Air-coupled ultrasound stimulated optical vibrometry is proposed to generate and detect the resonances of a rubber tube in air. Amplitude-modulated (AM) focused ultrasound radiation force from a broadband air-coupled ultrasound transducer with center frequency of 500 kHz is used to generate a low frequency vibration in the tube. The resonances of several modes of the tube are measured with a laser vibrometer of 633 nm wavelength. A wave propagation approach is used to calculate the resonances of the tube from its known material properties. Theoretical and experimental resonance frequencies agree within 5%. This method may be useful in measuring the in vitro elastic properties of arteries from the resonance measurements in air. It may also be helpful to better understand the coupling effects of the surrounding tissue and interior blood on the vessel wall by measuring the resonance of the vessel in vitro and in vivo.     

Improving the transient response of a bolt-clamped Langevin transducer using a parallel resistor

This paper suggests a parallel resistor to reduce DC time constant and DC response time of the transient response, induced immediately after an AC voltage connected to a bolt-clamped Langevin transducer (BLT) is switched off. An equivalent circuit is first expressed. Then, an open-circuit transient response at the terminals induced by initial states is derived and measured, and thus parameters for losses of the BLT device are estimated by DC and AC time constants of the transient response. Moreover, a driving and measuring system is designed to determine transient response and steady-state responses of the BLT device, and a parallel resistor is connected to the BLT device to reduce the DC time constant. Experimental results indicate that the DC time constant greatly exceeds the AC time constant without the parallel resistor, and greatly decreases from 42 to 1 ms by a 100-kOmega parallel resistor.     

A concise and efficient scattering matrix formalism for stable analysis of elastic wave propagation in multilayered anisotropic solids

This paper presents a concise and efficient scattering matrix formalism for stable analysis of elastic wave propagation in multilayered anisotropic solids. The formalism is capable of resolving completely the numerical instability problems associated with transfer matrix method, thereby obviating the extensive reformulation in its modified versions based on delta operator technique. In contrast to the earlier reflection matrix formalisms, all scattering matrices are obtained in a direct manner without invoking wave-propagator or scatterer operator concepts. Both local and global reflection and transmission matrices corresponding to scatterings in two and more layers are derived. The derivation of global scattering matrices in terms of the local ones is carried out concisely based on physical arguments to provide better insights into scattering mechanism. Another formulation which is even more succinct is also devised for obtaining the global scattering matrices directly from eigensolutions. The resultant expressions and algorithm are terse, efficient and convenient for implementation.     

Parameter measurement of the cylindrically curved thin layer using low-frequency circumferential Lamb waves

The characteristic parameters of a cylindrically curved thin layer include its elastic constants, thickness and curved radius. A layer is considered thin if the echoes from the front and back surfaces of the layer cannot be separated in the time domain, and/or that the wave arrivals corresponding to longitudinal and shear wave part cannot be identified in the time or space domain. This paper describes a low-frequency circumferential Lamb wave method to characterize those parameters of a cylindrically curved thin layer. The technique is based on the measurement of circumferential Lamb wave phase velocity and the unknown parameter is estimated through minimizing the mean square error obtained by comparing theoretical and experimental phase velocities. The sensitivity and accuracy of the proposed technique to different parameters are analyzed. Using the present technique, a cylindrically curved thin layer with thickness down to ten percent of the longitudinal wavelength can be successfully measured with an average relative error less than two-percent in our experiment.