G01N2291/0421

SYSTEM AND METHOD OF PHASED ARRAY ULTRASONIC INSPECTION OF TURBINE BLADES

A nondestructive method for a volumetric examination of a blade root of a turbine blade while the turbine blade is installed in a turbine shaft of a steam turbine includes attaching a bracket to the turbine blade, the bracket conforming to the geometry of the turbine blade, positioning an ultrasonic phased array probe within a slot formed in the bracket to enable the probe to translate along the geometry of the turbine blade to a desired position for generation of a scan of a portion of the blade root, generating a scan of the desired position by directing ultrasonic waves via the ultrasonic phased array probe, and capturing reflected ultrasonic waves by a receiver to generate the scan and comparing the scan to a reference scan of the blade root to determine defects within the blade root.

RESONATOR STRUCTURE FOR MASS SENSING
20230023769 · 2023-01-26 ·

A solid mount resonator sensor has a substrate. An anti-reflector stack is disposed proximate the substrate. The anti-reflector stack includes one or more acoustic interference layers. A first electrode is disposed proximate the anti-reflector stack. A second electrode having a first surface facing towards the first electrode and an opposing second surface facing away from the first electrode. A substantially quarter-wave piezoelectric material layer is disposed between the first and second electrodes.

Systems and methods for generating ultrasonic waves, exciting special classes of ultrasonic transducers and ultrasonic devices for engineering measurements

Embodiments include an electromagnetic acoustic transducer (EMAT) system. The EMAT system includes a plurality of magnets and a conductor set. The plurality of magnets has a like pole arrangement and wherein each magnet is in close proximity to one another. The conductor set includes electrically conductive elements. A portion of the conductor set is positioned proximate to the plurality of magnets. The plurality of magnets and the conductor set are positioned proximate to a test object. The EMAT system is configured to perform at least one of generating and receiving an elastic wave. Embodiments also include a method of elastic wave measurement for nondestructive testing and evaluation. The method includes the steps of positioning an EMAT proximate a test object, generating an elastic wave such that the elastic wave propagates about the test object, detecting the elastic wave propagating about the test object, and analyzing difference in elastic wave character between the elastic wave in the generating step and the elastic wave in the detecting step to evaluate the test object.

Methods and systems for characterizing multiple properties of cement using p-waves of multiple frequencies

Methods and systems for characterizing multiple properties of a cement composition for use at downhole conditions using ultrasonic analysis tools are provided. In some embodiments, the methods comprise: transmitting at least a first p-wave and a second p-wave having different frequencies through a cement composition; determining velocities of the first and second p-waves through the sample; transmitting at least a third p-wave having a third frequency through the cement composition while allowing the cement composition to at least partially hydrate, wherein the third frequency is higher than the second frequency; determining at least a velocity of the third p-wave through the cement composition; based at least in part on the velocities of the p-waves, determining at least the compressibility, Poisson's ratio, Young's modulus, and shear modulus of the cement composition.

Fluidic Device With Fluid Port Orthogonal to Functionalized Active Region
20230036296 · 2023-02-02 ·

A fluidic device includes at least one bulk acoustic wave (BAW) resonator structure with a functionalized active region, and at least one first (inlet) port defined through a cover structure arranged over a fluidic passage containing the active region. At least a portion of the at least one inlet port is registered with the active region, permitting fluid to be introduced in a direction orthogonal to a surface of the active region bearing functionalization material. Such arrangement promotes mixing proximate to a BAW resonator structure surface, thereby reducing analyte stratification, increasing analyte binding rate, and reducing measurement time.

Fluidic device with fluid port orthogonal to functionalized active region
11486859 · 2022-11-01 · ·

A fluidic device includes at least one bulk acoustic wave (BAW) resonator structure with a functionalized active region, and at least one first (inlet) port defined through a cover structure arranged over a fluidic passage containing the active region. At least a portion of the at least one inlet port is registered with the active region, permitting fluid to be introduced in a direction orthogonal to a surface of the active region bearing functionalization material. Such arrangement promotes mixing proximate to a BAW resonator structure surface, thereby reducing analyte stratification, increasing analyte binding rate, and reducing measurement time.

Mechanical resonator device

A mechanical resonator device. The resonator device includes a resonator element made of an elastic material under tensile stress and adapted for sustaining at least one oscillation mode; and a clamping structure supporting the resonator element. The clamping structure has a phononic density of states exhibiting a bandgap or quasi-bandgap such that elastic waves of at least one polarisation and/or frequency are not allowed to propagate through the clamping structure. The resonator element and the clamping structure are configured to match with a soft-clamping condition that elastic waves of polarisation and/or frequency corresponding to the at least one oscillation mode of the resonator penetrate evanescently into the clamping structure in a manner such as to minimize bending throughout the entire resonator device. Thereby, bending related loss may be minimized and the Q-factor of the mechanical resonator may be maximized.

Device for examining the interior of a pipe using multi-element ultrasound

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.

Stress gradient high-efficiency non-destructive detection system based on frequency domain calculation of broadband swept frequency signals, and detection method thereof
20230081998 · 2023-03-16 ·

The disclosure discloses a stress gradient high-efficiency non-destructive detection system based on frequency domain calculation of broadband swept frequency signals, and a detection method thereof. The detection method includes: step 1: calibrating an LCR wave velocity of an object to be measured; step 2: calculating a starting frequency and a cut-off frequency of broadband swept frequency signals based on the LCR wave velocity of the object to be measured in the step 1 and a stress gradient measuring range in a depth direction of the object to be measured; step 3: converting phase delay to time delay information based on the phase delay of the starting frequency and the cut-off frequency in the step 2; and step 4: determining stresses of depths corresponding to different frequency components based on the time delay information in the step 3 to finally realize layer-by-layer scanning of stresses at different depths of the measured object. The disclosure is used to solve the problem of low stress gradient measuring accuracy, and realize the high-efficiency characterization of the stress gradient in the depth direction.

INSPECTION SYSTEM AND INSPECTION METHOD
20230082439 · 2023-03-16 · ·

According to one embodiment, an inspection system of an embodiment includes one or more sensors. The one or more sensors detect second elastic waves emitted to the outside of a shaft-shaped inspection object due to first elastic waves propagating through the shaft-shaped inspection object. The one or more sensors are fixedly placed at positions away from the shaft-shaped inspection object and the directivity direction of the sensor is inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to an axial line of the shaft-shaped inspection object.