Small scale imaging using ultrasonic tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zakaria, Z.; Abdul Rahim, R.; Megat Ali, M.S.A.; Baharuddin, M.Y.; Jahidin, A.H.

2009-01-01

Ultrasound technology progressed through the 1960 from simple A-mode and B-mode scans to today M-mode and Doppler two dimensional (2-D) and even three dimensional (3-D) systems. Modern ultrasound imaging has its roots in sonar technology after it was first described by Lord John Rayleigh over 100 years ago on the interaction of acoustic waves with media. Tomography technique was developed as a diagnostic tool in the medical area since the early of 1970s. This research initially focused on how to retrieve a cross sectional images from living and non-living things. After a decade, the application of tomography systems span into the industrial area. However, the long exposure time of medical radiation-based method cannot tolerate the dynamic changes in industrial process two phase liquid/ gas flow system. An alternative system such as a process tomography systems, can give information on the nature of the flow regime characteristic. The overall aim of this paper is to investigate the use of a small scale ultrasonic tomography method based on ultrasonic transmission mode tomography for online monitoring of liquid/ gas flow in pipe/ vessel system through ultrasonic transceivers application. This non-invasive technique applied sixteen transceivers as the sensing elements to cover the pipe/ vessel cross section. The paper also details the transceivers selection criteria, hardware setup, the electronic measurement circuit and also the image reconstruction algorithm applied. The system was found capable of visualizing the internal characteristics and provides the concentration profile for the corresponding liquid and gas phases. (author)

Image processing applied to automatic detection of defects during ultrasonic examination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moysan, J.

1992-10-01

This work is a study about image processing applied to ultrasonic BSCAN images which are obtained in the field of non destructive testing of weld. The goal is to define what image processing techniques can bring to ameliorate the exploitation of the data collected and, more precisely, what image processing can do to extract the meaningful echoes which enable to characterize and to size the defects. The report presents non destructive testing by ultrasounds in the nuclear field and it indicates specificities of the propagation of ultrasonic waves in austenitic weld. It gives a state of the art of the data processing applied to ultrasonic images in nondestructive evaluation. A new image analysis is then developed. It is based on a powerful tool, the co-occurrence matrix. This matrix enables to represent, in a whole representation, relations between amplitudes of couples of pixels. From the matrix analysis, a new complete and automatic method has been set down in order to define a threshold which separates echoes from noise. An automatic interpretation of the ultrasonic echoes is then possible. Complete validation has been done with standard pieces

Tridimensional ultrasonic images analysis for the in service inspection of fast breeder reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dancre, M.

1999-11-01

Tridimensional image analysis provides a set of methods for the intelligent extraction of information in order to visualize, recognize or inspect objects in volumetric images. In this field of research, we are interested in algorithmic and methodological aspects to extract surface visual information embedded in volume ultrasonic images. The aim is to help a non-acoustician operator, possibly the system itself, to inspect surfaces of vessel and internals in Fast Breeder Reactors (FBR). Those surfaces are immersed in liquid metal, what justifies the ultrasonic technology choice. We expose firstly a state of the art on the visualization of volume ultrasonic images, the methods of noise analysis, the geometrical modelling for surface analysis and finally curves and surfaces matching. These four points are then inserted in a global analysis strategy that relies on an acoustical analysis (echoes recognition), an object analysis (object recognition and reconstruction) and a surface analysis (surface defects detection). Few literature can be found on ultrasonic echoes recognition through image analysis. We suggest an original method that can be generalized to all images with structured and non-structured noise. From a technical point of view, this methodology applied to echoes recognition turns out to be a cooperative approach between morphological mathematics and snakes (active contours). An entropy maximization technique is required for volumetric data binarization. (author)

Ultrasonic imaging of material flaws exploiting multipath information

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Xizhong; Zhang, Yimin D.; Demirli, Ramazan; Amin, Moeness G.

2011-05-01

In this paper, we consider ultrasonic imaging for the visualization of flaws in a material. Ultrasonic imaging is a powerful nondestructive testing (NDT) tool which assesses material conditions via the detection, localization, and classification of flaws inside a structure. Multipath exploitations provide extended virtual array apertures and, in turn, enhance imaging capability beyond the limitation of traditional multisensor approaches. We utilize reflections of ultrasonic signals which occur when encountering different media and interior discontinuities. The waveforms observed at the physical as well as virtual sensors yield additional measurements corresponding to different aspect angles. Exploitation of multipath information addresses unique issues observed in ultrasonic imaging. (1) Utilization of physical and virtual sensors significantly extends the array aperture for image enhancement. (2) Multipath signals extend the angle of view of the narrow beamwidth of the ultrasound transducers, allowing improved visibility and array design flexibility. (3) Ultrasonic signals experience difficulty in penetrating a flaw, thus the aspect angle of the observation is limited unless access to other sides is available. The significant extension of the aperture makes it possible to yield flaw observation from multiple aspect angles. We show that data fusion of physical and virtual sensor data significantly improves the detection and localization performance. The effectiveness of the proposed multipath exploitation approach is demonstrated through experimental studies.

Data collection instrumentation for ultrasonic imaging under sodium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McKnight, J.A.; Parker, J.A.

1981-05-01

A team at the Risley Nuclear Power Development Establishment has been developing apparatus for the production of ultrasonic images under opaque liquids. The technique is intended for examining objects under liquid sodium at 300 0 C, and the range of possible methods is restricted as a consequence. The method chosen uses pulse-echo ultrasonics combined with mechanical scanning to assemble the final image. The data is collected using a CAMAC system under the control of an Intel 8080 microprocessor. The data is analysed separately and presented on a colour display using a DEC LSl 11 microprocessor controlled system. To achieve the required performance a number of special electronic assemblies were made. A single image requires 2.5 M byte of data. The cost of using the apparatus on a Fast Reactor is such that it is prudent to provide back-up data collection through a data link, and to maximise the data collection rate. This causes problems with the interrupt cycle time of the CAMAC controller, which can be resolved using synchronous programs specifically tailored to each application. (author)

A new approach to ultrasonic elasticity imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Hoerig, Cameron; Ghaboussi, Jamshid; Fatemi, Mostafa; Insana, Michael F.

2016-04-01

Biomechanical properties of soft tissues can provide information regarding the local health status. Often the cells in pathological tissues can be found to form a stiff extracellular environment, which is a sensitive, early diagnostic indicator of disease. Quasi-static ultrasonic elasticity imaging provides a way to image the mechanical properties of tissues. Strain images provide a map of the relative tissue stiffness, but ambiguities and artifacts limit its diagnostic value. Accurately mapping intrinsic mechanical parameters of a region may increase diagnostic specificity. However, the inverse problem, whereby force and displacement estimates are used to estimate a constitutive matrix, is ill conditioned. Our method avoids many of the issues involved with solving the inverse problem, such as unknown boundary conditions and incomplete information about the stress field, by building an empirical model directly from measured data. Surface force and volumetric displacement data gathered during imaging are used in conjunction with the AutoProgressive method to teach artificial neural networks the stress-strain relationship of tissues. The Autoprogressive algorithm has been successfully used in many civil engineering applications and to estimate ocular pressure and corneal stiffness; here, we are expanding its use to any tissues imaged ultrasonically. We show that force-displacement data recorded with an ultrasound probe and displacements estimated at a few points in the imaged region can be used to estimate the full stress and strain vectors throughout an entire model while only assuming conservation laws. We will also demonstrate methods to parameterize the mechanical properties based on the stress-strain response of trained neural networks. This method is a fundamentally new approach to medical elasticity imaging that for the first time provides full stress and strain vectors from one set of observation data.

Nonlinear ultrasonic imaging with X wave

Science.gov (United States)

Du, Hongwei; Lu, Wei; Feng, Huanqing

2009-10-01

X wave has a large depth of field and may have important application in ultrasonic imaging to provide high frame rate (HFR). However, the HFR system suffers from lower spatial resolution. In this paper, a study of nonlinear imaging with X wave is presented to improve the resolution. A theoretical description of realizable nonlinear X wave is reported. The nonlinear field is simulated by solving the KZK nonlinear wave equation with a time-domain difference method. The results show that the second harmonic field of X wave has narrower mainlobe and lower sidelobes than the fundamental field. In order to evaluate the imaging effect with X wave, an imaging model involving numerical calculation of the KZK equation, Rayleigh-Sommerfeld integral, band-pass filtering and envelope detection is constructed to obtain 2D fundamental and second harmonic images of scatters in tissue-like medium. The results indicate that if X wave is used, the harmonic image has higher spatial resolution throughout the entire imaging region than the fundamental image, but higher sidelobes occur as compared to conventional focus imaging. A HFR imaging method with higher spatial resolution is thus feasible provided an apodization method is used to suppress sidelobes.

Ultrasonic imaging in LMFBRs using digital techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fothergill, J.R.; McKnight, J.A.; Barrett, L.M.

Ultrasonic technology for providing images of components immersed in the opaque sodium of LMFBRs is being developed at RNL. For many years the application has been restricted by the unavailability of convenient ultrasonic sources and receivers capable of withstanding the reactor environment. Until recently, for example, important ultrasonic instrument design, such as for future sweep arms, had to be based on waveguided ultrasonics. RNL have developed an economic immersible transducer that can be deployed during reactor shut-down, when many demands for ultrasonic imaging are made. The transducer design is not suited at present to the sophisticated techniques of phased arrays; consequently image formation must depend on the physical scanning of a target using one or more transducers in pulse-echo mode. The difficulties of access into a fast reactor impose further restrictions. Some applications may involve easy scanning sequences, thus the sweep arm requires only a rotation to provide a map of the reactor core area. For a more detailed examination of the same area, however, special engineering solutions are needed to provide a more satisfactory scanning sequence. A compromise solution involving the rotating shield movement is being used for a PFR experiment to examine a limited area of the core. (author)

Ultrasonic Imaging Technology Helps American Manufacturer of Nondestructive Evaluation Equipment Become More Competitive in the Global Market

Science.gov (United States)

1995-01-01

Sonix, Inc., of Springfield, Virginia, has implemented ultrasonic imaging methods developed at the NASA Lewis Research Center. These methods have heretofore been unavailable on commercial ultrasonic imaging systems and provide significantly more sensitive material characterization than conventional high-resolution ultrasonic c-scanning. The technology transfer is being implemented under a cooperative agreement between NASA and Sonix, and several invention disclosures have been submitted by Dr. Roth to protect Lewis interests. Sonix has developed ultrasonic imaging systems used worldwide for microelectronics, materials research, and commercial nondestructive evaluation (NDE). In 1993, Sonix won the U.S. Department of Commerce "Excellence in Exporting" award. Lewis chose to work with Sonix for two main reasons: (1) Sonix is an innovative leader in ultrasonic imaging systems, and (2) Sonix was willing to apply the improvements we developed with our in-house Sonix equipment. This symbiotic joint effort has produced mutual benefits. Sonix recognized the market potential of our new and highly sensitive methods for ultrasonic assessment of material quality. We, in turn, see the cooperative effort as an effective means for transferring our technology while helping to improve the product of a domestic firm.

Beat-Frequency/Microsphere Medical Ultrasonic Imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Yost, William T.; Cantrell, John H.; Pretlow, Robert A., III

1995-01-01

Medical ultrasonic imaging system designed to provide quantitative data on various flows of blood in chambers, blood vessels, muscles, and tissues of heart. Sensitive enough to yield readings on flows of blood in heart even when microspheres used as ultrasonic contrast agents injected far from heart and diluted by circulation of blood elsewhere in body.

Ultrasonic particle image velocimetry for improved flow gradient imaging: algorithms, methodology and validation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Niu Lili; Qian Ming; Yu Wentao; Jin Qiaofeng; Ling Tao; Zheng Hairong; Wan Kun; Gao Shen

2010-01-01

This paper presents a new algorithm for ultrasonic particle image velocimetry (Echo PIV) for improving the flow velocity measurement accuracy and efficiency in regions with high velocity gradients. The conventional Echo PIV algorithm has been modified by incorporating a multiple iterative algorithm, sub-pixel method, filter and interpolation method, and spurious vector elimination algorithm. The new algorithms' performance is assessed by analyzing simulated images with known displacements, and ultrasonic B-mode images of in vitro laminar pipe flow, rotational flow and in vivo rat carotid arterial flow. Results of the simulated images show that the new algorithm produces much smaller bias from the known displacements. For laminar flow, the new algorithm results in 1.1% deviation from the analytically derived value, and 8.8% for the conventional algorithm. The vector quality evaluation for the rotational flow imaging shows that the new algorithm produces better velocity vectors. For in vivo rat carotid arterial flow imaging, the results from the new algorithm deviate 6.6% from the Doppler-measured peak velocities averagely compared to 15% of that from the conventional algorithm. The new Echo PIV algorithm is able to effectively improve the measurement accuracy in imaging flow fields with high velocity gradients.

Reconstruction from gamma radiography and ultrasonic images

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gautier, S.; Lavayssiere, B.; Idier, J.; Mohammad-Djafari, A.

1998-02-01

This work deals with the three-dimensional reconstruction from gamma radiographic and ultrasonic images. Such an issue belongs to the field of data fusion since the data provide complementary information. The two sets of data are independently related to two sets of parameters: gamma ray attenuation and ultrasonic reflectivity. The fusion problem is addressed in a Bayesian framework; the kingpin of the task is then to define a joint a priori model for both attenuation and reflectivity. Thus, the developing of this model and the entailed joint estimation constitute the principal contribution of this work. The results of real data treatments demonstrate the validity of this method as compared to a sequential approach of the two sets of data

Separated reconstruction of images from ultrasonic holograms with tridimensional object by digital processing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Son, J.H.

1979-01-01

Because of much attractiveness, digital reconstruction of image from ultrasonic hologram by computer has been widely studied in recent years. But the method of digital reconstruction of image is displayed in the plain only, so study is done mainly of the hologram obtained from bidimensional objects. Many applications of the ultrasonic holography such as the non-distructive testing and the ultrasonic diagnosis are mostly of the tridimensional object. In the ordinary digital reconstruction of the image from the hologram obtained from tridimensional object, a question of hidden-image problem arises, and the separated reconstruction of the image for the considered part of the object is required. In this paper, multi-diffraction by tridimensional object is assumed to have linearity, ie. superposition property by each diffraction of bidimensional objects. And a new algorithm is proposed here, namely reconstructed image for considered one of bidimensional objects in tridimensional object obtained by means of operation from the two holograms tilted in unequal angles. Such tilted holograms are obtained from the tilted linear array receivers by scanning method. That images can be reconstructed by the operation from two holograms means that the new algorithm is verified. And another new method of the transformation of hologram, that is, transformation of a hologram to arbitrarily tilted hologram, has been proved valid. The reconstructed images obtained with the method of transformation and the method of operation, are the images reconstructed from one hologram by the tridimensional object and more distinctly separated that any images mentioned above. (author)

Ultrasonic Tomography Imaging for Liquid-Gas Flow Measurement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muhammad Jaysuman PUSPPANATHAN

2013-01-01

Full Text Available This research was carried out to measure two-phase liquid – gas flow regime by using a dual functionality ultrasonic transducer. Comparing to the common separated transmitter–receiver ultrasonic pairs transducer, the dual functionality ultrasonic transceiver is capable to produce the same measurable results hence further improvises and contributes to the hardware design improvement and system accuracy. Due to the disadvantages and the limitations of the separated ultrasonic transmitter–receiver pair, this paper presents a non-invasive ultrasonic tomography system using ultrasonic transceivers as an alternative approach. Implementation of ultrasonic transceivers, electronic measurement circuits, data acquisition system and suitable image reconstruction algorithms, the measurement of a liquid/gas flow was realized.

Practical approach to ultrasonic imaging using diffraction tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Witten, A.; Tuggle, J.; Waag, R.C.

1988-01-01

A technique for ultrasonic imaging based on the theory of diffraction tomography is presented. The method utilizes a fixed, circular configuration of transmitters and detectors. This configuration was selected because it avoids many practical limitations associated with the design of a medical imaging device. Practical considerations also motivated the inclusion of effects associated with the transmitter beam pattern rather than pursuing the more conventional approach in which plane-wave illumination is required. In addition, the problem of separately imaging both density and compressibility variations is considered

Practical approach to ultrasonic imaging using diffraction tomography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Witten, A.; Tuggle, J.; Waag, R.C.

1988-04-01

A technique for ultrasonic imaging based on the theory of diffraction tomography is presented. The method utilizes a fixed, circular configuration of transmitters and detectors. This configuration was selected because it avoids many practical limitations associated with the design of a medical imaging device. Practical considerations also motivated the inclusion of effects associated with the transmitter beam pattern rather than pursuing the more conventional approach in which plane-wave illumination is required. In addition, the problem of separately imaging both density and compressibility variations is considered.

Ultrasonic off-normal imaging techniques for under sodium viewing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Michaels, T.E.; Horn, J.E.

1979-01-01

Advanced imaging methods have been evaluated for the purpose of constructing images of objects from ultrasonic data. Feasibility of imaging surfaces which are off-normal to the sound beam has been established. Laboratory results are presented which show a complete image of a typical core component. Using the previous system developed for under sodium viewing (USV), only normal surfaces of this object could be imaged. Using advanced methods, surfaces up to 60 degrees off-normal have been imaged. Details of equipment and procedures used for this image construction are described. Additional work on high temperature transducers, electronics, and signal analysis is required in order to adapt the off-normal viewing process described here to an eventual USV application

Motion Estimation Using the Firefly Algorithm in Ultrasonic Image Sequence of Soft Tissue

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chih-Feng Chao

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Ultrasonic image sequence of the soft tissue is widely used in disease diagnosis; however, the speckle noises usually influenced the image quality. These images usually have a low signal-to-noise ratio presentation. The phenomenon gives rise to traditional motion estimation algorithms that are not suitable to measure the motion vectors. In this paper, a new motion estimation algorithm is developed for assessing the velocity field of soft tissue in a sequence of ultrasonic B-mode images. The proposed iterative firefly algorithm (IFA searches for few candidate points to obtain the optimal motion vector, and then compares it to the traditional iterative full search algorithm (IFSA via a series of experiments of in vivo ultrasonic image sequences. The experimental results show that the IFA can assess the vector with better efficiency and almost equal estimation quality compared to the traditional IFSA method.

A new deconvolution method applied to ultrasonic images; Etude d'une methode de deconvolution adaptee aux images ultrasonores

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sallard, J

1999-07-01

This dissertation presents the development of a new method for restoration of ultrasonic signals. Our goal is to remove the perturbations induced by the ultrasonic probe and to help to characterize the defects due to a strong local discontinuity of the acoustic impedance. The point of view adopted consists in taking into account the physical properties in the signal processing to develop an algorithm which gives good results even on experimental data. The received ultrasonic signal is modeled as a convolution between a function that represents the waveform emitted by the transducer and a function that is abusively called the 'defect impulse response'. It is established that, in numerous cases, the ultrasonic signal can be expressed as a sum of weighted, phase-shifted replicas of a reference signal. Deconvolution is an ill-posed problem. A priori information must be taken into account to solve the problem. The a priori information translates the physical properties of the ultrasonic signals. The defect impulse response is modeled as a Double-Bernoulli-Gaussian sequence. Deconvolution becomes the problem of detection of the optimal Bernoulli sequence and estimation of the associated complex amplitudes. Optimal parameters of the sequence are those which maximize a likelihood function. We develop a new estimation procedure based on an optimization process. An adapted initialization procedure and an iterative algorithm enables to quickly process a huge number of data. Many experimental ultrasonic data that reflect usual control configurations have been processed and the results demonstrate the robustness of the method. Our algorithm enables not only to remove the waveform emitted by the transducer but also to estimate the phase. This parameter is useful for defect characterization. At last the algorithm makes easier data interpretation by concentrating information. So automatic characterization should be possible in the future. (author)

21 CFR 892.1550 - Ultrasonic pulsed doppler imaging system.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... system. (a) Identification. An ultrasonic pulsed doppler imaging system is a device that combines the... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Ultrasonic pulsed doppler imaging system. 892.1550... include signal analysis and display equipment, patient and equipment supports, component parts, and...

Nonlinear ultrasonic imaging method for closed cracks using subtraction of responses at different external loads.

Science.gov (United States)

Ohara, Yoshikazu; Horinouchi, Satoshi; Hashimoto, Makoto; Shintaku, Yohei; Yamanaka, Kazushi

2011-08-01

To improve the selectivity of closed cracks for objects other than cracks in ultrasonic imaging, we propose an extension of a novel imaging method, namely, subharmonic phased array for crack evaluation (SPACE) as well as another approach using the subtraction of responses at different external loads. By applying external static or dynamic loads to closed cracks, the contact state in the cracks varies, resulting in an intensity change of responses at cracks. In contrast, objects other than cracks are independent of external load. Therefore, only cracks can be extracted by subtracting responses at different loads. In this study, we performed fundamental experiments on a closed fatigue crack formed in an aluminum alloy compact tension (CT) specimen using the proposed method. We examined the static load dependence of SPACE images and the dynamic load dependence of linear phased array (PA) images by simulating the external loads with a servohydraulic fatigue testing machine. By subtracting the images at different external loads, we show that this method is useful in extracting only the intensity change of responses related to closed cracks, while canceling the responses of objects other than cracks. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Standard practice for digital imaging and communication in nondestructive evaluation (DICONDE) for ultrasonic test methods

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2008-01-01

1.1 This practice facilitates the interoperability of ultrasonic imaging equipment by specifying image data transfer and archival storage methods in commonly accepted terms. This document is intended to be used in conjunction with Practice E 2339 on Digital Imaging and Communication in Nondestructive Evaluation (DICONDE). Practice E 2339 defines an industrial adaptation of the NEMA Standards Publication titled Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM, see http://medical.nema.org), an international standard for image data acquisition, review, transfer and archival storage. The goal of Practice E 2339, commonly referred to as DICONDE, is to provide a standard that facilitates the display and analysis of NDE test results on any system conforming to the DICONDE standard. Toward that end, Practice E 2339 provides a data dictionary and set of information modules that are applicable to all NDE modalities. This practice supplements Practice E 2339 by providing information object definitions, information ...

21 CFR 892.1560 - Ultrasonic pulsed echo imaging system.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... system. (a) Identification. An ultrasonic pulsed echo imaging system is a device intended to project a... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Ultrasonic pulsed echo imaging system. 892.1560... receiver. This generic type of device may include signal analysis and display equipment, patient and...

Ultrasonic grinding method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miyahara, Shuji.

1990-01-01

An ultrasonic generator and a liquid supply nozzle are opposed to an object to be ground and a pump is started in this state to supply an organic solvent. Matters to be decontaminated which adheres to the surface of the object to be ground and are difficult to be removed by a mere mechanical removing method can be eliminated previously by the surface active effect of the organic solvent such as ethanol prior to the oscillation of the ultrasonic generator. Subsequently, when the ultrasonic generator is oscillated, scales in the floated state can be removed simply. Further, since the organic solvent can penetrate to provide the surface active effect even in such a narrow portion that the top end of the ultrasonic generator is difficult to the intruded at the surface of the object to be ground, the decontaminating treatment can be applied also to such a narrow portion. (T.M.)

Pulsed ultrasonic stir welding method

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, R. Jeffrey (Inventor)

2013-01-01

A method of performing ultrasonic stir welding uses a welding head assembly to include a plate and a rod passing through the plate. The rod is rotatable about a longitudinal axis thereof. In the method, the rod is rotated about its longitudinal axis during a welding operation. During the welding operation, a series of on-off ultrasonic pulses are applied to the rod such that they propagate parallel to the rod's longitudinal axis. At least a pulse rate associated with the on-off ultrasonic pulses is controlled.

Development of computer-controlled ultrasonic image processing system for severe accidents research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koo, Kil Mo; Kang, Kyung Ho; Kim, Jong Tai; Kim, Jong Whan; Cho, Young Ro; Ha, Kwang Soon; Park, Rae Jun; Kim, Sang Baik; Kim, Hee Dong; Sim, Chul Moo

2000-07-01

In order to verify in-vessel corium cooling mechanism, LAVA(Lower-plenum Arrested Vessel Attack) experiment is being performed as a first stage proof of principle test. The aims of this study are to find a gap formation between corium melt and reactor lower head vessel, to verify the principle of the gap formation and to analyze the effect of the gap formation on the thermal behavior of corium melt and the lower plenum. This report aims at developing a computer controlled image signal processing system which is able to improve visualization and to measure the gap distribution with 3-dimensional planar image using a time domain signal analysis method as a part of the ultrasonic pulse echo methods and a computerized position control system. An image signal processing system is developed by independently developing an ultrasonic image signal processing technique and a PC controlled position control system and then combining both systems

Development of computer-controlled ultrasonic image processing system for severe accidents research

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koo, Kil Mo; Kang, Kyung Ho; Kim, Jong Tai; Kim, Jong Whan; Cho, Young Ro; Ha, Kwang Soon; Park, Rae Jun; Kim, Sang Baik; Kim, Hee Dong; Sim, Chul Moo

2000-07-01

In order to verify in-vessel corium cooling mechanism, LAVA(Lower-plenum Arrested Vessel Attack) experiment is being performed as a first stage proof of principle test. The aims of this study are to find a gap formation between corium melt and reactor lower head vessel, to verify the principle of the gap formation and to analyze the effect of the gap formation on the thermal behavior of corium melt and the lower plenum. This report aims at developing a computer controlled image signal processing system which is able to improve visualization and to measure the gap distribution with 3-dimensional planar image using a time domain signal analysis method as a part of the ultrasonic pulse echo methods and a computerized position control system. An image signal processing system is developed by independently developing an ultrasonic image signal processing technique and a PC controlled position control system and then combining both systems.

Development and improvement of synthetic imaging methods for non-destructive ultrasonic testing of complex industrial components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bannouf, S.

2013-01-01

The goal of this thesis was, initially, to evaluate phased array methods for ultrasonic Non Destructive Testing (NDT) in order to propose optimizations, or to develop new alternative methods. In particular, this works deals with the detection of defects in complex geometries and/or materials parts. The TFM (Total Focusing Method) algorithm provides high resolution images and several representations of a same defect thanks to different reconstruction modes. These properties have been exploited judiciously in order to propose an adaptive imaging method in immersion configuration. We showed that TFM imaging can be used to characterize more precisely the defects. However, this method presents two major drawbacks: the large amount of data to be processed and a low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), especially in noisy materials. We developed solutions to these two problems. To overcome the limitation caused by the large number of signals to be processed, we propose an algorithm that defines the sparse array to activate. As for the low SNR, it can be now improved by use of virtual sources and a new filtering method based on the DORT method (Decomposition of the Time Reversal Operator). (author) [fr

Guided-wave tomography imaging plate defects by laser-based ultrasonic techniques

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Jun Pil; Lim, Ju Young; Cho, Youn Ho [School of Mechanical Engineering, Pusan National University, Pusan (Korea, Republic of)

2014-12-15

Contact-guided-wave tests are impractical for investigating specimens with limited accessibility and rough surfaces or complex geometric features. A non-contact setup with a laser-ultrasonic transmitter and receiver is quite attractive for guided-wave inspection. In the present work, we developed a non-contact guided-wave tomography technique using the laser-ultrasonic technique in a plate. A method for Lamb-wave generation and detection in an aluminum plate with a pulsed laser-ultrasonic transmitter and Michelson-interferometer receiver was developed. The defect shape and area in the images obtained using laser scanning, showed good agreement with the actual defect. The proposed approach can be used as a non-contact online inspection and monitoring technique.

Laser induced ultrasonic phased array using full matrix capture data acquisition and total focusing method.

Science.gov (United States)

Stratoudaki, Theodosia; Clark, Matt; Wilcox, Paul D

2016-09-19

Laser ultrasonics is a technique where lasers are employed to generate and detect ultrasound. A data collection method (full matrix capture) and a post processing imaging algorithm, the total focusing method, both developed for ultrasonic arrays, are modified and used in order to enhance the capabilities of laser ultrasonics for nondestructive testing by improving defect detectability and increasing spatial resolution. In this way, a laser induced ultrasonic phased array is synthesized. A model is developed and compared with experimental results from aluminum samples with side drilled holes and slots at depths of 5 - 20 mm from the surface.

Combination tomographic and cardiographic ultrasonic imaging method and system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yano, T.; Fukukita, H.; Fukumoto, A.; Hayakawa, Y.; Irioka, K.

1984-01-01

Ultrasonic echo signals are successively sampled and converted to digital echo data which are written into a first digital memory column by column and then read out row by row into a first buffer memory. The digital echo data which are derived in response to beams successively transmitted in a predetermined direction are written into columns of a second digital memory and read out of the memory in rows into a second buffer memory. The data stored in the first and second buffer memories are read out for digital-to-analog conversion and selectively applied within a television ''frame'' interval to control electron beam intensity of a single cathode ray tube so as to present tomographic and cardiographic images in different display areas of the tube

Synchronous ultrasonic Doppler imaging of magnetic microparticles in biological tissues

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pyshnyi, Michael Ph. [Institute of Biochemical Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Kosygin St. 4, Moscow 119991 (Russian Federation); Kuznetsov, Oleg A. [Institute of Biochemical Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Kosygin St. 4, Moscow 119991 (Russian Federation)], E-mail: kuznetsov_oa@yahoo.com; Pyshnaya, Svetlana V.; Nechitailo, Galina S.; Kuznetsov, Anatoly A. [Institute of Biochemical Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Kosygin St. 4, Moscow 119991 (Russian Federation)

2009-05-15

We considered applicability of acoustic imaging technology for the detection of magnetic microparticles and nanoparticles inside soft biological tissues. Such particles are widely used for magnetically targeted drug delivery and magnetic hyperthermia. We developed a new method of ultrasonic synchronous tissue Doppler imaging with magnetic modulation for in vitro and in vivo detection and visualization of magnetic ultradisperse objects in soft tissues. Prototype hardware with appropriate software was produced and the method was successfully tested on magnetic microparticles injected into an excised pig liver.

Synchronous ultrasonic Doppler imaging of magnetic microparticles in biological tissues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pyshnyi, Michael Ph.; Kuznetsov, Oleg A.; Pyshnaya, Svetlana V.; Nechitailo, Galina S.; Kuznetsov, Anatoly A.

2009-01-01

We considered applicability of acoustic imaging technology for the detection of magnetic microparticles and nanoparticles inside soft biological tissues. Such particles are widely used for magnetically targeted drug delivery and magnetic hyperthermia. We developed a new method of ultrasonic synchronous tissue Doppler imaging with magnetic modulation for in vitro and in vivo detection and visualization of magnetic ultradisperse objects in soft tissues. Prototype hardware with appropriate software was produced and the method was successfully tested on magnetic microparticles injected into an excised pig liver.

An efficient ultrasonic SAFT imaging for pulse-echo immersion testing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hu, Hong Wei; Jeong, Hyun Jo

2017-01-01

An ultrasonic synthetic aperture focusing technique (SAFT) using a root mean square (RMS) velocity model is proposed for pulse-echo immersion testing to improve the computational efficiency. Considering the immersion ultrasonic testing of a steel block as an example, three kinds of imaging were studied (B-Scan, SAFT imaging based on ray tracing technology and RMS velocity). The experimental results show that two kinds of SAFT imaging have almost the same imaging performance, while the efficiency of RMS velocity SAFT imaging is almost 25 times greater than the SAFT based on Snell's law

An efficient ultrasonic SAFT imaging for pulse-echo immersion testing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hu, Hong Wei [Changsha University of Science and Technology, Changsha (China); Jeong, Hyun Jo [Div. of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering, Wonkwang University, Iksan (Korea, Republic of)

2017-04-15

An ultrasonic synthetic aperture focusing technique (SAFT) using a root mean square (RMS) velocity model is proposed for pulse-echo immersion testing to improve the computational efficiency. Considering the immersion ultrasonic testing of a steel block as an example, three kinds of imaging were studied (B-Scan, SAFT imaging based on ray tracing technology and RMS velocity). The experimental results show that two kinds of SAFT imaging have almost the same imaging performance, while the efficiency of RMS velocity SAFT imaging is almost 25 times greater than the SAFT based on Snell's law.

Remote diagnosis via a telecommunication satellite--ultrasonic tomographic image transmission experiments.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakajima, I; Inokuchi, S; Tajima, T; Takahashi, T

1985-04-01

An experiment to transmit ultrasonic tomographic section images required for remote medical diagnosis and care was conducted using the mobile telecommunication satellite OSCAR-10. The images received showed the intestinal condition of a patient incapable of verbal communication, however the image screen had a fairly coarse particle structure. On the basis of these experiments, were considered as the transmission of ultrasonic tomographic images extremely effective in remote diagnosis.

Application of laser ultrasonic method for on-line monitoring of friction stir spot welding process.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Kuanshuang; Zhou, Zhenggan; Zhou, Jianghua

2015-09-01

Application of a laser ultrasonic method is developed for on-line monitoring of the friction stir spot welding (FSSW) process. Based on the technology of FSSW, laser-generated ultrasonic waves in a good weld and nonweld area are simulated by a finite element method. The reflected and transmitted waves are analyzed to disclose the properties of the welded interface. The noncontact-laser ultrasonic-inspection system was established to verify the numerical results. The reflected waves in the good-weld and nonweld area can be distinguished by time-of-flight. The transmitted waves evidently attenuate in the nonweld area in contrast to signal amplitude in the good weld area because of interfacial impedance difference. Laser ultrasonic C-scan images can sufficiently evaluate the intrinsic character of the weld area in comparison with traditional water-immersion ultrasonic testing results. The research results confirm that laser ultrasonics would be an effective method to realize the characterization of FSSW defects.

Ultrasonic imaging in liquid sodium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lubeigt, E. [CEA Cadarache, DEN/DTN/STCP/LIET, 13108 Saint-Paul-Lez-Durance Cedex (France); Laboratoire de Mecanique et d' Acoustique, CNRS UPR 7051, 13402 Marseille Cedex 20 (France); Mensah, S.; Chaix, J.F.; Rakotonarivo, S. [Laboratoire de Mecanique et d' Acoustique, CNRS UPR 7051, 13402 Marseille Cedex 20 (France); Gobillot, G. [CEA Cadarache, DEN/DTN/STCP/LIET, 13108 Saint-Paul-Lez-Durance Cedex (France)

2015-07-01

The fourth generation of nuclear reactor can use liquid sodium as the core coolant. When the reactor is operating, sodium temperatures can reach up to 600 deg. C. During maintenance periods, when the reactor is shut down, the coolant temperature is reduced to 200 deg. C. Because molten sodium is optically opaque, ultrasonic imaging techniques are developed for maintenance activities. Under-sodium imaging aims at i) checking the health of immersed structures. It should also allow ii) to assess component degradation or damage as cracks and shape defects as well as iii) the detection of lost objects. The under-sodium imaging system has to sustain high temperature (up to 300 deg. C) and hostility of the sodium environment. Furthermore, specific constraints such as transducers characteristics or the limited sensor mobility in the reactor vessel have to be considered. This work focuses on developing a methodology for detecting damages such as crack defects with ultrasound devices. Surface-breaking cracks or deep cracks are sought in the weld area, as welds are more subject to defects. Traditional methods enabled us to detect emerging cracks of submillimeter size with sodium-compatible high-temperature transducer. The presented approach relies on making use of prior knowledge about the environment through the implementation of differential imaging and time-reversal techniques. Indeed, this approach allows to detect a change by comparison with a reference measurement and by focusing back to any change in the environment. It is a means of analysis and understanding of the physical phenomena making it possible to design more effective inspection strategies. Difference between the measured signals reveals the acoustic field scattered by a perturbation (a crack for instance), which may occur between periodical measurements. The imaging method relies on the adequate combination of two computed ultrasonic fields, one forward and one adjoint. The adjoint field, which carries the

Ultrasonic imaging in liquid sodium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lubeigt, E.; Mensah, S.; Chaix, J.F.; Rakotonarivo, S.; Gobillot, G.

2015-01-01

The fourth generation of nuclear reactor can use liquid sodium as the core coolant. When the reactor is operating, sodium temperatures can reach up to 600 deg. C. During maintenance periods, when the reactor is shut down, the coolant temperature is reduced to 200 deg. C. Because molten sodium is optically opaque, ultrasonic imaging techniques are developed for maintenance activities. Under-sodium imaging aims at i) checking the health of immersed structures. It should also allow ii) to assess component degradation or damage as cracks and shape defects as well as iii) the detection of lost objects. The under-sodium imaging system has to sustain high temperature (up to 300 deg. C) and hostility of the sodium environment. Furthermore, specific constraints such as transducers characteristics or the limited sensor mobility in the reactor vessel have to be considered. This work focuses on developing a methodology for detecting damages such as crack defects with ultrasound devices. Surface-breaking cracks or deep cracks are sought in the weld area, as welds are more subject to defects. Traditional methods enabled us to detect emerging cracks of submillimeter size with sodium-compatible high-temperature transducer. The presented approach relies on making use of prior knowledge about the environment through the implementation of differential imaging and time-reversal techniques. Indeed, this approach allows to detect a change by comparison with a reference measurement and by focusing back to any change in the environment. It is a means of analysis and understanding of the physical phenomena making it possible to design more effective inspection strategies. Difference between the measured signals reveals the acoustic field scattered by a perturbation (a crack for instance), which may occur between periodical measurements. The imaging method relies on the adequate combination of two computed ultrasonic fields, one forward and one adjoint. The adjoint field, which carries the

Time reversal for ultrasonic transcranial surgery and echographic imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Tanter, Mickael; Aubry, Jean-Francois; Vignon, Francois; Fink, Mathias

2005-09-01

High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is able to induce non-invasively controlled and selective destruction of tissues by focusing ultrasonic beams within organs, analogous to a magnifying glass that concentrates enough sunlight to burn a hole in paper. The brain is an attractive organ in which to perform ultrasonic tissue ablation, but such an application has been hampered by the strong defocusing effect of the skull bone. Our group has been involved in this topic for several years, providing proofs of concept and proposing technological solutions to this problem. Thanks to a high-power time-reversal mirror, presented here are in vivo thermal lesions induced through the skull of 12 sheep. Thermal lesions were confirmed by T2-weighted magnetic resonance post-treatment images and histological examination. These results provide striking evidence that noninvasive ultrasound brain surgery is feasible. A recent approach for high-resolution brain ultrasonic imaging will also be discussed with a skull aberration correction technique based on twin arrays technology. The correction of transcranial ultrasonic images is implemented on a new generation of time-reversal mirrors relying on a fully programmable transmit and receive beamformer.

