Embodiments include a novel, easy to install, non-intrusive, ultrasonic water flow meter with a self-calibrating three-piezoelectric transducer configuration attached externally to a water pipe, that allows for accurate measurement of water flow, and can provide the flow data to a remote system for billing and further analysis. The water flow data can further be analyzed for water consumption by individual fixtures, in support of conservation and usage management efforts.

Described are a transducer made of at least three transducer elements which approximate a sector of an elementary wave with a virtual point source, and a transducer arrangement with three transducers made of at least three transducer elements, wherein the transducers, in the cross section, are disposed along the shorter base and the two non-parallel legs of a virtual trapezoid. Moreover, the invention relates to an ultrasonic probe system comprising the transducer arrangement according to the invention and an inspection method using a transducer made of at least three transducer elements, with the number of transducer elements experiencing a virtual increase.

It is disclosed a method and device for testing a plate material (1) for the presence of pits and holes (3), said method including the steps of:

transmitting an acoustical signal from a transmitting transducer (2) facing the plate material (1) and positioned in a distance from the plate material, the frequency of the transmitted signal and the angle of incidence of the signal towards the plate material being adapted to promote the formation of Lamb signals in the plate material, receiving an acoustical signal returned from the plate material in a receiving transducer (4) also facing the plate material at a distance from the material, the receiving transducer (4) being located in a distance from said transmitting transducer (2) along the direction of the plate material, time gating the received signal identifying a tail part (8) carrying information from Lamb signals travelling in the material, and determining the energy content in said Lamb mode part of the signal.

An in-line ultrasonic fruit quality detection system having a support arch located above the process line perpendicularly, on which 2 transducers are fixed; a detection unit coupled to the support arch with a piezoelectric transmitter and an oscillation band, directed towards the center of the process line; a control unit with an analog wave receiving module; an A/D converter; and a microcontroller; a synchronization rotary encoder located under the process line, connected to the control unit of the detection unit; the encoder is coupled to a discard unit for removing from the process line of the fruits that were detected with defect; and a wave generator connected to the control unit.

An ultrasonic probe (1) sends out ultrasound waves to a steel sheet (100) obliquely at a plurality of angles, using transmission signals provided from a transmission signal processing unit (3a). In addition, the ultrasonic probe (1) receives echoes corresponding to the plurality of angles from the steel sheet (100). A reception signal processing unit (3b) determines amplitudes of the echoes received by the ultrasonic probe (1) and corresponding to the plurality of angles, and periods of time from when the ultrasound waves are sent out until the echoes are received, as reception times, and identifies a location of a flaw (101) in the steel sheet (100) from the reception times and a ratio between the amplitudes.

An ultrasonic probe comprises a transmitting transducer, a receiving transducer, an absorber, a transmitting and receiving transducer including a transmitting unit and a receiving unit, and a wedge. The wedge includes a first holding part holding the transmitting transducer, a second holding part holding the receiving transducer, an absorber holding part disposed between the first holding part and the second holding part and holding the absorber, and a third holding part disposed on the opposite side of the first holding part from the absorber holding part and holding the transmitting and receiving transducer at an angle allowing ultrasound transmitted from the transmitting and receiving transducer to propagate as surface waves along a surface area of a test object.

The invention relates, in a first aspect, to a method for inspecting an object, in particular a pipeline, for flaws, comprising: emitting a first signal toward the object in a first direction by means of a first ultrasonic transducer; and receiving a first response signal coming from the object from a second direction by means of a second ultrasonic transducer, wherein the first direction and the second direction are different from each other.

Method is provided for determining the extent of defects, in particular of crack depths, in a test specimen. At least one transmitting transducer excites sound waves in the ultrasonic range, and the sound waves propagate in the form of a sound beam. The acoustic axis of the sound beam preferably forms an angle the normal to a surface of the test specimen facing the transmitting transducer. The sound waves couple into the test specimen obliquely and are reflected in particular in a V-shaped manner at a preferably outer interface of the test specimen. At least one receiving transducer spaced apart from the transmitting transducer receives the sound waves reflected at the interface of the test specimen. By means of an evaluation unit, an extent of a defect arranged within a sound path is determined from a reduction of the amplitude of the sound waves received by the receiving transducer. The transmitting transducer and the receiving transducer are guided past the test specimen at an at least substantially constant distance therefrom, and the sound waves are coupled into the test specimen with an advance section via a liquid medium. A device for detecting signals based on defects in a test specimen is also provided.

A device for examining the interior of a pipe using multi-element ultrasound technology, finding application in the detection of defects in the wall of a tubular pipe or the verification of the characteristics of the wall of a tubular pipe is disclosed. The device is designed to be placed inside a fluid transport pipe and to move under the action of the transported fluid, to detect defects in, or check characteristics of, the wall of the pipe. The device has a circumference and comprises a plurality of ultrasonic sensors distributed over its circumference and each formed by a plurality of transmitters and a plurality of reception antennas. The device also includes an electronic controller configured to control each sensor and to receive and record the information measured by the sensors.

A dual probe assembly comprises dual transducers which are free to rotate over a desired range of roof angles required for different inspection applications. The roof angle for a particular application is defined by attaching the dual probe assembly to a wedge assembly having an upper contact surface which defines the roof angle of the transducers.