Using various techniques, a position of a probe assembly of a non-destructive inspection system, such as a phase array ultrasonic testing (PAUT) system, can be determined using the acoustic capability of the probe assembly and an inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensor, e.g., including a gyroscope and an accelerometer, without relying on a complex encoding mechanism. The IMU sensor can provide an estimate of a current location of the probe assembly, which can be confirmed by the probe assembly, using an acoustic signal. In this manner, the data acquired from the IMU sensor and the probe assembly can be used in a complementary manner.

Robotic systems for rapid ultrasonic surface inspection are described. An example system may have an inspection robot to move in a direction of travel on an inspection surface. The robot may have a payload with a first and a second ultrasonic (UT) phased array, and a rastering device that executes a reciprocating motion of the payload. The system may have an inspection controller with a positioning circuit to provide an inspection position command, an inspection circuit to provide a rastering position command and an interrogation command. The robot is responsive to the inspection position command to move to an inspection position, and the rastering device is responsive to the rastering position command to move the payload through at least a portion of a range of reciprocating motion. The UT phased arrays are responsive to the interrogation command to perform an inspection on three axes of inspection.

Methods, systems, and computer-readable storage media for performing high-resolution assessment of the condition of pipes of a fluid distribution system using in-bracket excitation. Acoustical impulses are generated in a pipe at two excitation locations along the pipe while signal data is recorded from two acoustic sensors, at least one of the excitation locations being located in-bracket of the two acoustic sensors. A first time delay between the arrival of the acoustical impulses at the two acoustic sensors is computed from the signal data recorded during generation of the impulses at the first excitation location, and a second time delay between the arrival of the impulses at the two sensors is computed from the signal data recorded during generation of the impulses at the second excitation location. An acoustic propagation velocity is computed for a section of the pipe defined by the first and second excitation location based on the first time delay, the second time delay, and a distance between the excitation locations, and a condition of the section of pipe is determined from the computed acoustic propagation velocity.

A method for testing of a population of monocrystalline components is provided. The method includes obtaining a plurality of component parameters including a crystal angle of each monocrystalline component with respect to a coordinate axis, a three-dimensional geometry, and a material. The method further includes determining a statistical parameter of the crystal angle, and generating a simulation model of the monocrystalline component based on the statistical parameter, the three-dimensional geometry, and the material. The method further includes determining at least one probe parameter based on the simulation model and a predetermined region of interest. The method further includes determining anisotropic delay laws based on the statistical parameter and the probe parameter, and controlling at least one probe based on the anisotropic delay laws to emit ultrasonic waves towards the region of interest in order to test the monocrystalline component for one or more abnormalities.

Provided are a structure inspection method and a structure inspection system capable of efficiently inspecting structure and predicting deterioration with high accuracy. The structure inspection method includes: acquiring information on a location having internal damage within an inspection target region; and imaging the inspection target region with a visible light camera a plurality of times while shifting an imaging location, wherein a location except for the location having the internal damage is imaged with first pixel resolution and the location having internal damage is imaged with second pixel resolution higher than the first pixel resolution. Damage appearing on a surface of the structure is detected on the basis of a visible light image captured by the visible light camera. Information on the location having internal damage within the inspection target region is acquired by capturing an image that visualizes an internal state of the inspection target region.

According to one embodiment, a structure evaluation system includes at least three or more sensors, a position locator, and an evaluator. The three or more sensors are arranged on surfaces different from a surface to which an impact is applied with respect to a structure at different intervals in a first direction of the structure and a second direction orthogonal to the first direction and detects elastic waves generated from the structure. The position locator locates a position of a source in which the elastic waves are generated on the basis of the elastic waves detected by each of the three or more sensors. The evaluator evaluates a deterioration state of the structure on the basis of information based on a position location process of the position locator and information indicating a position where the impact is applied.

An acoustic inspection device and an associated method for inspecting a component are provided. The acoustic inspection device is portable and includes an acoustic transmitter and receiver that may be placed on opposite sides of an inspection region on the surface of the component. The acoustic transmitter has an array of acoustic transducers for generating an acoustic wave that travels along a surface of the component and the acoustic receiver has an array of acoustic transducers for receiving that acoustic wave. A controller determines at least one surface characteristic of the component from the measured acoustic wave, such as its crystalline structure or grain size.

A method of evaluating quality of a wind turbine blade which has a hollow structure where an interior space of the wind turbine blade is surrounded by an outer skin which includes a laminated body includes: setting a scanning line on at least a part of an inner wall surface or an outer wall surface of the outer skin; and moving an ultrasound probe along the scanning line; generating a cross-sectional image corresponding to the scanning line, on the basis of a position of the ultrasound probe or a reflection echo to detect an indication whose echo level is greater than a first threshold; obtaining an inclination of the indication with respect to a reference line as a first parameter; and evaluating the lifetime or the breakage risk of the wind turbine blade on the basis of the first parameter.

A device for inspecting a pipe, includes a scraper carriage, substantially cylindrical about an axis coinciding with an axis of the pipe and which is inserted into the pipe and propelled by a liquid transported by the pipe, and a measurer carried by the carriage. The measurer includes a first crown, carrying a first set of ultrasound transducers, arranged on a first circle centered on the axis and of diameter substantially equal to an inside diameter of the pipe, alternating a transmitting ultrasound transducer and a receiving ultrasound transducer, arranged so that a wave transmitted by a transmitting ultrasound transducer is reflected, by a wall of the pipe facing it, towards a counterpart receiving ultrasound transducer.

An exciter (11, 12) induces an elastic wave in a test object by sequentially giving the object multiple kinds of vibrations having different frequencies. An illuminator (13, 14) performs stroboscopic illumination on a measurement area on the surface of the object. A displacement measurer (15) controls the timing of the stroboscopic illumination with respect to the phase of the elastic wave for each kind of vibration to perform a batch measurement of the displacements, in the off-plane direction of the surface, of the points within the measurement area at least at three different phases of the elastic wave, using speckle interferometry or speckle-shearing interferometry.