Ultrasonic image analysis and image-guided interventions.

Science.gov (United States)

Noble, J Alison; Navab, Nassir; Becher, H

2011-08-06

The fields of medical image analysis and computer-aided interventions deal with reducing the large volume of digital images (X-ray, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography and ultrasound (US)) to more meaningful clinical information using software algorithms. US is a core imaging modality employed in these areas, both in its own right and used in conjunction with the other imaging modalities. It is receiving increased interest owing to the recent introduction of three-dimensional US, significant improvements in US image quality, and better understanding of how to design algorithms which exploit the unique strengths and properties of this real-time imaging modality. This article reviews the current state of art in US image analysis and its application in image-guided interventions. The article concludes by giving a perspective from clinical cardiology which is one of the most advanced areas of clinical application of US image analysis and describing some probable future trends in this important area of ultrasonic imaging research.

Inverse method for effects characterization from ultrasonic b-scan images; Caracterisation des defauts par une methode d'inversion lors d'un controle ultrasonore. Application au controle des defauts en paroi externe

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Faur, M. [Paris-11 Univ., 91 - Orsay (France)

1999-02-01

In service inspections of French nuclear pressure water reactor vessels are carried out automatically in complete immersion from the inside by means of ultrasonic focused probes working in the pulse echo mode. Concern has been expressed about the capabilities of performing non destructive evaluation of the Outer Surface Defects (OSD), i.e. defects located in the vicinity of the outer surface of the inspected components. OSD are insonified by both a direct field that passes through the inner surface (water/steel) of the component containing the defect and a secondary field reflected from the outer surface. Consequently, the Bscan images, containing the signatures of such defects, are complicated and their interpretation is a difficult task. This work deals with extraction of the maximum available information for characterizing OSD from ultrasonic Bscan images. Our main objectives are to obtain the type of OSD and their geometric parameters by means of two specific inverse methods. The first method is used for the identification of the geometrical parameters of the equivalent planar OSD from segmented Bscan images. Ultrasonic equivalent defect sizing model-based methods may be used to size a defect in a material by obtaining a best-fit simple equivalent shape that matches the ultrasonic observed data. We illustrate the application of such an equivalent sizing OSD method that is based on a simplified direct model. The major drawback of this identification method, as used to date, is that only a part of the useful information contained into original Bscan image, i.e. segmented Bscan image, is used for defect characterization. Moreover, it requires the availability of defect classification information (i.e. if the defect is volumetric or planer, e. g. a crack or a lack of fusion), which, generally, may be as difficult to obtain as the defect parameters themselves. Therefore, we propose a parameter estimation method for extracting complementary information on the defect

Guided-wave tomographic imaging of plate defects by laser-based ultrasonic techniques

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Junpil; Lim, Ju Young; Cho, Youn Ho [School of Mechanical Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan (Korea, Republic of)

2016-12-15

Contact-guided-wave tests are impractical for investigating specimens with limited accessibility and rough surfaces or complex geometric features. A non-contact setup with a laser-ultrasonic transmitter and receiver is quite attractive for guided-wave inspection. In the present work, we developed a non-contact guided-wave tomography technique using the laser-ultrasonic technique in a plate. A method for Lamb-wave generation and detection in an aluminum plate with a pulsed laser-ultrasonic transmitter and Michelson-interferometer receiver was developed. The defect shape and area in the images obtained using laser scanning, showed good agreement with the actual defect. The proposed approach can be used as a non-contact online inspection and monitoring technique.

Ultrasonic imaging in concrete

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ribay, G.; Paris, O.; Rambach, J.M.

2009-01-01

The third and final protection barrier confining nuclear reactors is usually a concrete containment structure. Monitoring the structural integrity of these barriers is critical in ensuring the safety of nuclear power plants. The Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN) in France in collaboration with the French Atomic commission (CEA/LIST) has developed an ultrasonic phased-array technique capable of inspecting thick concrete walls. The non-destructive method is dedicated to detect cracks and bulk defects. Given the thickness of the structure (1.2 m) undergoing inspection and the heterogeneity of the concrete, the optimal frequency lies in the 50-300 kHz range. At these frequencies, the ultrasonic beam profiles are widespread (non-directive) with poor signal-to-noise ratio. Previous studies have shown the potential of using phased-array techniques (i.e., beam focusing and beam steering) in order to improve detection resolution and sizing accuracy. In this paper we present experimental studies performed with array up to 16 transducers working at 200 kHz. Experiments are carried out on representative concrete blocks containing artificial defects. One is a reinforced mock-up representative of the first reinforcing mesh of wall containment. Experimental results show that in spite of the reinforcement, artificial defects deep as half a meter can be detected. Reconstructed images resulting from phased array acquisitions on an artificial crack embedded in a concrete block are also presented and discussed. The presented method allows detecting oriented defects in concrete with improved signal to noise ratio and sensibility. A simulation model of the interaction of ultrasound with a heterogeneous medium like concrete is briefly commented. (authors)

Image based EFIT simulation for nondestructive ultrasonic testing of austenitic steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakahata, Kazuyuki; Hirose, Sohichi; Schubert, Frank; Koehler, Bernd

2009-01-01

The ultrasonic testing (UT) of an austenitic steel with welds is difficult due to the acoustic anisotropy and local heterogeneity. The ultrasonic wave in the austenitic steel is skewed along crystallographic directions and scattered by weld boundaries. For reliable UT, a straightforward simulation tool to predict the wave propagation is desired. Here a combined method of elastodynamic finite integration technique (EFIT) and digital image processing is developed as a wave simulation tool for UT. The EFIT is a grid-based explicit numerical method and easily treats different boundary conditions which are essential to model wave propagation in heterogeneous materials. In this study, the EFIT formulation in anisotropic and heterogeneous materials is briefly described and an example of a two dimensional simulation of a phased array UT in an austenitic steel bar is demonstrated. In our simulation, a picture of the surface of the steel bar with a V-groove weld is scanned and fed into the image based EFIT modeling. (author)

Ultrasonic imaging algorithms with limited transmission cycles for rapid nondestructive evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Moreau, Ludovic; Drinkwater, Bruce W; Wilcox, Paul D

2009-09-01

Imaging algorithms recently developed in ultrasonic nondestructive testing (NDT) have shown good potential for defect characterization. Many of them are based on the concept of collecting the full matrix of data, obtained by firing each element of an ultrasonic phased array independently, while collecting the data with all elements. Because of the finite sound velocity in the test structure, 2 consecutive firings must be separated by a minimum time interval. Depending on the number of elements in a given array, this may become problematic if data must be collected within a short time, as it is often the case, for example, in an industrial context. An obvious way to decrease the duration of data capture is to use a sparse transmit aperture, in which only a restricted number of elements are used to transmit ultrasonic waves. This paper compares 2 approaches aimed at producing an image on the basis of restricted data: the common source method and the effective aperture technique. The effective aperture technique is based on the far-field approximation, and no similar approach exists for the near-field. This paper investigates the performance of this technique in near-field conditions, where most NDT applications are made. First, these methods are described and their point spread functions are compared with that of the Total Focusing Method (TFM), which consists of focusing the array at every point in the image. Then, a map of efficiency is given for the different algorithms in the near-field. The map can be used to select the most appropriate algorithm. Finally, this map is validated by testing the different algorithms on experimental data.

Analysis of the ultrasonic image of adrenal metastasis in primary lung cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bai Ling; Yang Tao; Tang Ying; Mao Jingning; Chen Wei; Wang Yong; Zhang Yan

2009-01-01

Objective: To investigate the ultrasonic image of adrenal metastasis in primary lung cancer. Methods: The ultrasonic imaging characteristics of fourteen patients with adrenal metastasis in primary lung cancer were retrospectively reviewed. In all the cases, US-guided percutaneous biopsy was performed for pathological evaluation during the clinical diagnosis. Results and Conclusion: In ultrasonography the adrenal metastatic tumors were manifested as solitary in all the cases, well-defined in 10 cases, irregularly shaped in 10 cases, hypoechoic in 13 cases, and 1 case showed cystoid structure in the tumor. The maximum diameter of the tumor was 3.0-15.3 cm. 9 cases were metastatic adenocarcinoma. The sonographic appearance of adrenal metastasis in primary lung cancer has its characteristics. Ultrasonography can find adrenal metastalic tumors easily and contribute to diagnosis. (authors)

Degradation of acephate using combined ultrasonic and ozonation method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bin Wang

2015-07-01

Full Text Available The degradation of acephate in aqueous solutions was investigated with the ultrasonic and ozonation methods, as well as a combination of both. An experimental facility was designed and operation parameters such as the ultrasonic power, temperature, and gas flow rate were strictly controlled at constant levels. The frequency of the ultrasonic wave was 160 kHz. The ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis spectroscopic and Raman spectroscopic techniques were used in the experiment. The UV-Vis spectroscopic results show that ultrasonication and ozonation have a synergistic effect in the combined system. The degradation efficiency of acephate increases from 60.6% to 87.6% after the solution is irradiated by a 160 kHz ultrasonic wave for 60 min in the ozonation process, and it is higher with the combined method than the sum of the separated ultrasonic and ozonation methods. Raman spectra studies show that degradation via the combined ultrasonic/ozonation method is more thorough than photocatalysis. The oxidability of nitrogen atoms is promoted under ultrasonic waves. Changes of the inorganic ions and degradation pathway during the degradation process were investigated in this study. Most final products are innocuous to the environment.

High Resolution Ultrasonic Method for 3D Fingerprint Representation in Biometrics

Science.gov (United States)

Maev, R. Gr.; Bakulin, E. Y.; Maeva, E. Y.; Severin, F. M.

Biometrics is an important field which studies different possible ways of personal identification. Among a number of existing biometric techniques fingerprint recognition stands alone - because very large database of fingerprints has already been acquired. Also, fingerprints are an important evidence that can be collected at a crime scene. Therefore, of all automated biometric techniques, especially in the field of law enforcement, fingerprint identification seems to be the most promising. Ultrasonic method of fingerprint imaging was originally introduced over a decade as the mapping of the reflection coefficient at the interface between the finger and a covering plate and has shown very good reliability and free from imperfections of previous two methods. This work introduces a newer development of the ultrasonic fingerprint imaging, focusing on the imaging of the internal structures of fingerprints (including sweat pores) with raw acoustic resolution of about 500 dpi (0.05 mm) using a scanning acoustic microscope to obtain images and acoustic data in the form of 3D data array. C-scans from different depths inside the fingerprint area of fingers of several volunteers were obtained and showed good contrast of ridges-and-valleys patterns and practically exact correspondence to the standard ink-and-paper prints of the same areas. Important feature reveled on the acoustic images was the clear appearance of the sweat pores, which could provide additional means of identification.

Enhancement of submarine pressure hull steel ultrasonic inspection using imaging and artificial intelligence

Science.gov (United States)

Hay, D. Robert; Brassard, Michel; Matthews, James R.; Garneau, Stephane; Morchat, Richard

1995-06-01

The convergence of a number of contemporary technologies with increasing demands for improvements in inspection capabilities in maritime applications has created new opportunities for ultrasonic inspection. An automated ultrasonic inspection and data collection system APHIUS (automated pressure hull intelligent ultrasonic system), incorporates hardware and software developments to meet specific requirements for the maritime vessels, in particular, submarines in the Canadian Navy. Housed within a hardened portable computer chassis, instrumentation for digital ultrasonic data acquisition and transducer position measurement provide new capabilities that meet more demanding requirements for inspection of the aging submarine fleet. Digital data acquisition enables a number of new important capabilites including archiving of the complete inspection session, interpretation assistance through imaging, and automated interpretation using artificial intelligence methods. With this new reliable inspection system, in conjunction with a complementary study of the significance of real defect type and location, comprehensive new criteria can be generated which will eliminate unnecessary defect removal. As a consequence, cost savings will be realized through shortened submarine refit schedules.

Thumb-size ultrasonic-assisted spectroscopic imager for in-situ glucose monitoring as optional sensor of conventional dialyzers

Science.gov (United States)

Nogo, Kosuke; Mori, Keita; Qi, Wei; Hosono, Satsuki; Kawashima, Natsumi; Nishiyama, Akira; Wada, Kenji; Ishimaru, Ichiro

2016-03-01

We proposed the ultrasonic-assisted spectroscopic imaging for the realization of blood-glucose-level monitoring during dialytic therapy. Optical scattering and absorption caused by blood cells deteriorate the detection accuracy of glucose dissolved in plasma. Ultrasonic standing waves can agglomerate blood cells at nodes. In contrast, around anti-node regions, the amount of transmitted light increases because relatively clear plasma appears due to decline the number of blood cells. Proposed method can disperse the transmitted light of plasma without time-consuming pretreatment such as centrifugation. To realize the thumb-size glucose sensor which can be easily attached to dialysis tubes, an ultrasonic standing wave generator and a spectroscopic imager are required to be small. Ultrasonic oscillators are ∅30[mm]. A drive circuit of oscillators, which now size is 41×55×45[mm], is expected to become small. The trial apparatus of proposed one-shot Fourier spectroscopic imager, whose size is 30×30×48[mm], also can be little-finger size in principal. In the experiment, we separated the suspension mixed water and micro spheres (Θ10[mm) into particles and liquid regions with the ultrasonic standing wave (frequency: 2[MHz]). Furthermore, the spectrum of transmitted light through the suspension could be obtained in visible light regions with a white LED.

Ultrasonic methods in solid state physics

CERN Document Server

Truell, John; Elbaum, Charles

1969-01-01

Ultrasonic Methods in Solid State Physics is devoted to studies of energy loss and velocity of ultrasonic waves which have a bearing on present-day problems in solid-state physics. The discussion is particularly concerned with the type of investigation that can be carried out in the megacycle range of frequencies from a few megacycles to kilomegacycles; it deals almost entirely with short-duration pulse methods rather than with standing-wave methods. The book opens with a chapter on a classical treatment of wave propagation in solids. This is followed by separate chapters on methods and techni

Tridimensional ultrasonic images analysis for the in service inspection of fast breeder reactors; Analyse d'images tridimensionnelles ultrasonores pour l'inspection en service des reacteurs a neutrons rapides

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dancre, M

1999-11-01

Tridimensional image analysis provides a set of methods for the intelligent extraction of information in order to visualize, recognize or inspect objects in volumetric images. In this field of research, we are interested in algorithmic and methodological aspects to extract surface visual information embedded in volume ultrasonic images. The aim is to help a non-acoustician operator, possibly the system itself, to inspect surfaces of vessel and internals in Fast Breeder Reactors (FBR). Those surfaces are immersed in liquid metal, what justifies the ultrasonic technology choice. We expose firstly a state of the art on the visualization of volume ultrasonic images, the methods of noise analysis, the geometrical modelling for surface analysis and finally curves and surfaces matching. These four points are then inserted in a global analysis strategy that relies on an acoustical analysis (echoes recognition), an object analysis (object recognition and reconstruction) and a surface analysis (surface defects detection). Few literature can be found on ultrasonic echoes recognition through image analysis. We suggest an original method that can be generalized to all images with structured and non-structured noise. From a technical point of view, this methodology applied to echoes recognition turns out to be a cooperative approach between morphological mathematics and snakes (active contours). An entropy maximization technique is required for volumetric data binarization. (author)

Structural damage identification based on laser ultrasonic propagation imaging technology

Science.gov (United States)

Chia, Chen-Ciang; Jang, Si-Gwang; Lee, Jung-Ryul; Yoon, Dong-Jin

2009-06-01

An ultrasonic propagation imaging (UPI) system consisted of a Q-switched Nd-YAG pulsed laser and a galvanometer laser mirror scanner was developed. The system which requires neither reference data nor fixed focal length could be used for health monitoring of curved structures. If combined with a fiber acoustic wave PZT (FAWPZT) sensor, it could be used to inspect hot target structures that present formidable challenges to the usage of contact piezoelectric transducers mainly due to the operating temperature limitation of transducers and debonding problem due to the mismatch of coefficient of thermal expansion between the target, transducer and bonding material. The inspection of a stainless steel plate with a curvature radius of about 4 m, having 2mm×1mm open-crack was demonstrated at 150°C using a FAWPZT sensor welded on the plate. Highly-curved surfaces scanning capability and adaptivity of the system for large laser incident angle up to 70° was demonstrated on a stainless steel cylinder with 2mm×1mm open-crack. The imaging results were presented in ultrasonic propagation movie which was a moving wavefield emerged from an installed ultrasonic sensor. Damages were localized by the scattering wavefields. The result images enabled easy detection and interpretation of structural defects as anomalies during ultrasonic wave propagation.

Detection of fastener loosening in simple lap joint based on ultrasonic wavefield imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Gooda Sahib, M. I.; Leong, S. J.; Chia, C. C.; Mustapha, F.

2017-12-01

Joints in aero-mechanical structures are critical elements that ensure the structural integrity but they are prone to damages. Inspection of such joints that have no prior baseline data is really challenging but it can be possibly done using the Ultrasonic Propagation Imager (UPI). The feasibility of applying UPI for detection of loosened fastener is investigated in this study. A simple lap joint specimen made by connecting two pieces of 2.5mm thick SAE304 stainless steel plates using five M6 screws and nuts has been used in this study. All fasteners are tightened to 10Nm but one of them is completely loosened to simulate the damage. The wavefield data is processed into ultrasonic wavefield propagation video and a series of spectral amplitude images. The spectral images showed noticeable amplitude difference at the loosened fastener, hence confirmed the feasibility of using UPI for structural joints inspection. A simple contrast maximization method is also introduced to improve the result.

Progress towards in vitro quantitative imaging of human femur using compound quantitative ultrasonic tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lasaygues, Philippe; Ouedraogo, Edgard; Lefebvre, Jean-Pierre; Gindre, Marcel; Talmant, Marilyne; Laugier, Pascal

2005-01-01

The objective of this study is to make cross-sectional ultrasonic quantitative tomography of the diaphysis of long bones. Ultrasonic propagation in bones is affected by the severe mismatch between the acoustic properties of this biological solid and those of the surrounding soft medium, namely, the soft tissues in vivo or water in vitro. Bone imaging is then a nonlinear inverse-scattering problem. In this paper, we showed that in vitro quantitative images of sound velocities in a human femur cross section could be reconstructed by combining ultrasonic reflection tomography (URT), which provides images of the macroscopic structure of the bone, and ultrasonic transmission tomography (UTT), which provides quantitative images of the sound velocity. For the shape, we developed an image-processing tool to extract the external and internal boundaries and cortical thickness measurements. For velocity mapping, we used a wavelet analysis tool adapted to ultrasound, which allowed us to detect precisely the time of flight from the transmitted signals. A brief review of the ultrasonic tomography that we developed using correction algorithms of the wavepaths and compensation procedures are presented. Also shown are the first results of our analyses on models and specimens of long bone using our new iterative quantitative protocol

Characterization methods for ultrasonic test systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Busse, L.J.; Becker, F.L.; Bowey, R.E.; Doctor, S.R.; Gribble, R.P.; Posakony, G.J.

1982-07-01

Methods for the characterization of ultrasonic transducers (search units) and instruments are presented. The instrument system is considered as three separate components consisting of a transducer, a receiver-display, and a pulser. The operation of each component is assessed independently. The methods presented were chosen because they provide the greatest amount of information about component operation and were not chosen based upon such conditions as cost, ease of operation, field implementation, etc. The results of evaluating a number of commercially available ultrasonic test instruments are presented

A Brazing Defect Detection Using an Ultrasonic Infrared Imaging Inspection

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cho, Jai Wan; Choi, Young Soo; Jung, Seung Ho; Jung, Hyun Kyu [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2007-10-15

When a high-energy ultrasound propagates through a solid body that contains a crack or a delamination, the two faces of the defect do not ordinarily vibrate in unison, and dissipative phenomena such as friction, rubbing and clapping between the faces will convert some of the vibrational energy to heat. By combining this heating effect with infrared imaging, one can detect a subsurface defect in material in real time. In this paper a realtime detection of the brazing defect of thin Inconel plates using the UIR (ultrasonic infrared imaging) technology is described. A low frequency (23 kHz) ultrasonic transducer was used to infuse the welded Inconel plates with a short pulse of sound for 280 ms. The ultrasonic source has a maximum power of 2 kW. The surface temperature of the area under inspection is imaged by an infrared camera that is coupled to a fast frame grabber in a computer. The hot spots, which are a small area around the bound between the two faces of the Inconel plates near the defective brazing point and heated up highly, are observed. And the weak thermal signal is observed at the defect position of brazed plate also. Using the image processing technology such as background subtraction average and image enhancement using histogram equalization, the position of defective brazing regions in the thin Inconel plates can be located certainly

Effect of zooming on texture features of ultrasonic images

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kyriacou Efthyvoulos

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Unstable carotid plaques on subjective, visual, assessment using B-mode ultrasound scanning appear as echolucent and heterogeneous. Although previous studies on computer assisted plaque characterisation have standardised B-mode images for brightness, improving the objective assessment of echolucency, little progress has been made towards standardisation of texture analysis methods, which assess plaque heterogeneity. The aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of image zooming during ultrasound scanning on textural features and to test whether or not resolution standardisation decreases the variability introduced. Methods Eighteen still B-mode images of carotid plaques were zoomed during carotid scanning (zoom factor 1.3 and both images were transferred to a PC and normalised. Using bilinear and bicubic interpolation, the original images were interpolated in a process of simulating off-line zoom using the same interpolation factor. With the aid of the colour-coded image, carotid plaques of the original, zoomed and two resampled images for each case were outlined and histogram, first order and second order statistics were subsequently calculated. Results Most second order statistics (21/25, 84% were significantly (p Conclusion Texture analysis of ultrasonic plaques should be performed under standardised resolution settings; otherwise a resolution normalisation algorithm should be applied.

Internal ultrasonic inspection of flexible pipe

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baltzersen, O. (IKU Petroleumsforskning A/S, Trondheim (Norway) Norwegian Inst. of Tech., Trondheim (Norway). Div. of Petroleum Engineering and Applied Geophysics); Waag, T.I. (IKU Petroleumsforskning A/S, Trondheim (Norway))

1993-10-01

Methods for internal ultrasonic inspection of flexible pipe have been investigated through experiments with a short sample of Coflexip pipe. Ultrasonic backscatter methods using normal and non-normal incidence have been used for qualitative high contrast ultrasonic imaging of the inner surface of the pipe. Analysis of the internal cross-section has been performed based on the use of a non-contact ultrasonic caliper, and processing procedures which enable calculation of, and compensation for, eccentricity of the tool in the pipe. The methods developed can be used to quantitatively estimate the thickness of the internal carcass, and perform high resolution topographic mapping of the inner surface. (Author)

Ultrasonic imaging of materials under unconventional circumstances

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Declercq, Nico Felicien, E-mail: declercqdepatin@gatech.edu; McKeon, Peter, E-mail: declercqdepatin@gatech.edu; Liu, Jingfei; Shaw, Anurupa [Georgia Institute of Technology, UMI Georgia Tech - CNRS 2958, George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Tech Lorraine, Laboratory for Ultrasonic Nondestructive Evaluation, 2 rue Marconi, 5070 Met-technopole (France); Slah, Yaacoubi [Institut de Soudure, 4 Bvd Henri Becquerel, Espace Cormontaigne, 57937 Yutz (France)

2015-03-31

This paper reflects the contents of the plenary talk given by Nico Felicien Declercq. “Ultrasonic Imaging of materials” covers a wide technological area with main purpose to look at and to peek inside materials. In an ideal world one would manage to examine materials like a clairvoyant. Fortunately this is impossible hence nature has offered sufficient challenges to mankind to provoke curiosity and to develop science and technology. Here we focus on the appearance of certain undesired physical effects that prohibit direct imaging of materials in ultrasonic C-scans. Furthermore we try to make use of these effects to obtain indirect images of materials and therefore make a virtue of necessity. First we return to one of the oldest quests in the progress of mankind: how thick is ice? Our ancestors must have faced this question early on during migration to Northern Europe and to the America’s and Asia. If a physicist or engineer is not provided with helpful tools such as a drill or a device based on ultrasound, it is difficult to determine the ice thickness. Guided waves, similar to those used for nondestructive testing of thin plates in structural health monitoring can be used in combination with the human ear to determine the thickness of ice. To continue with plates, if an image of its interior is desired high frequency ultrasonic pulses can be applied. It is known by the physicist that the resolution depends on the wavelength and that high frequencies usually result in undesirably high damping effects inhibiting deep penetration into the material. To the more practical oriented engineer it is known that it is advantageous to polish surfaces before examination because scattering and diffraction of sound lowers the image resolution. Random scatterers cause some blurriness but cooperating scatters, causing coherent diffraction effects similar to the effects that cause DVD’s to show rainbow patterns under sunlight, can cause spooky images and erroneous

Method and apparatus to characterize ultrasonically reflective contrast agents

Science.gov (United States)

Pretlow, Robert A., III (Inventor)

1993-01-01

A method and apparatus for characterizing the time and frequency response of an ultrasonically reflective contrast agent is disclosed. An ultrasonically reflective contrast agent is injected, under constant pressure, into a fluid flowing through a pump flow circuit. The fluid and the ultrasonically reflective contrast agent are uniformly mixed in a mixing chamber, and the uniform mixture is passed through a contrast agent chamber. The contrast agent chamber is acoustically and axially interposed between an ultrasonic transducer chamber and an acoustic isolation chamber. A pulse of ultrasonic energy is transmitted into the contrast agent chamber from the ultrasonic transducer chamber. An echo waveform is received from the ultrasonically reflective contrast agent, and it is analyzed to determine the time and frequency response of the ultrasonically reflective contrast agent.

Fabrication of NaYF4:Yb,Er Nanoprobes for Cell Imaging Directly by Using the Method of Hydrion Rivalry Aided by Ultrasonic.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Zhihua; Miao, Haixia; Fu, Ying; Liu, Yuxiang; Zhang, Ran; Tang, Bo

2016-12-01

A novel method of fabricating water-soluble bio-probes with ultra-small size such as NaYF 4 :Yb,Er (18 nm), NaGdF 4 :Yb,Er (8 nm), CaF 2 :Yb,Er (10 nm), PbS (7 nm), and ZnS (12 nm) has been developed to provide for the solubility switch of nanoparticles from oil-soluble to water-soluble in terms of hydrion rivalry aided by ultrasonic. Using NaYF 4 :Yb,Er (18 nm) as an example, we evaluate the properties of as-prepared water-soluble nanoparticles (NPs) by using thermogravimetric analyses (TGA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), zeta potential (ζ) testing, and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance ( 1 HNMR). The measured ζ value shows that the newly prepared hydrophilic NaYF 4 :Yb,Er NPs are the positively charged particles. Acting as reactive electrophilic moiety, the freshly prepared hydrophilic NaYF 4 :Yb,Er NPs have carried out the coupling with amino acids and fluorescence labeling and imaging of HeLa cells directly. Experiments indicate that the method of hydrion rivalry aided by ultrasonic provides a simple and novel opportunity to transform hydrophobic NPs into hydrophilic NPs with good reactivity, which can be imaging some specific biological targets directly.

Ultrasonic partial discharge monitoring method on instrument transformers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kartalović Nenad

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Sonic and ultrasonic partial discharge monitoring have been applied since the early days of these phenomena monitoring. Modern measurement and partial discharge acoustic (ultrasonic and sonic monitoring method has been rapidly evolving as a result of new electronic component design, information technology and updated software solutions as well as the development of knowledge in the partial discharge diagnosis. Electrical discharges in the insulation system generate voltage-current pulses in the network and ultrasonic waves that propagate through the insulation system and structure. Amplitude-phase-frequency analysis of these signals reveals information about the intensity, type and location of partial discharges. The paper discusses the possibility of ultrasonic method selectivity improvement and the increase of diagnosis reliability in the field. Measurements were performed in the laboratory and in the field while a number of transformers were analysed for dissolved gases in the oil. A comparative review of methods for the partial discharge detection is also presented in this paper.

A study on laser-based ultrasonic technique by the use of guided wave tomographic imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Junpil, E-mail: jpp@pusan.ac.kr; Lim, Juyoung, E-mail: jpp@pusan.ac.kr [Graduate school, School of Mechanical Engineering, Pusan National University (Korea, Republic of); Cho, Younho [School of Mechanical Engineering, Pusan National University (Korea, Republic of); Krishnaswamy, Sridhar [Center for Quality Engineering and Failure Prevention, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL (United States)

2015-03-31

Guided wave tests are impractical for investigating specimens with limited accessibility and coarse surfaces or geometrically complicated features. A non-contact setup with a laser ultrasonic transmitter and receiver is the classic attractive for guided wave inspection. The present work was done to develop a non-contact guided-wave tomography technique by laser ultrasonic technique in a plate-like structure. A method for Lam wave generation and detection in an aluminum plate with a pulse laser ultrasonic transmitter and a Michelson interferometer receiver has been developed. In the images obtained by laser scanning, the defect shape and area showed good agreement with the actual defect. The proposed approach can be used as a non-contact-based online inspection and monitoring technique.

Training methods in non-destructive examination with ultrasonic testing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walte, F.

1986-01-01

German concept for inspection of LWR, leak before break, basic safety; General inspection methods; Ultrasonic inspection - basic principle, generation of ultrasound, bulk and surface waves, piezo electric and electromagnetic transducers, energy balance, scattering and adsorption, divergence; Ultra techniques in compliance with KTA-rules - pulse-echo, tandem, throughtransmission; Valuation of ultrasonic indications; Pre- and in-service inspection; Practical part - ultrasonic equipment, ultrasonic piezo electric transducers, wall thickness measurement, crack depth measurement with potential drop technique. (orig.)

Thickness-Independent Ultrasonic Imaging Applied to Abrasive Cut-Off Wheels: An Advanced Aerospace Materials Characterization Method for the Abrasives Industry. A NASA Lewis Research Center Technology Transfer Case History

Science.gov (United States)

Roth, Don J.; Farmer, Donald A.

1998-01-01

Abrasive cut-off wheels are at times unintentionally manufactured with nonuniformity that is difficult to identify and sufficiently characterize without time-consuming, destructive examination. One particular nonuniformity is a density variation condition occurring around the wheel circumference or along the radius, or both. This density variation, depending on its severity, can cause wheel warpage and wheel vibration resulting in unacceptable performance and perhaps premature failure of the wheel. Conventional nondestructive evaluation methods such as ultrasonic c-scan imaging and film radiography are inaccurate in their attempts at characterizing the density variation because a superimposing thickness variation exists as well in the wheel. In this article, the single transducer thickness-independent ultrasonic imaging method, developed specifically to allow more accurate characterization of aerospace components, is shown to precisely characterize the extent of the density variation in a cut-off wheel having a superimposing thickness variation. The method thereby has potential as an effective quality control tool in the abrasives industry for the wheel manufacturer.

Reliability of measuring pelvic floor elevation with a diagnostic ultrasonic imaging device

OpenAIRE

Ubukata, Hitomi; Maruyama, Hitoshi; Huo, Ming

2015-01-01

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to investigate the reliability of measuring the amount of pelvic floor elevation during pelvic and abdominal muscle contraction with a diagnostic ultrasonic imaging device. [Subjects] The study group comprised 11 healthy women without urinary incontinence or previous birth experience. [Methods] We measured the displacement elevation of the bladder base during contraction of the abdominal and pelvic floor muscles was measured using a diagnostic ultrasoni...

Method of noncontacting ultrasonic process monitoring

Science.gov (United States)

Garcia, Gabriel V.; Walter, John B.; Telschow, Kenneth L.

1992-01-01

A method of monitoring a material during processing comprising the steps of (a) shining a detection light on the surface of a material; (b) generating ultrasonic waves at the surface of the material to cause a change in frequency of the detection light; (c) detecting a change in the frequency of the detection light at the surface of the material; (d) detecting said ultrasonic waves at the surface point of detection of the material; (e) measuring a change in the time elapsed from generating the ultrasonic waves at the surface of the material and return to the surface point of detection of the material, to determine the transit time; and (f) comparing the transit time to predetermined values to determine properties such as, density and the elastic quality of the material.

Ultrasonic-testing method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thome, Paul.

1973-01-01

Description is given of a device adapted to the detection, by means of ultrasonic waves, of all the flaws and defects included in workpieces when only one face of the latter is accessible. A beam is directed towards the rear-face of the workpiece (e.g. a plate) on which it is reflected. The image thus reflected is fed into a receiver. The latter is under the control of the displacement of that image; simultaneously a transducer checks the condition of the mirror at the places where the beam is reflected. Whenever a flow or defect comes between, a silent zone is formed. By recording the silent zones with respect to the positions of several emitters, it is possible to locates a flaw and to define the outline thereof. The apparatus comprises several ''emitter-receiver'' groups intersecting over the emitter used in order to check the good conditions of the mirror. The invention can be used for searching and identifying flaws and defects in buildings which have to be of top quality (e.g., cofferdams, nuclear devices, shipbuilding yards, aeronautics) [fr

Method of case hardening depth testing by using multifunctional ultrasonic testing instrument

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salchak, Y A; Sednev, D A; Ardashkin, I B; Kroening, M

2015-01-01

The paper describes usability of ultrasonic case hardening depth control applying standard instrument of ultrasonic inspections. The ultrasonic method of measuring the depth of the hardened layer is proposed. Experimental series within the specified and multifunctional ultrasonic equipment are performed. The obtained results are compared with the results of a referent method of analysis. (paper)

Statistical physics of medical ultrasonic images

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wagner, R.F.; Insana, M.F.; Brown, D.G.; Smith, S.W.

1987-01-01

The physical and statistical properties of backscattered signals in medical ultrasonic imaging are reviewed in terms of: 1) the radiofrequency signal; 2) the envelope (video or magnitude) signal; and 3) the density of samples in simple and in compounded images. There is a wealth of physical information in backscattered signals in medical ultrasound. This information is contained in the radiofrequency spectrum - which is not typically displayed to the viewer - as well as in the higher statistical moments of the envelope or video signal - which are not readily accessed by the human viewer of typical B-scans. This information may be extracted from the detected backscattered signals by straightforward signal processing techniques at low resolution

Measurement of a 3D Ultrasonic Wavefield Using Pulsed Laser Holographic Microscopy for Ultrasonic Nondestructive Evaluation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xing Wang

2018-02-01

Full Text Available In ultrasonic array imaging, 3D ultrasonic wavefields are normally recorded by an ultrasonic piezo array transducer. Its performance is limited by the configuration and size of the array transducer. In this paper, a method based on digital holographic interferometry is proposed to record the 3D ultrasonic wavefields instead of the array transducer, and the measurement system consisting of a pulsed laser, ultrasonic excitation, and synchronization and control circuit is designed. A consecutive sequence of holograms of ultrasonic wavefields are recorded by the system. The interferograms are calculated from the recorded holograms at different time sequence. The amplitudes and phases of the transient ultrasonic wavefields are recovered from the interferograms by phase unwrapping. The consecutive sequence of transient ultrasonic wavefields are stacked together to generate 3D ultrasonic wavefields. Simulation and experiments are carried out to verify the proposed technique, and preliminary results are presented.

Application of nonlinear ultrasonic method for monitoring of stress state in concrete

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Gyu Jin; Kwak, Hyo Gyoung; Park, Sun Jong

2016-01-01

As the lifespan of concrete structures increases, their load carrying capacity decreases owing to cyclic loads and long-term effects such as creep and shrinkage. For these reasons, there is a necessity for stress state monitoring of concrete members. Particularly, it is necessary to evaluate the concrete structures for behavioral changes by using a technique that can overcome the measuring limitations of usual ultrasonic nondestructive evaluation methods. This paper proposes the use of a nonlinear ultrasonic method, namely, nonlinear resonant ultrasonic spectroscopy (NRUS) for the measurement of nonlinearity parameters for stress monitoring. An experiment compared the use of NRUS method and a linear ultrasonic method, namely, ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV) to study the effects of continuously increasing loads and cyclic loads on the nonlinearity parameter. Both NRUS and UPV methods found a similar direct relationship between load level and that parameter. The NRUS method showed a higher sensitivity to micro-structural changes of concrete than UPV method. Thus, the experiment confirms the possibility of using the nonlinear ultrasonic method for stress state monitoring of concrete members

Application of nonlinear ultrasonic method for monitoring of stress state in concrete

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Gyu Jin; Kwak, Hyo Gyoung [Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Park, Sun Jong [Dept. of Structural System and Site Safety Evaluation, Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-04-15

As the lifespan of concrete structures increases, their load carrying capacity decreases owing to cyclic loads and long-term effects such as creep and shrinkage. For these reasons, there is a necessity for stress state monitoring of concrete members. Particularly, it is necessary to evaluate the concrete structures for behavioral changes by using a technique that can overcome the measuring limitations of usual ultrasonic nondestructive evaluation methods. This paper proposes the use of a nonlinear ultrasonic method, namely, nonlinear resonant ultrasonic spectroscopy (NRUS) for the measurement of nonlinearity parameters for stress monitoring. An experiment compared the use of NRUS method and a linear ultrasonic method, namely, ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV) to study the effects of continuously increasing loads and cyclic loads on the nonlinearity parameter. Both NRUS and UPV methods found a similar direct relationship between load level and that parameter. The NRUS method showed a higher sensitivity to micro-structural changes of concrete than UPV method. Thus, the experiment confirms the possibility of using the nonlinear ultrasonic method for stress state monitoring of concrete members.

Nondestructive evaluation ultrasonic methods for construction materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chilibon, I.; Zisu, T.; Raetchi, V.

