Processing an acoustic microscope’s spatiotemporal signal to determine the parameters of an isotropic layer

This paper presents a method for measuring the thickness and velocities of body waves and the density of an isotropic layer by a pulse scanning acoustic microscope. The method is based on recording the microscope signal as a function of the displacement magnitude of the focused ultrasonic transducer along its axis perpendicular to the sample surface and on the decomposition of the recorded 2D spatiotemporal signal into the spectrum of plane pulse waves. The velocities of the longitudinal and transverse waves and the layer’s thickness are calculated from the relative delays of the components of the spectrum of plane waves reflected from the surfaces of the layer and the density is computed by the amplitudes of these components. An experimental investigation of a test sample in the form of a glass plate carried out in the 50-MHz range shows that the error in measuring the thickness and velocities of body waves does not exceed 1% and the density measurement error does not exceed 10%.     

Determination of isotropic layer parameters from spatiotemporal signals of an ultrasonic array

The paper discusses a method for measuring the velocities and attenuation of longitudinal and transverse ultrasonic waves and the density and thickness of the isotropic layer with an array placed in an immersion liquid parallel to the sample. The method is based on the recording of the total spatiotemporal signal of the array and its expansion into a spatial spectrum of pulse plane wave response. The ultrasonic velocity and sample thickness depend on the response delay of the plane wave in the layer from the transverse projection of the slowness vector. The density and attenuation are determined from the behavior of the amplitudes of spectral responses. To confirm this method in experiment, the parameters of a polystyrene plate have been measured using a linear 32-element array with a central frequency of 17 MHz.     

Determination of the parameters of a linear-viscoelastic thin layer using the normally-incident ultrasonic waves

This paper proposes a method of simultaneous determination of the four layer parameters (mass density,longitudinal velocity,the thickness and attenuation) of an immersed linear-viscoelastic thin layer by using the normally-incident reflected and transmitted ultrasonic waves.The analytical formula of the layer thickness related to the measured transmitted transfer functions is derived.The two determination steps of the four layer parameters are developed,in which acoustic impedance,time-of-flight and attenuation are first determined by the reflected transfer functions.Using the derived formula,it successively calculates and determines the layer thickness,longitudinal velocity and mass density by the measured transmitted transfer functions.According to the two determination steps,a more feasible and simplified measurement setups is described.It is found that only three signals (the reference waves,the reflected and transmitted waves) need to be recorded in the whole measurement for the determination of the four layer parameters.A study of the stability of the determination method against the experimental noises and the error analysis of the four layer parameters are made.This study lays the theoretical foundation of the practical measurement of a linear-viscoelastic thin layer.     

Acoustic method for obtaining the pressure reflection coefficient using a half-wave layer

This paper describes a method for obtaining the pressure reflection coefficient by using a half-wave layer. Two transducers were placed in reference liquid and test liquid respectively. The reference and test liquid were separated by the thin half-wave layer. Both transducers could operate in two modes. One acted as a transmitter and worked in pulse-echo mode, and the other operated in receiver mode. By adjusting the frequency of drive signal according to the thickness and material property of the half-wave layer, it was possible to generate the maximum interference signal of multiple waves reflected at the two interfaces of the layer. Therefore, the amplitude of reflection wave in steady-state depended only on the reflection coefficient at the interface between the half-wave layer and the test liquid. The effects of the signal-to-noise-ratio and the half-wave layer attenuation on the uncertainty characteristics of the pressure reflection coefficient were discussed. The experimental results showed high accuracy for measurement of reflection coefficient.     

Linear wave interaction at the charged fluid-fluid interface under tangential discontinuity of the velocity field

Capillary wave flow in a two-layer fluid with the upper layer moving parallel to the charged interface at a constant velocity is treated within a linear mathematical model. Interaction between waves excited on the free surface of the upper layer and at the interface results not only in classical Kelvin-Helmholtz instability (at low velocities of the upper layer) but also in oscillatory instability of the interface. The instability increment depends on the fluid density ratio, translational velocity, and charge density at the interface.     

Leaky Rayleigh wave investigation on mortar samples

Aggressive mineralized ground water may harm the concrete cover of tunnels and other underground constructions. Within a current research project mortar samples are used to study the effects of sulfate interaction in accelerated laboratory experiments. A nondestructive test method based on ultrasonic surface waves was developed to investigate the topmost layer of mortar samples. A pitch and catch arrangement is introduced for the generation and reception of leaky Rayleigh waves in an immersion technique allowing the measurement of their propagation velocity. The technique has been successfully verified for the reference materials aluminium, copper, and stainless steel. First measurements performed on mortar specimens demonstrate the applicability of this new diagnostic tool.     

