A matrix array transducer probe has a two dimensional array of transducer elements coupled to adjustable delays for each element. A controllable switch matrix combines a plurality of differently delayed element signals to form a patch signal and produces a plurality of patch signals in this manner. The switch matrix determines the patch configuration in consideration of the number of channels of a system beamformer which completes the beamformation, and the element delays are set in consideration of the configuration of the elements to be used in each patch. Patch signal formation may be done in two stages, including a stage which includes a hard-wired signal combiner. The matrix array probe can be operated with differently sized system beamformers or the same transducer stack used in different probes configured for specific beamformer configurations.

Method and system are disclosed for characterizing and quantifying composite laminate structures. The method and system take a composite laminate of unknown ply stack composition and sequence and determine various information about the individual plies, such as ply stack, orientation, microstructure, and type. The method and system distinguishes between weave types that exhibit similar planar stiffness behaviors, but which produce different failure mechanisms. Individual ply information then is used to derive the laminate bulk properties from externally provided constitutive properties of the fiber and matrix, including extensional stiffness, bending-extension coupling stiffness, bending stiffness, and the like. The laminate bulk properties are then used to generate a probabilistic failure envelope for the composite laminate. This provides the ability to perform non-destructive QA to ensure that individual lamina layup was accomplished according to specifications, and results are used to identify numerous laminate properties beyond purely structural ones.

A mixed-domain analysis method for evaluation of ultrasonic inspection data is disclosed. A return signal of an ultrasonic waveform applied to an article under inspection is received. The return signal is digitally processed to generate a mixed-domain spectrogram of the return signal. The mixed-domain spectrogram plots ranges of a frequency of the return signal, a time of flight of the return signal, and a power spectral density of the return signal. A data gate having ranges of frequency and time of flight that define an area of interest in the mixed-domain spectrogram is set. At least one of a material characteristic and an anomaly characteristic of the article under inspection is identified based on evaluating one or more time-frequency characteristics of the article under inspection in the area of interest.

Methods and devices for imaging wells using ultrasound is described. The devices include a modular imaging device having a telemetry module and a radial imaging module and/or forward imaging module. The radial imaging module includes a ring shaped phased array ultrasonic transducer array for generating images on the length of a wellbore. Various lens and housing configurations for the radial imaging module are described. The forward imaging module includes an ultrasonic transducer comprising one or more elements and having an adjustable viewpoint for generating images of obstructions found in a wellbore. Advanced imaging modes for a radial imaging module include multiple aperture and spiral wave imaging mode.

One aspect of a process to inspect a composite component includes traversing multiple ultrasonic probe array portions on respective multiple component surfaces of the composite component. The multiple component surfaces are either separate from or at angles to each other. The process includes simultaneously passing an ultrasonic signal into the multiple component surfaces through the multiple ultrasonic probe array portions. The process also includes receiving a response to the ultrasonic signal through the multiple ultrasonic probe array portions.

According to one embodiment, a structure evaluation system according to an embodiment includes a plurality of sensors, a position locator, a corrector, and an evaluator. The plurality of sensors detect elastic waves generated from a structure. The position locator locates the position of a generation sources of a plurality of elastic waves on the basis of the plurality of elastic waves detected by the plurality of sensors. The corrector corrects information based on the position locating performed by the position locator using a correction value set in correspondence with an impact. The evaluator evaluates a deterioration state of the structure on the basis of the corrected information.

A method for imaging a wellbore in a spiral wave imaging mode using a phased array ultrasonic radial imaging probe having an annular transducer array comprising a plurality of elements, the method comprising the steps of a) pulsing a first element in the transducer array that forms part of a first sequence of elements, b) pulsing a second element that forms part of the first sequence of elements, c) repeating steps a) and b) for each element in the first sequence with a time delay between steps a) and b), d) receiving signals for each element in the first sequence, e) applying time delays to the received signals to achieve virtual beamforming and form imaging data, f) repeating steps a) to e) for additional sequences of elements in the transducer array, and g) coherently summing the imaging data from each sequence to form a 3D image of the wellbore.

A non-destructive testing and inspection (NDT/NDI) system and method operable to conduct an ultrasonic scanning test on a test object that synchronizes and merges the apertures of two or more NDT sub-instruments in frequency and phase. Disclosed are a method of using a Phased Lock Loop (PLL) as a synchronizing clock/trigger generator, and also a method of using a General Positioning Clock (GPS) and a pulse per second (PPS) output. Both methods combine ultrasonic scanning data acquisition from two or more NDT sub-instruments, and transform the sub-instruments into one bigger NDT instrument.

A method for monitoring a laser optical unit of a laser system includes guiding a laser beam through the laser optical unit, performing a first measurement of vibrations arising in the laser optical unit, structure-borne sound arising in the laser optical unit, and/or sound arising in the laser optical unit by using a sensor, and generating an output of the first measurement, and/or an output of a change of the vibrations, of the structure-borne sound, and/or of the sound.

An apparatus for monitoring a mechanical system comprising a moving surface arranged to undertake periodic motion, the periodic motion having a time period. The apparatus comprises a controller configured to: control a first transducer to emit acoustic waves onto the moving surface during first and second time periods of the periodic motion; receive signals generated by the first transducer or a second transducer, wherein the received signals represent one or both of i) reflections of the acoustic waves from the moving surface and ii) acoustic waves having travelled through the mechanical system; process the received signals to obtain at least one first measurement indicative of a signal received during the first time period, and to obtain at least one second measurement indicative of a signal received during the second time period; compare the at least one first measurement with the at least one second measurement to determine a change of a property of the mechanical system.