2002-01-01

The paper presents some ultrasonic methods for evaluation of physical-mechanical properties of construction materials (bricks, concrete, BCA), such as: pulse method, examination methods, and direct measurement of the propagation velocity and impact-echo method. Utilizing these nondestructive evaluation ultrasonic methods it can be determined the main material parameters and material characteristics (elasticity coefficients, density, propagation velocity, ultrasound attenuation, etc.) of construction materials. These method are suitable for construction materials because the defectoscopy methods for metallic materials cannot be utilized, due to its rugged and non-homogeneous structures and grate attenuation coefficients of ultrasound propagation through materials. Also, the impact-echo method is a technique for flaw detection in concrete based on stress wave propagation. Studies have shown that the impact-echo method is effective for locating voids, honeycombing, delaminating, depth of surface opening cracks, and measuring member thickness

Effect of Heat Generation of Ultrasound Transducer on Ultrasonic Power Measured by Calorimetric Method

Science.gov (United States)

Uchida, Takeyoshi; Kikuchi, Tsuneo

2013-07-01

Ultrasonic power is one of the key quantities closely related to the safety of medical ultrasonic equipment. An ultrasonic power standard is required for establishment of safety. Generally, an ultrasonic power standard below approximately 20 W is established by the radiation force balance (RFB) method as the most accurate measurement method. However, RFB is not suitable for high ultrasonic power because of thermal damage to the absorbing target. Consequently, an alternative method to RFB is required. We have been developing a measurement technique for high ultrasonic power by the calorimetric method. In this study, we examined the effect of heat generation of an ultrasound transducer on ultrasonic power measured by the calorimetric method. As a result, an excessively high ultrasonic power was measured owing to the effect of heat generation from internal loss in the transducer. A reference ultrasound transducer with low heat generation is required for a high ultrasonic power standard established by the calorimetric method.

Ultrasonic imaging with a fixed instrument configuration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Witten, A.; Tuggle, J.; Waag, R.C.

1988-07-04

Diffraction tomography is a technique based on an inversion of the wave equation which has been proposed for high-resolution ultrasonic imaging. While this approach has been considered for diagnostic medical applications, it has, until recently, been limited by practical limitations on the speed of data acquisition associated with instrument motions. This letter presents the results of an experimental study directed towards demonstrating tomography utilizing a fixed instrument configuration.

Three-dimensional ultrasonic imaging of concrete elements using different SAFT data acquisition and processing schemes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schickert, Martin

2015-01-01

Ultrasonic testing systems using transducer arrays and the SAFT (Synthetic Aperture Focusing Technique) reconstruction allow for imaging the internal structure of concrete elements. At one-sided access, three-dimensional representations of the concrete volume can be reconstructed in relatively great detail, permitting to detect and localize objects such as construction elements, built-in components, and flaws. Different SAFT data acquisition and processing schemes can be utilized which differ in terms of the measuring and computational effort and the reconstruction result. In this contribution, two methods are compared with respect to their principle of operation and their imaging characteristics. The first method is the conventional single-channel SAFT algorithm which is implemented using a virtual transducer that is moved within a transducer array by electronic switching. The second method is the Combinational SAFT algorithm (C-SAFT), also named Sampling Phased Array (SPA) or Full Matrix Capture/Total Focusing Method (TFM/FMC), which is realized using a combination of virtual transducers within a transducer array. Five variants of these two methods are compared by means of measurements obtained at test specimens containing objects typical of concrete elements. The automated SAFT imaging system FLEXUS is used for the measurements which includes a three-axis scanner with a 1.0 m × 0.8 m scan range and an electronically switched ultrasonic array consisting of 48 transducers in 16 groups. On the basis of two-dimensional and three-dimensional reconstructed images, qualitative and some quantitative results of the parameters image resolution, signal-to-noise ratio, measurement time, and computational effort are discussed in view of application characteristics of the SAFT variants

X-ray elastography: Modification of x-ray phase contrast images using ultrasonic radiation pressure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hamilton, Theron J.; Bailat, Claude; Rose-Petruck, Christoph; Diebold, Gerald J.; Gehring, Stephan; Laperle, Christopher M.; Wands, Jack

2009-01-01

The high resolution characteristic of in-line x-ray phase contrast imaging can be used in conjunction with directed ultrasound to detect small displacements in soft tissue generated by differential acoustic radiation pressure. The imaging method is based on subtraction of two x-ray images, the first image taken with, and the second taken without the presence of ultrasound. The subtraction enhances phase contrast features and, to a large extent, removes absorption contrast so that differential movement of tissues with different acoustic impedances or relative ultrasonic absorption is highlighted in the image. Interfacial features of objects with differing densities are delineated in the image as a result of both the displacement introduced by the ultrasound and the inherent sensitivity of x-ray phase contrast imaging to density variations. Experiments with ex vivo murine tumors and human tumor phantoms point out a diagnostic capability of the method for identifying tumors.

Inspection of copper canisters for spent nuclear fuel by means of ultrasound. Ultrasonic imaging of EB weld, theory of harmonic imaging of welds, NDE of cast iron

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stepinski, T.; Lingvall, F.; Ping Wu

2001-07-01

The objective of task presented in the first chapter, ultrasonic imaging of EB weld is to investigate imaging methods capable of improving ultrasonic imaging of defects in EB-welds. Algorithms based on ideas from ultrasonic tomography were examined as the first step. After a concise review of literature in the field of tomography the attention is focused on synthetic focusing and particularly on using linear phased array systems for imaging. Synthetic focusing is a technique where the focusing is performed by software after gathering the ultrasonic data. General principles of synthetic aperture focusing technique (SAFT) - a synthetic focusing technique especially suitable for linear ultrasonic arrays are presented. Problems related to the application of SAFT to ultrasonic transducers with large apertures are identified and the solution is proposed. It appears that when the probe becomes larger (i.e., cannot be regarded as a point source) the ultrasonic pulses that it generates will be smeared by its spatial impulse response (SIR). This impairs the spatial resolution achieved for the finite aperture probes comparing to the point source. Thus, a proper application of synthetic focusing requires taking into account the spatially varying probe's SIR. The SIR has to be calculated (measured) in the interesting points of space and than deconvoluted. A technique for deconvoluting the SIR based on Wiener filter is proposed and illustrated by experimental results. Some preliminary results from immersion testing of copper blocks using the ALLIN system in our lab facility are presented. Nonlinear propagation of plane waves in fluids based on the Burgers equation is investigated in the second chapter. The presented method is basically adopted from the existing literature although some modification has been made to adapt to our situation. The solution has been re-derived and two alternative forms feasible for computer calculation are given and some numerical results are

Inspection of copper canisters for spent nuclear fuel by means of ultrasound. Ultrasonic imaging of EB weld, theory of harmonic imaging of welds, NDE of cast iron

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stepinski, T.; Lingvall, F.; Ping Wu [Uppsala Univ. (Sweden). Dept. of Materials Science

2001-07-01

The objective of task presented in the first chapter, ultrasonic imaging of EB weld is to investigate imaging methods capable of improving ultrasonic imaging of defects in EB-welds. Algorithms based on ideas from ultrasonic tomography were examined as the first step. After a concise review of literature in the field of tomography the attention is focused on synthetic focusing and particularly on using linear phased array systems for imaging. Synthetic focusing is a technique where the focusing is performed by software after gathering the ultrasonic data. General principles of synthetic aperture focusing technique (SAFT) - a synthetic focusing technique especially suitable for linear ultrasonic arrays are presented. Problems related to the application of SAFT to ultrasonic transducers with large apertures are identified and the solution is proposed. It appears that when the probe becomes larger (i.e., cannot be regarded as a point source) the ultrasonic pulses that it generates will be smeared by its spatial impulse response (SIR). This impairs the spatial resolution achieved for the finite aperture probes comparing to the point source. Thus, a proper application of synthetic focusing requires taking into account the spatially varying probe's SIR. The SIR has to be calculated (measured) in the interesting points of space and than deconvoluted. A technique for deconvoluting the SIR based on Wiener filter is proposed and illustrated by experimental results. Some preliminary results from immersion testing of copper blocks using the ALLIN system in our lab facility are presented. Nonlinear propagation of plane waves in fluids based on the Burgers equation is investigated in the second chapter. The presented method is basically adopted from the existing literature although some modification has been made to adapt to our situation. The solution has been re-derived and two alternative forms feasible for computer calculation are given and some numerical results are

Nonlinear propagation in ultrasonic fields: measurements, modelling and harmonic imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Humphrey, V F

2000-03-01

In high amplitude ultrasonic fields, such as those used in medical ultrasound, nonlinear propagation can result in waveform distortion and the generation of harmonics of the initial frequency. In the nearfield of a transducer this process is complicated by diffraction effects associated with the source. The results of a programme to study the nonlinear propagation in the fields of circular, focused and rectangular transducers are described, and comparisons made with numerical predictions obtained using a finite difference solution to the Khokhlov-Zabolotskaya-Kuznetsov (or KZK) equation. These results are extended to consider nonlinear propagation in tissue-like media and the implications for ultrasonic measurements and ultrasonic heating are discussed. The narrower beamwidths and reduced side-lobe levels of the harmonic beams are illustrated and the use of harmonics to form diagnostic images with improved resolution is described.

Sampling phased array a new technique for signal processing and ultrasonic imaging

OpenAIRE

Bulavinov, A.; Joneit, D.; Kröning, M.; Bernus, L.; Dalichow, M.H.; Reddy, K.M.

2006-01-01

Different signal processing and image reconstruction techniques are applied in ultrasonic non-destructive material evaluation. In recent years, rapid development in the fields of microelectronics and computer engineering lead to wide application of phased array systems. A new phased array technique, called "Sampling Phased Array" has been developed in Fraunhofer Institute for non-destructive testing. It realizes unique approach of measurement and processing of ultrasonic signals. The sampling...

Ultrasonic Testing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Hyeong Jun; Kuk, Jeong Han

2002-02-15

This book introduces ultrasonic testing, which tells of outline of ultrasonic testing, principle of ultrasonic testing, prosperities of ultrasonic waves, radiographic test and ultrasonic test, basic theory on ultrasonic testing, mode conversion, transmission and diffraction, ultrasonic flaw detection and probe, standard test piece and reference test piece, like KS(JIS) ASME and ASTM, classification and properties of ultrasonic testing, straight beam method, angle beam method, ASME SEC.V.Art.5 ASTMA 388 and KS B 0817 Korean industrial standard.

Development of gap measurement technique in-vessel corium retention using ultrasonic pulse echo method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koo, Kil Mo; Kim, Jong Hwan; Kang, Kyung Ho; Kim, Sang Baik; Sim, Cheul Muu

1999-03-01

A gap between a molten material and a lower vessel is formed in the LAVA experiment, a phase 1 study of Sonata-IV program. In this technical report, quantitative results of the gap measurement using an off-line ultrasonic pulse echo method are presented. This report aims at development of an appropriate ultrasonics test method, by analyzing the problems from the external environmental reason and the internal characteristic reason. The signal analyzing methods to improve the S/N ratio in these problems are divided into the time variant synthesized signal analyzing method and the time invariant synthesized signal analyzing method. In this report, the possibility of the application of these two methods to the gap signal and the noise is considered. In this test, the signal of the propagational direction and reflectional direction through solid-liquid-solid specimen was analyzed to understand the behavior of the reflectional signal in a multi-layered structure by filling the gap with water between the melt and the lower head vessel. The quantitative gap measurement using the off-line ultrasonic pulse echo method was available for a little of the scanned region. But furtherly using DSP technique and imaging technique, the better results will be obtained. Some of the measured signals are presented as 2-dimensional spherical mapping method using distance and amplitude. Other signals difficult in quantitative measurement are saved for a new signal processing method. (author). 11 refs., 4 tabs., 54 figs

Background Noise Removal in Ultrasonic B-scan Images Using Iterative Statistical Techniques

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wells, I.; Charlton, P. C.; Mosey, S.; Donne, K. E.

2008-01-01

The interpretation of ultrasonic B-scan images can be a time-consuming process and its success depends on operator skills and experience. Removal of the image background will potentially improve its quality and hence improve operator diagnosis. An automatic background noise removal algorithm is

Sampling phased array - a new technique for ultrasonic signal processing and imaging

OpenAIRE

Verkooijen, J.; Boulavinov, A.

2008-01-01

Over the past 10 years, the improvement in the field of microelectronics and computer engineering has led to significant advances in ultrasonic signal processing and image construction techniques that are currently being applied to non-destructive material evaluation. A new phased array technique, called 'Sampling Phased Array', has been developed in the Fraunhofer Institute for Non-Destructive Testing([1]). It realises a unique approach of measurement and processing of ultrasonic signals. Th...

Computer analysis of gallbladder ultrasonic images towards recognition of pathological lesions

Science.gov (United States)

Ogiela, M. R.; Bodzioch, S.

2011-06-01

This paper presents a new approach to gallbladder ultrasonic image processing and analysis towards automatic detection and interpretation of disease symptoms on processed US images. First, in this paper, there is presented a new heuristic method of filtering gallbladder contours from images. A major stage in this filtration is to segment and section off areas occupied by the said organ. This paper provides for an inventive algorithm for the holistic extraction of gallbladder image contours, based on rank filtration, as well as on the analysis of line profile sections on tested organs. The second part concerns detecting the most important lesion symptoms of the gallbladder. Automating a process of diagnosis always comes down to developing algorithms used to analyze the object of such diagnosis and verify the occurrence of symptoms related to given affection. The methodology of computer analysis of US gallbladder images presented here is clearly utilitarian in nature and after standardising can be used as a technique for supporting the diagnostics of selected gallbladder disorders using the images of this organ.

Ultrasonic superlensing jets and acoustic-fork sheets

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mitri, F.G., E-mail: F.G.Mitri@ieee.org

2017-05-18

Focusing acoustical (and optical) beams beyond the diffraction limit has remained a major challenge in imaging instruments and systems, until recent advances on “hyper” or “super” lensing and higher-resolution imaging techniques have shown the counterintuitive violation of this rule under certain circumstances. Nonetheless, the proposed technologies of super-resolution acoustical focusing beyond the diffraction barrier require complex tools such as artificially engineered metamaterials, and other hardware equipment that may not be easily synthesized or manufactured. The present contribution therefore suggests a simple and reliable method of using a sound-penetrable circular cylinder lens illuminated by a nonparaxial Gaussian acoustical sheet (i.e. finite beam in 2D) to produce non-evanescent ultrasonic superlensing jets (or bullets) and acoustical ‘snail-fork’ shaped wavefronts with limited diffraction. The generalized (near-field) scattering theory for acoustical sheets of arbitrary wavefronts and incidence is utilized to synthesize the incident beam based upon the angular spectrum decomposition method and the multipole expansion method in cylindrical wave functions to compute the scattered pressure around the cylinder with particular emphasis on its physical properties. The results show that depending on the beam and lens parameters, a tight focusing (with dimensions much smaller than the beam waist) can be achieved. Subwavelength resolution can be also achieved by selecting a lens material with a speed of sound exceeding that of the host fluid medium. The ultrasonic superlensing jets provide the impetus to develop improved subwavelength microscopy and acoustical image-slicing systems, cell lysis and surgery, and photoacoustic imaging to name a few examples. Moreover, an acoustical fork-sheet generation may open innovative avenues in reconfigurable on-chip micro/nanoparticle tweezers and surface acoustic waves devices. - Highlights: • Ultrasonic

Characterization of Olive Oil by Ultrasonic and Physico-chemical Methods

Science.gov (United States)

Alouache, B.; Khechena, F. K.; Lecheb, F.; Boutkedjirt, T.

Olive oil excels by its nutritional and medicinal benefits. It can be consumed without any treatment. However, its quality can be altered by inadequate storage conditions or if it is mixed with other kinds of oils. The objective of this work is to demonstrate the ability of ultrasonic methods to characterize and control olive oil quality. By using of a transducer of 2.25 MHz nominal frequency, in pulse echo mode, ultrasonic parameters, such as propagation velocity and attenuation,have been measured for pure olive oil and for its mixtures with sunflower oil at different proportions. Mechanical properties, such as density and viscosity, have also been determined. The results of ultrasonic measurements are consistent with those obtained by physico-chemical methods, such as rancidity degree, acid index, UV specific extinction coefficient and viscosity. They show that the ultrasonic method allows to distinguish between mixtures at different proportions. The study allows concluding that ultrasound techniques can be considered as a useful complement to existing physico-chemical analysis techniques.

Internal properties assessment in agar wood trees using ultrasonic velocity measurement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohd Noorul Ikhsan Mohamed; Mohamad Pauzi Ismail; Mat Rasol Awang; Mohd Fajri Osman; Fakhruzi, M.; Hashim, M.M.

2010-01-01

This paper presents the application of ultrasonic velocity in agar wood trees (Aquilaria crassna) with the purpose of evaluating the relationship of the ultrasonic velocity to the variations of internal properties of trees. In this study, three circular cross-sectional discs from the freshly cut tree were selected as samples. First sample with a big hole (decay) in the middle, second sample with internal resinous and the last one is the sample with no defects. The through transmission ultrasonic testing method was carried out using Tico ultrasonic pulse velocity tester which is from Switzerland. Two-dimensional image of internal properties evaluation by an ultrasonic investigation was obtained using Matlab. The results showed that the ultrasonic wave cannot pass through the internal decay or resinous so that the wave went round it and thus ultrasonic wave velocity significantly decreased by increasing the hole or resinous. The difference in color of the image generated by Matlab software based on variation of ultrasonic velocity between the internal decay area and its surrounding area was obvious. Therefore, the properties of internal properties of the three could be detected by ultrasonic line imaging technique. (author)

Signal Processing Effects for Ultrasonic Guided Wave Scanning of Composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roth, D.J.; Cosgriff, L.M.; Martin, R.E.; Burns, E.A.; Teemer, L.

2005-01-01

The goal of this ongoing work is to optimize experimental variables for a guided wave scanning method to obtain the most revealing and accurate images of defect conditions in composite materials. This study focuses on signal processing effects involved in forming guided wave scan images. Signal processing is involved at two basic levels for deriving ultrasonic guided wave scan images. At the primary level, NASA GRC has developed algorithms to extract over 30 parameters from the multimode signal and its power spectral density. At the secondary level, there are many variables for which values must be chosen that affect actual computation of these parameters. In this study, a ceramic matrix composite sample having a delamination is characterized using the ultrasonic guided wave scan method. Energy balance and decay rate parameters of the guided wave at each scan location are calculated to form images. These images are compared with ultrasonic c-scan and thermography images. The effect of the time portion of the waveform processed on image quality is assessed by comparing with images formed using the total waveform acquired

Research into Thermal Sprayed Coatings with Ultrasonic Methods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Justinas Gargasas

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Research on thermal sprayed coatings with ultrasonic methods is the main object of this thesis. Metal surface coating was applied to modify its mechanical and physical-chemical properties and resistance to external impact and improve aesthetics. Spraying was carried out by scanning the rotating sample of 30 cm/s speed. Surface microstructure, ultrasonic thickness, porosity, micro hardness and surface modulus tests performed. Conclusions were formulated.Article in Lithuanian

A study on the inclusion sizing using immersion ultrasonic C-scan imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, D; Xiao, H F; Li, M; Xu, J W

2017-01-01

Inclusion sizing, especially for large inclusions greater than 30μm provides important reference for metallurgical process control and fatigue life assessment of steel. Ultrasonic non-destructive testing (NDT) shows great advantages in detecting infrequently occurred large inclusions than eddy current, magnetic particle, microscopic or macroscopic examination procedures. In this paper, the performance of inclusion sizing by immersion ultrasonic C-scan imaging is studied numerically. A two-dimensional model that consists of spherically focused transducer, water couplant and steel with embedded inclusion is established and solved numerically by the finite element method. The signal intensity distributions of inclusion with different sizes are acquired and the effects of inclusion type, shape, orientation on signal intensity distribution are analysed. The results show that the 6dB-drop threshold has the smallest relative error compared with the 12dB-drop threshold and the full-drop threshold, which is better for determining inclusion size larger than 100μm. Experiment is also performed to validate the simulated results. (paper)

New approach to gallbladder ultrasonic images analysis and lesions recognition.

Science.gov (United States)

Bodzioch, Sławomir; Ogiela, Marek R

2009-03-01

This paper presents a new approach to gallbladder ultrasonic image processing and analysis towards detection of disease symptoms on processed images. First, in this paper, there is presented a new method of filtering gallbladder contours from USG images. A major stage in this filtration is to segment and section off areas occupied by the said organ. In most cases this procedure is based on filtration that plays a key role in the process of diagnosing pathological changes. Unfortunately ultrasound images present among the most troublesome methods of analysis owing to the echogenic inconsistency of structures under observation. This paper provides for an inventive algorithm for the holistic extraction of gallbladder image contours. The algorithm is based on rank filtration, as well as on the analysis of histogram sections on tested organs. The second part concerns detecting lesion symptoms of the gallbladder. Automating a process of diagnosis always comes down to developing algorithms used to analyze the object of such diagnosis and verify the occurrence of symptoms related to given affection. Usually the final stage is to make a diagnosis based on the detected symptoms. This last stage can be carried out through either dedicated expert systems or more classic pattern analysis approach like using rules to determine illness basing on detected symptoms. This paper discusses the pattern analysis algorithms for gallbladder image interpretation towards classification of the most frequent illness symptoms of this organ.

Fast synthesize ZnO quantum dots via ultrasonic method.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Weimin; Zhang, Bing; Ding, Nan; Ding, Wenhao; Wang, Lixi; Yu, Mingxun; Zhang, Qitu

2016-05-01

Green emission ZnO quantum dots were synthesized by an ultrasonic sol-gel method. The ZnO quantum dots were synthesized in various ultrasonic temperature and time. Photoluminescence properties of these ZnO quantum dots were measured. Time-resolved photoluminescence decay spectra were also taken to discover the change of defects amount during the reaction. Both ultrasonic temperature and time could affect the type and amount of defects in ZnO quantum dots. Total defects of ZnO quantum dots decreased with the increasing of ultrasonic temperature and time. The dangling bonds defects disappeared faster than the optical defects. Types of optical defects first changed from oxygen interstitial defects to oxygen vacancy and zinc interstitial defects. Then transformed back to oxygen interstitial defects again. The sizes of ZnO quantum dots would be controlled by both ultrasonic temperature and time as well. That is, with the increasing of ultrasonic temperature and time, the sizes of ZnO quantum dots first decreased then increased. Moreover, concentrated raw materials solution brought larger sizes and more optical defects of ZnO quantum dots. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

High-speed biometrics ultrasonic system for 3D fingerprint imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Maev, Roman G.; Severin, Fedar

2012-10-01

The objective of this research is to develop a new robust fingerprint identification technology based upon forming surface-subsurface (under skin) ultrasonic 3D images of the finger pads. The presented work aims to create specialized ultrasonic scanning methods for biometric purposes. Preliminary research has demonstrated the applicability of acoustic microscopy for fingerprint reading. The additional information from internal skin layers and dermis structures contained in the scan can essentially improve confidence in the identification. Advantages of this system include high resolution and quick scanning time. Operating in pulse-echo mode provides spatial resolution up to 0.05 mm. Technology advantages of the proposed technology are the following: • Full-range scanning of the fingerprint area "nail to nail" (2.5 x 2.5 cm) can be done in less than 5 sec with a resolution of up to 1000 dpi. • Collection of information about the in-depth structure of the fingerprint realized by the set of spherically focused 50 MHz acoustic lens provide the resolution ~ 0.05 mm or better • In addition to fingerprints, this technology can identify sweat porous at the surface and under the skin • No sensitivity to the contamination of the finger's surface • Detection of blood velocity using Doppler effect can be implemented to distinguish living specimens • Utilization as polygraph device • Simple connectivity to fingerprint databases obtained with other techniques • The digitally interpolated images can then be enhanced allowing for greater resolution • Method can be applied to fingernails and underlying tissues, providing more information • A laboratory prototype of the biometrics system based on these described principles was designed, built and tested. It is the first step toward a practical implementation of this technique.

Comparison of three flaw-location methods for automated ultrasonic testing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seiger, H.

1982-01-01

Two well-known methods for locating flaws by measurement of the transit time of ultrasonic pulses are examined theoretically. It is shown that neither is sufficiently reliable for use in automated ultrasonic testing. A third method, which takes into account the shape of the sound field from the probe and the uncertainty in measurement of probe-flaw distance and probe position, is introduced. An experimental comparison of the three methods indicates that use of the advanced method results in more accurate location of flaws. (author)

Determination of the apparent porosity level of refractory concrete during a sintering process using an ultrasonic pulse velocity technique and image analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

LJUBICA M. PAVLOVIĆ

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Concrete which undergoes a thermal treatment before (pre-casted concrete blocks and during (concrete embedded in-situ its life-service can be applied in plants operating at high temperature and as thermal insulation. Sintering is a process which occurs within a concrete structure in such conditions. Progression of sintering process can be monitored by the change of the porosity parameters determined with a nondestructive test method - ultrasonic pulse velocity and computer program for image analysis. The experiment has been performed on the samples of corundum and bauxite concrete composites. The apparent porosity of the samples thermally treated at 110, 800, 1000, 1300 and 1500 C was primary investigated with a standard laboratory procedure. Sintering parameters were calculated from the creep testing. The loss of strength and material degradation occurred in concrete when it was subjected to the increased temperature and a compressive load. Mechanical properties indicate and monitor changes within microstructure. The level of surface deterioration after the thermal treatment was determined using Image Pro Plus program. Mechanical strength was estimated using ultrasonic pulse velocity testing. Nondestructive ultrasonic mea¬surement was used as a qualitative description of the porosity change in specimens which is the result of the sintering process. The ultrasonic pulse velocity technique and image analysis proved to be reliable methods for monitoring of micro-structural change during the thermal treatment and service life of refractory concrete.

Monitoring Low-Cycle Fatigue Material-Degradation by Ultrasonic Methods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. Himawan

2010-08-01

Full Text Available Any system consisting of structural material often undergoes fatigue, which is caused by dynamic load cycle. As a structural system, nuclear power plant is very likely to have low-cycle fatigue at many of its components. Taking into account the importance of monitoring low-cycle fatigue on structural components to prevent them from getting failure, the authors have conducted a work to monitor material degradation caused by low-cycle fatigue by using ultrasonic method. An alloy of Cu-40Zn was used as a test specimen. Ultrasonic water immersion procedure was employed in this ultrasonic test. The probe used is a focusing type and has frequency as high as 15 MHz. The specimen area tested is in the middle part divided into 14 points × 23 points. The results, which were frequency spectrums, were analyzed using two parameters: frequency spectrum peak intensity and attenuation function gradient. The analysis indicates that peak intensity increases at the beginning of load cycle and then decreases. Meanwhile, gradient of attenuation function is lower at the beginning of fatigue process, and then consistently gets higher. It concludes that low-fatigue material degradation can be monitored by using ultrasonic method.

Remote consulting based on ultrasonic digital immages and dynamic ultrasonic sequences

Science.gov (United States)

Margan, Anamarija; Rustemović, Nadan

2006-03-01

Telematic ultrasonic diagnostics is a relatively new tool in providing health care to patients in remote, islolated communities. Our project facility, "The Virtual Polyclinic - A Specialists' Consulting Network for the Islands", is located on the island of Cres in the Adriatic Sea in Croatia and has been extending telemedical services to the archipelago population since 2000. Telemedicine applications include consulting services by specialists at the University Clinical Hospital Center Rebro in Zagreb and at "Magdalena", a leading cardiology clinic in Croatia. After several years of experience with static high resolution ultrasonic digital immages for referral consulting diagnostics purposes, we now also use dynamic ultrasonic sequences in a project with the Department of Emmergency Gastroenterology at Rebro in Zagreb. The aim of the ongoing project is to compare the advantages and shortcomings in transmitting static ultrasonic digital immages and live sequences of ultrasonic examination in telematic diagnostics. Ultrasonic examination is a dynamic process in which the diagnostic accuracy is highly dependent on the dynamic moment of an ultrasound probe and signal. Our first results indicate that in diffuse parenchymal organ pathology the progression and the follow up of a disease is better presented to a remote consulting specialist by dynamic ultrasound sequences. However, the changes that involve only one part of a parenchymal organ can be suitably presented by static ultrasonic digital images alone. Furthermore, we need less time for digital imaging and such tele-consultations overall are more economical. Our previous telemedicine research and practice proved that we can greatly improve the level of medical care in remote healthcare facilities and cut healthcare costs considerably. The experience in the ongoing project points to a conclusion that we can further optimize remote diagnostics benefits by a right choice of telematic application thus reaching a

Characterization of nuclear graphite elastic properties using laser ultrasonic methods

Science.gov (United States)

Zeng, Fan W.; Han, Karen; Olasov, Lauren R.; Gallego, Nidia C.; Contescu, Cristian I.; Spicer, James B.

2015-05-01

Laser ultrasonic methods have been used to characterize the elastic behaviors of commercially-available and legacy nuclear graphites. Since ultrasonic techniques are sensitive to various aspects of graphite microstructure including preferred grain orientation, microcrack orientation and porosity, laser ultrasonics is a candidate technique for monitoring graphite degradation and structural integrity in environments expected in high-temperature, gas-cooled nuclear reactors. Aspects of materials texture can be assessed by studying ultrasonic wavespeeds as a function of propagation direction and polarization. Shear wave birefringence measurements, in particular, can be used to evaluate elastic anisotropy. In this work, laser ultrasonic measurements of graphite moduli have been made to provide insight into the relationship between the microstructures and the macroscopic stiffnesses of these materials. In particular, laser ultrasonic measurements have been made using laser line sources to produce shear waves with specific polarizations. By varying the line orientation relative to the sample, shear wave birefringence measurements have been recorded. Results from shear wave birefringence measurements show that an isostatically molded graphite, such as PCIB, behaves isotropically, while an extruded graphite, such as H-451, displays significant ultrasonic texture. Graphites have complicated microstructures that depend on the manufacturing processes used, and ultrasonic texture in these materials could originate from grain orientation and preferred microcrack alignment. Effects on material isotropy due to service related microstructural changes are possible and the ultimate aim of this work is to determine the degree to which these changes can be assessed nondestructively using laser ultrasonics measurements.

Ultrasonic phased array with surface acoustic wave for imaging cracks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yoshikazu Ohara

2017-06-01

Full Text Available To accurately measure crack lengths, we developed a real-time surface imaging method (SAW PA combining an ultrasonic phased array (PA with a surface acoustic wave (SAW. SAW PA using a Rayleigh wave with a high sensitivity to surface defects was implemented for contact testing using a wedge with the third critical angle that allows the Rayleigh wave to be generated. Here, to realize high sensitivity imaging, SAW PA was optimized in terms of the wedge and the imaging area. The improved SAW PA was experimentally demonstrated using a fatigue crack specimen made of an aluminum alloy. For further verification in more realistic specimens, SAW PA was applied to stainless-steel specimens with a fatigue crack and stress corrosion cracks (SCCs. The fatigue crack was visualized with a high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR and its length was measured with a high accuracy of better than 1 mm. The SCCs generated in the heat-affected zones (HAZs of a weld were successfully visualized with a satisfactory SNR, although responses at coarse grains appeared throughout the imaging area. The SCC lengths were accurately measured. The imaging results also precisely showed complicated distributions of SCCs, which were in excellent agreement with the optically observed distributions.

Measurement of absolute displacement-amplitude of ultrasonic wave using piezo-electric detection method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Seong Hyun; Kim, Jong Beom; Jhang, Kyung Young [Hanyang University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2017-02-15

A nonlinear ultrasonic parameter is defined by the ratio of displacement amplitude of the fundamental frequency component to that of the second-order harmonic frequency component. In this study, the ultrasonic displacement amplitude of an SUS316 specimen was measured via a piezo-electric-based method to identify the validity of piezo-electric detection method. For comparison, the ultrasonic displacement was also determined via a laser-based Fabry-Pérot interferometer. The experimental results for both measurements were in good agreement. Additionally, the stability of the repeated test results from the piezo-electric method exceeded that of the laser-interferometric method. This result indicated that the piezo-electric detection method can be utilized to measure a nonlinear ultrasonic parameter due to its excellent stability although it involves a complicated process.

Measurement of absolute displacement-amplitude of ultrasonic wave using piezo-electric detection method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Seong Hyun; Kim, Jong Beom; Jhang, Kyung Young

2017-01-01

A nonlinear ultrasonic parameter is defined by the ratio of displacement amplitude of the fundamental frequency component to that of the second-order harmonic frequency component. In this study, the ultrasonic displacement amplitude of an SUS316 specimen was measured via a piezo-electric-based method to identify the validity of piezo-electric detection method. For comparison, the ultrasonic displacement was also determined via a laser-based Fabry-Pérot interferometer. The experimental results for both measurements were in good agreement. Additionally, the stability of the repeated test results from the piezo-electric method exceeded that of the laser-interferometric method. This result indicated that the piezo-electric detection method can be utilized to measure a nonlinear ultrasonic parameter due to its excellent stability although it involves a complicated process

Measurement of hydroxyl radical production in ultrasonic aqueous solutions by a novel chemiluminescence method.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Yufei; Zhang, Zhujun; Yang, Chunyan

2008-07-01

Measurement methods for ultrasonic fields are important for reasons of safety. The investigation of an ultrasonic field can be performed by detecting the yield of hydroxyl radicals resulting from ultrasonic cavitations. In this paper, a novel method is introduced for detecting hydroxyl radicals by a chemiluminescence (CL) reaction of luminol-hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-K5[Cu(HIO6)2](DPC). The yield of hydroxyl radicals is calculated directly by the relative CL intensity according to the corresponding concentration of H2O2. This proposed CL method makes it possible to perform an in-line and real-time assay of hydroxyl radicals in an ultrasonic aqueous solution. With flow injection (FI) technology, this novel CL reaction is sensitive enough to detect ultra trace amounts of H2O2 with a limit of detection (3sigma) of 4.1 x 10(-11) mol L(-1). The influences of ultrasonic output power and ultrasonic treatment time on the yield of hydroxyl radicals by an ultrasound generator were also studied. The results indicate that the amount of hydroxyl radicals increases with the increase of ultrasonic output power (< or = 15 W mL(-1)). There is a linear relationship between the time of ultrasonic treatment and the yield of H2O2. The ultrasonic field of an ultrasonic cleaning baths has been measured by calculating the yield of hydroxyl radicals.

A multi points ultrasonic detection method for material flow of belt conveyor

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Li; He, Rongjun

2018-03-01

For big detection error of single point ultrasonic ranging technology used in material flow detection of belt conveyor when coal distributes unevenly or is large, a material flow detection method of belt conveyor is designed based on multi points ultrasonic counter ranging technology. The method can calculate approximate sectional area of material by locating multi points on surfaces of material and belt, in order to get material flow according to running speed of belt conveyor. The test results show that the method has smaller detection error than single point ultrasonic ranging technology under the condition of big coal with uneven distribution.

Radiation-Force Assisted Targeting Facilitates Ultrasonic Molecular Imaging

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shukui Zhao

2004-07-01

Full Text Available Ultrasonic molecular imaging employs contrast agents, such as microbubbles, nanoparticles, or liposomes, coated with ligands specific for receptors expressed on cells at sites of angiogenesis, inflammation, or thrombus. Concentration of these highly echogenic contrast agents at a target site enhances the ultrasound signal received from that site, promoting ultrasonic detection and analysis of disease states. In this article, we show that acoustic radiation force can be used to displace targeted contrast agents to a vessel wall, greatly increasing the number of agents binding to available surface receptors. We provide a theoretical evaluation of the magnitude of acoustic radiation force and show that it is possible to displace micron-sized agents physiologically relevant distances. Following this, we show in a series of experiments that acoustic radiation force can enhance the binding of targeted agents: The number of biotinylated microbubbles adherent to a synthetic vessel coated with avidin increases as much as 20-fold when acoustic radiation force is applied; the adhesion of contrast agents targeted to αvβ3 expressed on human umbilical vein endothelial cells increases 27-fold within a mimetic vessel when radiation force is applied; and finally, the image signal-to-noise ratio in a phantom vessel increases up to 25 dB using a combination of radiation force and a targeted contrast agent, over use of a targeted contrast agent alone.

Ultrasonic signal processing and B-SCAN imaging for nondestructive testing. Application to under - cladding - cracks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Theron, G.

1988-02-01

Crack propagation under the stainless steel cladding of nuclear reactor vessels is monitored by ultrasonic testing. This work study signal processing to improve detection and sizing of defects. Two possibilities are examined: processing of each individual signal and simultaneous processing of all the signals giving a B-SCAN image. The bibliographic study of time-frequency methods shows that they are not suitable for pulses. Then decomposition in instantaneous frequency and envelope is used. Effect of interference of 2 close echoes on instantaneous frequency is studies. The deconvolution of B-SCAN images is obtained by the transducer field. A point-by-point deconvolution method, less noise sensitive, is developed. B-SCAN images are processed in 2 phases: interface signal processing and deconvolution. These calculations improve image accuracy and dynamics. Water-stell interface and ferritic-austenitic interface are separated. Echoes of crack top are visualized and crack-hole differentiation is improved [fr

Detection of moving capillary front in porous rocks using X-ray and ultrasonic methods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christian eDavid

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Several methods are compared for the detection of moving capillary fronts in spontaneous imbibition experiments where water invades dry porous rocks. These methods are: (i the continuous monitoring of the mass increase during imbibition, (ii the imaging of the water front motion using X-ray CT scanning, (iii the use of ultrasonic measurements allowing the detection of velocity, amplitude and spectral content of the propagating elastic waves, and (iv the combined use of X-ray CT scanning and ultrasonic monitoring. It is shown that the properties of capillary fronts depend on the heterogeneity of the rocks, and that the information derived from each method on the dynamics of capillary motion can be significantly different. One important result from the direct comparison of the moving capillary front position and the P wave attributes is that the wave amplitude is strongly impacted before the capillary front reaches the sensors, in contrast with the velocity change which is concomitant with the fluid front arrival in the sensors plane.

Point spread functions and deconvolution of ultrasonic images.

Science.gov (United States)

Dalitz, Christoph; Pohle-Fröhlich, Regina; Michalk, Thorsten

2015-03-01

This article investigates the restoration of ultrasonic pulse-echo C-scan images by means of deconvolution with a point spread function (PSF). The deconvolution concept from linear system theory (LST) is linked to the wave equation formulation of the imaging process, and an analytic formula for the PSF of planar transducers is derived. For this analytic expression, different numerical and analytic approximation schemes for evaluating the PSF are presented. By comparing simulated images with measured C-scan images, we demonstrate that the assumptions of LST in combination with our formula for the PSF are a good model for the pulse-echo imaging process. To reconstruct the object from a C-scan image, we compare different deconvolution schemes: the Wiener filter, the ForWaRD algorithm, and the Richardson-Lucy algorithm. The best results are obtained with the Richardson-Lucy algorithm with total variation regularization. For distances greater or equal twice the near field distance, our experiments show that the numerically computed PSF can be replaced with a simple closed analytic term based on a far field approximation.

System for ultrasonic examination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lund, S.A.; Kristensen, W.D.

1987-01-01

A computerized system for the recording of flaw images by ultrasonic examination according to the pulse-echo method includes at least one ultrasonic probe which can be moved in steps over the surface of an object along a rectilinear scanning path. Digital signals containing information on the successive positions of the sound beam, on echo amplitudes, and on the lengths of sound paths to reflectors inside the object, are processed and used for the accumulated storage of circular patterns of echo amplitude data in a matrix memory associated with a sectional plane through the object. A video screen terminal controls the system and transforms the accumulated data into displays of sectional flaw images of greatly improved precision and sharpness of definition. A gradual transfer of filtered data from a number of parallel sectional planes to three further matrix memories associated with projection planes at right angles to each other permits presentation in three dimensions of equally improved projection flaw images. (author) 2 figs

Backward ray tracing for ultrasonic imaging

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Breeuwer, R.

1990-01-01

Focused ultrasonic beams frequently pass one or more media interfaces, strongly affecting the ultrasonic beamshape and focusing. A computer program, based on backward ray tracing was developed to compute the shape of a corrected focusing mirror. This shape is verified with another program; then the

Ultrasonic defect detection method for socket welding joint

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tominaga, Masaaki; Matsuo, Toshiyuki; Ueno, Akihiro; Watanabe, Kunimichi; Kawamata, Kunio.

1995-01-01

The present invention provides a method of detecting defects over a wide range of a socket weld portion of various kinds of pipelines used, for example, in a nuclear power plant. Namely, an inclined probe is disposed to a jig for detecting defects by ultrasonic waves. This is rotated at least by one turn along the peripheral surface of the material to be detected such as weld tube joints. Defects of weld portion of the material can be detected automatically by using ultrasonic waves during the rotation. The inclined probe for detecting defects by ultrasonic waves comprises a transmission portion having a planar transmittance oscillator disposed to a wedge on the transmission side and a receiving portion comprising a planar receiving oscillator disposed to a wedge on the receiving side. With such a constitution, ultrasonic waves are emitted from the transmission portion to the defect detection portion in the welded portion. If a defect is present, defective echo is reflected to the receiving portion disposed ahead of the probe. Since the defective echo changes depending on the height of the detective portion, the estimation of the height of the defect can be facilitated. (I.S.)

Development of a spherically focused phased array transducer for ultrasonic image-guided hyperthermia

OpenAIRE

Liu, Jingfei; Foiret, Josquin; Stephens, Douglas N.; Le Baron, Olivier; Ferrara, Katherine W.

2016-01-01

A 1.5 MHz prolate spheroidal therapeutic array with 128 circular elements was designed to accommodate standard imaging arrays for ultrasonic image-guided hyperthermia. The implementation of this dual-array system integrates real-time therapeutic and imaging functions with a single ultrasound system (Vantage 256, Verasonics). To facilitate applications involving small animal imaging and therapy the array was designed to have a beam depth of field smaller than 3.5 mm and to electronically steer...

Self-Calibrating Ultrasonic Methods for In-Situ Monitoring of Fatigue Crack Progression

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Michaels, J.E.; Mi, B.; Cobb, A.C.; Michaels, T.E.; Stobbe, D.M.

2005-01-01

Ultrasonic sensors permanently affixed to aluminum coupons are used to monitor progression of damage during fatigue testing with the long term goal of structural health monitoring for diagnostics and prognostics. Necessary for success are proper design of the ultrasonic testing methods, robust transducer mounting techniques, and real-time signal processing for determining the state of the structure. It is also highly desirable for the overall system to be self-calibrating with built-in diagnostics in order to detect and compensate for sensor degradation or failure. Self-calibrating ultrasonic techniques are applied for monitoring of cracks initiating and propagating from the inaccessible inner diameters of rivet holes where the transducers are mounted on the accessible specimen surface. Angle beam ultrasonic methods are utilized that are suitable for detecting small defects in critical local regions of high stress. Results are presented for aluminum coupons subjected to low cycle fatigue and demonstrate ultrasonic tracking of crack growth

Ultrasonic and radiographic evaluation of advanced aerospace materials: Ceramic composites

Science.gov (United States)

Generazio, Edward R.

1990-01-01

Two conventional nondestructive evaluation techniques were used to evaluate advanced ceramic composite materials. It was shown that neither ultrasonic C-scan nor radiographic imaging can individually provide sufficient data for an accurate nondestructive evaluation. Both ultrasonic C-scan and conventional radiographic imaging are required for preliminary evaluation of these complex systems. The material variations that were identified by these two techniques are porosity, delaminations, bond quality between laminae, fiber alignment, fiber registration, fiber parallelism, and processing density flaws. The degree of bonding between fiber and matrix cannot be determined by either of these methods. An alternative ultrasonic technique, angular power spectrum scanning (APSS) is recommended for quantification of this interfacial bond.

Broadband phase difference method for ultrasonic velocimetry in molten glass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kikura, Hiroshige; Ihara, Tomonori

2016-01-01

This study aims to develop ultrasonic Doppler velocimetry in molten glass. Realization of such a technique has two difficulties: ultrasonic transmission into molten salt and Doppler signal processing. Buffer rod technique was developed in our research to transmit ultrasound into high temperature molten glass. This article discusses newly developed signal processing technique named broadband phase difference method. (J.P.N.)

Under sodium ultrasonic viewing for Fast Breeder Reactors: a review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tarpara, Eaglekumar G.; Patankar, V.H.; Vijayan Varier, N.

2016-09-01

Liquid Metal Fast Breeder Reactors (LMFBR/FBR) are of two types: Loop type and Pool type. Many countries like USA, Japan, UK, Russia, China, France, Lithuania, Belgium, Korea, and India have worked extensively on these types of FBRs. FBRs are capable of breeding more fissionable fuel than it consumes like breeding of Plutonium-239 from non-fissionable Uranium-238. In FBR, heat is released by fission process and it must be captured and transferred to the electric generator by the liquid metal coolant (i.e. Sodium). Due to continuous operation and for safety and licensing reasons, periodic inspection and maintenance is required for reactor fuel assemblies which carry nuclear fuels. For this reason, under sodium ultrasonic imaging technique is adopted as in-service inspection activity for viewing of core of FBRs. Since liquid sodium is optically opaque, ultrasonic technique is the only method which can be employed for imaging in liquid sodium. In harsh conditions like high temperature and high radiation, there is a restriction on the development of possible ultrasonic visualization systems and selection of the transducer materials which can operate in the core region of reactor at around 200 °C during shutdown of reactor. This report provides a review of works related to ultrasonic imaging in sodium, different materials used in high temperature transducer assemblies and their different coupling/bonding techniques to achieve maximum transmission efficiency in high temperature sodium environment. The report also provides the overview of different architectures and imaging methods of transducer array elements which were used in LMFBRs for inspection and visualization of the reactor core sub-assemblies. The report is focused on a review of some possible beam forming techniques which may be used for nuclear applications for high temperature environment. Published information of the different simulation models are also reviewed which can be adopted to simulate the

Study on optimizing ultrasonic irradiation period for thick polycrystalline PZT film by hydrothermal method.

Science.gov (United States)

Ohta, Kanako; Isobe, Gaku; Bornmann, Peter; Hemsel, Tobias; Morita, Takeshi

2013-04-01

The hydrothermal method utilizes a solution-based chemical reaction to synthesize piezoelectric thin films and powders. This method has a number of advantages, such as low-temperature synthesis, and high purity and high quality of the product. In order to promote hydrothermal reactions, we developed an ultrasonic assisted hydrothermal method and confirmed that it produces dense and thick lead-zirconate-titanate (PZT) films. In the hydrothermal method, a crystal growth process follows the nucleation process. In this study, we verified that ultrasonic irradiation is effective for the nucleation process, and there is an optimum irradiation period to obtain thicker PZT films. With this optimization, a 9.2-μm-thick PZT polycrystalline film was obtained in a single deposition process. For this film, ultrasonic irradiation was carried out from the beginning of the reaction for 18 h, followed by a 6 h deposition without ultrasonic irradiation. These results indicate that the ultrasonic irradiation mainly promotes the nucleation process. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Graphene-based ultrasonic detector for photoacoustic imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Fan; Song, Wei; Zhang, Chonglei; Fang, Hui; Min, Changjun; Yuan, Xiaocong

2018-03-01

Taking advantage of optical absorption imaging contrast, photoacoustic imaging technology is able to map the volumetric distribution of the optical absorption properties within biological tissues. Unfortunately, traditional piezoceramics-based transducers used in most photoacoustic imaging setups have inadequate frequency response, resulting in both poor depth resolution and inaccurate quantification of the optical absorption information. Instead of the piezoelectric ultrasonic transducer, we develop a graphene-based optical sensor for detecting photoacoustic pressure. The refractive index in the coupling medium is modulated due to photoacoustic pressure perturbation, which creates the variation of the polarization-sensitive optical absorption property of the graphene. As a result, the photoacoustic detection is realized through recording the reflectance intensity difference of polarization light. The graphene-based detector process an estimated noise-equivalentpressure (NEP) sensitivity of 550 Pa over 20-MHz bandwidth with a nearby linear pressure response from 11.0 kPa to 53.0 kPa. Further, a graphene-based photoacoustic microscopy is built, and non-invasively reveals the microvascular anatomy in mouse ears label-freely.

Computer simulation of ultrasonic testing for aerospace vehicle

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yamawaki, H [National Institute for Materials Science, 1-2-1, Sengen, 305-0047 Tsukuba (Japan); Moriya, S; Masuoka, T [Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, 1 Koganesawa, Kimigawa, 981-1525 Kakuda (Japan); Takatsubo, J, E-mail: yamawaki.hisashi@nims.go.jp [Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, AIST Tsukuba Central 2, 1-1-1 Umezono, 305-8568 Tsukuba (Japan)

2011-01-01

Non-destructive testing techniques are developed to secure reliability of aerospace vehicles used repetitively. In the case of cracks caused by thermal stress on walls in combustion chambers of liquid-fuel rockets, it is examined by ultrasonic waves visualization technique developed in AIST. The technique is composed with non-contact ultrasonic generation by pulsed-laser scanning, piezoelectric transducer for the ultrasonic detection, and image reconstruction processing. It enables detection of defects by visualization of ultrasonic waves scattered by the defects. In NIMS, the condition of the detection by the visualization is investigated using computer simulation for ultrasonic propagation that has capability of fast 3-D calculation. The simulation technique is based on finite-difference method and two-step elastic wave equations. It is reported about the investigation by the calculation, and shows availability of the simulation for the ultrasonic testing technique of the wall cracks.

Automatic detection and classification of breast tumors in ultrasonic images using texture and morphological features.

Science.gov (United States)

Su, Yanni; Wang, Yuanyuan; Jiao, Jing; Guo, Yi

2011-01-01

Due to severe presence of speckle noise, poor image contrast and irregular lesion shape, it is challenging to build a fully automatic detection and classification system for breast ultrasonic images. In this paper, a novel and effective computer-aided method including generation of a region of interest (ROI), segmentation and classification of breast tumor is proposed without any manual intervention. By incorporating local features of texture and position, a ROI is firstly detected using a self-organizing map neural network. Then a modified Normalized Cut approach considering the weighted neighborhood gray values is proposed to partition the ROI into clusters and get the initial boundary. In addition, a regional-fitting active contour model is used to adjust the few inaccurate initial boundaries for the final segmentation. Finally, three textures and five morphologic features are extracted from each breast tumor; whereby a highly efficient Affinity Propagation clustering is used to fulfill the malignancy and benign classification for an existing database without any training process. The proposed system is validated by 132 cases (67 benignancies and 65 malignancies) with its performance compared to traditional methods such as level set segmentation, artificial neural network classifiers, and so forth. Experiment results show that the proposed system, which needs no training procedure or manual interference, performs best in detection and classification of ultrasonic breast tumors, while having the lowest computation complexity.

The potential of high resolution ultrasonic in-situ methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schuster, K.

2010-01-01

Document available in extended abstract form only. In the framework of geomechanical assessment of final repository underground openings the knowledge of geophysical rock parameters are of importance. Ultrasonic methods proved to be good geophysical tools to provide appropriate high resolution parameters for the characterisation of rock. In this context the detection and characterisation of rock heterogeneities at different scales, including the Excavation Damaged/disturbed Zone (EDZ/EdZ) features, play an important role. Especially, kinematic and dynamic parameters derived from ultrasonic measurements can be linked very close to rock mechanic investigations and interpretations. BGR uses high resolution ultrasonic methods, starting with emitted frequencies of about 1 kHz (seismic) and going up to about 100 kHz. The method development is going on and appropriate research and investigations are performed since many years at different European radioactive waste disposal related underground research laboratories in different potential host rocks. The most frequented are: Mont Terri Rock Laboratory, Switzerland (Opalinus Clay, OPA), Underground Research Laboratory Meuse/Haute- Marne, France (Callovo-Oxfordian, COX), Underground Research Facility Mol, Belgium (Boom Clay, BC), Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory, Sweden (granites), Rock Laboratory Grimsel, Switzerland (granites) and Asse salt mine, Germany (rock salt). The methods can be grouped into borehole based methods and noninvasive methods like refraction and reflection methods, which are performed in general from the drift wall. Additionally, as a combination of these both methods a sort of vertical seismic profiling (VSP) is applied. The best qualified method, or a combination of methods, have to be chosen according to the scientific questions and the local site conditions. The degree of spatial resolution of zones of interest or any kind of anomaly depends strongly on the distance of these objects to the ultrasonic

High-resolution wave-theory-based ultrasound reflection imaging using the split-step fourier and globally optimized fourier finite-difference methods

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Lianjie

2013-10-29

Methods for enhancing ultrasonic reflection imaging are taught utilizing a split-step Fourier propagator in which the reconstruction is based on recursive inward continuation of ultrasonic wavefields in the frequency-space and frequency-wave number domains. The inward continuation within each extrapolation interval consists of two steps. In the first step, a phase-shift term is applied to the data in the frequency-wave number domain for propagation in a reference medium. The second step consists of applying another phase-shift term to data in the frequency-space domain to approximately compensate for ultrasonic scattering effects of heterogeneities within the tissue being imaged (e.g., breast tissue). Results from various data input to the method indicate significant improvements are provided in both image quality and resolution.

A circular aperture array for ultrasonic tomography and quantitative NDE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nielsen, S A

1998-08-01

The main topics of this thesis are ultrasonic tomography and ultrasonic determination of elastic stiffness constants. Both issues are based on a synthetic array with transducer elements distributed uniformly along a circular aperture, i.e., a circular aperture array. The issues are treated both theoretically and experimentally by broadband pulse techniques. Ultrasonic tomography, UCT, from a circular aperture is a relatively new imaging technique in Non-destructive Evaluation (NDE) to acquire cross sectional images in bulk materials. A filtered back-projection algorithm is used to reconstruct images in four different experiments and results of attenuation, velocity and reflection tomograms in Plexiglas of AlSi-alloy cylinders are presented. Two kinds of ultrasonic tomography are introduced: bistatic and monostatic imaging. Both techniques are verified experimentally by Plexiglas cylinders. Different reconstruction artifacts are discussed and theoretical resolution constraints are discussed for various configurations of the circular aperture array. The monostatic technique is used in volumetric imaging. In the experimental verification artificial and real discontinuities in a cylindrical AlSi-alloy are compared with similar discontinuities in a Plexiglas specimen. Finally, some limitations to UCT are discussed. The circular aperture array is used to determine five independent elastic stiffness constants of a unidirectional glass/PET (Poly Ethylene Teraphtalate) laminate. Energy flux propagation and attenuation of ultrasonic waves are considered and velocity surfaces are calculated for different planes of interest. Relations between elastic stiffness constants and engineering constants (i.e., Young`s moduli, shear moduli and Poisson`s ratios) are discussed for an orthotropic composite. Six micromechanical theories are reviewed, and expressions predicting the elastic engineering constants are evaluated. The micromechanical predicted elastic stiffness constants for the

A new ultrasonic signal amplification method for detection of bacteria

Science.gov (United States)

Kant Shukla, Shiva; Resa López, Pablo; Sierra Sánchez, Carlos; Urréjola, José; Segura, Luis Elvira

2012-10-01

A new method is presented that increases the sensitivity of ultrasound-based techniques for detection of bacteria. The technique was developed for the detection of catalase-positive microorganisms. It uses a bubble trapping medium containing hydrogen peroxide that is mixed with the sample for microbiological evaluation. The enzyme catalase is present in catalase-positive bacteria, which induces a rapid hydrolysis of hydrogen peroxide, forming bubbles which remain in the medium. This reaction results in the amplification of the mechanical changes that the microorganisms produce in the medium. The effect can be detected by means of ultrasonic wave amplitude continuous measurement since the bubbles increase the ultrasonic attenuation significantly. It is shown that microorganism concentrations of the order of 105 cells ml-1 can be detected using this method. This allows an improvement of three orders of magnitude in the ultrasonic detection threshold of microorganisms in conventional culture media, and is competitive with modern rapid microbiological methods. It can also be used for the characterization of the enzymatic activity.

A new ultrasonic signal amplification method for detection of bacteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shukla, Shiva Kant; López, Pablo Resa; Sánchez, Carlos Sierra; Segura, Luis Elvira; Urréjola, José

2012-01-01

A new method is presented that increases the sensitivity of ultrasound-based techniques for detection of bacteria. The technique was developed for the detection of catalase-positive microorganisms. It uses a bubble trapping medium containing hydrogen peroxide that is mixed with the sample for microbiological evaluation. The enzyme catalase is present in catalase-positive bacteria, which induces a rapid hydrolysis of hydrogen peroxide, forming bubbles which remain in the medium. This reaction results in the amplification of the mechanical changes that the microorganisms produce in the medium. The effect can be detected by means of ultrasonic wave amplitude continuous measurement since the bubbles increase the ultrasonic attenuation significantly. It is shown that microorganism concentrations of the order of 10 5 cells ml −1 can be detected using this method. This allows an improvement of three orders of magnitude in the ultrasonic detection threshold of microorganisms in conventional culture media, and is competitive with modern rapid microbiological methods. It can also be used for the characterization of the enzymatic activity. (paper)

Automatic Quadcopter Control Avoiding Obstacle Using Camera with Integrated Ultrasonic Sensor

Science.gov (United States)

Anis, Hanafi; Haris Indra Fadhillah, Ahmad; Darma, Surya; Soekirno, Santoso

2018-04-01

Automatic navigation on the drone is being developed these days, a wide variety of types of drones and its automatic functions. Drones used in this study was an aircraft with four propellers or quadcopter. In this experiment, image processing used to recognize the position of an object and ultrasonic sensor used to detect obstacle distance. The method used to trace an obsctacle in image processing was the Lucas-Kanade-Tomasi Tracker, which had been widely used due to its high accuracy. Ultrasonic sensor used to complement the image processing success rate to be fully detected object. The obstacle avoidance system was to observe at the program decisions from some obstacle conditions read by the camera and ultrasonic sensors. Visual feedback control based PID controllers are used as a control of drones movement. The conclusion of the obstacle avoidance system was to observe at the program decisions from some obstacle conditions read by the camera and ultrasonic sensors.

A Reference-Free and Non-Contact Method for Detecting and Imaging Damage in Adhesive-Bonded Structures Using Air-Coupled Ultrasonic Transducers

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Timotius Yonathan Sunarsa

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Adhesive bonded structures have been widely used in aerospace, automobile, and marine industries. Due to the complex nature of the failure mechanisms of bonded structures, cost-effective and reliable damage detection is crucial for these industries. Most of the common damage detection methods are not adequately sensitive to the presence of weakened bonding. This paper presents an experimental and analytical method for the in-situ detection of damage in adhesive-bonded structures. The method is fully non-contact, using air-coupled ultrasonic transducers (ACT for ultrasonic wave generation and sensing. The uniqueness of the proposed method relies on accurate detection and localization of weakened bonding in complex adhesive bonded structures. The specimens tested in this study are parts of real-world structures with critical and complex damage types, provided by Hyundai Heavy Industries® and IKTS Fraunhofer®. Various transmitter and receiver configurations, including through transmission, pitch-catch scanning, and probe holder angles, were attempted, and the obtained results were analyzed. The method examines the time-of-flight of the ultrasonic waves over a target inspection area, and the spatial variation of the time-of-flight information was examined to visualize and locate damage. The proposed method works without relying on reference data obtained from the pristine condition of the target specimen. Aluminum bonded plates and triplex adhesive layers with debonding and weakened bonding were used to examine the effectiveness of the method.

Highly accurate adaptive TOF determination method for ultrasonic thickness measurement

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Lianjie; Liu, Haibo; Lian, Meng; Ying, Yangwei; Li, Te; Wang, Yongqing

2018-04-01

Determining the time of flight (TOF) is very critical for precise ultrasonic thickness measurement. However, the relatively low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the received signals would induce significant TOF determination errors. In this paper, an adaptive time delay estimation method has been developed to improve the TOF determination’s accuracy. An improved variable step size adaptive algorithm with comprehensive step size control function is proposed. Meanwhile, a cubic spline fitting approach is also employed to alleviate the restriction of finite sampling interval. Simulation experiments under different SNR conditions were conducted for performance analysis. Simulation results manifested the performance advantage of proposed TOF determination method over existing TOF determination methods. When comparing with the conventional fixed step size, and Kwong and Aboulnasr algorithms, the steady state mean square deviation of the proposed algorithm was generally lower, which makes the proposed algorithm more suitable for TOF determination. Further, ultrasonic thickness measurement experiments were performed on aluminum alloy plates with various thicknesses. They indicated that the proposed TOF determination method was more robust even under low SNR conditions, and the ultrasonic thickness measurement accuracy could be significantly improved.

Effects of surface-mapping corrections and synthetic-aperture focusing techniques on ultrasonic imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barna, B.A.; Johnson, J.A.

1981-01-01

Improvements in ultrasonic imaging that can be obtained using algorithms that map the surface of targets are evaluated. This information is incorporated in the application of synthetic-aperture focusing techniques which also have the potential to improve image resolution. Images obtained using directed-beam (flat) transducers and the focused transducers normally used for synthetic-aperture processing are quantitatively compared by using no processing, synthetic-aperture processing with no corrections for surface variations, and synthetic-aperture processing with surface mapping. The unprocessed images have relatively poor lateral resolutions because echoes from two adjacent reflectors show interference effects which prevent their identification even if the spacing is larger than the single-hole resolution. The synthetic-aperture-processed images show at least a twofold improvement in lateral resolution and greatly reduced interference effects in multiple-hole images compared to directed-beam images. Perhaps more importantly, in images of test blocks with substantial surface variations portions of the image are displaced from their actual positions by several wavelengths. To correct for this effect an algorithm has been developed for calculating the surface variations. The corrected images produced using this algorithm are accurate within the experimental error. In addition, the same algorithm, when applied to the directed-beam data, produced images that are not only accurately positioned, but that also have a resolution comparable to conventional synthetic-aperture-processed images obtained from focused-transducer data. This suggests that using synthetic-aperture processing on the type of data normally collected during directed-beam ultrasonic inspections would eliminate the need to rescan for synthetic-aperture enhancement

Indoor Airborne Ultrasonic Wireless Communication Using OFDM Methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Wentao; Wright, William M D

2017-09-01

Concerns still exist over the safety of prolonged exposure to radio frequency (RF) wireless transmissions and there are also potential data security issues due to remote signal interception techniques such as Bluesniping. Airborne ultrasound may be used as an alternative to RF for indoor wireless communication systems for securely transmitting data over short ranges, as signals are difficult to intercept from outside the room. Two types of air-coupled capacitive ultrasonic transducer were used in the implementation of an indoor airborne wireless communication system. One was a commercially available SensComp series 600 ultrasonic transducer with a nominal frequency of 50 kHz, and the other was a prototype transducer with a high- k dielectric layer operating at higher frequencies from 200 to 400 kHz. Binary phase-shift keying (BPSK), quadrature phase-shift keying (QPSK), and quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM)-based orthogonal frequency division multiplexing modulation methods were successfully implemented using multiple orthogonal subchannels. The modulated ultrasonic signal packets were synchronized using a wireless link, and a least-squares channel estimation algorithm was used to compensate the phase and amplitude distortion introduced by the air channel. By sending and receiving the ultrasonic signals using the SensComp transducers, the achieved maximum system data rate was up to 180 kb/s using 16-QAM with ultrasonic channels from 55 to 99 kHz, over a line-of-sight transmission distance of 6 m with no detectable errors. The transmission range could be extended to 9 and 11 m using QPSK and BPSK modulation schemes, respectively. The achieved data rates for the QPSK and BPSK schemes were 90 and 45 kb/s using the same bandwidth. For the high- k ultrasonic transducers, a maximum data rate up to 800 kb/s with no measurable errors was achieved up to a range of 0.7 m. The attainable transmission ranges were increased to 1.1 and 1.2 m with data rates of 400 and 200 kb

Ultrasonic Nanobubbles Carrying Anti-PSMA Nanobody: Construction and Application in Prostate Cancer-Targeted Imaging.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaozhou Fan

Full Text Available To facilitate prostate cancer imaging using targeted molecules, we constructed ultrasonic nanobubbles coupled with specific anti-PSMA (prostate specific membrane antigen nanobodies, and evaluated their in vitro binding capacity and in vivo imaging efficacy. The "targeted" nanobubbles, which were constructed via a biotin-streptavidin system, had an average diameter of 487.60 ± 33.55 nm and carried the anti-PSMA nanobody as demonstrated by immunofluorescence. Microscopy revealed targeted binding of nanobubbles in vitro to PSMA-positive cells. Additionally, ultrasonography indicators of nanobubble imaging (including arrival time, peak time, peak intensity and enhanced duration were evaluated for the ultrasound imaging in three kinds of animal xenografts (LNCaP, C4-2 and MKN45, and showed that these four indicators of targeted nanobubbles exhibited significant differences from blank nanobubbles. Therefore, this study not only presents a novel approach to target prostate cancer ultrasonography, but also provides the basis and methods for constructing small-sized and high-efficient targeted ultrasound nanobubbles.

Application of Neuro-Wavelet Algorithm in Ultrasonic-Phased Array Nondestructive Testing of Polyethylene Pipelines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Reza Bohlouli

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Polyethylene (PE pipelines with electrofusion (EF joining is an essential method of transportation of gas energy. EF joints are weak points for leakage and therefore, Nondestructive testing (NDT methods including ultrasonic array technology are necessary. This paper presents a practical NDT method of fusion joints of polyethylene piping using intelligent ultrasonic image processing techniques. In the proposed method, to detect the defects of electrofusion joints, the NDT is applied based on an ANN-Wavelet method as a digital image processing technique. The proposed approach includes four steps. First an ultrasonic-phased array technique is used to provide real time images of high resolution. In the second step, the images are preprocessed by digital image processing techniques for noise reduction and detection of ROI (Region of Interest. Furthermore, to make more improvement on the images, mathematical morphology techniques such as dilation and erosion are applied. In the 3rd step, a wavelet transform is used to develop a feature vector containing 3-dimensional information on various types of defects. In the final step, all the feature vectors are classified through a backpropagation-based ANN algorithm. The obtained results show that the proposed algorithms are highly reliable and also precise for NDT monitoring.

Focused fluorescence excitation with time-reversed ultrasonically encoded light and imaging in thick scattering media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lai, Puxiang; Suzuki, Yuta; Xu, Xiao; Wang, Lihong V

2013-01-01

Scattering dominates light propagation in biological tissue, and therefore restricts both resolution and penetration depth in optical imaging within thick tissue. As photons travel into the diffusive regime, typically 1 mm beneath human skin, their trajectories transition from ballistic to diffusive due to the increased number of scattering events, which makes it impossible to focus, much less track, photon paths. Consequently, imaging methods that rely on controlled light illumination are ineffective in deep tissue. This problem has recently been addressed by a novel method capable of dynamically focusing light in thick scattering media via time reversal of ultrasonically encoded (TRUE) diffused light. Here, using photorefractive materials as phase conjugate mirrors, we show a direct visualization and dynamic control of optical focusing with this light delivery method, and demonstrate its application for focused fluorescence excitation and imaging in thick turbid media. These abilities are increasingly critical for understanding the dynamic interactions of light with biological matter and processes at different system levels, as well as their applications for biomedical diagnosis and therapy. (letter)

The Elastic Constants Measurement of Metal Alloy by Using Ultrasonic Nondestructive Method at Different Temperature

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eryi Hu

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The ultrasonic nondestructive method is introduced into the elastic constants measurement of metal material. The extraction principle of Poisson’s ratio, elastic modulus, and shear modulus is deduced from the ultrasonic propagating equations with two kinds of vibration model of the elastic medium named ultrasonic longitudinal wave and transverse wave, respectively. The ultrasonic propagating velocity is measured by using the digital correlation technique between the ultrasonic original signal and the echo signal from the bottom surface, and then the elastic constants of the metal material are calculated. The feasibility of the correlation algorithm is verified by a simulation procedure. Finally, in order to obtain the stability of the elastic properties of different metal materials in a variable engineering application environment, the elastic constants of two kinds of metal materials in different temperature environment are measured by the proposed ultrasonic method.

Assessment of the reliability of ultrasonic inspection methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haines, N.F.; Langston, D.B.; Green, A.J.; Wilson, R.

1982-01-01

The reliability of NDT techniques has remained an open question for many years. A reliable technique may be defined as one that, when rigorously applied by a number of inspection teams, consistently finds then correctly sizes all defects of concern. In this paper we report an assessment of the reliability of defect detection by manual ultrasonic methods applied to the inspection of thick section pressure vessel weldments. Initially we consider the available data relating to the inherent physical capabilities of ultrasonic techniques to detect cracks in weldment and then, independently, we assess the likely variability in team to team performance when several teams are asked to follow the same specified test procedure. The two aspects of 'capability' and 'variability' are brought together to provide quantitative estimates of the overall reliability of ultrasonic inspection of thick section pressure vessel weldments based on currently existing data. The final section of the paper considers current research programmes on reliability and presents a view on how these will help to further improve NDT reliability. (author)

Measurements of the gap/displacement and development of the ultrasonic temperature measuring system applied to severe accidents research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koo, Kil Mo; Kang, Kyung Ho; Cho, Young Ro; Park, Rae Jun; Kim, Sang Baik; Sim, Chul Moo

2001-02-01

This report, in order to measure quantitative LAVA experimental results, focuses on measuring the gap formed on the lower head vessel using a ultrasonic pulse echo method and neutron radiography, measuring displacement of the lower head vessel using capacitance method, building a measuring system and developing high temperature measurement system using ultrasonic method. The scope of gap measurement and system development using the ultrasonic method is 2-dimensional image processing using tomographical B scan method and 2- and 3-dimensional image processing using C scan methods based on the one dimensional time domain A scan signal. For some test specimen, the gap size is quantitative represented apply C scan methods. The important ultrasonic image processing technique is on the development of accurate position control system. The requirements of the position control system are a contact technique on the test specimen and a fine moving technique. Since the specimen is hemispherical, the contact technique is very difficult. Therefore, the gap measurement using the ultrasonic pulse echo method was applied developing the position controlling scanner system. Along with the ultrasonic method, neutron radiography method using KAERI's neutron source was attempted 4 times and the results are compared. The fine displacement of the hemispherical specimen was measured using a capacitive displacement sensor. The requirements for this measuring technique are fixing of the capacitance sensor to the experimental facilities and a remote control position varying system. This remote control position varying system was manufactured with a electrical motor. The development of a high temperature measuring system using a ultrasonic method the second year plan, is performed with developing a sensor which can measure up to 2300 deg C

Application of acoustical holography for construction shadow images in ultrasonic testing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kutzner, J.; Zimpfer, J.

1977-01-01

The full-scale, three-dimensional presentation of material defects by means of acoustical holography is limited on the one hand by an insufficient resolving power in depth of the procedure and, on the other hand, by the fact that the defects of the material to be examined often reflect mirror-like. Examined is the possible range of reducing these limitations by means of constructing shadow images of defects in ultrasonic testing without - as it is usually done - reconstructing the sonic field reflected by the flow but reconstructing the sonic field diffracted at the flow by means of acoustical holography. It has been shown that acoustical holography, during which the amplitude information is always analyzed as well as - on principle - the phase information, improves the efficiency of ultrasonic testing to a large extent. (orig.) [de

High temperature ultrasonic transducers for imaging and measurements in a liquid Pb/Bi eutectic alloy.

Science.gov (United States)

Kazys, Rymantas; Voleisis, Algirdas; Sliteris, Reimondas; Mazeika, Liudas; Van Nieuwenhove, Rudi; Kupschus, Peter; Abderrahim, Hamid Aït

2005-04-01

In some nuclear reactors or accelerator-driven systems (ADS) the core is intended to be cooled by means of a heavy liquid metal, for example, lead-bismuth (Pb/Bi) eutectic alloy. For safety and licensing reasons, an imaging method of the interior of ADS, based on application of ultrasonic waves, has thus to be developed. This paper is devoted to description of developed various ultrasonic transducers suitable for long term imaging and measurements in the liquid Pb/Bi alloy. The results of comparative experimental investigations of the developed transducers of different designs in a liquid Pb/Bi alloy up to 450 degrees C are presented. Prototypes with different high temperature piezoelectric materials were investigated: PZT, bismuth titanate (Bi4Ti3O12), lithium niobate (LiNbO3), gallium orthophosphate (GaPO4) and aluminum nitride (A1N). For acoustic coupling with the metal alloy, it was proposed to coat the active surface of the transducers by diamond like carbon (DLC). The radiation robustness was assessed by exposing the transducers to high gamma dose rates in one of the irradiation facilities at SCK x CEN. The experimental results proved that the developed transducers are suitable for long-term operation in harsh conditions.

Weld quality inspection using laser-EMAT ultrasonic system and C-scan method

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Lei; Ume, I. Charles

2014-02-01

Laser/EMAT ultrasonic technique has attracted more and more interests in weld quality inspection because of its non-destructive and non-contact characteristics. When ultrasonic techniques are used to detect welds joining relative thin plates, the dominant ultrasonic waves present in the plates are Lamb waves, which propagate all through the thickness. Traditional Time of Flight(ToF) method loses its power. The broadband nature of laser excited ultrasound plus dispersive and multi-modal characteristic of Lamb waves make the EMAT acquired signals very complicated in this situation. Challenge rises in interpreting the received signals and establishing relationship between signal feature and weld quality. In this paper, the laser/EMAT ultrasonic technique was applied in a C-scan manner to record full wave propagation field over an area close to the weld. Then the effect of weld defect on the propagation field of Lamb waves was studied visually by watching an movie resulted from the recorded signals. This method was proved to be effective to detect the presence of hidden defect in the weld. Discrete wavelet transform(DWT) was applied to characterize the acquired ultrasonic signals and ideal band-pass filter was used to isolate wave components most sensitive to the weld defect. Different interactions with the weld defect were observed for different wave components. Thus this C-Scan method, combined with DWT and ideal band-pass filter, proved to be an effective methodology to experimentally study interactions of various laser excited Lamb Wave components with weld defect. In this work, the method was demonstrated by inspecting a hidden local incomplete penetration in weld. In fact, this method can be applied to study Lamb Wave interactions with any type of structural inconsistency. This work also proposed a ideal filtered based method to effectively reduce the total experimental time.

Inspection of copper canisters for spent nuclear fuel by means of ultrasound. NDE of friction stir welds, nonlinear acoustics, ultrasonic imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stepinski, Tadeusz (ed.); Lingvall, Fredrik; Wennerstroem, Erik; Ping Wu [Uppsala Univ., Dept. of Materials Science (Sweden). Signals and Systems

2004-01-01

This report contains results concerning advanced ultrasound for the inspection of copper canisters for spent nuclear fuel obtained at Signals and Systems, Uppsala University in years 2002/2003. After a short introduction a review of the NDE techniques that have been applied to the assessment of friction stir welds (FSW) is presented. The review is based on the results reported by the specialists from the USA, mostly from the aerospace industry. A separate chapter is devoted to the extended experimental and theoretical research concerning potential of nonlinear waves in NDE applications. Further studies concerning nonlinear propagation of acoustic and elastic waves (classical nonlinearity) are reported. Also a preliminary investigation of the nonlinear ultrasonic detection of contacts and interfaces (non-classical nonlinearity) is included. Report on the continuation of previous work concerning computer simulation of nonlinear propagations of ultrasonic beams in water and in immersed solids is also presented. Finally, results of an investigation concerning a new method of synthetic aperture imaging (SAI) and its comparison to the traditional phased array (PA) imaging and to the synthetic aperture focusing technique (SAFT) are presented. A new spatial-temporal filtering method is presented that is a generalization of the previously proposed filter. Spatial resolution of the proposed method is investigated and compared experimentally to that of classical SAFT and PA imaging. Performance of the proposed method for flat targets is also investigated.

Inspection of copper canisters for spent nuclear fuel by means of ultrasound. NDE of friction stir welds, nonlinear acoustics, ultrasonic imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stepinski, Tadeusz; Lingvall, Fredrik; Wennerstroem, Erik; Ping Wu

2004-01-01

This report contains results concerning advanced ultrasound for the inspection of copper canisters for spent nuclear fuel obtained at Signals and Systems, Uppsala University in years 2002/2003. After a short introduction a review of the NDE techniques that have been applied to the assessment of friction stir welds (FSW) is presented. The review is based on the results reported by the specialists from the USA, mostly from the aerospace industry. A separate chapter is devoted to the extended experimental and theoretical research concerning potential of nonlinear waves in NDE applications. Further studies concerning nonlinear propagation of acoustic and elastic waves (classical nonlinearity) are reported. Also a preliminary investigation of the nonlinear ultrasonic detection of contacts and interfaces (non-classical nonlinearity) is included. Report on the continuation of previous work concerning computer simulation of nonlinear propagations of ultrasonic beams in water and in immersed solids is also presented. Finally, results of an investigation concerning a new method of synthetic aperture imaging (SAI) and its comparison to the traditional phased array (PA) imaging and to the synthetic aperture focusing technique (SAFT) are presented. A new spatial-temporal filtering method is presented that is a generalization of the previously proposed filter. Spatial resolution of the proposed method is investigated and compared experimentally to that of classical SAFT and PA imaging. Performance of the proposed method for flat targets is also investigated

Monitoring of Freeze-Thaw Cycles in Concrete Using Embedded Sensors and Ultrasonic Imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Ranz, Javier; Aparicio, Sofía; Romero, Héctor; Casati, María Jesús; Molero, Miguel; González, Margarita

2014-01-01

This paper deals with the study of damage produced during freeze-thaw (F-T) cycles using two non-destructive measurement approaches—the first approach devoted to continuous monitoring using embedded sensors during the cycles, and the second one, performing ultrasonic imaging before and after the cycles. Both methodologies have been tested in two different types of concrete specimens, with and without air-entraining agents. Using the first measurement approach, the size and distribution of pores were estimated using a thermoporometrical model and continuous measurements of temperature and ultrasonic velocity along cycles. These estimates have been compared with the results obtained using mercury porosimetry testing. In the second approach, the damage due to F-T cycles has been evaluated by automated ultrasonic transmission and pulse-echo inspections made before and after the cycles. With these inspections the variations in the dimensions, velocity and attenuation caused by the accelerated F-T cycles were determined. PMID:24481231

Sampling phased array, a new technique for ultrasonic signal processing and imaging now available to industry

OpenAIRE

Verkooijen, J.; Bulavinov, A.

2008-01-01

Over the past 10 years the improvement in the field of microelectronics and computer engineering has led to significant advances in ultrasonic signal processing and image construction techniques that are currently being applied to non-destructive material evaluation. A new phased array technique, called "Sampling Phased Array" has been developed in the Fraunhofer Institute for non-destructive testing [1]. It realizes a unique approach of measurement and processing of ultrasonic signals. The s...

Ultrasonic signature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Borloo, E.; Crutzen, S.

1974-12-01

The unique and tamperproof identification technique developed at Ispra is based on ultrasonic Non-Destructive-Techniques. Reading fingerprints with ultrasonic requires high reproducibility of standard apparatus and transducers. The present report gives an exhaustive description of the ultrasonic technique developed for identification purposes. Different applications of the method are described

An ultrasonic method for separation of epiphytic microbes from freshwater submerged macrophytes.

Science.gov (United States)

Cai, Xianlei; Gao, Guang; Yang, Jing; Tang, Xiangming; Dai, Jiangyu; Chen, Dan; Song, Yuzhi

2014-07-01

Epiphytic microbes are common inhabitants of freshwater submerged macrophytes, which play an important role in aquatic ecosystems. An important precondition for studying the epiphytic microbes is having an effective method of separating the attached microbes from the host macrophytes. We developed an ultrasound-based method for separating epiphytic microbes from freshwater submerged macrophytes, optimized the conditions of ultrasonic separation with an orthogonal experimental design, and compared the optimized ultrasonic method with manual separation. This method can be particularly useful for freshwater submerged macrophytes having a complex morphology. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Fundamentals of Medical Ultrasonics

CERN Document Server

Postema, Michiel

2011-01-01

This book sets out the physical and engineering principles of acoustics and ultrasound as used for medical applications. It covers the basics of linear acoustics, wave propagation, non-linear acoustics, acoustic properties of tissue, transducer components, and ultrasonic imaging modes, as well as the most common diagnostic and therapeutic applications. It offers students and professionals in medical physics and engineering a detailed overview of the technical aspects of medical ultrasonic imaging, whilst serving as a reference for clinical and research staff.

Study on the ultrasonic inspection method using the full matrix capture for the in service railway wheel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Peng, Jianping; Wang, Li; Zhang, Yu; Gao, Xiaorong; Wang, Zeyong; Peng, Chaoyong [NDT Research Center, School of Physical Science and Technology, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031 (China)

2014-02-18

The quality of wheel is especially important for the safety of high speed railway. In this paper, a new ultrasonic array inspection method, the Full Matrix Capture (FMC) has been studied and applied to the high speed railway wheel inspection, especially in the wheel web from the tread. Firstly, the principle of FMC and TFM algorithm is discussed, and then the new optimization is applied to the standard FMC; Secondly the fundamentals of optimization is described in detail and the performance is analyzed. Finally, the experiment has been built with a standard phased array block and railway wheel, and then the testing results are discussed and analyzed. It is demonstrated that this change for the ultrasonic data acquisition and image reconstruction has higher efficiency and lower cost comparing to the FMC's procedure.

Ultrasonic mammography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hueneke, B.

1982-01-01

608 women are examined by means of ultrasonic mammography during the period of 1 year. 432 patients were examined with the compound method with the U.I. Octoson, a water tank scanner, and 176 patients with the real time method with a directly connected linear-array-scanner. The following results were obtained at the end of the examination period: In the ultrasonic and also in the X-ray mammogram tumour diameters can be determined with an error rate of +- 30%. In the diagnosing of carcinomas, a significant dependence of the exactness on the sice of the tumour is found for the combination of the five methods tested (clinical examination, X-ray mammography, ultrasonic mammography, thermography, cytology). Classifying the individual methods with regard to their exactness, X-ray mammography ranks in front of ultrasonic mammography. Mastopathic changes in the breast can be screened by means of ultrasonic mammography. The structure of the changes can be determined more exactly than with an X-ray picture which is due to the possibility of differentiating solid and cystic structures. In diagnosing fibro-adenomas and establishing diagnoses on young women with dense gland bodies, ultrasonic mammography is superior to radiology both in the ability of screening a finding of a fibro-adenoma (US=88%, X-ray=75%) and in the possibility of classifying it as ''more benign than malignant''. (orig./MG) [de

Ultrasonic C-scan Technique for Nondestructive Evaluation of Spot Weld Quality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Ik Gun

1994-01-01

This paper discusses the feasibility of ultrasonic C-scan technique for nondestructive evaluation of spot weld quality. Ultrasonic evaluation for spot weld quality was performed by immersion method with the mechanical and the electronic scanning of point-focussed ultrasonic beam(25 MHz). For the sake of the approach to the quantitative measurement of nugget diameter and the discrimination of the corona bond from nugget, preliminary infinitesimal gap experiment by newton ring is tried in order to set up the optimum ultrasonic test condition. Ultrasonic image data obtained were confirmed and compared by optical microscope and SAM(Scanning Acoustic Microscope) observation of the spot-weld cross section. The results show that the nugget diameter can be measured with the accuracy of 1.0mm, and voids included in nugget can be detected to 10μm extent with simplicity and accuracy. Finally, it was found that it is necessary to make a profound study of definite discrimination of corona bond from nugget and the approach of quantitative evaluation of nugget diameter by utilizing the various image processing techniques

Anisotropy analysis of low cement concrete by ultrasonic measurements and image analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martinović Sanja P.

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The analized material was high alumina low cement castable sintered at three different temperatures. Influence of initial material anisotropy on the thermal shock resistance as well as changes of anisotropy level during the thermal shock were studied. Water quench test was used as an experimental method for the thermal stability testing. Surface anisotropy was analysed by image analysis and structural anisotropy using ultrasonic measurements. The results pointed out that the highest homogeinity and the lowest surface and structural anisotropy was for the samples sintered at 1600ºC. Surface anistoropy had prevailing infuence on behavior of material during the thermal shock, but the structural anisotropy should not be neglected. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. TR 33007

Capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers for medical imaging and therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khuri-Yakub, Butrus T; Oralkan, Ömer

2011-01-01

Capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers (CMUTs) have been subject to extensive research for the last two decades. Although they were initially developed for air-coupled applications, today their main application space is medical imaging and therapy. This paper first presents a brief description of CMUTs, their basic structure and operating principles. Our progression of developing several generations of fabrication processes is discussed with an emphasis on the advantages and disadvantages of each process. Monolithic and hybrid approaches for integrating CMUTs with supporting integrated circuits are surveyed. Several prototype transducer arrays with integrated front-end electronic circuits we developed and their use for 2D and 3D, anatomical and functional imaging, and ablative therapies are described. The presented results prove the CMUT as a micro-electro-mechanical systems technology for many medical diagnostic and therapeutic applications

Capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers for medical imaging and therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Khuri-Yakub, Butrus T; Oralkan, Omer

2011-05-01

Capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers (CMUTs) have been subject to extensive research for the last two decades. Although they were initially developed for air-coupled applications, today their main application space is medical imaging and therapy. This paper first presents a brief description of CMUTs, their basic structure, and operating principles. Our progression of developing several generations of fabrication processes is discussed with an emphasis on the advantages and disadvantages of each process. Monolithic and hybrid approaches for integrating CMUTs with supporting integrated circuits are surveyed. Several prototype transducer arrays with integrated frontend electronic circuits we developed and their use for 2-D and 3-D, anatomical and functional imaging, and ablative therapies are described. The presented results prove the CMUT as a MEMS technology for many medical diagnostic and therapeutic applications.

Discrimination of Breast Tumors in Ultrasonic Images by Classifier Ensemble Trained with AdaBoost

Science.gov (United States)

Takemura, Atsushi; Shimizu, Akinobu; Hamamoto, Kazuhiko

In this paper, we propose a novel method for acurate automated discrimination of breast tumors (carcinoma, fibroadenoma, and cyst). We defined 199 features related to diagnositic observations noticed when a doctor judges breast tumors, such as internal echo, shape, and boundary echo. These features included novel features based on a parameter of log-compressed K distribution, which reflect physical characteristics of ultrasonic B-mode imaging. Furthermore, we propose a discrimination method of breast tumors by using an ensemble classifier based on the multi-class AdaBoost algorithm with effective features selection. Verification by analyzing 200 carcinomas, 30 fibroadenomas and 30 cycts showed the usefulness of the newly defined features and the effectiveness of the discrimination by using an ensemble classifier trained by AdaBoost.

Wireless ultrasonic wavefield imaging via laser for hidden damage detection inside a steel box girder bridge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

An, Yun-Kyu; Song, Homin; Sohn, Hoon

2014-01-01

This paper presents a wireless ultrasonic wavefield imaging (WUWI) technique for detecting hidden damage inside a steel box girder bridge. The proposed technique allows (1) complete wireless excitation of piezoelectric transducers and noncontact sensing of the corresponding responses using laser beams, (2) autonomous damage visualization without comparing against baseline data previously accumulated from the pristine condition of a target structure and (3) robust damage diagnosis even for real structures with complex structural geometries. First, a new WUWI hardware system was developed by integrating optoelectronic-based signal transmitting and receiving devices and a scanning laser Doppler vibrometer. Next, a damage visualization algorithm, self-referencing f-k filter (SRF), was introduced to isolate and visualize only crack-induced ultrasonic modes from measured ultrasonic wavefield images. Finally, the performance of the proposed technique was validated through hidden crack visualization at a decommissioned Ramp-G Bridge in South Korea. The experimental results reveal that the proposed technique instantaneously detects and successfully visualizes hidden cracks even in the complex structure of a real bridge. (paper)

Study on Method of Ultrasonic Gas Temperature Measure Based on FPGA

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wen, S H; Xu, F R [Institute of Electrical Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao, 066004 (China)

2006-10-15

It is always a problem to measure instantaneous temperature of high-temperature and high-pressure gas. There is difficulty for the conventional method of measuring temperature to measure quickly and exactly, and the measuring precision is low, the ability of anti-jamming is bad, etc. So the article introduces a method of measuring burning gas temperature using ultrasonic based on Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA). The mathematic model of measuring temperature is built with the relation of velocity of ultrasonic transmitting and gas Kelvin in the ideal gas. The temperature can be figured out by measuring the difference of ultrasonic frequency {delta}f. FPGA is introduced and a high-precision data acquisition system based on digital phase-shift technology is designed. The feasibility of proposed above is confirmed more by measuring pressure of burning gas timely. Experimental result demonstrates that the error is less than 12.. and the precision is heightened to 0.8%.

Analytical reverse time migration: An innovation in imaging of infrastructures using ultrasonic shear waves.

Science.gov (United States)

Asadollahi, Aziz; Khazanovich, Lev

2018-04-11

The emergence of ultrasonic dry point contact (DPC) transducers that emit horizontal shear waves has enabled efficient collection of high-quality data in the context of a nondestructive evaluation of concrete structures. This offers an opportunity to improve the quality of evaluation by adapting advanced imaging techniques. Reverse time migration (RTM) is a simulation-based reconstruction technique that offers advantages over conventional methods, such as the synthetic aperture focusing technique. RTM is capable of imaging boundaries and interfaces with steep slopes and the bottom boundaries of inclusions and defects. However, this imaging technique requires a massive amount of memory and its computation cost is high. In this study, both bottlenecks of the RTM are resolved when shear transducers are used for data acquisition. An analytical approach was developed to obtain the source and receiver wavefields needed for imaging using reverse time migration. It is shown that the proposed analytical approach not only eliminates the high memory demand, but also drastically reduces the computation time from days to minutes. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Phase-coded multi-pulse technique for ultrasonic high-order harmonic imaging of biological tissues in vitro

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ma Qingyu; Zhang Dong; Gong Xiufen; Ma Yong

2007-01-01

Second or higher order harmonic imaging shows significant improvement in image clarity but is degraded by low signal-noise ratio (SNR) compared with fundamental imaging. This paper presents a phase-coded multi-pulse technique to provide the enhancement of SNR for the desired high-order harmonic ultrasonic imaging. In this technique, with N phase-coded pulses excitation, the received Nth harmonic signal is enhanced by 20 log 10 N dB compared with that in the single-pulse mode, whereas the fundamental and other order harmonic components are efficiently suppressed to reduce image confusion. The principle of this technique is theoretically discussed based on the theory of the finite amplitude sound waves, and examined by measurements of the axial and lateral beam profiles as well as the phase shift of the harmonics. In the experimental imaging for two biological tissue specimens, a plane piston source at 2 MHz is used to transmit a sequence of multiple pulses with equidistant phase shift. The second to fifth harmonic images are obtained using this technique with N = 2 to 5, and compared with the images obtained at the fundamental frequency. Results demonstrate that this technique of relying on higher order harmonics seems to provide a better resolution and contrast of ultrasonic images

Automatic ultrasonic testing and the LOFT in-service inspection program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hunter, J.A.

1980-01-01

An automatic ultrasonic testing system has been developed which significantly improves the flaw indication detection and characterization capability over the capability of conventional volumetric examination techniques. The system utilizes an accurately located ultrasonic sensor to generate the examination data. A small computer performs and integrates control and data input/output functions. Computer software has been developed to provide a rigorous method for data analysis and ultrasonic image interpretation. The system has been used as part of an in-service inspection program to examine welds in thich austenitic stainless steel pipes in a small experimental nuclear reactor

Inspection of copper canisters for spent nuclear fuel by means of ultrasound. Ultrasonic imaging, FSW monitoring with acoustic emission

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stepinski, Tadeusz; Olofsson, Tomas; Wennerstroem, Erik

2006-12-01

This report contains the research results concerning advanced ultrasound for the inspection of copper canisters for spent nuclear fuel obtained at Signals and Systems, Uppsala University in years 2005/2006. In the first part of the report we propose a concept of monitoring of the friction stir welding (FSW) process by means of acoustic emission (AE) technique. First, we introduce the AE technique and then we present the principle of the system for monitoring the FSW process in cylindrical symmetry specific for the SKB canisters. We propose an omnidirectional circular array of ultrasonic transducers for receiving the AE signals generated by the FSW tool and the releases of the residual stress at canister's circumference. Finally, we review the theory of uniform circular arrays. The second part of the report is concerned with synthetic aperture focusing technique (SAFT) characterized by enhanced spatial resolution. We evaluate three different approaches to perform imaging with less computational cost than that of the extended SAFT (ESAFT) method proposed in our previous reports. First, a sparse version of ESAFT is presented, which solves the reconstruction problem only for a small set of the most probable scatterers in the image. A frequency domain the ω-k SAFT algorithm, which relies on the far-field approximation is presented in the second part. Finally, a detailed analysis of the most computationally intense step in the ESAFT and the sparse 2D deconvolution is presented. In the final part of the report we introduce basics of the 3D ultrasonic imaging that has a great potential in the inspection of the FSW welds. We discuss in some detail the three interrelated steps involved in the 3D ultrasonic imaging: data acquisition, 3D reconstruction, and 3D visualization

Inspection of copper canisters for spent nuclear fuel by means of ultrasound. Ultrasonic imaging, FSW monitoring with acoustic emission

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stepinski, Tadeusz (ed.); Olofsson, Tomas; Wennerstroem, Erik [Uppsala Univ., Dept. of Technical Sciences (Sweden). Signals and Systems

2006-12-15

This report contains the research results concerning advanced ultrasound for the inspection of copper canisters for spent nuclear fuel obtained at Signals and Systems, Uppsala University in years 2005/2006. In the first part of the report we propose a concept of monitoring of the friction stir welding (FSW) process by means of acoustic emission (AE) technique. First, we introduce the AE technique and then we present the principle of the system for monitoring the FSW process in cylindrical symmetry specific for the SKB canisters. We propose an omnidirectional circular array of ultrasonic transducers for receiving the AE signals generated by the FSW tool and the releases of the residual stress at canister's circumference. Finally, we review the theory of uniform circular arrays. The second part of the report is concerned with synthetic aperture focusing technique (SAFT) characterized by enhanced spatial resolution. We evaluate three different approaches to perform imaging with less computational cost than that of the extended SAFT (ESAFT) method proposed in our previous reports. First, a sparse version of ESAFT is presented, which solves the reconstruction problem only for a small set of the most probable scatterers in the image. A frequency domain the {omega}-k SAFT algorithm, which relies on the far-field approximation is presented in the second part. Finally, a detailed analysis of the most computationally intense step in the ESAFT and the sparse 2D deconvolution is presented. In the final part of the report we introduce basics of the 3D ultrasonic imaging that has a great potential in the inspection of the FSW welds. We discuss in some detail the three interrelated steps involved in the 3D ultrasonic imaging: data acquisition, 3D reconstruction, and 3D visualization.

Calcium phosphate formation from sea urchin - (brissus latecarinatus via modified mechano-chemical (ultrasonic conversion method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. Samur

2013-07-01

Full Text Available This study aims to produce apatite structures, such as hydroxyapatite (HA and fluorapatite (FA, from precursor calcium phosphates of biological origin, namely from sea urchin, with mechano-chemical stirring and hot-plating conversion method. The produced materials were heat treated at 800 °C for 4 hours. X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy (SEM studies were conducted. Calcium phosphate phases were developed. The SEM images showed the formation of micro to nano-powders. The experimental results suggest that sea urchin, Brissus latecarinatus skeleton could be an alternative source for the production of various mono or biphasic calcium phosphates with simple and economic mechano-chemical (ultrasonic conversion method.

New developments in ultrasonic imaging of the chest and other body organs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Campbell, G.W.; Anderson, A.L.

1978-01-01

The ultrasonic imaging system described herein was developed to measure chest-wall thickness and the percentage of fat in the chest and around other body organs. The system uses pulse-echo techniques to transmit and detect sound waves reflected from the interfaces of body organs and adjacent tissue. A computer draws these interfaces on color scans, and a code is used to exponentially average data from several points on each scan to find the average thicknesses of the chest wall and fat layers. These average thicknesses are then used to adjust x-ray calibration factors for plutonium lung counters. The correction factor for three subjects measured for fat content ranging from 12.6 to 22.2% was 18 to 41%. The ultrasonic system also defines the shape and position of the kidneys and liver so we are able to more accurately place detectors on the body during in-vivo radiation measurements. We have also developed a technique for displaying the interfaces from a series of ultrasonic chest scans to produce a topographical map that enables us to better understand the shape and contour of the lung and chest-wall interface

Interpretation of ultrasonic images; Interpretation von Ultraschall-Abbildungen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mueller, W; Schmitz, V; Kroening, M [Fraunhofer-Institut fuer Zerstoerungsfreie Pruefverfahren, Saarbruecken (Germany)

1998-11-01

During the evaluation of ultrasonic images, e.g. SAFT-reconstructed B-scan images (SAFT=Synthetic Aperture Focusing Technique) it is often difficult to decide, what is the origin of reconstructed image points: were they caused by defects, specimens geometry or mode-conversions. To facilitate this evaluation a tool based on the comparison of data was developed. Different kinds of data comparison are possible: identification of that RF-signals, which caused the reconstructed image point. This is the comparison of a reconstructed image with the corresponding RF-data. Comparison of two reconstructed images performing a superposition using logical operators. In this case e.g. the reconstruction of an unknown reflector is compared with that of a known one. Comparison of raw-RF-data by simultaneous scanning through two data sets. Here the echoes of an unknown reflector are compared with the echoes of a known one. The necessary datasets of known reflectors may be generated experimentally on reference reflectors or modelled. The aim is the identification of the reflector type, e.g. cracklike or not, the determination of position, size and orientation as well as the identification of accompanying satellite echoes. The interpretation of the SAFT-reconstructed B-scan image is carried out by a complete description of the reflector. In addition to the aim of interpretation the tool described is well suited to educate and train ultrasonic testers. (orig./MM) [Deutsch] Bei der Auswertung von Ultraschall-Abbildungen, z.B. SAFT-rekonstruierten B-Bildern (SAFT=Synthetische Apertur Fokus Technik), ist es oft schwierig zu entscheiden, wo rekonstruierte Bildpunkte herruehren: wurden sie durch Materialfehler, Bauteilgeometrie oder durch Wellenumwandlungen versursacht. Um diese Auswertung zu erleichtern, wurde ein Werkzeug entwickelt, welches auf dem Vergleich von Datensaetzen basiert. Es koennen verschiedene Arten des Datenvergleichs durchgefuehrt werden: Identifikation der HF

Intravascular ultrasonic-photoacoustic (IVUP) endoscope with 2.2-mm diameter catheter for medical imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Bui, Nhat Quang; Hlaing, Kyu Kyu; Nguyen, Van Phuc; Nguyen, Trung Hau; Oh, Yun-Ok; Fan, Xiao Feng; Lee, Yong Wook; Nam, Seung Yun; Kang, Hyun Wook; Oh, Junghwan

2015-10-01

Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) imaging is extremely important for detection and characterization of high-risk atherosclerotic plaques as well as gastrointestinal diseases. Recently, intravascular photoacoustic (IVPA) imaging has been used to differentiate the composition of biological tissues with high optical contrast and ultrasonic resolution. The combination of these imaging techniques could provide morphological information and molecular screening to characterize abnormal tissues, which would help physicians to ensure vital therapeutic value and prognostic significance for patients before commencing therapy. In this study, integration of a high-frequency IVUS imaging catheter (45MHz, single-element, unfocused, 0.7mm in diameter) with a multi-mode optical fiber (0.6mm in core diameter, 0.22 NA), an integrated intravascular ultrasonic-photoacoustic (IVUP) imaging catheter, was developed to provide spatial and functional information on light distribution in a turbid sample. Simultaneously, IVUS imaging was co-registered to IVPA imaging to construct 3D volumetric sample images. In a phantom study, a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) tissue-mimicking arterial vessel phantom with indocyanine green (ICG) and methylene blue (MB) inclusion was used to demonstrate the feasibility of mapping the biological dyes, which are used in cardiovascular and cancer diagnostics. For the ex vivo study, an excised sample of pig intestine with ICG was utilized to target the biomarkers present in the gastrointestinal tumors or the atherosclerotic plaques with the proposed hybrid technique. The results indicated that IVUP endoscope with the 2.2-mm diameter catheter could be a useful tool for medical imaging. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Radial vibration and ultrasonic field of a long tubular ultrasonic radiator.

Science.gov (United States)

Shuyu, Lin; Zhiqiang, Fu; Xiaoli, Zhang; Yong, Wang; Jing, Hu

2013-09-01

The radial vibration of a metal long circular tube is studied analytically and its electro-mechanical equivalent circuit is obtained. Based on the equivalent circuit, the radial resonance frequency equation is derived. The theoretical relationship between the radial resonance frequency and the geometrical dimensions is studied. Finite element method is used to simulate the radial vibration and the radiated ultrasonic field and the results are compared with those from the analytical method. It is concluded that the radial resonance frequency for a solid metal rod is larger than that for a metal tube with the same outer radius. The radial resonance frequencies from the analytical method are in good agreement with those from the numerical method. Based on the acoustic field analysis, it is concluded that the long metal tube with small wall thickness is superior to that with large wall thickness in producing radial vibration and ultrasonic radiation. Therefore, it is expected to be used as an effective radial ultrasonic radiator in ultrasonic sewage treatment, ultrasonic antiscale and descaling and other ultrasonic liquid handling applications. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ultrasonic Guided Wave Method For Crack Detection In Buried Plastic Pipe

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wan Hamat Wan Sofian

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Plastic pipe are widely used in many fields for the fluid or gaseous product conveyance but basic components of a plastic material made it very sensitive to damage, which requires techniques for detecting damage reliable and efficient. Ultrasonic guided wave is a sensitive method based on propagation of low-frequency excitation in solid structures for damage detection. Ultrasonic guided wave method are performed to investigate the effect of crack to the frequency signal using Fast Fourier Transform (FFT analysis. This paper researched to determine performance of ultrasonic guided wave method in order to detect crack in buried pipeline. It was found that for an uncrack pipe, FFT analysis shows one peak which is the operating frequency by the piezoelectric actuator itself while the FFT analysis for single cracked pipe shows two peak which is the operating frequency by the piezoelectric actuator itself and the resultant frequency from the crack. For multi cracked pipe, the frequency signal shows more than two peak depend the number of crack. The results presented here may facilitate improvements in the accuracy and precision of pipeline crack detection.

New method to enhance the extraction yield of rutin from Sophora japonica using a novel ultrasonic extraction system by determining optimum ultrasonic frequency.

Science.gov (United States)

Liao, Jianqing; Qu, Baida; Liu, Da; Zheng, Naiqin

2015-11-01

A new method has been proposed for enhancing extraction yield of rutin from Sophora japonica, in which a novel ultrasonic extraction system has been developed to perform the determination of optimum ultrasonic frequency by a two-step procedure. This study has systematically investigated the influence of a continuous frequency range of 20-92 kHz on rutin yields. The effects of different operating conditions on rutin yields have also been studied in detail such as solvent concentration, solvent to solid ratio, ultrasound power, temperature and particle size. A higher extraction yield was obtained at the ultrasonic frequency of 60-62 kHz which was little affected under other extraction conditions. Comparative studies between existing methods and the present method were done to verify the effectiveness of this method. Results indicated that the new extraction method gave a higher extraction yield compared with existing ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) and soxhlet extraction (SE). Thus, the potential use of this method may be promising for extraction of natural materials on an industrial scale in the future. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

P-scan, a new system for ultrasonic weld inspection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lund, S.A.; Iversen, S.E.; Holst, H.

1978-01-01

The P-scan method is explained. It is described how the new P-scan system improves the ultrasonic method by adding means for visualization, data storage and documentation. Three different scanners are described: One designed for manual operation, another for automatic operation and a third for semiautomatic operation. The p'scan image of an ultrasonically examined test plate is presented and discussed. The variable Display Level (i.e. the inspection sensitivity) facility is described. The main advantage of this facility is the fact that the level can be varied at any time after the inspection. (orig.) [de

Study on dry-calibration method of ultrasonic flowmeter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ozaki, Yoshihiko; Yasuda, Hidenori.

1988-01-01

This paper describes a study on a dry-calibration method for application of an ultrasonic flowmeter to the fields such as nuclear or thermal power plants where high temperature and pressurized fluids are used in coolant or feedwater systems. For the measurement of the flow quantity using the ultrasonic flowmeter, it is important to obtain a correction coefficient of the rate of line averaged axial velocity to plane averaged axial velocity. We have developed analytical method to predict the turbulent flow profiles in the cross sections of piping including bends. The method is based on parabolic flow model and k-ε model with wall functions for the near-wall regions. The axial velocity profiles and the correction coefficients predicted by the analytical method were compared with the experimental results for water and liquid sodium in various L/D conditions. The both results were shown to be in approximate agreement within about 5% accuracy for the flow profiles and about 2% accuracy for the correction coefficients, though the piping had the 90degC bend with a very small redius of curvature. In the case of small L/D conditions, it was also shown that the reverse flow effects could not be disregarded in the predominant direction. However, the accuracy of the dry-calibration by using the analytical method was confirmed to be within about 2% as things were. (author)

Piezoelectric Nanotube Array for Broadband High-Frequency Ultrasonic Transducer.

Science.gov (United States)

Liew, Weng Heng; Yao, Kui; Chen, Shuting; Tay, Francis Eng Hock

2018-03-01

Piezoelectric materials are vital in determining ultrasonic transducer and imaging performance as they offer the function for conversion between mechanical and electrical energy. Ultrasonic transducers with high-frequency operation suffer from performance degradation and fabrication difficulty of the demanded piezoelectric materials. Hence, we propose 1-D polymeric piezoelectric nanostructure with controlled nanoscale features to overcome the technical limitations of high-frequency ultrasonic transducers. For the first time, we demonstrate the integration of a well-aligned piezoelectric nanotube array to produce a high-frequency ultrasonic transducer with outstanding performance. We find that nanoconfinement-induced polarization orientation and unique nanotube structure lead to significantly improved piezoelectric and ultrasonic transducing performance over the conventional piezoelectric thin film. A large bandwidth, 126% (-6 dB), is achieved at high center frequency, 108 MHz. Transmission sensitivity of nanotube array is found to be 46% higher than that of the monolithic thin film transducer attributed to the improved electromechanical coupling effectiveness and impedance match. We further demonstrate high-resolution scanning, ultrasonic imaging, and photoacoustic imaging using the obtained nanotube array transducers, which is valuable for biomedical imaging applications in the future.

Material State Awareness for Composites Part II: Precursor Damage Analysis and Quantification of Degraded Material Properties Using Quantitative Ultrasonic Image Correlation (QUIC)

Science.gov (United States)

Patra, Subir; Banerjee, Sourav

2017-01-01

Material state awareness of composites using conventional Nondestructive Evaluation (NDE) method is limited by finding the size and the locations of the cracks and the delamination in a composite structure. To aid the progressive failure models using the slow growth criteria, the awareness of the precursor damage state and quantification of the degraded material properties is necessary, which is challenging using the current NDE methods. To quantify the material state, a new offline NDE method is reported herein. The new method named Quantitative Ultrasonic Image Correlation (QUIC) is devised, where the concept of microcontinuum mechanics is hybrid with the experimentally measured Ultrasonic wave parameters. This unique combination resulted in a parameter called Nonlocal Damage Entropy for the precursor awareness. High frequency (more than 25 MHz) scanning acoustic microscopy is employed for the proposed QUIC. Eight woven carbon-fiber-reinforced-plastic composite specimens were tested under fatigue up to 70% of their remaining useful life. During the first 30% of the life, the proposed nonlocal damage entropy is plotted to demonstrate the degradation of the material properties via awareness of the precursor damage state. Visual proofs for the precursor damage states are provided with the digital images obtained from the micro-optical microscopy, the scanning acoustic microscopy and the scanning electron microscopy. PMID:29258256

Material State Awareness for Composites Part II: Precursor Damage Analysis and Quantification of Degraded Material Properties Using Quantitative Ultrasonic Image Correlation (QUIC

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Subir Patra

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Material state awareness of composites using conventional Nondestructive Evaluation (NDE method is limited by finding the size and the locations of the cracks and the delamination in a composite structure. To aid the progressive failure models using the slow growth criteria, the awareness of the precursor damage state and quantification of the degraded material properties is necessary, which is challenging using the current NDE methods. To quantify the material state, a new offline NDE method is reported herein. The new method named Quantitative Ultrasonic Image Correlation (QUIC is devised, where the concept of microcontinuum mechanics is hybrid with the experimentally measured Ultrasonic wave parameters. This unique combination resulted in a parameter called Nonlocal Damage Entropy for the precursor awareness. High frequency (more than 25 MHz scanning acoustic microscopy is employed for the proposed QUIC. Eight woven carbon-fiber-reinforced-plastic composite specimens were tested under fatigue up to 70% of their remaining useful life. During the first 30% of the life, the proposed nonlocal damage entropy is plotted to demonstrate the degradation of the material properties via awareness of the precursor damage state. Visual proofs for the precursor damage states are provided with the digital images obtained from the micro-optical microscopy, the scanning acoustic microscopy and the scanning electron microscopy.

Combination probe for optically assisted ultrasonic velocity-change imaging aimed at detecting unstable blood vessel plaque

Science.gov (United States)

Tanigawa, Shohei; Mano, Kazune; Wada, Kenji; Matsunaka, Toshiyuki; Horinaka, Hiromichi

2016-04-01

Blood vessel plaque with a large lipid core is at risk of becoming thrombus and is likely to induce acute heart disease. To prevent this, it is necessary to determine not only the plaque's size but also its chemical composition. We, therefore, made the prototype of a combination probe to diagnose carotid artery plaque. It is used to differentiate propagation characteristics between light spectra and ultrasonic images. By propagating light and ultrasound along a common direction, it is possible to effectively warm the diagnosis domain. Moreover, the probe is thought to be compact and be easy to use for diagnosing human carotid artery plaque. We applied the combination probe to a carotid artery phantom with a lipid area and obtained an image of the ultrasonic velocity change in the fatty area.

High-Frequency Fiber-Optic Ultrasonic Sensor Using Air Micro-Bubble for Imaging of Seismic Physical Models.

Science.gov (United States)

Gang, Tingting; Hu, Manli; Rong, Qiangzhou; Qiao, Xueguang; Liang, Lei; Liu, Nan; Tong, Rongxin; Liu, Xiaobo; Bian, Ce

2016-12-14

A micro-fiber-optic Fabry-Perot interferometer (FPI) is proposed and demonstrated experimentally for ultrasonic imaging of seismic physical models. The device consists of a micro-bubble followed by the end of a single-mode fiber (SMF). The micro-structure is formed by the discharging operation on a short segment of hollow-core fiber (HCF) that is spliced to the SMF. This micro FPI is sensitive to ultrasonic waves (UWs), especially to the high-frequency (up to 10 MHz) UW, thanks to its ultra-thin cavity wall and micro-diameter. A side-band filter technology is employed for the UW interrogation, and then the high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) UW signal is achieved. Eventually the sensor is used for lateral imaging of the physical model by scanning UW detection and two-dimensional signal reconstruction.

A forward model and conjugate gradient inversion technique for low-frequency ultrasonic imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

van Dongen, Koen W A; Wright, William M D

2006-10-01

Emerging methods of hyperthermia cancer treatment require noninvasive temperature monitoring, and ultrasonic techniques show promise in this regard. Various tomographic algorithms are available that reconstruct sound speed or contrast profiles, which can be related to temperature distribution. The requirement of a high enough frequency for adequate spatial resolution and a low enough frequency for adequate tissue penetration is a difficult compromise. In this study, the feasibility of using low frequency ultrasound for imaging and temperature monitoring was investigated. The transient probing wave field had a bandwidth spanning the frequency range 2.5-320.5 kHz. The results from a forward model which computed the propagation and scattering of low-frequency acoustic pressure and velocity wave fields were used to compare three imaging methods formulated within the Born approximation, representing two main types of reconstruction. The first uses Fourier techniques to reconstruct sound-speed profiles from projection or Radon data based on optical ray theory, seen as an asymptotical limit for comparison. The second uses backpropagation and conjugate gradient inversion methods based on acoustical wave theory. The results show that the accuracy in localization was 2.5 mm or better when using low frequencies and the conjugate gradient inversion scheme, which could be used for temperature monitoring.

Influence of Ultrasonic Nonlinear Propagation on Hydrophone Calibration Using Two-Transducer Reciprocity Method

Science.gov (United States)

Yoshioka, Masahiro; Sato, Sojun; Kikuchi, Tsuneo; Matsuda, Yoichi

2006-05-01

In this study, the influence of ultrasonic nonlinear propagation on hydrophone calibration by the two-transducer reciprocity method is investigated quantitatively using the Khokhlov-Zabolotskaya-Kuznetsov (KZK) equation. It is proposed that the correction for the diffraction and attenuation of ultrasonic waves used in two-transducer reciprocity calibration can be derived using the KZK equation to remove the influence of nonlinear propagation. The validity of the correction is confirmed by comparing the sensitivities calibrated by the two-transducer reciprocity method and laser interferometry.

Automated ultrasonic testing--capabilities, limitations and methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beller, L.S.; Mikesell, C.R.

1977-01-01

The requirements for precision and reproducibility of ultrasonic testing during inservice inspection of nuclear reactors are both quantitatively and qualitatively more severe than most current practice in the field can provide. An automated ultrasonic testing (AUT) system, which provides a significant advancement in field examination capabilities, is described. Properties of the system, its application, and typical results are discussed

Evaluation of ultrasonic array imaging algorithms for inspection of a coarse grained material

Science.gov (United States)

Van Pamel, A.; Lowe, M. J. S.; Brett, C. R.

2014-02-01

Improving the ultrasound inspection capability for coarse grain metals remains of longstanding interest to industry and the NDE research community and is expected to become increasingly important for next generation power plants. A test sample of coarse grained Inconel 625 which is representative of future power plant components has been manufactured to test the detectability of different inspection techniques. Conventional ultrasonic A, B, and C-scans showed the sample to be extraordinarily difficult to inspect due to its scattering behaviour. However, in recent years, array probes and Full Matrix Capture (FMC) imaging algorithms, which extract the maximum amount of information possible, have unlocked exciting possibilities for improvements. This article proposes a robust methodology to evaluate the detection performance of imaging algorithms, applying this to three FMC imaging algorithms; Total Focusing Method (TFM), Phase Coherent Imaging (PCI), and Decomposition of the Time Reversal Operator with Multiple Scattering (DORT MSF). The methodology considers the statistics of detection, presenting the detection performance as Probability of Detection (POD) and probability of False Alarm (PFA). The data is captured in pulse-echo mode using 64 element array probes at centre frequencies of 1MHz and 5MHz. All three algorithms are shown to perform very similarly when comparing their flaw detection capabilities on this particular case.

Simulation of the Two-Phase Liquid – Gas Flow through Ultrasonic Transceivers Application in Ultrasonic Tomography

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zulkarnay Zakaria

2010-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper, ultrasonic transmission mode tomography was used to visualize the two phase liquid/gas flow in a pipe/vessel. The sensing element consists of 8, 16 and 32 units ultrasonic transceivers were used to cover the pipe cross-section at different time. The motivation of this paper is to analyze the optimum numbers of transceivers which can give the best performance in providing better image of the two phase liquid/gas flow. This paper also details the development of the system including the ultrasonic transduction circuits, the electronic measurement circuits, the data acquisition system and the image reconstruction techniques. Ten conditions of liquid-gas flow have been simulated. The system was found capable of visualizing the internal characteristics and provides the concentration profile for the corresponding liquid and gas phases while the 32 transceivers has provided the best image for the ten conditions applied.

Nondestructive Determination of Reinforcement Volume Fractions in Particulate Composites : Ultrasonic Method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeong, Hyun Jo

1998-01-01

A nondestructive ultrasonic technique is presented for estimating the reinforcement volume fractions of particulate composites. The proposed technique employs a theoretical model which accounts for composite microstructures, together with a measurement of ultrasonic velocity to determine the reinforcement volume fractions. The approach is used for a wide range of SiC particulate reinforced Al matrix (SiC p /AI) composites. The method is considered to be reliable in determining the reinforcement volume fractions. The technique could be adopted in a production unit for the quality assessment of the metal matrix particulate composite extrusions

Signal analysis approach to ultrasonic evaluation of diffusion bond quality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thomas, Graham; Chinn, Diane

1999-01-01

Solid state bonds like the diffusion bond are attractive techniques for joining dissimilar materials since they are not prone to the defects that occur with fusion welding. Ultrasonic methods can detect the presence of totally unbonded regions but have difficulty sensing poor bonded areas where the substrates are in intimate contact. Standard ultrasonic imaging is based on amplitude changes in the signal reflected from the bond interface. Unfortunately, amplitude alone is not sensitive to bond quality. We demonstrated that there is additional information in the ultrasonic signal that correlates with bond quality. In our approach, we interrogated a set of dissimilar diffusion bonded samples with broad band ultrasonic signals. The signals were digitally processed and the characteristics of the signals that corresponded to bond quality were determined. These characteristics or features were processed with pattern recognition algorithms to produce predictions of bond quality. The predicted bond quality was then compared with the destructive measurement to assess the classification capability of the ultrasonic technique

Failed fuel rod detection method by ultrasonic wave

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takamatsu, Masatoshi; Muraoka, Shoichi; Ono, Yukio; Yasojima, Yujiro.

1990-01-01

Ultrasonic wave signals sent from an ultrasonic receiving element are supplied to an evaluation circuit by way of a gate. A table for gate opening and closing timings at the detecting position in each of the fuel rods in a fuel assembly is stored in a memory. A fuel rod is placed between an ultrasonic transmitting element and the receiving element to determine the positions of the transmitting element and the receiving element by positional sensors. The opening and closing timings at the positions corresponding to the result of the detection are read out from the table, and the gates are opened and closed by the timing. This can introduce the ultrasonic wave signals transmitted through a control rod always to the evaluation circuit passing through the gate. Accordingly, the state of failure of the fuel rod can be detected accurately. (I.N.)

Ultrasonic testing with the phased array method at the pipe connection inner edges in pipings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brekow, G.; Wuestenberg, H.; Hesselmann, H.; Rathgeb, W.

1991-01-01

Ultrasonic testing with the phased array method at the pipe connection inner edges in pipings. The pipe connection inner corner tests in feedwater lines to the main coolant pipe were carried out by Preussen-Elektra in cooperation with Siemens KWU and the BAM with the ultrasonic phased array method. The testing plan was developed by means of a computed model. For a trial of the testing plan, numerous ultrasonic measurements with the phased array method were carried out using a pipe test piece with TH-type inner edges, which was a 1:1 model of the reactor component to be tested. The data measured at several test notches in the pipe connection inner edge area covered by a plating of 6 mm were analyzed. (orig./MM) [de

Use of ultrasonic array method for positioning multiple partial discharge sources in transformer oil.

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Qing; Tao, Junhan; Wang, Yongqiang; Geng, Jianghai; Cheng, Shuyi; Lü, Fangcheng

2014-08-01

Fast and accurate positioning of partial discharge (PD) sources in transformer oil is very important for the safe, stable operation of power systems because it allows timely elimination of insulation faults. There is usually more than one PD source once an insulation fault occurs in the transformer oil. This study, which has both theoretical and practical significance, proposes a method of identifying multiple PD sources in the transformer oil. The method combines the two-sided correlation transformation algorithm in the broadband signal focusing and the modified Gerschgorin disk estimator. The method of classification of multiple signals is used to determine the directions of arrival of signals from multiple PD sources. The ultrasonic array positioning method is based on the multi-platform direction finding and the global optimization searching. Both the 4 × 4 square planar ultrasonic sensor array and the ultrasonic array detection platform are built to test the method of identifying and positioning multiple PD sources. The obtained results verify the validity and the engineering practicability of this method.

Quantitative evaluation of ultrasonic wave propagation in inhomogeneous anisotropic austenitic welds using 3D ray tracing method. Numerical and experimental validation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kolkoori, Sanjeevareddy

2014-01-01

relations as well as transmission coefficients. The ray tracing model is able to determine the ultrasonic wave fields generated by a point source as well as finite dimension array transducers. The influence of inhomogenity on ultrasonic ray propagation and its interaction with defects in inhomogeneous austenitic welds is presented. The applications of 3D ray tracing model for optimizing experimental parameters during the ultrasonic non-destructive testing of transversal cracks in austenitic welds are presented. An ultrasonic C-scan image in homogeneous and multi-layered anisotropic austenitic steel materials is quantitatively evaluated using a novel 3D ray tracing method. The influence of the columnar grain orientation and the layback orientation on an ultrasonic C-scan image is presented. The ray tracing model results are validated first time quantitatively with the results obtained from 2D Elastodynamic Finite Integration Technique (EFIT) on several important configurations such as anisotropic and homogeneous austenitic steel material, layered austenitic steel and inhomogeneous weld materials which are generally occurring in the ultrasonic NDT of anisotropic materials. Quantitatively, a deviation of 8.6% was observed in the point source generated ultrasonic fields whereas in the case of array source ultrasound fields a deviation of 10.2% was observed. The predicted ultrasonic fields for array transducers in an inhomogeneous austenitic weld material with spatially varying columnar grain orientation using ray tracing method are validated against the results of a commercially available NDT simulation tool (CIVA). The result shows that an accuracy of 89.5% was achieved in the presented ray tracing model in this thesis. Experiments have been conducted on 32 mm thick inhomogeneous austenitic weld material, 62 mm thick austenitic clad material and quantitatively measured the ultrasound beam distortion and field profiles using electrodynamical probes. The inhomogenity in the weld

Quantitative evaluation of ultrasonic wave propagation in inhomogeneous anisotropic austenitic welds using 3D ray tracing method. Numerical and experimental validation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kolkoori, Sanjeevareddy

2014-07-01

relations as well as transmission coefficients. The ray tracing model is able to determine the ultrasonic wave fields generated by a point source as well as finite dimension array transducers. The influence of inhomogenity on ultrasonic ray propagation and its interaction with defects in inhomogeneous austenitic welds is presented. The applications of 3D ray tracing model for optimizing experimental parameters during the ultrasonic non-destructive testing of transversal cracks in austenitic welds are presented. An ultrasonic C-scan image in homogeneous and multi-layered anisotropic austenitic steel materials is quantitatively evaluated using a novel 3D ray tracing method. The influence of the columnar grain orientation and the layback orientation on an ultrasonic C-scan image is presented. The ray tracing model results are validated first time quantitatively with the results obtained from 2D Elastodynamic Finite Integration Technique (EFIT) on several important configurations such as anisotropic and homogeneous austenitic steel material, layered austenitic steel and inhomogeneous weld materials which are generally occurring in the ultrasonic NDT of anisotropic materials. Quantitatively, a deviation of 8.6% was observed in the point source generated ultrasonic fields whereas in the case of array source ultrasound fields a deviation of 10.2% was observed. The predicted ultrasonic fields for array transducers in an inhomogeneous austenitic weld material with spatially varying columnar grain orientation using ray tracing method are validated against the results of a commercially available NDT simulation tool (CIVA). The result shows that an accuracy of 89.5% was achieved in the presented ray tracing model in this thesis. Experiments have been conducted on 32 mm thick inhomogeneous austenitic weld material, 62 mm thick austenitic clad material and quantitatively measured the ultrasound beam distortion and field profiles using electrodynamical probes. The inhomogenity in the weld

Ultrasonic and advanced methods for nondestructive testing and material characterization

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Chen, C. H

2007-01-01

... and physics among others. There are at least two dozen NDT methods in use. In fact any sensor that can examine the inside of material nondestructively is useful for NDT. However the ultrasonic methods are still most popular because of its capability, flexibility, and relative cost effectiveness. For this reason this book places a heavy emphasis...

Fundamentals of ultrasonic phased arrays

CERN Document Server

Schmerr, Lester W

2014-01-01

This book describes in detail the physical and mathematical foundations of ultrasonic phased array measurements.?The book uses linear systems theory to develop a comprehensive model of the signals and images that can be formed with phased arrays. Engineers working in the field of ultrasonic nondestructive evaluation (NDE) will find in this approach a wealth of information on how to design, optimize and interpret ultrasonic inspections with phased arrays. The fundamentals and models described in the book will also be of significant interest to other fields, including the medical ultrasound and

Ultrasonic horn design for ultrasonic machining technologies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Naď M.

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Many of industrial applications and production technologies are based on the application of ultrasound. In many cases, the phenomenon of ultrasound is also applied in technological processes of the machining of materials. The main element of equipments that use the effects of ultrasound for machining technology is the ultrasonic horn – so called sonotrode. The performance of ultrasonic equipment, respectively ultrasonic machining technologies depends on properly designed of sonotrode shape. The dynamical properties of different geometrical shapes of ultrasonic horns are presented in this paper. Dependence of fundamental modal properties (natural frequencies, mode shapes of various sonotrode shapes for various geometrical parameters is analyzed. Modal analyses of the models are determined by the numerical simulation using finite element method (FEM design procedures. The mutual comparisons of the comparable parameters of the various sonotrode shapes are presented.

Ultrasonic inspection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Satittada, Gannaga

1984-01-01

Ultrasonic inspection is one of the most widely used methods for nondestructive inspection. The beam of high-frequency sound wave, ultrasonic wave, is introduced into the material. It travels through the material with some attendant loss of energy and can be reflected at interfaces. The reflected beam is detected and analyzed. Ultrasonic inspection is used to detect flaws in metal parts as well as in welded, brazed and bonded joints during research work and developing production and service. It is also used to detect and locate porosity, pipe, and flakes. In addition, it can be used for the measurement of metal thickness. Ultrasonic inspection is therefore used for quality control and material inspection in all major industries

Proceedings of the specialists' meeting on reliability of the ultrasonic inspection of austenitic materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1980-07-01

The contributions of this meeting addressed several topics: the fundamentals of ultrasonic examination of austenitic materials (effect of anisotropy on propagation, improvement of ultrasonic testing to thick bimetallic welds, aspects of the ultrasonic testing of austenitic steel structures, utilization of a Fisher linear discriminant function in intergranular stress corrosion cracking or IGSCC detection, case of coarse grain austenitic welds, efforts of the Argonne National Laboratory), instruments and methods (longitudinal wave ultrasonic inspection, Grass echo suppression technique during the ultrasonic inspection of fuel cladding tubes, inspections of fillet and butt welds, improvement by signal averaging techniques, multiple bearing angle crack detector for cladded pipes examinations, flow-to-grain echo enhancement by split-spectrum processing, ultrasonic imaging techniques, ultrasonic inspection of pipe weldments for IGSCC), industrial practice (ultrasonic testing techniques for fabrication and in-service inspection, experiences in ultrasonic examination of austenitic steel components, experience and practice on nuclear piping in Spain, detection of underclad defects, sizing of cracks perpendicular to stainless overlay), and reliability (survey of ultrasonic testing in austenitic weld material, examination of electron beam welds, factors affecting the reliability of ultrasonic examination, detectability of IGSCC, ultrasonic inspection reliability for primary piping systems)

Proceedings of the specialists' meeting on reliability of the ultrasonic inspection of austenitic materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1980-01-01

The contributions of this meeting addressed several topics: the fundamentals of ultrasonic examination of austenitic materials (effect of anisotropy on propagation, improvement of ultrasonic testing to thick bimetallic welds, aspects of the ultrasonic testing of austenitic steel structures, utilization of a Fisher linear discriminant function in intergranular stress corrosion cracking or IGSCC detection, case of coarse grain austenitic welds, efforts of the Argonne National Laboratory), instruments and methods (longitudinal wave ultrasonic inspection, Grass echo suppression technique during the ultrasonic inspection of fuel cladding tubes, inspections of fillet and butt welds, improvement by signal averaging techniques, multiple bearing angle crack detector for cladded pipes examinations, flow-to-grain echo enhancement by split-spectrum processing, ultrasonic imaging techniques, ultrasonic inspection of pipe weldments for IGSCC), industrial practice (ultrasonic testing techniques for fabrication and in-service inspection, experiences in ultrasonic examination of austenitic steel components, experience and practice on nuclear piping in Spain, detection of underclad defects, sizing of cracks perpendicular to stainless overlay), and reliability (survey of ultrasonic testing in austenitic weld material, examination of electron beam welds, factors affecting the reliability of ultrasonic examination, detectability of IGSCC, ultrasonic inspection reliability for primary piping systems)

Imaging method of minute injured area at achilles tendon from multiple MR Images

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tokui, Takahiro; Imura, Masataka; Kuroda, Yoshihiro; Oshiro, Osamu; Oguchi, Makoto; Fujiwara, Kazuhisa; Tabata, Yoshito; Ishigaki, Rikuta

2011-01-01

Ruptures of Achilles tendon frequently occur while doing sports. Since two-thirds of the people who suffered from the rupture of Achilles tendon feel the pain at Achilles tendon before rupture, to detect the predictor of the rupture is possible. Achilles tendon is soft tissue consisting of unidirectionally-aligned collagen fibers. Therefore, ordinary MRI scanner, ultrasonic instrument or X-ray scanner cannot acquire medical images of Achilles tendon. However, because MR signal intensity changes according to the angle between static magnetic field direction and fiber orientation, MR device can detect strong signal when the angle is 55 deg. In this research, the authors propose the imaging method to detect injured area at Achilles tendon. The method calculates and visualizes the value representing fiber tropism from the matching between MR signal intensity and the model of signal intensity of angle dependence. (author)

High pressure changes of the castor oil viscosity by ultrasonic method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rostocki, A J; Siegoczynski, R M; Kielczynski, P; Szalewski, M

2008-01-01

The pressure change of viscosity of castor oil have been measured by ultrasonic method within the range of pressure up to 0.9 GPa. For the measurement, the authors have applied a new ultrasonic method based on Bleustein-Gulyaev (B-G) waves. For the lower pressures (up to 0.3 GPa) the results have been compared with earlier results obtained by falling body method, whereas for the higher pressure range results were compared with those obtained by the flow type viscometer. The measurements have shown: 1. Exponential rise of viscosity with pressure up to 0.4 GPa according to the Barus formula. 2. Extraordinary increment of viscosity at constant pressure during phase transition. 3. The decomposition of the high pressure phase during the decompression process have shown very large hysteresis of viscosity on pressure. 4. After the decompression process the viscosity lasts higher then a initial value for several hours

Measurement of transitional flow in pipes using ultrasonic flowmeters

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zheng-Gang, Liu; Guang-Sheng, Du; Zhu-Feng, Shao; Qian-Ran, He; Chun-Li, Zhou, E-mail: lzhenggang@sdu.edu.cn [School of Energy and Power Engineering, Qian-Fo-shan campus, Shandong University, Jinan City 250061, Shandong Province (China)

2014-10-01

The accuracy of an ultrasonic flowmeter depends on the ratio k of average profile velocity of pipe and average velocity of an ultrasonic propagation path. But there is no appropriate method of calculating k for transition flow. In this paper, the velocity field of the transition flow in a pipe is measured by particle image velocimetry. On this basis, the k of U-shaped and V-shaped ultrasonic flowmeter is obtained when Reynolds number is between 2000 and 20 000. It is shown that the k is constant when the Reynolds number is in the range of 2000–2400 and 5400–20 000, and the k decreases with the increasing of Re when the Reynolds number is 2400–5400. The results of study can be used to improve the measurement accuracy of ultrasonic flowmeters when flow is transition flow and can provide help for the study of pipe flow. (paper)

Log response of ultrasonic imaging and its significance for deep mineral prospecting of scientific drilling borehole-2 in Nanling district, China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xiao, Kun; Zou, Changchun; Xiang, Biao; Yue, Xuyuan; Zhou, Xinpeng; Li, Jianguo; Zhao, Bin

2014-01-01

The hole NLSD-2, one of the deepest scientific drilling projects in the metallic ore districts of China, is the second scientific drilling deep hole in the Nanling district. Its ultimate depth is 2012.12 m. This hole was created through the implementation of continuous coring, and the measuring of a variety of geophysical well logging methods was performed over the course of the drilling process. This paper analyzes the characteristic responses of the fracture and fractured zone by ultrasonic imaging log data, and characterizes various rules of fracture parameters which change according to drilling depth. It then discusses the denotative meaning of the log results of polymetallic mineralization layers. The formation fractures develop most readily in a depth of 100∼200 m, 600∼850 m and 1450∼1550 m of the hole NLSD-2, and high angle fractures develop most prominently. The strike direction of the fractures is mainly NW-SE, reflecting the orientation of maximum horizontal principal stress. For the polymetallic mineralization layer that occurred in the fractured zone, the characteristic response of ultrasonic imaging log is a wide dark zone, and the characteristic responses of conventional logs displayed high polarizability, high density, high acoustic velocity and low resistivity. All the main polymetallic mineralization layers are developed in fractures or fractured zones, and the fractures and fractured zones can be identified by an ultrasonic imaging log, thus the log results indirectly indicate the occurrence of polymetallic mineralization layers. Additionally, the relationship between the dip direction of fractures and the well deviation provides guidance for straightening of the drilling hole. (paper)

Merging of gamma radiographic and ultrasonic inspection data: bibliographical survey

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gautier, S.

1995-01-01

This paper presents a number of experimental data processing notions with the aim of developing an NDT method based on merging ultrasonic and gamma radiographic data. We first review the industrial context concerned and, before moving on to specific data merging problems, we discuss the difficulties of reconstruction using only one type of data (radiographic or ultrasonic). The main part of the report begins with a brief reminder of gamma radiation and ultrasonic wave propagation principles. Certain imaging and reconstruction methods conventionally used for each type of measurement are also presented. Reconstruction problems are then directly approached in algebraic form. For the type of problem studied, the inspection data alone cannot lead to satisfactory reconstructions and we evidence the need to regulate the problem by introducing deductive information on the object to be reconstructed. The Bayes' approach provides a self-consistent means of integrating both the data information and the deductive information. It is based on probabilistic models of the variables involved, notably those of the object sought. We discuss at some length certain models of images used in gamma radiography (independent variable fields, variables having a Markov-type structure) and the Bernoulli-Gauss-type models used for ultrasonic trace deconvolution. Finally, we outline data merging paths. A formal Bayes' framework is used to present two merging approaches, after which we briefly describe our projects for the processing of already available experimental data. (author)

Stress measurement and bolt tensioning by ultrasonic methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, J.F.; Greiner, J.D.

1980-01-01

In the past decade, a new technique has been developed for measuring tensile stresses in solids. This ultrasonic technique has been used thus far primarily for measuring fastener tension. The precision of measurement is routinely to 2-3% and, with special care, to approx. 1%. The method is insensitive to the frictional losses which plague tensioning by torque wrench. Though the approach is relatively new, it promises a wide range of applicability

Stress Measurement and Bolt Tensioning by Ultrasonic Methods

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, J. F.; Greiner, John D.

1980-07-01

In the past decade, a new technique has been developed for measuring tensile stresses in solids. This ultrasonic technique has been used thus far primarily for measuring fastener tension. The precision of measurement is routinely to 2-3% and, with special care, to ˜1%. The method is insensitive to the frictional losses which plague tensioning by torque wrench. Though the approach is relatively new, it promises a wide range of applicability.

Augmented reality application for training in pipe defects ultrasonic investigation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amza Cătălin Gheorghe

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The paper presents the development process of an Augmented Reality (AR application used for training operators in using ultrasonic equipment for non-destructive testing (NDT of pipework. The application provides workers useful information regarding the process steps, the main components of ultrasonic equipment and the proper modality of placing, aligning and moving it on pipe and weld. Using tablet or mobile phone device, an operator can see on screen written details and images on standardized working method, thus offering assistance during the training process. Allowing 3D augmented visualization of ultrasonic equipment overlaid on the real-world environment consisting in pipes and welds, the AR application makes the NDT process easier to understand and learn, as the initial evaluation results showed.

Contribution of the ultrasonic simulation to the testing methods qualification process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Le Ber, L.; Calmon, P.; Abittan, E.

2001-01-01

The CEA and EDF have started a study concerning the simulation interest in the qualification of nuclear components control by ultrasonic methods. In this framework, the simulation tools of the CEA, as CIVA, have been tested on real control. The method and the results obtained on some examples are presented. (A.L.B.)

P-Scan provides accuracy and repeatability in ultrasonics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Keys, R.L.

1987-01-01

The P-Scan (Projection image scanning technique) is an automated ultrasonic inspection technique, developed to overcome the problems with accuracy and repeatability experienced with manual ultrasonic systems. The equipment and its applications are described. (author)

Ultrasonic defect sizing using decibel drop methods. III

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mills, C.; Goszczynski, J.; Mitchell, A.B.

1988-03-01

An earlier study on the use of ultrasonic decibel drop sizing methods for determining the length and vertical extent of flaws in welded steel sections was based on the scanning of machined flaws and fabrication flaws. The present study utilized the techniques developed to perform a similar study of the type of flaws expected to develop during service (e.g. fatigue cracks). The general findings are that: a) the use of decibel drops of less than 14 dB generally undersize the length of fatigue cracks; and b) the use of decibel drop methods to determine vertical extent is questionable

Improvement of range spatial resolution of medical ultrasound imaging by element-domain signal processing

Science.gov (United States)

Hasegawa, Hideyuki

2017-07-01

The range spatial resolution is an important factor determining the image quality in ultrasonic imaging. The range spatial resolution in ultrasonic imaging depends on the ultrasonic pulse length, which is determined by the mechanical response of the piezoelectric element in an ultrasonic probe. To improve the range spatial resolution without replacing the transducer element, in the present study, methods based on maximum likelihood (ML) estimation and multiple signal classification (MUSIC) were proposed. The proposed methods were applied to echo signals received by individual transducer elements in an ultrasonic probe. The basic experimental results showed that the axial half maximum of the echo from a string phantom was improved from 0.21 mm (conventional method) to 0.086 mm (ML) and 0.094 mm (MUSIC).

A parallelizable real-time motion tracking algorithm with applications to ultrasonic strain imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiang, J; Hall, T J

2007-01-01

Ultrasound-based mechanical strain imaging systems utilize signals from conventional diagnostic ultrasound systems to image tissue elasticity contrast that provides new diagnostically valuable information. Previous works (Hall et al 2003 Ultrasound Med. Biol. 29 427, Zhu and Hall 2002 Ultrason. Imaging 24 161) demonstrated that uniaxial deformation with minimal elevation motion is preferred for breast strain imaging and real-time strain image feedback to operators is important to accomplish this goal. The work reported here enhances the real-time speckle tracking algorithm with two significant modifications. One fundamental change is that the proposed algorithm is a column-based algorithm (a column is defined by a line of data parallel to the ultrasound beam direction, i.e. an A-line), as opposed to a row-based algorithm (a row is defined by a line of data perpendicular to the ultrasound beam direction). Then, displacement estimates from its adjacent columns provide good guidance for motion tracking in a significantly reduced search region to reduce computational cost. Consequently, the process of displacement estimation can be naturally split into at least two separated tasks, computed in parallel, propagating outward from the center of the region of interest (ROI). The proposed algorithm has been implemented and optimized in a Windows (registered) system as a stand-alone ANSI C++ program. Results of preliminary tests, using numerical and tissue-mimicking phantoms, and in vivo tissue data, suggest that high contrast strain images can be consistently obtained with frame rates (10 frames s -1 ) that exceed our previous methods

A Study of Polishing Feature of Ultrasonic-Assisted Vibration Method in Bamboo Charcoal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hsin-Min Lee

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Focusing on the feature of porosity in bamboo charcoal, this study applies the ultrasonic-assisted vibration method to perform surface polishing of the silicon wafer workpiece. The self-developed bamboo charcoal polishing spindle and ultrasonic- assisted vibration mechanism are attached to a single lapping machine. In the machining process, ultrasonic vibration enables the diamond slurry to smoothly pass through the microscopic holes of bamboo charcoal; the end of the bamboo charcoalis able to continue machining on the surface of the workpiece through the grasping force which exists in the microscopic holes. Under the polishing and machining parameters of ultrasonic-assisted vibration, with a diamond slurry concentration of 0.3%, the experimental results show a polishing time of 20 min, a loading of 25 N on the workpiece surface, a spindle speed of 1200 rpm, a vibration frequency of 30 kHz and the original surface roughness value of Ra 0.252 μm equals that of a mirror-like surface at Ra 0.017 μm. These research results prove that by using bamboo charcoal and ultrasonic-assisted vibration for polishing, a very good improvement can be achieved on the workpiece surface.

Ultrasonic testing using time of flight diffraction technique (TOFD)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khurram Shahzad; Ahmad Mirza Safeer Ahmad; Muhammad Asif Khan

2009-04-01

This paper describes the ultrasonic testing using Time Flight Diffraction (TOFD) Technique for welded samples having different types and sizes of defects. TOFD is a computerized ultrasonic system, able to scan, store and evaluate indications in terms of location, through thickness and length in a more easy and convenient. Time of Flight Diffraction Technique (TOFD) is more fast and easy technique for ultrasonic testing as we can examine a weld i a single scan along the length of the weld with two probes known as D-scan. It shows the image of the complete weld with the defect information. The examinations were performed on carbon steel samples used for ultrasonic testing using 70 degree probes. The images for different type of defects were obtained. (author)

Introduction to 2D and 3D tomographic methods based on straight line propagation: X-ray, emission and ultrasonic tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peyrin, F.; Magnin, I.; Garnero, L.

1996-01-01

This paper presents the basic principles of computerized tomography (CT), and its evolution towards three dimensional (3D) imaging. Since the modeling of CT reconstruction relies on the Radon transform, its definition and major properties are first recalled. After a brief summary on conventional 2D methods, we present the imaging principles for two modalities appropriated to this modeling: X-Ray and emission tomography. We describe the evolution of the instrumentation for these two techniques, and emphasize the approximations introduced by a modeling using the Radon transform taking into account the physics of the problem. We also describe the principles of ultrasonic tomography systems, and their major differences with the two previous techniques. At last, we formulate the general problematic of 3D image reconstruction from 2D projections. We consider four classes of reconstruction methods corresponding to the classification to the classification chosen for the synthetic presentation of methods, accompanying this paper. (authors)

Development and Implementation of an Ultrasonic Method to Characterize Acoustic and Mechanical Fingernail Properties

Science.gov (United States)

Vacarescu, Rares Anthony

The human fingernail is a vital organ used by humans on a daily basis and can provide an immense supply of information based on the biological feedback of the body. By studying the quantitative mechanical and acoustic properties of fingernails, a better understanding of the scarcely-investigated field of ungual research can be explored. Investigating fingernail properties with the use of pulse-echo ultrasound is the aim of this thesis. This thesis involves the application of a developed portable ultrasonic device in a hospital-based data collection and the advancement of ultrasonic methodology to include the calculation of acoustic impedance, density and elasticity. The results of the thesis show that the reflectance method can be utilized to determine fingernail properties with a maximum 17% deviation from literature. Repeatability of measurements fell within a 95% confidence interval. Thus, the ultrasonic reflectance method was validated and may have potential clinical and cosmetic applications.

Study on Electric field assisted low frequency (20 kHz) ultrasonic spray

Science.gov (United States)

Chae, Ilkyeong; Seong, Baekhoon; Marten, Darmawan; Byun, Doyoung

2015-11-01

Ultrasonic spray is one of the fabulous techniques to discharge small size of droplets because it utilizes ultrasonic vibration on nozzle. However, spray patterns and size of ejected droplet is hardly controlled in conventional ultrasonic spray method. Therefore, here we present electric field assisted ultrasonic spray, which combined conventional technique with electric field in order to control spray pattern and droplet size precisely. Six kinds of various liquid (D.I water, Ethanol, Acetone, Iso-propanol, Toluene, Hexane) with various dielectric constants were used to investigate the mechanism of this method. Also, PIV (Particle Image Velocimetry) was used and various variables were obtained including spray angle, amplitude of liquid vibration, current, and size distribution of ejected droplets. Our electric field assisted ultrasonic spray show that the standard deviation of atomized droplet was decreased up to 39.6%, and it shows the infinite possibility to be utilized in various applications which require precise control of high transfer efficiency. This work was supported by the Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (2014-023284).

Application of ultrasonic extraction method in the preparation of the directive action beverage from black currant

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. S. Rodionova

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The article presents the results of experimental determination of physical-and chemical parameters, the amount of anthocyanins, the definition of color and organoleptic characteristics of the beverage prepared with ultrasonic extraction method in comparison with the fruit-drink, obtained according to traditional recipe. Black currant was chosen the main raw material for the development of the beverage production technology. It is characterized by a high content of bioactive components that increase the adaptive abilities of human body. The purpose is to use ultrasonic extraction method in the preparation of functionally directed actions beverages. Extractor with submerged ultrasonic emitter was used as an experimental device. The essence of its operation is as follows: a mixture of the extractant and the plant substrate in different ratios was loaded into a container with the emitter, then the ultrasonic generator was turned on. The vibrations of ultrasonic frequency (22 kHz made high-frequency mechanical vibrations that caused the formation of intense cavitation areas and diffuse dissolution of cell substrates in the extractant in the treated mixture. The ultrasonic extraction technique involves brief contact of berries and extractant (up to 15 minutes upon application of ultrasonic vibrations. With an increase in exposure time, the yield of biologically active substances increases to reach an equilibrium state corresponding to the most complete exhaustion of raw materials. All this leads to a significant acceleration of the transition from the active ingredients from the raw materials into the extractant to obtain a product with improved physical - and chemical, organoleptic characteristics, as well as a higher antioxidant activity.

Schlieren imaging of the standing wave field in an ultrasonic acoustic levitator

Science.gov (United States)

Rendon, Pablo Luis; Boullosa, Ricardo R.; Echeverria, Carlos; Porta, David

2015-11-01

We consider a model of a single axis acoustic levitator consisting of two cylinders immersed in air and directed along the same axis. The first cylinder has a flat termination and functions as a sound emitter, and the second cylinder, which is simply a refector, has the side facing the first cylinder cut out by a spherical surface. By making the first cylinder vibrate at ultrasonic frequencies a standing wave is produced in the air between the cylinders which makes it possible, by means of the acoustic radiation pressure, to levitate one or several small objects of different shapes, such as spheres or disks. We use schlieren imaging to observe the acoustic field resulting from the levitation of one or several objects, and compare these results to previous numerical approximations of the field obtained using a finite element method. The authors acknowledge financial support from DGAPA-UNAM through project PAPIIT IN109214.

Ultrastructural investigation of root canal dentine surface after application of active ultrasonic method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mitić Aleksandar

2008-01-01

Full Text Available INTRODUCTION The basic work principle of all ultrasonic techniques is the piezoelectric effect of producing high frequency ultrasounds of small length, which are transmitted over the endodontic extensions or canal instruments into the root canal. When in contact with the tissue, ultrasonic vibrations are converted into mechanical oscillations. Ultrasonic waves and the obtained oscillations along with the synergic effect of irrigation bring about the elimination of smear layer from the root canal walls. OBJECTIVE The aim of the study was to ultrastucturally examine the effect of smear layer removal from the walls of canals by the application of the active ultrasonic method without irrigation, that is by the application of ultrasound and irrigation using distilled water and 2.5% NaOCl. METHOD The investigation comprised 35 single-canal, extracted human teeth. After removal of the root canal content, experimental samples were divided into three groups. According to the procedure required, the first group was treated by ultrasound without irrigation; the second one by ultrasound with irrigation using distilled water; and the third group was treated by ultrasound and irrigation using 2.5% NaOCl solution. The control samples were treated by machine rotating instruments (Pro-File and were rinsed by distilled water. RESULTS The obtained results showed that the ultrasonic treatment of the root canal without irrigation did not remove the smear layer. The dentine canals are masked, and big dentine particles are scattered on the intertubular dentine. The ultrasonic treatment by using irrigation with distilled water provides cleaner dentine walls and open dentine tubules but with smaller particles on the intertubular dentine. The ultrasound treatment by using irrigation with 2.5% NaOCl solution provides a clean intertubular dentine surface without a smear layer and clearly open dentine tubules. CONCLUSION Instrumentation of the root canal by application of

The parallel-sequential field subtraction technique for coherent nonlinear ultrasonic imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Jingwei; Potter, Jack N.; Drinkwater, Bruce W.

2018-06-01

Nonlinear imaging techniques have recently emerged which have the potential to detect cracks at a much earlier stage than was previously possible and have sensitivity to partially closed defects. This study explores a coherent imaging technique based on the subtraction of two modes of focusing: parallel, in which the elements are fired together with a delay law and sequential, in which elements are fired independently. In the parallel focusing a high intensity ultrasonic beam is formed in the specimen at the focal point. However, in sequential focusing only low intensity signals from individual elements enter the sample and the full matrix of transmit-receive signals is recorded and post-processed to form an image. Under linear elastic assumptions, both parallel and sequential images are expected to be identical. Here we measure the difference between these images and use this to characterise the nonlinearity of small closed fatigue cracks. In particular we monitor the change in relative phase and amplitude at the fundamental frequencies for each focal point and use this nonlinear coherent imaging metric to form images of the spatial distribution of nonlinearity. The results suggest the subtracted image can suppress linear features (e.g. back wall or large scatters) effectively when instrumentation noise compensation in applied, thereby allowing damage to be detected at an early stage (c. 15% of fatigue life) and reliably quantified in later fatigue life.

A Gaussian beam method for ultrasonic non-destructive evaluation modeling

Science.gov (United States)

Jacquet, O.; Leymarie, N.; Cassereau, D.

2018-05-01

The propagation of high-frequency ultrasonic body waves can be efficiently estimated with a semi-analytic Dynamic Ray Tracing approach using paraxial approximation. Although this asymptotic field estimation avoids the computational cost of numerical methods, it may encounter several limitations in reproducing identified highly interferential features. Nevertheless, some can be managed by allowing paraxial quantities to be complex-valued. This gives rise to localized solutions, known as paraxial Gaussian beams. Whereas their propagation and transmission/reflection laws are well-defined, the fact remains that the adopted complexification introduces additional initial conditions. While their choice is usually performed according to strategies specifically tailored to limited applications, a Gabor frame method has been implemented to indiscriminately initialize a reasonable number of paraxial Gaussian beams. Since this method can be applied for an usefully wide range of ultrasonic transducers, the typical case of the time-harmonic piston radiator is investigated. Compared to the commonly used Multi-Gaussian Beam model [1], a better agreement is obtained throughout the radiated field between the results of numerical integration (or analytical on-axis solution) and the resulting Gaussian beam superposition. Sparsity of the proposed solution is also discussed.

A feasiblity study of an ultrasonic test phantom arm

Science.gov (United States)

Schneider, Philip

This thesis is a feasibility study for the creation of a test phantom that replicates the physiological features, from an acoustic and mechanical standpoint, of that of a human arm. Physiological feature set includes; Heart, Arteries, Veins, Bone, Muscle, Fat, Skin, and Dermotographic Features (finger prints). Mechanical Aspects include, vascular compression and distention, elasticity of tissue layers, mechanics of human heart. The end goal of which to have a working understanding of each component in order to create a controllable, real time, physiologically accurate, test phantom for a wide range of ultrasonic based applications. These applications can range from devices like wearable technologies to medical training, to biometric "Liveness" detection methods. The proposed phantom would allow for a number of natural bodily functions to be measured including but not limited to vascular mapping, blood pressure, heart rate, subdermal imaging, and general ultrasonic imaging.

Considerations for ultrasonic testing application for on-orbit NDE

Science.gov (United States)

Koshti, Ajay M.

2015-04-01

The paper addresses some on-orbit nondestructive evaluation (NDE) needs of NASA for International Space Station (ISS). The presentation gives NDE requirements for inspecting suspect damage due to micro-meteoroids and orbital debris (MMOD) impact on the pressure wall of the ISS. This inspection is meant to be conducted from inside of the ISS module. The metallic wall of the module has a fixed wall thickness but also has integral orthogrid ribs for reinforcement. Typically, a single MMOD hit causes localized damage in a small area causing loss of material similar to pitting corrosion, but cracks may be present too. The impact may cause bulging of the wall. Results of the ultrasonic and eddy current demonstration scans on test samples are provided. The ultrasonic technique uses shear wave scans to interrogate the localized damage area from the surrounding undamaged area. The scanning protocol results in multiple scans, each with multiple "vee" paths. A superimposition and mosaic of the three-dimensional ultrasonic data from individual scans is desired to create C-scan images of the damage. This is a new data reduction process which is not currently implemented in state-of-art ultrasonic instruments. Results of ultrasonic scans on the simulated MMOD damage test plates are provided. The individual C-scans are superimposed manually creating mosaic of the inspection. The resulting image is compared with visibly detected damage boundaries, X-ray images, and localized ultrasonic and eddy current scans for locating crack tips to assess effectiveness of the ultrasonic scanning. The paper also discusses developments needed in improving ergonomics of the ultrasonic testing for on-orbit applications.

An ultrasonic noncontact method to monitor the doneness of bakery products

Science.gov (United States)

Chimenti, D. E.; Faeth, L.

2000-05-01

The paper describes a method using ultrasonics and fluid dynamics to assess the state of "doneness" of bakery products, such as bread loaves, online and in situ. The problem in the baking industry is that bread doneness determined by time and temperature can be inaccurate, leaving some product underbaked. We describe a noncontact method using air-pulse excitation and air-coupled ultrasonic motion sensing to infer the state of doneness of the baking loaf while still in the oven and on a moving belt. The ultrasonic sensor operates at 100 kHz using a toneburst excitation and pitch-catch transducer geometry. The problem is one of detecting small (50 micron) movements in the loaf, whose position may vary up to several mm. Further, the loaf movements caused by the air-pulse excitation are rapid (20 to 50 msec). We present a signal-processing system, incorporating a boxcar integrator, that functions as a pulsed, time-domain acoustic interferometer. This instrument is capable of both the high time and spatial resolution essential for the successful operation of the instrument. We estimate a spatial resolution of 30 micron and a temporal resolution of 5 msec, using 100 kHz acoustic waves. The results of numerous in-oven measurements on one-pound bread loaves during the bake cycle will be presented to illustrate the performance of the instrument.

Study of different ultrasonic focusing methods applied to non destructive testing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El Amrani, M.

1995-01-01

The work presented in this thesis concerns the study of different ultrasonic focusing techniques applied to Nondestructive Testing (mechanical focusing and electronic focusing) and compares their capabilities. We have developed a model to predict the ultrasonic field radiated into a solid by water-coupled transducers. The model is based upon the Rayleigh integral formulation, modified to take account the refraction at the liquid-solid interface. The model has been validated by numerous experiments in various configurations. Running this model and the associated software, we have developed new methods to optimize focused transducers and studied the characteristics of the beam generated by transducers using various focusing techniques. (author). 120 refs., 95 figs., 4 appends

Compressed Sensing Techniques Applied to Ultrasonic Imaging of Cargo Containers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuri Álvarez López

2017-01-01

Full Text Available One of the key issues in the fight against the smuggling of goods has been the development of scanners for cargo inspection. X-ray-based radiographic system scanners are the most developed sensing modality. However, they are costly and use bulky sources that emit hazardous, ionizing radiation. Aiming to improve the probability of threat detection, an ultrasonic-based technique, capable of detecting the footprint of metallic containers or compartments concealed within the metallic structure of the inspected cargo, has been proposed. The system consists of an array of acoustic transceivers that is attached to the metallic structure-under-inspection, creating a guided acoustic Lamb wave. Reflections due to discontinuities are detected in the images, provided by an imaging algorithm. Taking into consideration that the majority of those images are sparse, this contribution analyzes the application of Compressed Sensing (CS techniques in order to reduce the amount of measurements needed, thus achieving faster scanning, without compromising the detection capabilities of the system. A parametric study of the image quality, as a function of the samples needed in spatial and frequency domains, is presented, as well as the dependence on the sampling pattern. For this purpose, realistic cargo inspection scenarios have been simulated.

Using field programmable gate array hardware for the performance improvement of ultrasonic wave propagation imaging system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shan, Jaffry Syed [Hamdard University, Karachi (Pakistan); Abbas, Syed Haider; Lee, Jung Ryul [Dept. of Aerospace Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Kang, Dong Hoon [Advanced Materials Research Team, Korea Railroad Research Institute, Uiwang (Korea, Republic of)

2015-12-15

Recently, wave propagation imaging based on laser scanning-generated elastic waves has been intensively used for nondestructive inspection. However, the proficiency of the conventional software based system reduces when the scan area is large since the processing time increases significantly due to unavoidable processor multitasking, where computing resources are shared with multiple processes. Hence, the field programmable gate array (FPGA) was introduced for a wave propagation imaging method in order to obtain extreme processing time reduction. An FPGA board was used for the design, implementing post-processing ultrasonic wave propagation imaging (UWPI). The results were compared with the conventional system and considerable improvement was observed, with at least 78% (scanning of 100x100mm{sup 2} with 0.5 mm interval) to 87.5% (scanning of 200x200mm{sup 2} with 0.5 mm interval) less processing time, strengthening the claim for the research. This new concept to implement FPGA technology into the UPI system will act as a break-through technology for full-scale automatic inspection.

Using field programmable gate array hardware for the performance improvement of ultrasonic wave propagation imaging system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shan, Jaffry Syed; Abbas, Syed Haider; Lee, Jung Ryul; Kang, Dong Hoon

2015-01-01

Recently, wave propagation imaging based on laser scanning-generated elastic waves has been intensively used for nondestructive inspection. However, the proficiency of the conventional software based system reduces when the scan area is large since the processing time increases significantly due to unavoidable processor multitasking, where computing resources are shared with multiple processes. Hence, the field programmable gate array (FPGA) was introduced for a wave propagation imaging method in order to obtain extreme processing time reduction. An FPGA board was used for the design, implementing post-processing ultrasonic wave propagation imaging (UWPI). The results were compared with the conventional system and considerable improvement was observed, with at least 78% (scanning of 100x100mm 2 with 0.5 mm interval) to 87.5% (scanning of 200x200mm 2 with 0.5 mm interval) less processing time, strengthening the claim for the research. This new concept to implement FPGA technology into the UPI system will act as a break-through technology for full-scale automatic inspection

Echodentography based on nonlinear time reversal tomography: Ultrasonic nonlinear signature identification

Science.gov (United States)

Santos, Serge Dos; Farova, Zuzana; Kus, Vaclav; Prevorovsky, Zdenek

2012-05-01

This paper examines possibilities of using Nonlinear Elastic Wave Spectroscopy (NEWS) methods in dental investigations. Themain task consisted in imaging cracks or other degradation signatures located in dentin close to the Enamel-Dentine Junction (EDJ). NEWS approach was investigated experimentally with a new bi-modal acousto-optic set-up based on the chirp-coded nonlinear ultrasonic time reversal (TR) concepts. Complex internal structure of the tooth is analyzed by the TR-NEWS procedure adapted to tomography-like imaging of the tooth damages. Ultrasonic instrumentation with 10 MHz bandwidth has been set together including laser vibrometer used to detect responses of the tooth on its excitation carried out by a contact piezoelectric transducer. Bi-modal TR-NEWS images of the tooth were created before and after focusing, which resulted from the time compression. The polar B-scan of the tooth realized with TR-NEWS procedure is suggested to be applied as a new echodentography imaging.

Electromagnetic ultrasonic guided waves

CERN Document Server

Huang, Songling; Li, Weibin; Wang, Qing

2016-01-01

This book introduces the fundamental theory of electromagnetic ultrasonic guided waves, together with its applications. It includes the dispersion characteristics and matching theory of guided waves; the mechanism of production and theoretical model of electromagnetic ultrasonic guided waves; the effect mechanism between guided waves and defects; the simulation method for the entire process of electromagnetic ultrasonic guided wave propagation; electromagnetic ultrasonic thickness measurement; pipeline axial guided wave defect detection; and electromagnetic ultrasonic guided wave detection of gas pipeline cracks. This theory and findings on applications draw on the author’s intensive research over the past eight years. The book can be used for nondestructive testing technology and as an engineering reference work. The specific implementation of the electromagnetic ultrasonic guided wave system presented here will also be of value for other nondestructive test developers.

Resonant difference-frequency atomic force ultrasonic microscope

Science.gov (United States)

Cantrell, John H. (Inventor); Cantrell, Sean A. (Inventor)

2010-01-01

A scanning probe microscope and methodology called resonant difference-frequency atomic force ultrasonic microscopy (RDF-AFUM), employs an ultrasonic wave launched from the bottom of a sample while the cantilever of an atomic force microscope, driven at a frequency differing from the ultrasonic frequency by one of the contact resonance frequencies of the cantilever, engages the sample top surface. The nonlinear mixing of the oscillating cantilever and the ultrasonic wave in the region defined by the cantilever tip-sample surface interaction force generates difference-frequency oscillations at the cantilever contact resonance. The resonance-enhanced difference-frequency signals are used to create images of nanoscale near-surface and subsurface features.

Comparison of two methods of surface profile extraction from multiple ultrasonic range measurements

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Barshan, B; Baskent, D

Two novel methods for surface profile extraction based on multiple ultrasonic range measurements are described and compared. One of the methods employs morphological processing techniques, whereas the other employs a spatial voting scheme followed by simple thresholding. Morphological processing

Ultrasonic fingerprint sensor using a piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducer array integrated with complementary metal oxide semiconductor electronics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lu, Y.; Fung, S.; Wang, Q.; Horsley, D. A. [Berkeley Sensor and Actuator Center, University of California, Davis, 1 Shields Avenue, Davis, California 95616 (United States); Tang, H.; Boser, B. E. [Berkeley Sensor and Actuator Center, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States); Tsai, J. M.; Daneman, M. [InvenSense, Inc., 1745 Technology Drive, San Jose, California 95110 (United States)

2015-06-29

This paper presents an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor based on a 24 × 8 array of 22 MHz piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducers (PMUTs) with 100 μm pitch, fully integrated with 180 nm complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) circuitry through eutectic wafer bonding. Each PMUT is directly bonded to a dedicated CMOS receive amplifier, minimizing electrical parasitics and eliminating the need for through-silicon vias. The array frequency response and vibration mode-shape were characterized using laser Doppler vibrometry and verified via finite element method simulation. The array's acoustic output was measured using a hydrophone to be ∼14 kPa with a 28 V input, in reasonable agreement with predication from analytical calculation. Pulse-echo imaging of a 1D steel grating is demonstrated using electronic scanning of a 20 × 8 sub-array, resulting in 300 mV maximum received amplitude and 5:1 contrast ratio. Because the small size of this array limits the maximum image size, mechanical scanning was used to image a 2D polydimethylsiloxane fingerprint phantom (10 mm × 8 mm) at a 1.2 mm distance from the array.

Experiences in using ultrasonic holography with numerical and optical reconstruction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schmitz, V.; Wosnitza, M.

1978-01-01

At present, ultrasonic holography can resolve and image faults of 1 mm and more and with distances of one ultrasonic wavelength. The main field of application is for thick-walled structural components. Depending on the expected orientation, test probe arrangements as in standard ultrasonic testing are chosen. (orig./RW) [de

Design of signal reception and processing system of embedded ultrasonic endoscope

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Ming; Yu, Feng; Zhang, Ruiqiang; Li, Yan; Chen, Xiaodong; Yu, Daoyin

2009-11-01

Embedded Ultrasonic Endoscope, based on embedded microprocessor and embedded real-time operating system, sends a micro ultrasonic probe into coelom through the biopsy channel of the Electronic Endoscope to get the fault histology features of digestive organs by rotary scanning, and acquires the pictures of the alimentary canal mucosal surface. At the same time, ultrasonic signals are processed by signal reception and processing system, forming images of the full histology of the digestive organs. Signal Reception and Processing System is an important component of Embedded Ultrasonic Endoscope. However, the traditional design, using multi-level amplifiers and special digital processing circuits to implement signal reception and processing, is no longer satisfying the standards of high-performance, miniaturization and low power requirements that embedded system requires, and as a result of the high noise that multi-level amplifier brought, the extraction of small signal becomes hard. Therefore, this paper presents a method of signal reception and processing based on double variable gain amplifier and FPGA, increasing the flexibility and dynamic range of the Signal Reception and Processing System, improving system noise level, and reducing power consumption. Finally, we set up the embedded experiment system, using a transducer with the center frequency of 8MHz to scan membrane samples, and display the image of ultrasonic echo reflected by each layer of membrane, with a frame rate of 5Hz, verifying the correctness of the system.

Newly developed non-destructive testing method for evaluation of irradiation brittleness of structural materials using ultrasonic

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ishii, Toshimitsu; Ooka, Norikazu; Kato, Yoshiaki; Saito, Junichi; Hoshiya, Taiji; Shibata, Saburo; Kobayashi, Hideo

1999-01-01

Surveillance testing is important to evaluate neutron irradiation embrittlement of reactor pressure vessel material for long life operation. An alternative test method for evaluating the irradiation embrittlement of the pressure vessel material will have to be proposed to support the limited number of surveillance test specimens in order to manage the plant life to be extended. In this study, ultrasonic testing for irradiated A533B-1 steel and weld metal was applied to examine material degradation nondestructively. With increasing the shift of Charpy 41 J transition temperature, ultrasonic velocity decreased and attenuation coefficient of ultrasonic wave increased. Especially, the difference of ultrasonic velocity for 5 MHz shear wave between as-received and irradiated material is corresponding to the shift of transition temperature showing material degradation. (author)

Non-destructive Inspection of Top-Down Construction Joints of Column in SRC Structure using Ultrasonic Method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Seok Kyun; Baek, Un Chan; Lee, Han Bum; Kim, Myoung Mo

2000-01-01

The joint treatment of concrete is one of the technical problems in top down construction method. Joints created with the top down construction result in serious weakness from the aspects of both structural and water-barrier function. Ultrasonic method was used for the inspection of top down construction joints of a various column in SRC structure in this study. The advantages and limitations of this method for non-destructive inspection in top down construction joints are investigated. As a result, it has been verified that the semi-direct measurement method is more effective than the other methods for detecting the voids of construction joints using ultrasonic method

A novel method for detecting second harmonic ultrasonic components generated from fastened bolts

Science.gov (United States)

Fukuda, Makoto; Imano, Kazuhiko

2012-09-01

This study examines the use of ultrasonic second harmonic components in the quality control of bolt-fastened structures. An improved method for detecting the second harmonic components, from a bolt fastened with a nut, using the transmission method is constructed. A hexagon head iron bolt (12-mm diameter and 25-mm long) was used in the experiments. The bolt was fastened using a digital torque wrench. The second harmonic component increased by approximately 20 dB before and after the bolt was fastened. The sources of second harmonic components were contact acoustic nonlinearity in the screw thread interfaces of the bolt-nut and were the plastic deformation in the bolt with fastening bolt. This result was improved by approximately 10 dB compared with previous our method. Consequently, usefulness of the novel method for detecting second harmonic ultrasonic components generated from fastened bolt was confirmed.

Chromium containing silica: effect of ultrasonic and purification methods on color products

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martines, M.A.U.; Jafelicci Junior, M.; Davolos, M.R.

1990-01-01

Chromium containing silica has numerous applications, such as: fiber-optics, luminescent materials, catalysts and pigments. In paint and ceramic pigments, chromate and dichromate ions, and silica are largely used. In this paper, it has been investigated the effect of pH, heating methods, and ultrasonic stirring on chromium oxidation states coprecipitated with silica. The material has been obtained from the coprecipitation of an aqueous diluted sodium silicate solution and acid chromium nitrate solution, purified by extractions and dialysis, and dried with microwave oven. Products have been characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, infrared vibrational spectroscopy and nitrogem adsorption isotherm (BET). Coprecipitates are non cristalline and the specific surface area value for sample obtained by conventional heating is smaller than the one for sample obtained by ultrasonic method. It is possible to obtain silica with different colors from blue due to the Cr(III), to yellow due to the Cr (VI), depending on the precipitation, purification and drying methods. (author) [pt

Reconstructing flaw image using dataset of full matrix capture technique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Tae Hun; Kim, Yong Sik; Lee, Jeong Seok [KHNP Central Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2017-02-15

A conventional phased array ultrasonic system offers the ability to steer an ultrasonic beam by applying independent time delays of individual elements in the array and produce an ultrasonic image. In contrast, full matrix capture (FMC) is a data acquisition process that collects a complete matrix of A-scans from every possible independent transmit-receive combination in a phased array transducer and makes it possible to reconstruct various images that cannot be produced by conventional phased array with the post processing as well as images equivalent to a conventional phased array image. In this paper, a basic algorithm based on the LLL mode total focusing method (TFM) that can image crack type flaws is described. And this technique was applied to reconstruct flaw images from the FMC dataset obtained from the experiments and ultrasonic simulation.

Inspection of copper canisters for spent nuclear fuel by means of ultrasound. Algorithms for ultrasonic imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stepinski, Tadeusz

2011-07-01

This report contains research results concerning the use of advanced ultrasound for the inspection of copper canisters for spent nuclear fuel obtained at Signals and Systems, Uppsala Univ. in 2009 and 2010. The first part of the report deals with ultrasonic imaging of damage in planar structures using Lamb waves. We present results of the first successful attempt to apply an adaptive beamformer for Lamb waves. Our algorithm is an extension of the adaptive beamformer based on minimum variance distortion less response (MVDR) approach to dispersive, multimodal Lamb waves. We present simulation and experimental results illustrating the performance of the MVDR applied to imaging artificial damage in an aluminum plate. In the second part of the report we present two extensions of the previously proposed 2D phase shift migration algorithms for enhancing resolution in ultrasonic imaging of solid objects. The first extension enables processing 3D data in order to fully utilize the resolution enhancement potential of the technique. The second extension, consists in generalizing the technique to allow for the processing of data acquired using an array instead of a previously concerned single transducer. Robustness issue related to objects having front surfaces that are slightly tilted relative to the scanning axis is also considered

Inspection of copper canisters for spent nuclear fuel by means of ultrasound. Algorithms for ultrasonic imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stepinski, Tadeusz (ed.); Engholm, Marcus; Olofsson, Tomas (Uppsala Univ., Signals and Systems, Dept. of Technical Sciences (Sweden))

2011-07-15

This report contains research results concerning the use of advanced ultrasound for the inspection of copper canisters for spent nuclear fuel obtained at Signals and Systems, Uppsala Univ. in 2009 and 2010. The first part of the report deals with ultrasonic imaging of damage in planar structures using Lamb waves. We present results of the first successful attempt to apply an adaptive beamformer for Lamb waves. Our algorithm is an extension of the adaptive beamformer based on minimum variance distortion less response (MVDR) approach to dispersive, multimodal Lamb waves. We present simulation and experimental results illustrating the performance of the MVDR applied to imaging artificial damage in an aluminum plate. In the second part of the report we present two extensions of the previously proposed 2D phase shift migration algorithms for enhancing resolution in ultrasonic imaging of solid objects. The first extension enables processing 3D data in order to fully utilize the resolution enhancement potential of the technique. The second extension, consists in generalizing the technique to allow for the processing of data acquired using an array instead of a previously concerned single transducer. Robustness issue related to objects having front surfaces that are slightly tilted relative to the scanning axis is also considered

Ultrasound imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wells, P.N.T.

1983-01-01

Ultrasound is a form of energy which consists of mechanical vibrations the frequencies of which are so high that they are above the range of human hearing. The lower frequency limit of the ultrasonic spectrum may generally be taken to be about 20 kHz. Most biomedical applications of ultrasound employ frequencies in the range 1-15 MHz. At these frequencies, the wavelength is in the range 1.5 - 0.1 mm in soft tissues, and narrow beams of ultrasound can be generated which propagate through such tissues without excessive attenuation. This chapter begins with brief reviews of the physics of diagnostic ultrasound pulse-echo imaging methods and Doppler imaging methods. The remainder of the chapter is a resume of the applications of ultrasonic imaging to physiological measurement

A new ultrasonic method to detect chemical additives in branded milk

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Abstract. A new ultrasonic method – thermoacoustic analysis – is reported for the detection of the added chemical preservatives in branded milk. The nature of variation and shift in the thermal response of the acoustic parameters specific acoustic impedance, adiabatic compressibility and Rao's specific sound velocity for ...

Inspection of copper canisters for spent nuclear fuel by means of ultrasound. Electron beam evaluation, harmonic imaging, materials characterization, and ultrasonic modelling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu Ping; Lingvall, Fredrik; Stepinski, Tadeusz

2000-12-01

This report presents the research in the sixth phase that is concerned with ultrasonic techniques for assessing electron beam (EB) welds in copper canisters. The research has been carried out in three main aspects: (1) comparative inspections of EB welds, (2) EB weld evaluation, and (3) quantitative evaluation of attenuation in copper. Comparative inspections of EB welds in two copper canister blocks have been made by means of ultrasound and radiography. Comparison of the inspected results demonstrate that both techniques complement each other very well. The radiographic technique on the whole gives relatively better spatial resolution but low contrast in radiographs. It can reliably detect voids in EB, but cannot provide information about material structure in the EB weld. Ultrasonic technique provides information about flaw locations and shapes similar to the radiographs. Moreover, it can easily distinguish welded and non-welded zones and be used to study weld's macro- and microstructure. The defects in ultrasonic images often show higher contrast, and some flaw indications may be seen in ultrasonic inspection but not in radiographs. But small flaws are hard to distinguish from grain noise. For EB weld evaluation, first, scattering from EB weld has been investigated using three broadband transducers with different center frequencies. The investigation has shown that more information on scattering and attenuation can be exploited in this case so that the EB welds can be better characterized, and that the best frequency range for characterizing welds is 2 - 5 MHz. Secondly, harmonic imaging (HI) of EB welds have been studied using two different sources of harmonics: (i) transducer harmonics, originating from the high-order resonant modes of transmitters excited by a broadband pulse, and (ii) material harmonics, stemming from the nonlinear distortion of waves propagating in materials. The transducer HI exploits additional information due to transducer harmonics, and

Inspection of copper canisters for spent nuclear fuel by means of ultrasound. Electron beam evaluation, harmonic imaging, materials characterization, and ultrasonic modelling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wu Ping; Lingvall, Fredrik; Stepinski, Tadeusz [Uppsala Univ. (Sweden). Dept. of Materials Science

2000-12-01

This report presents the research in the sixth phase that is concerned with ultrasonic techniques for assessing electron beam (EB) welds in copper canisters. The research has been carried out in three main aspects: (1) comparative inspections of EB welds, (2) EB weld evaluation, and (3) quantitative evaluation of attenuation in copper. Comparative inspections of EB welds in two copper canister blocks have been made by means of ultrasound and radiography. Comparison of the inspected results demonstrate that both techniques complement each other very well. The radiographic technique on the whole gives relatively better spatial resolution but low contrast in radiographs. It can reliably detect voids in EB, but cannot provide information about material structure in the EB weld. Ultrasonic technique provides information about flaw locations and shapes similar to the radiographs. Moreover, it can easily distinguish welded and non-welded zones and be used to study weld's macro- and microstructure. The defects in ultrasonic images often show higher contrast, and some flaw indications may be seen in ultrasonic inspection but not in radiographs. But small flaws are hard to distinguish from grain noise. For EB weld evaluation, first, scattering from EB weld has been investigated using three broadband transducers with different center frequencies. The investigation has shown that more information on scattering and attenuation can be exploited in this case so that the EB welds can be better characterized, and that the best frequency range for characterizing welds is 2 - 5 MHz. Secondly, harmonic imaging (HI) of EB welds have been studied using two different sources of harmonics: (i) transducer harmonics, originating from the high-order resonant modes of transmitters excited by a broadband pulse, and (ii) material harmonics, stemming from the nonlinear distortion of waves propagating in materials. The transducer HI exploits additional information due to transducer harmonics

Enhanced electrochemical performance of nano-sized LiFePO4/C synthesized by an ultrasonic-assisted co-precipitation method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Youyong; Cao Chuanbao

2010-01-01

A simple and effective method, the ultrasonic-assisted co-precipitation method, was employed to synthesize nano-sized LiFePO 4 /C. A glucose solution was used as the carbon source to produce in situ carbon to improve the conductivity of LiFePO 4 . Ultrasonic irradiation was adopted to control the size and homogenize the LiFePO 4 /C particles. The sample was characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). FE-SEM and TEM show that the as-prepared sample has a reduced particle size with a uniform size distribution, which is around 50 nm. A uniform amorphous carbon layer with a thickness of about 4-6 nm on the particle surface was observed, as shown in the HRTEM image. The electrochemical performance was demonstrated by the charge-discharge test and electrochemical impedance spectra measurements. The results indicate that the nano-sized LiFePO 4 /C presents enhanced discharge capacities (159, 147 and 135 mAh g -1 at 0.1, 0.5 and 2 C-rate, respectively) and stable cycling performance. This study offers a simple method to design and synthesis nano-sized cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries.

Feasibility on Ultrasonic Velocity using Contact and Non-Contact Nondestructive Techniques for Carbon/Carbon Composites

Science.gov (United States)

Im, K. H.; Chang, M.; Hsu, D. K.; Song, S. J.; Cho, H.; Park, J. W.; Kweon, Y. S.; Sim, J. K.; Yang, I. Y.

2007-03-01

Advanced materials are to be required to have specific functions associated with extremely environments. One of them is carbon/carbon(C/C) composite material, which has obvious advantages over conventional materials. The C/Cs have become to be utilized as parts of aerospace applications and its low density, high thermal conductivity and excellent mechanical properties at elevated temperatures make it an ideal material for aircraft brake disks. Because of permeation of coupling medium such as water, it is desirable to perform contact-less nondestructive evaluation to assess material properties and part homogeneity. In this work, a C/C composite material was characterized with non-contact and contact ultrasonic methods using a scanner with automatic-data acquisition function. Also through transmission mode was performed because of the main limitation for air-coupled transducers, which is the acoustic impedance mismatch between most materials and air. Especially ultrasonic images and velocities for C/C composite disk brake were compared and found to be consistent to some degree with the non-contact and contact ultrasonic measurement methods. Low frequency through-transmission scans based on both amplitude of the ultrasonic pulse was used for mapping out the material property inhomogeneity. Measured results were compared with those obtained by the dry-coupling ultrasonic UT system and through transmission method in immersion. Finally, feasibility has been found to measure and compare ultrasonic velocities of C/C composites with using the contact/noncontact peak-delay measurement method based on the pulse overlap method.

Mid-IR laser ultrasonic testing for fiber reinforced plastics

Science.gov (United States)

Kusano, Masahiro; Hatano, Hideki; Oguchi, Kanae; Yamawaki, Hisashi; Watanabe, Makoto; Enoki, Manabu

2018-04-01

Ultrasonic testing is the most common method to detect defects in materials and evaluate their sizes and locations. Since piezo-electric transducers are manually handled from point to point, it takes more costs for huge products such as airplanes. Laser ultrasonic testing (LUT) is a breakthrough technique. A pulsed laser generates ultrasonic waves on a material surface due to thermoelastic effect or ablation. The ultrasonic waves can be detected by another laser with an interferometer. Thus, LUT can realize instantaneous inspection without contacting a sample. A pulse laser with around 3.2 μm wavelength (in the mid-IR range) is more suitable to generate ultrasonic waves for fiber reinforced plastics (FRPs) because the light is well absorbed by the polymeric matrix. On the other hand, such a laser is not available in the market. In order to emit the mid-IR laser pulse, we came up with the application of an optical parametric oscillator and developed an efficient wavelength conversion device by pumping a compact Nd:YAG solid-state laser. Our mid-IR LUT system is most suitable for inspection of FRPs. The signal-to-noise ratio of ultrasonic waves generated by the mid-IR laser is higher than that by the Nd:YAG laser. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the performance of the mid-IR LUT system in reflection mode. We investigated the effects of the material properties and the laser properties on the generated ultrasonic waves. In addition, C-scan images by the system were also presented.

Development of coaxial ultrasonic probe for fatty liver diagnostic system using ultrasonic velocity change

Science.gov (United States)

Hori, Makoto; Yokota, Daiki; Aotani, Yuhei; Kumagai, Yuta; Wada, Kenji; Matsunaka, Toshiyuki; Morikawa, Hiroyasu; Horinaka, Hiromichi

2017-07-01

A diagnostic system for fatty liver at an early stage is needed because fatty liver is linked to metabolic syndrome. We have already proposed a fatty liver diagnosis method based on the temperature coefficient of ultrasonic velocity. In this study, we fabricated a coaxial ultrasonic probe by integrating two kinds of transducers for warming and signal detection. The diagnosis system equipped with the coaxial probe was applied to tissue-mimicking phantoms including the fat area. The fat content rates corresponding to the set rates of the phantoms were estimated by the ultrasonic velocity-change method.

High quantum yield ZnO quantum dots synthesizing via an ultrasonication microreactor method.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Weimin; Yang, Huafang; Ding, Wenhao; Zhang, Bing; Zhang, Le; Wang, Lixi; Yu, Mingxun; Zhang, Qitu

2016-11-01

Green emission ZnO quantum dots were synthesized by an ultrasonic microreactor. Ultrasonic radiation brought bubbles through ultrasonic cavitation. These bubbles built microreactor inside the microreactor. The photoluminescence properties of ZnO quantum dots synthesized with different flow rate, ultrasonic power and temperature were discussed. Flow rate, ultrasonic power and temperature would influence the type and quantity of defects in ZnO quantum dots. The sizes of ZnO quantum dots would be controlled by those conditions as well. Flow rate affected the reaction time. With the increasing of flow rate, the sizes of ZnO quantum dots decreased and the quantum yields first increased then decreased. Ultrasonic power changed the ultrasonic cavitation intensity, which affected the reaction energy and the separation of the solution. With the increasing of ultrasonic power, sizes of ZnO quantum dots first decreased then increased, while the quantum yields kept increasing. The effect of ultrasonic temperature on the photoluminescence properties of ZnO quantum dots was influenced by the flow rate. Different flow rate related to opposite changing trend. Moreover, the quantum yields of ZnO QDs synthesized by ultrasonic microreactor could reach 64.7%, which is higher than those synthesized only under ultrasonic radiation or only by microreactor. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

On line ultrasonic integrated backscatter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Landini, L.; Picano, E.; Mazzarisi, A.; Santarelli, F.; Benassi, A.; De Pieri, G.

1988-01-01

A new equipment for on-line evaluation of index based on two-dimensional integrated backscatter from ultrasonic images is described. The new equipment is fully integrated into a B-mode ultrasonic apparatus which provides a simultaneous display of conventional information together with parameters of tissue characterization. The system has been tested with a backscattering model of microbubbles in polysaccharide solution, characterized by a physiological exponential time decay. An exponential fitting to the experimental data was performed which yielded r=0.95

Concrete deterioration: detection by ultrasonic pulse velocity method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sutan, N.M.; Jaafar, M.S.; Hamdan, S.

2003-01-01

Tests were performed to evaluate the feasibility of using Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity Method (UPVM) in detecting defect and determining its depth during the early age concrete. Five reinforced concrete (RC) slabs of grade 30, 40 and 50 specimens at day 3, 7,14 and 28 with a fabricated void at a known location were used. The results obtained were compared to determine the accuracy of the method hence the effectiveness of the method with different strength and as the concrete matures. This method detects defects in specimens during the early age The accuracy varies with concrete strength and as the concrete mature. The test results indicate the method can be used to assess the in-situ properties of concrete or for quality control on site. The method showed better accuracy with stronger concrete detects defects with the accuracy ranging from 55.75-99.62% from day 3-28 (full strength) respectively. (author)

Statistical ultrasonics: the influence of Robert F. Wagner

Science.gov (United States)

Insana, Michael F.

2009-02-01

An important ongoing question for higher education is how to successfully mentor the next generation of scientists and engineers. It has been my privilege to have been mentored by one of the best, Dr Robert F. Wagner and his colleagues at the CDRH/FDA during the mid 1980s. Bob introduced many of us in medical ultrasonics to statistical imaging techniques. These ideas continue to broadly influence studies on adaptive aperture management (beamforming, speckle suppression, compounding), tissue characterization (texture features, Rayleigh/Rician statistics, scatterer size and number density estimators), and fundamental questions about how limitations of the human eye-brain system for extracting information from textured images can motivate image processing. He adapted the classical techniques of signal detection theory to coherent imaging systems that, for the first time in ultrasonics, related common engineering metrics for image quality to task-based clinical performance. This talk summarizes my wonderfully-exciting three years with Bob as I watched him explore topics in statistical image analysis that formed a rational basis for many of the signal processing techniques used in commercial systems today. It is a story of an exciting time in medical ultrasonics, and of how a sparkling personality guided and motivated the development of junior scientists who flocked around him in admiration and amazement.

WE-H-206-01: Photoacoustic Tomography: Multiscale Imaging From Organelles to Patients by Ultrasonically Beating the Optical Diffusion Limit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, L.

2016-01-01

Lihong V. Wang: Photoacoustic tomography (PAT), combining non-ionizing optical and ultrasonic waves via the photoacoustic effect, provides in vivo multiscale functional, metabolic, and molecular imaging. Broad applications include imaging of the breast, brain, skin, esophagus, colon, vascular system, and lymphatic system in humans or animals. Light offers rich contrast but does not penetrate biological tissue in straight paths as x-rays do. Consequently, high-resolution pure optical imaging (e.g., confocal microscopy, two-photon microscopy, and optical coherence tomography) is limited to penetration within the optical diffusion limit (∼1 mm in the skin). Ultrasonic imaging, on the contrary, provides fine spatial resolution but suffers from both poor contrast in early-stage tumors and strong speckle artifacts. In PAT, pulsed laser light penetrates tissue and generates a small but rapid temperature rise, which induces emission of ultrasonic waves due to thermoelastic expansion. The ultrasonic waves, orders of magnitude less scattering than optical waves, are then detected to form high-resolution images of optical absorption at depths up to 7 cm, conquering the optical diffusion limit. PAT is the only modality capable of imaging across the length scales of organelles, cells, tissues, and organs (up to whole-body small animals) with consistent contrast. This rapidly growing technology promises to enable multiscale biological research and accelerate translation from microscopic laboratory discoveries to macroscopic clinical practice. PAT may also hold the key to label-free early detection of cancer by in vivo quantification of hypermetabolism, the quintessential hallmark of malignancy. Learning Objectives: To understand the contrast mechanism of PAT To understand the multiscale applications of PAT Benjamin M. W. Tsui: Multi-modality molecular imaging instrumentation and techniques have been major developments in small animal imaging that has contributed significantly

WE-H-206-01: Photoacoustic Tomography: Multiscale Imaging From Organelles to Patients by Ultrasonically Beating the Optical Diffusion Limit

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, L. [Washington University (United States)

2016-06-15

Lihong V. Wang: Photoacoustic tomography (PAT), combining non-ionizing optical and ultrasonic waves via the photoacoustic effect, provides in vivo multiscale functional, metabolic, and molecular imaging. Broad applications include imaging of the breast, brain, skin, esophagus, colon, vascular system, and lymphatic system in humans or animals. Light offers rich contrast but does not penetrate biological tissue in straight paths as x-rays do. Consequently, high-resolution pure optical imaging (e.g., confocal microscopy, two-photon microscopy, and optical coherence tomography) is limited to penetration within the optical diffusion limit (∼1 mm in the skin). Ultrasonic imaging, on the contrary, provides fine spatial resolution but suffers from both poor contrast in early-stage tumors and strong speckle artifacts. In PAT, pulsed laser light penetrates tissue and generates a small but rapid temperature rise, which induces emission of ultrasonic waves due to thermoelastic expansion. The ultrasonic waves, orders of magnitude less scattering than optical waves, are then detected to form high-resolution images of optical absorption at depths up to 7 cm, conquering the optical diffusion limit. PAT is the only modality capable of imaging across the length scales of organelles, cells, tissues, and organs (up to whole-body small animals) with consistent contrast. This rapidly growing technology promises to enable multiscale biological research and accelerate translation from microscopic laboratory discoveries to macroscopic clinical practice. PAT may also hold the key to label-free early detection of cancer by in vivo quantification of hypermetabolism, the quintessential hallmark of malignancy. Learning Objectives: To understand the contrast mechanism of PAT To understand the multiscale applications of PAT Benjamin M. W. Tsui: Multi-modality molecular imaging instrumentation and techniques have been major developments in small animal imaging that has contributed significantly

Ultrasonic Phased Array Techniques for Detection of Flaws of Stud Bolts in Nuclear Power Plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Joon Hyun; Choi, Sang Woo

2006-01-01

The reactor vessel body and closure head are fastened with the stud bolt that is one of crucial parts for safety of the reactor vessels in nuclear power plants. It is reported that the stud bolt is often experienced by fatigue cracks initiated at threads. Stud bolts are inspected by the ultrasonic technique during the overhaul periodically for the prevention of failure which leads to radioactive leakage from the nuclear reactor. The conventional ultrasonic inspection for stud bolts was mainly conducted by reflected echo method based on shadow effect. However, in this technique, there were numerous spurious signals reflected from every oblique surfaces of the thread. In this study, ultrasonic phased array technique was applied to investigate detectability of flaws in stud bolts and characteristics of ultrasonic images corresponding to different scanning methods, that is, sector and linear scan. For this purpose, simplified stud bolt specimens with artificial defects of various depths were prepared

Method and apparatus for ultrasonic characterization through the thickness direction of a moving web

Science.gov (United States)

Jackson, Theodore; Hall, Maclin S.

2001-01-01

A method and apparatus for determining the caliper and/or the ultrasonic transit time through the thickness direction of a moving web of material using ultrasonic pulses generated by a rotatable wheel ultrasound apparatus. The apparatus includes a first liquid-filled tire and either a second liquid-filled tire forming a nip or a rotatable cylinder that supports a thin moving web of material such as a moving web of paper and forms a nip with the first liquid-filled tire. The components of ultrasonic transit time through the tires and fluid held within the tires may be resolved and separately employed to determine the separate contributions of the two tire thicknesses and the two fluid paths to the total path length that lies between two ultrasonic transducer surfaces contained within the tires in support of caliper measurements. The present invention provides the benefit of obtaining a transit time and caliper measurement at any point in time as a specimen passes through the nip of rotating tires and eliminates inaccuracies arising from nonuniform tire circumferential thickness by accurately retaining point-to-point specimen transit time and caliper variation information, rather than an average obtained through one or more tire rotations. Morever, ultrasonic transit time through the thickness direction of a moving web may be determined independent of small variations in the wheel axle spacing, tire thickness, and liquid and tire temperatures.

Isometric multimodal photoacoustic microscopy based on optically transparent micro-ring ultrasonic detection.

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Biqin; Li, Hao; Zhang, Zhen; Zhang, Kevin; Chen, Siyu; Sun, Cheng; Zhang, Hao F

2015-01-01

Photoacoustic microscopy (PAM) is an attractive imaging tool complementary to established optical microscopic modalities by providing additional molecular specificities through imaging optical absorption contrast. While the development of optical resolution photoacoustic microscopy (ORPAM) offers high lateral resolution, the acoustically-determined axial resolution is limited due to the constraint in ultrasonic detection bandwidth. ORPAM with isometric spatial resolution along both axial and lateral direction is yet to be developed. Although recently developed sophisticated optical illumination and reconstruction methods offer improved axial resolution in ORPAM, the image acquisition procedures are rather complicated, limiting their capabilities for high-speed imaging and being easily integrated with established optical microscopic modalities. Here we report an isometric ORPAM based on an optically transparent micro-ring resonator ultrasonic detector and a commercial inverted microscope platform. Owing to the superior spatial resolution and the ease of integrating our ORPAM with established microscopic modalities, single cell imaging with extrinsic fluorescence staining, intrinsic autofluorescence, and optical absorption can be achieved simultaneously. This technique holds promise to greatly improve the accessibility of PAM to the broader biomedical researchers.

Segmentation methodology for automated classification and differentiation of soft tissues in multiband images of high-resolution ultrasonic transmission tomography.

Science.gov (United States)

Jeong, Jeong-Won; Shin, Dae C; Do, Synho; Marmarelis, Vasilis Z

2006-08-01

This paper presents a novel segmentation methodology for automated classification and differentiation of soft tissues using multiband data obtained with the newly developed system of high-resolution ultrasonic transmission tomography (HUTT) for imaging biological organs. This methodology extends and combines two existing approaches: the L-level set active contour (AC) segmentation approach and the agglomerative hierarchical kappa-means approach for unsupervised clustering (UC). To prevent the trapping of the current iterative minimization AC algorithm in a local minimum, we introduce a multiresolution approach that applies the level set functions at successively increasing resolutions of the image data. The resulting AC clusters are subsequently rearranged by the UC algorithm that seeks the optimal set of clusters yielding the minimum within-cluster distances in the feature space. The presented results from Monte Carlo simulations and experimental animal-tissue data demonstrate that the proposed methodology outperforms other existing methods without depending on heuristic parameters and provides a reliable means for soft tissue differentiation in HUTT images.

Ultrasonic testing of materials at level 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1988-06-01

Ultrasonic inspection is a nondestructive method in which high frequency sound waves are introduced into the material being inspected. Ultrasonic testing has a superior penetrating power to radiography and can detect flaws deep in the test specimen (say up to about 6 to 7 meters of steel). It is quite sensitive to small flaws and allows the precise determination of the location and size of the flaws. Basic ultrasonic test methods such as the through transmission method and the resonance method, sensors and testing techniques are described. Pulse echo type flaw detectors and their applications for inspection of welds are surveyed. Ultrasonic standards, calibration of the equipment and evaluation methods are presented. Examples of practical applications in welding, casting and forging processes are given. Figs and tabs

Development of nuclear thermal hydraulic verification tests and evaluation technology - Development of the ultrasonic method for two-phase mixture level measurement in nuclear reactor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

No, Hee Cheon; Kim, Sang Jae; Kim, Hyung Tae; Moon, Young Min [Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Taejon (Korea)

2000-04-01

An ultrasonic method is developed for the measurement of the two-phase mixture level in the reactor vessel or steam generator. The ultrasonic method is selected among the several non-nuclear two-phase mixture level measurement methods through two steps of selection procedure. A commercial ultrasonic level measurement method is modified for application into the high temperature, pressure, and other conditions. The calculation method of the ultrasonic velocity is modified to consider the medium as the homogeneous mixture of air and steam, and to be applied into the high temperature and pressure conditions. The cross-correlation technique is adopted as a detection method to reduced the effects of the attenuation and the diffused reflection caused by surface fluctuation. The waveguides are developed to reduce the loss of echo and to remove the effects of obstructs. The present experimental study shows that the developed ultrasonic method measures the two-phase mixture level more accurately than the conventional methods do. 21 refs., 60 figs., 13 tabs. (Author)

Ultrasonic tests. Pt. 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goebbels, K.

1980-01-01

After a basic treatment of ultrasonic wave propagation, of the state-of-the-art methods and the technical background in the preceeding part, advanced ultrasonic NDT techniques are presented here. The discussion of new development includes - manipulation systems, - automation of ultrasonic testing methods, documentation and evaluation. In the middle of this part the main problem areas will be discussed: - detection of defects (e.g. in coarse grained structures and welds), - classification of defects (e.g. discrimination between crack-like and volumetric faults), - sizing of defects. Research in the field of acoustical holography, development of probes and phased arrays, electromagnetic acoustic transducers and signal enhancement are the main contributing parts to the report. (orig./RW)

ARMA processing for NDE ultrasonic imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pao, Y.H.; El-Sherbini, A.

1984-01-01

This chapter describes a new method for acoustic image reconstruction for an active multiple sensor system operating in the reflection mode in the Fresnel region. The method is based on the use of an ARMA model for the reconstruction process. Algorithms for estimating the model parameters are presented and computer simulation results are shown. The AR coefficients are obtained independently of the MA coefficients. It is shown that when the ARMA reconstruction method is augmented with the multifrequency approach, it can provide a three-dimensional reconstructed image with high lateral and range resolutions, high signal to noise ratio and reduced sidelobe levels. The proposed ARMA reconstruction method results in high quality images and better performance than that obtainable with conventional methods. The advantages of the method are very high lateral resolution with a limited number of sensors, reduced sidelobes level, and high signal to noise ratio

Ultrasonic NDE and mechanical testing of fiber placement composites

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Zhanjie; Fei, Dong; Hsu, David K.; Dayal, Vinay; Hale, Richard D.

2002-05-01

A fiber placed composite, especially with fiber steering, has considerably more complex internal structure than a laminate laid up from unidirectional prepreg tapes. In this work, we performed ultrasonic imaging of ply interfaces of fiber placed composite laminates, with an eye toward developing a tool for evaluating their quality. Mechanical short-beam shear tests were also conducted on both nonsteered and steered specimens to examine their failure behavior and its relationship to the structural defects indicated by ultrasonic imaging.

Field deployable processing methods for stay-in-place ultrasonic transducers

Science.gov (United States)

Malarich, Nathan; Lissenden, Cliff J.; Tittmann, Bernhard R.

2018-04-01

Condition monitoring provides key data for managing the operation and maintenance of mechanical equipment in the power generation, chemical processing, and manufacturing industries. Ultrasonic transducers provide active monitoring capabilities by wall thickness measurements, elastic property determination, crack detection, and other means. In many cases the components operate in harsh environments that may include high temperature, radiation, and hazardous chemicals. Thus, it is desirable to have permanently affixed ultrasonic transducers for condition monitoring in harsh environments. Spray-on transducers provide direct coupling between the active element and the substrate, and can be applied to curved surfaces. We describe a deposition methodology for ultrasonic transducers that can be applied in the field. First, piezoceramic powders mixed into a sol-gel are air-spray deposited onto the substrate. Powder constituents are selected based on the service environment in which the condition monitoring will be performed. Then the deposited coating is pyrolyzed and partially densified using an induction heating system with a custom work coil designed to match the substrate geometry. The next step, applying the electrodes, is more challenging than might be expected because of the porosity of the piezoelectric coating and the potential reactivity of elements in the adjacent layers. After connecting lead wires to the electrodes the transducer is poled and a protective coating can be applied prior to use. Processing of a PZT-bismuth titanate transducer on a large steel substrate is described along with alternate methods.

Recent Development in Ultrasonic Guided Waves for Aircraft and Composite Materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rose, Joseph L.

2009-01-01

Emphasis in the paper is placed on describing guided wave successes and challenges for applications in aircraft and composite materials inspection. Guided wave imaging methods discussed includes line of sight, tomography, guided wave C-scan, phased array, and ultrasonic vibration methods. Applications outlined encircles lap splice, bonded repair patch, fuselage corrosion, water loaded structures, delamination, and ice detection and de-icing of various structures.

Ultrasonic testing of a sealing construction made of salt concrete in an underground disposal facility for radioactive waste

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Krause, Martin; Effner, Ute Antonie; Milmann, Boris; Voelker, Christoph; Wiggenhauser, Herbert [Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM), Berlin (Germany); Mauke, Ralf [The Federal Office for Radiation Protection, Salzgitter (Germany)

2015-07-01

For the closure of radioactive waste disposal facilities engineered barriers- so called ''drift seals'' are used. The purpose of these barriers is to constrain the possible infiltration of brine and to prevent the migration of radionuclides into the biosphere. In a rock salt mine a large scale in-situ experiment of a sealing construction made of salt concrete was set up to prove the technical feasibility and operability of such barriers. In order to investigate the integrity of this structure, non-destructive ultrasonic measurements were carried out. Therefore two different methods were applied at the front side of the test-barrier: 1 Reflection measurements from boreholes 2 Ultrasonic imaging by means of scanning ultrasonic echo methods This extended abstract is a short version of an article to be published in a special edition of ASCE Journal that will briefly describe the sealing construction, the application of the non-destructive ultrasonic measurement methods and their adaptation to the onsite conditions -as well as parts of the obtained results. From this a concept for the systematic investigation of possible contribution of ultrasonic methods for quality assurance of sealing structures may be deduced.

Production of Biodiesel from Lipid of Phytoplankton Chaetoceros calcitrans through Ultrasonic Method

Science.gov (United States)

Kwangdinata, Raymond; Raya, Indah; Zakir, Muhammad

2014-01-01

A research on production of biodiesel from lipid of phytoplankton Chaetoceros calcitrans through ultrasonic method has been done. In this research, we carried out a series of phytoplankton cultures to determine the optimum time of growth and biodiesel synthesis process from phytoplankton lipids. Process of biodiesel synthesis consists of two steps, that is, isolation of phytoplankton lipids and biodiesel synthesis from those lipids. Oil isolation process was carried out by ultrasonic extraction method using ethanol 96%, while biodiesel synthesis was carried out by transesterification reaction using methanol and KOH catalyst under sonication. Weight of biodiesel yield per biomass Chaetoceros calcitrans is 35.35%. Characterization of biodiesel was well carried out in terms of physical properties which are density and viscosity and chemical properties which are FFA content, saponification value, and iodine value. These values meet the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM D6751) standard levels, except for the viscosity value which was 1.14 g·cm−3. PMID:24688372

Hand Gesture Recognition Using Ultrasonic Waves

KAUST Repository

AlSharif, Mohammed Hussain

2016-04-01

Gesturing is a natural way of communication between people and is used in our everyday conversations. Hand gesture recognition systems are used in many applications in a wide variety of fields, such as mobile phone applications, smart TVs, video gaming, etc. With the advances in human-computer interaction technology, gesture recognition is becoming an active research area. There are two types of devices to detect gestures; contact based devices and contactless devices. Using ultrasonic waves for determining gestures is one of the ways that is employed in contactless devices. Hand gesture recognition utilizing ultrasonic waves will be the focus of this thesis work. This thesis presents a new method for detecting and classifying a predefined set of hand gestures using a single ultrasonic transmitter and a single ultrasonic receiver. This method uses a linear frequency modulated ultrasonic signal. The ultrasonic signal is designed to meet the project requirements such as the update rate, the range of detection, etc. Also, it needs to overcome hardware limitations such as the limited output power, transmitter, and receiver bandwidth, etc. The method can be adapted to other hardware setups. Gestures are identified based on two main features; range estimation of the moving hand and received signal strength (RSS). These two factors are estimated using two simple methods; channel impulse response (CIR) and cross correlation (CC) of the reflected ultrasonic signal from the gesturing hand. A customized simple hardware setup was used to classify a set of hand gestures with high accuracy. The detection and classification were done using methods of low computational cost. This makes the proposed method to have a great potential for the implementation in many devices including laptops and mobile phones. The predefined set of gestures can be used for many control applications.

Ultrasonic thermometry for nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saravana Kumar, S.; Arunraj, A.L.R.; Swaminathan, K.

2013-01-01

Ultrasonic transducer provides a method of measurement of temperature in industrial tanks and boilers containing different liquids with varied salt content. This method is used to measure the average temperature continuously where other traditional methods available do not offer. Traditional methods used for temperature measurement like infrared thermometers, thermocouples, measures temperature at a single location. Numerous thermocouples are to be fixed at various part of the boiler in order to measure the temperature of the entire boiler, which incurs high cost. Reliability of the system decreases, with increasing number of thermocouples. When they fail at a point, the time incurred in finding the faulty part or faulty thermocouple is high. Ultrasonic transducer provides continuous measurement for all different characteristic liquids with higher accuracy and lesser response time. Fault location and clearance time is also less in ultrasonic measurement method, since only a couple of transducers used for the entire boiler structure. Additionally ultrasonic thermometry along support measuring electronic system can be built of low cost. (author)

Method and system having ultrasonic sensor movable by translation device for ultrasonic profiling of weld samples

Science.gov (United States)

Panyard, James; Potter, Timothy; Charron, William; Hopkins, Deborah; Reverdy, Frederic

2010-04-06

A system for ultrasonic profiling of a weld sample includes a carriage movable in opposite first and second directions. An ultrasonic sensor is coupled to the carriage to move over the sample as the carriage moves. An encoder determines the position of the carriage to determine the position of the sensor. A spring is connected at one end of the carriage. Upon the carriage being moved in the first direction toward the spring such that the carriage and the sensor are at a beginning position and the spring is compressed the spring decompresses to push the carriage back along the second direction to move the carriage and the sensor from the beginning position to an ending position. The encoder triggers the sensor to take the ultrasonic measurements of the sample when the sensor is at predetermined positions while the sensor moves over the sample between the beginning and positions.

Image-based overlay measurement using subsurface ultrasonic resonance force microscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Tamer, M. S.; van der Lans, M. J.; Sadeghian, H.

2018-03-01

Image Based Overlay (IBO) measurement is one of the most common techniques used in Integrated Circuit (IC) manufacturing to extract the overlay error values. The overlay error is measured using dedicated overlay targets which are optimized to increase the accuracy and the resolution, but these features are much larger than the IC feature size. IBO measurements are realized on the dedicated targets instead of product features, because the current overlay metrology solutions, mainly based on optics, cannot provide sufficient resolution on product features. However, considering the fact that the overlay error tolerance is approaching 2 nm, the overlay error measurement on product features becomes a need for the industry. For sub-nanometer resolution metrology, Scanning Probe Microscopy (SPM) is widely used, though at the cost of very low throughput. The semiconductor industry is interested in non-destructive imaging of buried structures under one or more layers for the application of overlay and wafer alignment, specifically through optically opaque media. Recently an SPM technique has been developed for imaging subsurface features which can be potentially considered as a solution for overlay metrology. In this paper we present the use of Subsurface Ultrasonic Resonance Force Microscopy (SSURFM) used for IBO measurement. We used SSURFM for imaging the most commonly used overlay targets on a silicon substrate and photoresist. As a proof of concept we have imaged surface and subsurface structures simultaneously. The surface and subsurface features of the overlay targets are fabricated with programmed overlay errors of +/-40 nm, +/-20 nm, and 0 nm. The top layer thickness changes between 30 nm and 80 nm. Using SSURFM the surface and subsurface features were successfully imaged and the overlay errors were extracted, via a rudimentary image processing algorithm. The measurement results are in agreement with the nominal values of the programmed overlay errors.

Speckle Reduction for Ultrasonic Imaging Using Frequency Compounding and Despeckling Filters along with Coded Excitation and Pulse Compression

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joshua S. Ullom

2012-01-01

Full Text Available A method for improving the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR while maintaining the −6 dB axial resolution of ultrasonic B-mode images is proposed. The technique proposed is known as eREC-FC, which enhances a recently developed REC-FC technique. REC-FC is a combination of the coded excitation technique known as resolution enhancement compression (REC and the speckle-reduction technique frequency compounding (FC. In REC-FC, image CNR is improved but at the expense of a reduction in axial resolution. However, by compounding various REC-FC images made from various subband widths, the tradeoff between axial resolution and CNR enhancement can be extended. Further improvements in CNR can be obtained by applying postprocessing despeckling filters to the eREC-FC B-mode images. The despeckling filters evaluated were the following: median, Lee, homogeneous mask area, geometric, and speckle-reducing anisotropic diffusion (SRAD. Simulations and experimental measurements were conducted with a single-element transducer (f/2.66 having a center frequency of 2.25 MHz and a −3 dB bandwidth of 50%. In simulations and experiments, the eREC-FC technique resulted in the same axial resolution that would be typically observed with conventional excitation with a pulse. Moreover, increases in CNR of 348% were obtained in experiments when comparing eREC-FC with a Lee filter to conventional pulsing methods.

Innovative Ultrasonic Techniques for Inspection and Monitoring of Large Concrete Structures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Niederleithinger E.

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Ultrasonic echo and transmission techniques are used in civil engineering on a regular basis. New sensors and data processing techniques have lead to many new applications in the structural investigation as well as quality control. But concrete structures in the nuclear sector have special features and parameters, which pose problems for the methods and instrumentation currently available, e.g. extreme thickness, dense reinforcement, steel liners or special materials. Several innovative ultrasonic techniques have been developed to deal with these issues at least partly in lab experiments and pilot studies. Modern imaging techniques as multi-offset SAFT have been used e. g. to map delaminations. Thick concrete walls have successfully been inspected, partly through a steel liner. Embedded ultrasonic sensors have been designed which will be used in monitoring networks of large concrete structures above and below ground. In addition, sensitive mathematical methods as coda wave interferometry have been successfully evaluated to detect subtle changes in material properties. Examples of measurements and data evaluation are presented.

Ultrasonic stir welding process and apparatus

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, R. Jeffrey (Inventor)

2009-01-01

An ultrasonic stir welding device provides a method and apparatus for elevating the temperature of a work piece utilizing at least one ultrasonic heater. Instead of relying on a rotating shoulder to provide heat to a workpiece an ultrasonic heater is utilized to provide ultrasonic energy to the workpiece. A rotating pin driven by a motor assembly performs the weld on the workpiece. A handheld version can be constructed as well as a fixedly mounted embodiment.

Evaluation of computer-based ultrasonic inservice inspection systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harris, R.V. Jr.; Angel, L.J.; Doctor, S.R.; Park, W.R.; Schuster, G.J.; Taylor, T.T.

1994-03-01

This report presents the principles, practices, terminology, and technology of computer-based ultrasonic testing for inservice inspection (UT/ISI) of nuclear power plants, with extensive use of drawings, diagrams, and LTT images. The presentation is technical but assumes limited specific knowledge of ultrasonics or computers. The report is divided into 9 sections covering conventional LTT, computer-based LTT, and evaluation methodology. Conventional LTT topics include coordinate axes, scanning, instrument operation, RF and video signals, and A-, B-, and C-scans. Computer-based topics include sampling, digitization, signal analysis, image presentation, SAFI, ultrasonic holography, transducer arrays, and data interpretation. An evaluation methodology for computer-based LTT/ISI systems is presented, including questions, detailed procedures, and test block designs. Brief evaluations of several computer-based LTT/ISI systems are given; supplementary volumes will provide detailed evaluations of selected systems

Manufacturing technologies for ultrasonic transducers in a broad frequency range

OpenAIRE

Gebhardt, Sylvia; Hohlfeld, Kai; Günther, Paul; Neubert, Holger

2018-01-01

According to the application field, working frequency of ultrasonic transducers needs to be tailored to a certain value. Low frequency ultrasonic transducers with working frequencies of 1 kHz to 1 MHz are especially interesting for sonar applications, whereas high frequency ultrasonic transducers with working frequencies higher than 15 MHz are favorable for high-resolution imaging in biomedical and non-destructive evaluation. Conventional non-destructive testing devices and clinical ultrasoun...

An ultrasonic system for weed detection in cereal crops.

Science.gov (United States)

Andújar, Dionisio; Weis, Martin; Gerhards, Roland

2012-12-13

Site-specific weed management requires sensing of the actual weed infestation levels in agricultural fields to adapt the management accordingly. However, sophisticated sensor systems are not yet in wider practical use, since they are not easily available for the farmers and their handling as well as the management practice requires additional efforts. A new sensor-based weed detection method is presented in this paper and its applicability to cereal crops is evaluated. An ultrasonic distance sensor for the determination of plant heights was used for weed detection. It was hypothesised that the weed infested zones have a higher amount of biomass than non-infested areas and that this can be determined by plant height measurements. Ultrasonic distance measurements were taken in a winter wheat field infested by grass weeds and broad-leaved weeds. A total of 80 and 40 circular-shaped samples of different weed densities and compositions were assessed at two different dates. The sensor was pointed directly to the ground for height determination. In the following, weeds were counted and then removed from the sample locations. Grass weeds and broad-leaved weeds were separately removed. Differences between weed infested and weed-free measurements were determined. Dry-matter of weeds and crop was assessed and evaluated together with the sensor measurements. RGB images were taken prior and after weed removal to determine the coverage percentages of weeds and crop per sampling point. Image processing steps included EGI (excess green index) computation and thresholding to separate plants and background. The relationship between ultrasonic readings and the corresponding coverage of the crop and weeds were assessed using multiple regression analysis. Results revealed a height difference between infested and non-infested sample locations. Density and biomass of weeds present in the sample influenced the ultrasonic readings. The possibilities of weed group discrimination were

Investigation of synthetic aperture methods in ultrasound surface imaging using elementary surface types.

Science.gov (United States)

Kerr, W; Pierce, S G; Rowe, P

2016-12-01

Synthetic aperture imaging methods have been employed widely in recent research in non-destructive testing (NDT), but uptake has been more limited in medical ultrasound imaging. Typically offering superior focussing power over more traditional phased array methods, these techniques have been employed in NDT applications to locate and characterise small defects within large samples, but have rarely been used to image surfaces. A desire to ultimately employ ultrasonic surface imaging for bone surface geometry measurement prior to surgical intervention motivates this research, and results are presented for initial laboratory trials of a surface reconstruction technique based on global thresholding of ultrasonic 3D point cloud data. In this study, representative geometry artefacts were imaged in the laboratory using two synthetic aperture techniques; the Total Focusing Method (TFM) and the Synthetic Aperture Focusing Technique (SAFT) employing full and narrow synthetic apertures, respectively. Three high precision metallic samples of known geometries (cuboid, sphere and cylinder) which featured a range of elementary surface primitives were imaged using a 5MHz, 128 element 1D phased array employing both SAFT and TFM approaches. The array was manipulated around the samples using a precision robotic positioning system, allowing for repeatable ultrasound derived 3D surface point clouds to be created. A global thresholding technique was then developed that allowed the extraction of the surface profiles, and these were compared with the known geometry samples to provide a quantitative measure of error of 3D surface reconstruction. The mean errors achieved with optimised SAFT imaging for the cuboidal, spherical and cylindrical samples were 1.3mm, 2.9mm and 2.0mm respectively, while those for TFM imaging were 3.7mm, 3.0mm and 3.1mm, respectively. These results were contrary to expectations given the higher information content associated with the TFM images. However, it was

Numerical and Experimental Characterization of a Composite Secondary Bonded Adhesive Lap Joint Using the Ultrasonics method

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, M. R.; Ghosh, A.; Karuppannan, D.

2018-05-01

The construction of aircraft using advanced composites have become very popular during the past two decades, in which many innovative manufacturing processes, such as cocuring, cobonding, and secondary bonding processes, have been adopted. The secondary bonding process has become less popular than the other two ones because of nonavailability of process database and certification issues. In this article, an attempt is made to classify the quality of bonding using nondestructive ultrasonic inspection methods. Specimens were prepared and tested using the nondestructive ultrasonic Through Transmission (TT), Pulse Echo (PE), and air coupled guided wave techniques. It is concluded that the ultrasonic pulse echo technique is the best one for inspecting composite secondary bonded adhesive joints.

A study on the nondestructive evaluation of carbon/carbon disk using ultrasonics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Im, Kwang Hee; Yang, In Young; Jeong, Hyun Jo

1998-01-01

It is useful to perform nondestructive evaluation (NDE) to assess material properties and part homogeneity for carbon/carbon (C/C) composites because the manufacturing of C/C brake disks requires complicated and costly processes. In this work several ultrasonic techniques were applied to attributable to the manufacturing process. In a carbon/carbon brake disk manufactured by a combination of pitch impregnation and CVI(Vapor infiltration method), the spatial variation of ultrasonic velocity was measured and found to be consistent with the nonuniform densification behavior in the manufacturing process. Low frequency(5 MHz) through-transmission scans based on both amplitude and time-of-flight of the ultrasonic pulse were used for mapping out the material property inhomogeneity. These results were compared with those obtained by dry-coupling ultrasonics. A good correlation was found between ultrasonic velocity and material density on a set of small blocks cut out of the disk. Pulse-echo C-scans at higher frequency (25 MHz) were used to image near-sulfate material property anomalies associated with certain steps in the manufacturing process, such as the placement of spacers between disks during the final CVI.

Hardware Development of Ultrasonic Tomography for Composition Determination of Water and Oil Flow

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ruzairi Abdul Rahim

2007-01-01

Full Text Available A monitoring system for water and oil flow using ultrasonic Tomography is implemented. Information such as the type of flow, the composition of the water and oil can be obtained from the system. The composition of the flow is determined based on the propagation time of the ultrasonic waves. The ultrasonic Tomography system includes the sensors fixture design, signal conditioning circuits and image reconstruction software. The image reconstruction algorithm that used is the Linear Back Projection (LBP algorithm.

Case-based classification of ultrasonic b-scans: case-base organisation and case retrieval

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jarmulak, J.

1998-01-01

Dutch Railways use a special train for the ultrasonic inspection of rails. The output of the ultrasonic scanning system installed on the train consists of echo images - so-called B-scans. The B-scans are classified according to the images of rail constructions, noise artefacts, and/or defects that

Fundamental study of microelectronic chip response under laser ultrasonic-interferometric inspection using C-scan method

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Lei; Gong, Jie; Ume, I. Charles

2014-02-01

In modern surface mount packaging technologies, such as flip chips, chip scale packages, and ball grid arrays(BGA), chips are attached to the substrates/printed wiring board (PWB) using solder bump interconnections. The quality of solder bumps between the chips and the substrate/board is difficult to inspect. Laser ultrasonic-interferometric technique was proved to be a promising approach for solder bump inspection because of its noncontact and nondestructive characteristics. Different indicators extracted from received signals have been used to predict the potential defects, such as correlation coefficient, error ratio, frequency shifting, etc. However, the fundamental understanding of the chip behavior under laser ultrasonic inspection is still missing. Specifically, it is not sure whether the laser interferometer detected out-of-plane displacements were due to wave propagation or structural vibration when the chip was excited by pulsed laser. Plus, it is found that the received signals are chip dependent. Both challenges impede the interpretation of acquired signals. In this paper, a C-scan method was proposed to study the underlying phenomenon during laser ultrasonic inspection. The full chip was inspected. The response of the chip under laser excitation was visualized in a movie resulted from acquired signals. Specifically, a BGA chip was investigated to demonstrate the effectiveness of this method. By characterizing signals using discrete wavelet transform(DWT), both ultrasonic wave propagation and vibration were observed. Separation of them was successfully achieved using ideal band-pass filter and visualized in resultant movies, too. The observed ultrasonic waves were characterized and their respective speeds were measured by applying 2-D FFT. The C-scan method, combined with different digital signal processing techniques, was proved to be an very effective methodology to learn the behavior of chips under laser excitation. This general procedure can be

A method for the preparation of curcumin by ultrasonic-assisted ammonium sulfate/ethanol aqueous two phase extraction.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Guangkuan; Hao, Changchun; Tian, Suyang; Gao, Feng; Sun, Wenyuan; Sun, Runguang

2017-01-15

This study investigated a new and easy-to-industrialized extracting method for curcumin from Curcuma longa rhizomes using ultrasonic extraction technology combined with ammonium sulfate/ethanol aqueous two-phase system (ATPS), and the preparation of curcumin using the semi-preparative HPLC. The single-factor experiments and response surface methodology (RSM) were utilized to determine the optimal material-solvent ratio, ultrasonic intensity (UI) and ultrasonic time. The optimum extraction conditions were finally determined to be material-solvent rate of 3.29:100, ultrasonic intensity of 33.63W/cm 2 and ultrasonic time of 17min. At these optimum conditions, the extraction yield could reach 46.91mg/g. And the extraction yields of curcumin remained stable in the case of amplification, which indicated that scale-up extraction was feasible and efficient. Afterwards, the semi-preparative HPLC experiment was carried out, in which optimal preparation conditions were elected according to the single factor experiment. The prepared curcumin was obtained and the purity could up to 85.58% by the semi-preparative HPLC. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Void detection beneath reinforced concrete sections: The practical application of ground-penetrating radar and ultrasonic techniques

Science.gov (United States)

Cassidy, Nigel J.; Eddies, Rod; Dods, Sam

2011-08-01

Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and ultrasonic 'pulse echo' techniques are well-established methods for the imaging, investigation and analysis of steel reinforced concrete structures and are important civil engineering survey tools. GPR is, arguably, the more widely-used technique as it is suitable for a greater range of problem scenarios (i.e., from rebar mapping to moisture content determination). Ultrasonic techniques are traditionally associated with the engineering-based, non-destructive testing of concrete structures and their integrity analyses (e.g., flaw detection, shear/longitudinal velocity determination, etc). However, when used in an appropriate manner, both techniques can be considered complementary and provide a unique way of imaging the sub-surface that is suited to a range of geotechnical problems. In this paper, we present a comparative study between mid-to-high frequency GPR (450 MHz and 900 MHz) and array-based, shear wave, pulse-echo ultrasonic surveys using proprietary instruments and conventional GPR data processing and visualisation techniques. Our focus is the practical detection of sub-metre scale voids located under steel reinforced concrete sections in realistic survey conditions (e.g., a capped, relict mine shaft or vent). Representative two-dimensional (2D) sections are presented for both methods illustrating the similarities/differences in signal response and the temporal-spatial target resolutions achieved with each technique. The use of three-dimensional data volumes and time slices (or 'C-scans') for advanced interpretation is also demonstrated, which although common in GPR applications is under-utilised as a technique in general ultrasonic surveys. The results show that ultrasonic methods can perform as well as GPR for this specific investigation scenario and that they have the potential of overcoming some of the inherent limitations of GPR investigations (i.e., the need for careful antenna frequency selection and survey design in

Hardware Developments of an Ultrasonic Tomography Measurement System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hudabiyah ARSHAD AMARI

2010-01-01

Full Text Available This research provides new technique in ultrasonic tomography by using ultrasonic transceivers instead of using separate transmitter-receiver pair. The numbers of sensors or transducers used to acquire data plays an important role to generate high resolution tomography images. The configuration of these sensors is a crucial factor in the efficiency of data acquisition. Instead of using common separated transmitter – receiver, an alternative approach has been taken to use dual functionality ultrasonic transceiver. A prototype design of sensor’s jig that will hold 16 transceivers of 14.1mm has been design. Transmission-mode approach with fan beam technique has been used for sensing the flow of gas, liquid and solid. This paper also explains the circuitry designs for the Ultrasonic Tomography System.

Methodic recommendations on ultrasonic testing of pipeline austenitic butt joints

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grebennik, V.S.; Lantukh, V.M.; Tajts, M.Z.; Ermolov, I.N.; Volkov, A.S.; Vyatskov, I.A.; Kesler, N.A.; Shchedrin, I.F.

1989-01-01

Recommendations for the application of ultrasonic testing of austenitic welded joints of the Du 500 pipelines with the walls 32-34 mm thick made of steel Kh18N10T are developed. The optimal values of the main parameters of ultrasonic testing are determined experimentally. Principles of calculation of the optimal parameters are considered. 1 ref.; 4 figs

Contribution of dynamic focusing to ultrasonic defect characterization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mahaut, S.

1997-01-01

Non destructive testing of vessels of pressurized water reactors uses ultrasonic focused transducers, with spherically shaped emitting surface or requiring an acoustic lens. But a mechanically focused transducer has to be used for a given inspection zone and for a fixed control configuration. The aim of this thesis is to improve ultrasonic defect characterization using adaptive dynamic focusing. Such a technique makes use of a ultrasonic defect characterization using adaptive dynamic focusing. Such a technique makes use of an ultrasonic transducer split into an array of individually controlled elements, allowing to apply delay and amplitude laws, calculated from modeling or experimentally deduced. Acoustical characteristics of the ultrasonic beam in the inspected specimen this can be electronically controlled; refraction angle, depth focusing, beam width. We briefly describe in the first chapter a theoretical modeling of the ultrasonic field radiated through a fluid/solid interface, extended to phase array transducers. This model is based on the integral formulation of Rayleigh, modified to take into account transmission through a fluid/solid (homogeneous and isotropic), of planar or cylindrical shape. In the second chapter an experimental study of this technique, with delay and amplitude laws given from the model, is presented, showing the efficiency of this method to adjust the acoustic performances. In he third chapter, experimental delay laws, extracted from the time distribution of signals received by the array (issued from a preliminary detected reflector), are used to provide an optimal imaging of the defect. This self-focusing procedure shows to adapt to a defect without using theoretical delays. The last chapter is dedicated to different applications devoted to improved defect characterization. The first application uses amplitude distribution received by the array, pointing out geometric characteristics of the reflector, while the second application

Analysis of ultrasonically rotating droplet using moving particle semi-implicit and distributed point source methods

Science.gov (United States)

Wada, Yuji; Yuge, Kohei; Tanaka, Hiroki; Nakamura, Kentaro

2016-07-01

Numerical analysis of the rotation of an ultrasonically levitated droplet with a free surface boundary is discussed. The ultrasonically levitated droplet is often reported to rotate owing to the surface tangential component of acoustic radiation force. To observe the torque from an acoustic wave and clarify the mechanism underlying the phenomena, it is effective to take advantage of numerical simulation using the distributed point source method (DPSM) and moving particle semi-implicit (MPS) method, both of which do not require a calculation grid or mesh. In this paper, the numerical treatment of the viscoacoustic torque, which emerges from the viscous boundary layer and governs the acoustical droplet rotation, is discussed. The Reynolds stress traction force is calculated from the DPSM result using the idea of effective normal particle velocity through the boundary layer and input to the MPS surface particles. A droplet levitated in an acoustic chamber is simulated using the proposed calculation method. The droplet is vertically supported by a plane standing wave from an ultrasonic driver and subjected to a rotating sound field excited by two acoustic sources on the side wall with different phases. The rotation of the droplet is successfully reproduced numerically and its acceleration is discussed and compared with those in the literature.

Implementation of Ultrasonic Immersion Technique for Babbitt Metal Debonding in Turbine Bearing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jung, Gye Jo; Park, Sang Ki; Cho, Yong Sang; Park, Byung Cheol; Kil, Doo Song

2004-01-01

This study is aimed for the implementation of ultrasonic method to assess the reliability of turbine bearings. A modified ultrasonic immersion technique was carried out in both laboratory experiment and field application. From the laboratory results, we confirmed that the condition of interface layer between the babbitt and base metal be monitored by the C-Scan. The C-scan image by the ultrasonic immersion test can be used successfully to observe the condition of interface layer. The testing with a focused transducer provides a promising approach for estimating the extent of the damaged region and observing the interface layer effectively. The difference of the ultrasonic reflection ratio between the bonding and debonding area at the interface layer is one of the key parameters for assessing the extent of the damaged area; additionally, the reflection amplitude exhibits a favorable correlation with the overall damage level. The technique developed in this study was applied to the inspection of the turbine bearings at several power plants in Korea whereby the applicability in the field can be ascertained

Implementation of Ultrasonic Immersion Technique for Babbitt Metal Debonding in Turbine Bearing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jung, Gye Jo; Park, Sang Ki; Cho, Yong Sang; Park, Byung Cheol; Kil, Doo Song [Korea Electric Power Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2004-08-15

This study is aimed for the implementation of ultrasonic method to assess the reliability of turbine bearings. A modified ultrasonic immersion technique was carried out in both laboratory experiment and field application. From the laboratory results, we confirmed that the condition of interface layer between the babbitt and base metal be monitored by the C-Scan. The C-scan image by the ultrasonic immersion test can be used successfully to observe the condition of interface layer. The testing with a focused transducer provides a promising approach for estimating the extent of the damaged region and observing the interface layer effectively. The difference of the ultrasonic reflection ratio between the bonding and debonding area at the interface layer is one of the key parameters for assessing the extent of the damaged area; additionally, the reflection amplitude exhibits a favorable correlation with the overall damage level. The technique developed in this study was applied to the inspection of the turbine bearings at several power plants in Korea whereby the applicability in the field can be ascertained

Selective Bioparticle Retention and Characterization in a Chip-Integrated Confocal Ultrasonic Cavity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Svennebring, J.; Manneberg, O.; Skafte-Pedersen, Peder

2009-01-01

We demonstrate selective retention and positioning of cells or other bioparticles by ultrasonic manipulation in a microfluidic expansion chamber during microfluidic perfusion. The chamber is designed as a confocal ultrasonic resonator for maximum confinement of the ultrasonic force field at the c......We demonstrate selective retention and positioning of cells or other bioparticles by ultrasonic manipulation in a microfluidic expansion chamber during microfluidic perfusion. The chamber is designed as a confocal ultrasonic resonator for maximum confinement of the ultrasonic force field...... sample feeding, a set of several manipulation functions performed in series is demonstrated: sample bypass-injection-aggregation and retention-positioning. Finally, we demonstrate transillumination microscopy imaging Of Ultrasonically trapped COS-7 cell aggregates. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2009;103: 323-328....

Ultrasonic Fingerprint Sensor With Transmit Beamforming Based on a PMUT Array Bonded to CMOS Circuitry.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Xiaoyue; Tang, Hao-Yen; Lu, Yipeng; Ng, Eldwin J; Tsai, Julius M; Boser, Bernhard E; Horsley, David A

2017-09-01

In this paper, we present a single-chip 65 ×42 element ultrasonic pulse-echo fingerprint sensor with transmit (TX) beamforming based on piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducers directly bonded to a CMOS readout application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The readout ASIC was realized in a standard 180-nm CMOS process with a 24-V high-voltage transistor option. