Patent classifications
G01N2291/044
METHODOLOGY AND APPLICATION OF ACOUSTIC DETECTION OF OPTICAL INTEGRITY
Acoustic optical integrity detection system architectures and methods can be used to detect optical integrity of an optical component by detecting a discontinuity on and/or in the optical component (e.g., on the optical surface and/or within the bulk of the optical component). In some examples, integrity detection can be used to ensure safety compliance of an optical system, optionally including a laser. Acoustic integrity detection can utilize transducers (e.g., piezoelectric transducers) to transmit ultrasonic waves along an optical surface and/or through the thickness of an optical component. A discontinuity of the optical surface can interact with the transmitted wave causing attenuation, redirection and/or reflection of at least a portion of the transmitted wave. Portions of the transmitted wave energy after interaction with the discontinuity can be measured to determine discontinuity location, type, and/or severity.
ULTRASOUND BATTERY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS (U-BMS), AND ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEMS EMPLOYING U-BMS
An energy storage system can comprise a stack of multiple battery modules, a plurality of ultrasound emitter transducers, a plurality of ultrasound receiving transducers, one or more excitation modules, one or more capture modules, and an ultrasound battery management system. Each ultrasound emitter transducer and each ultrasound receiving transducer can be acoustically coupled to a surface of a respective one of the battery modules. The excitation module(s) can be electrically interfaced with the plurality of ultrasound emitter transducers, and the capture module(s) can be electrically interface with the plurality of ultrasound receiving transducers. The ultrasound battery management system controller can be configured to initiate battery module ultrasound interrogation sequences.
Method for ultrasonic inspection of structure having radiused surface using multi-centric radius focusing
Multi-centric radius focusing is used to inspect a radiused surface of a radiused part having a varying radius without mechanically adjusting the array sensor. A plurality of focal laws are designed to electronically steer and focus ultrasound at respective focal points corresponding to centers of curvature of a simulated radiused surface having a varying radius. The mechanical probe that carries the array sensor is located to two physical places that are outside of the radiused area and have a spatial relationship that varies less than the radius of the radiused surface varies. As the probe is moved along the radiused part, the probe maintains the array sensor at a constant location relative to the radiused part. As the array sensor scans the radiused part, the array sensor is electronically adjusted to focus at the respective focal points in sequence.
Active Temperature Compensation Technique for Structural Health Monitoring Sensors
A system and method for detecting an anomaly in a structure using an adaptive filter to compensate for variations in piezoelectric transducer performance due to environmental factors such as temperature. A first voltage signal having a first amplitude is sent to a reference piezoelectric actuator. Thereafter, a first reference voltage signal is received from a reference piezoelectric receiver which is acoustically coupled to detect the guided wave generated by the reference piezoelectric actuator. A second amplitude is determined using an optimization algorithm of an adaptive filter to compensate for nonlinear behavior of the reference piezoelectric actuator and receiver based on the first reference voltage signal. Then the adaptive filter sends a second voltage signal having the second amplitude to the reference and test piezoelectric actuators. Reference and test voltage signals are received from the reference and test piezoelectric receivers in response to the second voltage signal. A difference voltage signal representing differences between the reference and test voltage signals received is then recorded.
Ultrasonic transducer system and method for bi-modal system responses
A transducer system. The system comprises a transducer and circuitry for applying an excitation waveform to excite the transducer during an excitation period. The circuitry for applying has: (i) circuitry for applying a first waveform at a first frequency; and (ii) circuitry for applying a second waveform at a second frequency differing from the first frequency.
Non-destructive testing for tubular product having a complex shape
An automated device for non-destructive testing for the detection of defects of a complex tubular product includes at least one ultrasound transducer arranged to emit an ultrasound beam having an emission orientation. The automated device further includes control and processing electronics configured to define at least one ultrasound burst parameter as a function of the longitudinal and/or circumferential position of the ultrasound emission means, so as to detect defects in the tube wall. The at least one parameter being chosen from the burst emission orientation, the gain or the position of the temporal filter.
Ultrasonic packaging material flaw detection with time-limited response detection
A method, apparatus and program product may evaluate a packaging material to determine various metrics associated with the packaging material. A test apparatus may be used to evaluate packaging material using a take up drum capable of sensing containment force imparted upon the drum by packaging material applied thereto, and in some instances, simulated flaws may be formed in a web of packaging material to evaluate a packaging materials response to such flaws when under tension.
Method for the evaluation of adhesive bond strength via swept-frequency ultrasonic phase measurements
A method and system for ultrasonic testing of adhesion within a sample, which provides ultrasonic bursts of different frequencies to the sample and maintains a predetermined phase difference between echoes returned from the sample and representative reference signals of the bursts supplied to the sample until a spectrum of the phase differences versus frequency is obtained and from which properties of the adhesion at an interface reflecting the echoes are derivable.
Method for Evaluating Cleanliness of Steel Material
There is provided a method for evaluating the cleanliness of a steel material by an ultrasonic flaw detection method enabling rapid acquisition of highly reliable data. Ultrasonic flaw detection is performed to detect a flaw in at least one part in the range of 90% or more and 100% or less of a steel material (for example, round bar 2) at a radial position where the center of the steel material is set as 0% and the surface is set as 100%, and then the cleanliness is evaluated based on the dimension and the number of inclusions in the steel material obtained by the ultrasonic flaw detection.
DAMAGE EVALUATION DEVICE AND DAMAGE EVALUATION METHOD
A damage evaluation device includes: a phased array probe that irradiates an ultrasonic signal from a surface of an inspection metal toward an inside of the inspection metal and detects a reflection signal reflected in a predetermined region inside the inspection metal; and an arithmetic processor. The arithmetic processor sets planes parallel to each other in an inspection region, calculates pixel data by quantifying the reflection signal from segments set in each of the planes; calculates a scattering degree of the pixel data, and evaluates damage of the inspection metal based on the scattering degree.