Abstract:
An ultrasonic data analysis and display system for use with ultrasonic test apparatus. The ultrasonic analysis and display system includes a display that is divided into six different display formats, including a pulse echo, a time of flight display, an A-Scan, a horizontal and vertical B-Scan, and a control display. Each of the displays gives a different view of the ultrasonic test data obtained from a test part. When a portion of the ultrasonic data in any of the display formats is selected, the other display formats are automatically updated to reflect the operator's selections. The format of the displayed data can be changed to a half-wave positive, a half-wave negative, or a full-wave rectification. Distances within any of the display formats can be measured by selecting two data points. Also, different color palettes for displaying the ultrasonic data can be selected, and portions of the ultrasonic data displayed in the pulse echo or time of flight displays can be enlarged by zooming in on a selected portion.
Abstract:
Disclosed is a method for testing the photoinduced domain switching of ferroelectric ceramics using AE. A ferroelectric ceramic specimen 4 was tested for the AE signal and photovoltaic current upon application of light. Light emanating from a xenon lamp 1 is focused into a specimen 4 through a waveguide 2 and a lens 3. Raw AE signals are detected through an AE sensor 5. The output signals from the AE sensor 5 are forwarded to a bandpass filter 7 which filtered the signals. Then, the AE signals are amplified by 40 dB by a pre-amplifier 8 and further by 30 dB by an AET 5500 system 10 which is connected to a computer 9 for analyzing the signals. The AE events which show a peak amplitude greater than or as great as a predetermined threshold voltage are counted with respect to an irradiation period of time, followed by calculating an occurrence rate of the AE event counts. From these data, the activity of the photoinduced domain switching can be qualitatively evaluated. The energy of the AE signals is calculated from the formula: AE Energy(dB)=Peak Amplitude(dB)+10 log Duration Time(&mgr;s), so as to recognize the distributions of the energy. By investigating the types of domain switching which exist in the energy distributions, to which types of domain switching the AE signals are attributed can be determined.
Abstract:
A method and system is provided for enhanced ultrasonic detection and imaging of small defects inside or at the surface of an object. The Synthetic Aperture Focusing Technique (SAFT) has been used to improve the detectability and to enhance images in conventional ultrasonics and this method has recently been adapted to laser-ultrasonics. In the present invention, an improved version of the frequency-domain SAFT (F-SAFT) based on the angular spectrum approach is described. The method proposed includes temporal deconvolution of the waveform data to enhance both axial and lateral resolutions, control of the aperture and of the frequency bandwidth to improve signal-to-noise ratio, as well as spatial interpolation of the subsurface images. All the above operations are well adapted to the frequency domain calculations and embedded in the F-SAFT data processing. The aperture control and the spatial interpolation allow also a reduction of sampling requirements to further decrease both inspection and processing times. This method is of particular interest when ultrasound is generated by a laser and detected by either a contact ultrasonic transducer or a laser interferometer.
Abstract:
A method of detecting damage in a ferromagnetic workpiece such as a boiler tube positions a pair of EMAT coils adjacent to the workpiece at a non-zero angle with respect to one another. A spike pulse is applied to one of the EMAT coils for generating a horizontally polarized shear wave in the workpiece which is capable of being reflected by a flaw, and the amplitude of a reflected wave from any flaw is received at the other EMAT coil and analyzed and compared to a predetermined percent of an amplitude of a calibration standard flaw to establish the presence of the flaw.
Abstract:
An apparatus for detecting ultrasonic energy generated by a mechanical device and for applying lubricant to the device is presented. The apparatus includes a lubrication tool, such as a grease gun, which has a lubrication delivery element for delivering lubrication to the mechanical device. An ultrasonic transducer is contained in a housing which is removably attached to the outside of the lubrication delivery element such that the transducer makes acoustical contact with the lubrication tool. An electrical circuit, which may be attached to the lubrication device, produces an output signal which indicates the magnitude of detected ultrasonic energy. A method using such an ultrasonic energy detector in conjunction with a lubrication tool to detect the condition of a sealed mechanical rotating device and to determine when sufficient lubricant has been applied is also presented.
Abstract:
A transmit beamformer includes multiple transducers, each responsive to a respective transmit waveform to produce a respective transducer waveform. A transmit waveform generator generates the transmit waveforms, and the transmit waveforms each include multiple frequency components. Progressively higher frequency components of the transmit waveforms are timed to cause corresponding progressively higher frequency components of the transducer waveforms to focus along a line at progressively shorter ranges. In this way, a frequency dependent line focus is achieved.
Abstract:
An optical fiber coupled to a high power laser carries laser energy to la-activated sound generating materials disposed at intervals along its length. The sound-generating materials are acoustically coupled to an object or objects to be monitored. Acoustic reflections from the objects modulate the periods of Bragg gratings formed in a separate core of the fiber, or in the core of a separate fiber. The modulation of a Bragg grating period is detected as a Doppler shift in an interrogation beam reflected by the grating.
Abstract:
In an ultrasonic detecting method for a bearing ring in which a bearing ring 2 and an ultrasonic detection probe 3 are disposed within ultrasonic transmission medium such as water, then ultrasonic wave is transmitted from the ultrasonic detection probe 3 to the bearing ring 2, and a defect of the bearing ring 2 is detected on the basis of an ultrasonic wave echo reflected from the bearing ring 2, wherein at least a defect in a range from the surface of the bearing ring 2 to a position beneath by 2 mm from the surface of the bearing ring which is deeper than a maximum shearing stress position of the bearing ring 2 is detected by an angle beam method with an incident angle in a range of 10 to 30.degree., preferably in a range of 25 to 30.degree., and a defect in a range deeper than the range detected by the angle beam method is detected by a normal beam method with an incident angle in a range of 0 to 10.degree., preferably in a range of 0 to 5.degree., thereby to detect a defect in the entire section of the bearing ring 2.
Abstract:
A system and method for monitoring the dynamics of particle motion in a liquid-solid media including the rate of settling of particles, the identification of unsettled particle clouds, and the identification and control of the bed level of settled particles in a slurry within a settler is provided. The system includes an ultrasound transducer and a receiver for detecting echoes from particles in the slurry. The echoes are processed to determine the bed level of the settled particles, the position of unsettled particle clouds, and the rate of settling of the particle clouds.
Abstract:
A transmit beamformer includes multiple transducers, each responsive to a respective transmit waveform to produce a respective transducer waveform. A transmit waveform generator generates the transmit waveforms, and the transmit waveforms each include multiple frequency components. Progressively higher frequency components of the transmit waveforms are timed to cause corresponding progressively higher frequency components of the transducer waveforms to focus along a line at progressively shorter ranges. In this way, a frequency dependent line focus is achieved.