Laser ultrasonic characterization of adhesive bonds between epoxy coating and aluminum substrate

Nanosecond pulsed laser irradiation through transparent epoxy bonded to aluminum substrate excites wide-band ultrasonic waves at the bonded interface. The normal displacements on the rear surface of aluminum produced by the direct and multi-reflected longitudinal waves in the coating layer are detected by a laser interferometer. The amplitude of the reflected signal depends on the properties of the coating/substrate interface, which is described by terms of the interfacial stiffness using a spring boundary model. The waveforms at the epicenter versus interfacial stiffness are simulated and found to be in good agreement with experimental results. The relation between the interfacial stiffness and the amplitude ratio of the reflected and direct waves is thus established. An image of amplitude ratio of a specimen (null 10 mm) is obtained from the epicenter waveforms recorded by a laser ultrasonic scanning system, which shows the distribution of bond quality on the bonding interface.     

Detection of bone disease with ultrasound--comparison with bone densitometry

A system for ultrasonic in-vivo examination of a heel bone (calcaneus) was developed. When operating in transmission mode, the system can measure broadband ultrasonic attenuation-BUA, speed of sound--SOS and thickness of bone. BUA and SOS are measured by comparing the pulses transmitted through the heel with the reference pulse transmitted through water. In our approach, we operate in the backscattered mode in addition to transmission. The backscattered ultrasonic technique for bone characterization is very promising because the magnitude of backscattered waves depends on the scattering cross-section of a trabecular structure that, to some extent, describes the microarchitecture of a calcaneus. Additionally, when the backscattered and transmitted signals are compared, some of the signal distortions caused by tissue and bone interfaces are reduced. A set of data representing signals transmitted through the heel and reflected inside a calcaneus for patients with osteoporosis was collected. Several signal-processing techniques were applied in order to smooth the backscattered signal and to calculate a trabecular structure cros-section (TSC) function. Results obtained by these approaches along with a spectral shift method and a standard BUA measurement are presented and compared to X-ray bone mineral density determination results.     

基于深度学习的材料超声回波衰减预测方法

材料超声回波衰减是评价材料均匀一致性的常用方法, 针对具有复杂结构的航空发动机盘件难以进行材料底面超声回波衰减评价的问题, 本文提出了利用超声背散射波信号直接预测底面回波衰减的方法。采用10MHz聚焦探头进行超声背散射波数据的采集, 利用深度学习技术构建和训练模型,建立了基于深度学习的材料底面回波衰减预测方法, 同时讨论了采用不同信号形式的超声波信号分类识别模型的准确率差异。研究发现：基于深度学习技术可实现通过超声背散射波预测材料的底面回波衰减, 预测结果和实际底面回波衰减试验结果具有良好的一致性。     

非均匀流体介质内部散射声场重建的逐层计算方法*

入射声波激励下非均匀流体介质内部散射声场的重建方法对超声层析成像具有重要意义。以往采用矩量法求解,但该方法全域离散形成的复数满秩矩阵规模随着分辨率与计算精度的提高而急剧增大,对算力具有很高的要求,一定程度上限制了其在实际中的应用。为克服上述缺陷,本文以逐层离散、逐层计算为核心思想,以声散射基本公式与近场声全息理论为基础,推导出逐层计算非均匀流体介质内部散射声场的理论公式并给出对应的几何离散模型。为验证该方法的可行性,以矩量法为参照,对同样的介质模型进行介质内部声场重构仿真。结果表明,逐层算法不仅可以有效地重建非均匀流体介质内部散射声场,且大幅度减小了求解规模。     

Ultrasonic characterization of a fluid layer using a broadband transducer

A measurement method is proposed for the ultrasonic characterization of a fluid layer, corresponding to the resin transfer molding (RTM) manufacturing process. The ultrasonic velocity and attenuation of the silicone oil are measured in three samples having different viscosities. The measurement method is established on the basis of the attenuation of ultrasonic waves in fluids. A correction of the beam diffraction is implemented to improve measurement precision. A single element transducer with central frequency of 15 MHz is used. The tested fluids simulate the industrial resin used to manufacture composite materials. When injecting this resin, its viscosity increases until it reaches a critical state of polymerization. In this paper we focus on ultrasonic characterization of three fluids representing three intermediate cases of fluid resin during its injection before reaching the polymerization state.     

The effect of boundary conditions on guided wave propagation in two-dimensional models of healing bone

Guided wave propagation has recently drawn significant interest in the ultrasonic characterization of bone. In this work, we present a two-dimensional computational study of ultrasound propagation in healing bones aiming at monitoring the fracture healing process. In particular, we address the effect of fluid loading boundary conditions on the characteristics of guided wave propagation, using both time and time-frequency (t-f) signal analysis techniques, for three study cases. In the first case, the bone was assumed immersed in blood which occupied the semi-infinite spaces of the upper and lower surfaces of the plate. In the second case, the bone model was assumed to have the upper surface loaded by a 2mm thick layer of blood and the lower surface loaded by a semi-infinite fluid with properties close to those of bone marrow. The third case, involves a three-layer model in which the upper surface of the plate was again loaded by a layer of blood, whereas the lower surface was loaded by a 2mm layer of a fluid which simulated bone marrow. The callus tissue was modeled as an inhomogeneous material and fracture healing was simulated as a three-stage process. The results clearly indicate that the application of realistic boundary conditions has a significant effect on the dispersion of guided waves when compared to simplified models in which the bone's surfaces are assumed free.     

Ultrasonic measurement of gas flow using electrostatic transducers

Ultrasonic gas flowmeters typically use narrowband piezoelectric transducer arrangements for interrogating the flow of gas in a pipe. In this work, the suitability of broadband electrostatic transducers operating at frequencies of up to 1 MHz for ultrasonic measurement of gas flow has been investigated. The transit time method of ultrasonic gas flow measurement was adopted and experiments were carried out using a laboratory test rig capable of producing a range of gas flowrates up to 17.5 m/s. The test rig also allowed easy interchange of different prototype flowmetering sections. Times of flight of ultrasonic waves interrogating the gas flow were measured using separate send/receive electrostatic transducer arrangements. Two flowmeter configurations were considered. The first interrogated the flow at 45 degrees in contra-propagating upstream and downstream directions. The second consisted of an up-stream interrogation at 45 degrees to the gas flow and an interrogation made normal to the flow direction. k factors correlating the fluid velocity along the ultrasonic path with the mean fluid velocity in the pipe were calculated using experimental ultrasonic data and anemometer measurements. All transducer configurations were numerically modelled using the computational fluid dynamics software package FLOTRAN (ANSYS Inc.). Theoretical gas flow velocities for both transducer arrangements were subsequently compared with experimental values and found to be in excellent agreement. A flow-dependent frequency shift of the received ultrasonic signals was also observed simultaneously with the transit time measurement.     

Pulse-echo NDT of adhesively bonded joints in automotive assemblies

A new method for the detection of void-disbonds at the interfaces of adhesively bonded joins is considered. Based on a simple plane wave model, the output waveform is presented as a sum of two responses associated with the reflection of the ultrasonic wave at the first metal-adhesive interface and the second metal-adhesive interface, respectively. The strong response produced by the wave reverberating in the first metal sheet is eliminated through comparison between the pulse-echo signal measured at the area under the test and reference waveform recorded for the bare first metal sheet outside of the joint. The developed decomposition algorithm has been applied to the study of steel and aluminum samples having various adhesive layer thicknesses in a range of 0.1-1mm.     

Nondestructive evaluation of cylindrical parts using laser ultrasonics

We applied the laser ultrasonic technique for detecting surface breaking slots in steel cylinders (25 mm in diameter). The observation of the detected signal over a long time (500 micros), shows that the interaction of the two contra-propagating incident Rayleigh waves reinforce the echoes coming from the defect. These echoes are slowly growing with time whereas the main signals decrease. This energy transfer occurring at each revolution of the waves around the cylinder allows the detection of cracks having a depth (h approximately 80 microm), very small compared to the Rayleigh wavelength (lambda approximately 2 mm). The evaluation of the material was performed by processing the detected signal in a sliding time window. A cross-correlation is made either between a reference signal and the signal from the tested sample or between two signals probed for two different positions of the sample. In both cases, the slope of the cross-correlation coefficient versus the number of turns is proportional to the depth of the slot.     

Digital ultrasonic speckle phase-shifting method

The digital ultrasonic speckle phase-shifting method (USPM), which is introduced in this paper, can be applied to the measurement of small displacement that is smaller than speckle size at the test point compared to traditional ultrasonic speckle correlation method (USCM). Using USPM, a digital ultrasonic reference signal is introduced to interfere with the ultrasonic speckle signal, which is picked up at the test point on an object surface and is referred to as the object signal. As the phase of the reference signal is shifted several times using the software and then they superimpose with the object signal respectively, the phase of the object signal can be calculated according to the intensities of the superimposed signals. If the object surface moves a small distance, the phase variation of the object speckle can be detected by the same process. As a result, the displacement of the object surface can be measured. Based on the feature of ultrasonic speckles, inner surface displacement of an object can be measured using this proposed method. In this case, the effect of outer surface roughness to the measurement accuracy of USPM is examined experimentally. The experimental results show that the measurement is successful when the displacement is smaller than half of the speckle size at the test point and the roughness parameter R_a of the outer surface of the specimen is less than about 5.47 μm.     

套管-水泥界面微间隙厚度的低频超声反演方法

研究了应用低频超声垂直入射反射波实现套管-水泥界面流体微间隙薄层厚度的反演方法。应用灵敏度函数比较分析了分层系统反射谱各阶谐振频率处的相位跳变量较之各阶谐振频率作为反演特征量的优势。通过目标函数分析,选取分层系统3~10阶谐振频率处相位跳变量作为特征量,利用BP神经网络实验获得0.1~1.0 mm内不同间隙层厚度的反演结果。反演结果与真实值的平均相对误差为4.6%,最小反演厚度仅为波长的18%。所选取的相位特征量也可用于其它层状高声阻抗介质下的薄层厚度反演。      

单泡超声空化仿真模型的建立及其动力学过程模拟*

为了模拟单泡超声空化的动力学特性,建立了单泡超声空化的有限元仿真模型,基于流体动力学控制方程和流体体积分数模型,利用有限元分析软件模拟了超声驱动下水中单泡的空化动力学过程。结果表明:单泡随时间的演化规律是先缓慢膨胀到最大后迅速塌缩;泡内压强与气体密度变化与单泡体积变化成反比;在膨胀阶段,泡外压强与气体密度沿着泡的径向向外递减;在压缩阶段,泡外在声压垂直方向的压强与气体密度要大于声压激励方向的压强和气体密度。该文分析结果将为超声空化动力学过程模拟及研究提供参考。     

Second-order random wave solutions for interfacial internal waves in N-layer density-stratified fluid

This paper studies the random internal wave equations describing the density interface displacements and the velocity potentials of N-layer stratified fluid contained between two rigid walls at the top and bottom. The density interface displacements and the velocity potentials were solved to the second-order by an expansion approach used by Longuet-Higgins （1963） and Dean （1979） in the study of random surface waves and by Song （2004） in the study of second- order random wave solutions for internal waves in a two-layer fluid. The obtained results indicate that the first-order solutions are a linear superposition of many wave components with different amplitudes, wave numbers and frequencies, and that the amplitudes of first-order wave components with the same wave numbers and frequencies between the adjacent density interfaces are modulated by each other. They also show that the second-order solutions consist of two parts： the first one is the first-order solutions, and the second one is the solutions of the second-order asymptotic equations, which describe the second-order nonlinear modification and the second-order wave-wave interactions not only among the wave components on same density interfaces but also among the wave components between the adjacent density interfaces. Both the first-order and second-order solutions depend on the density and depth of each layer. It is also deduced that the results of the present work include those derived by Song （2004） for second-order random wave solutions for internal waves in a two-layer fluid as a particular case.     

Laser-induced ultrasonic waves in steels with gradient changes of elastic property

Taking account of the gradient changes of the near-surface elastic property, a model of multiple gradient layers on a semi-infinite substrate is established. A finite element method (FEM) model is developed to simulate the laser-induced thermo-elastic generation and propagation of acoustic waves in the system. The two-dimensional fast Fourier transform (2-D FFT) method has been used to analyze the ultrasonic signal. The phase velocity dispersion is obtained for a number of waves of different modes obtained and is analyzed in systems with different spatial variations of the material elastic properties and different affected layer depths. The model can be used to extract the elastic parameters of the near-surface regions in an effective way.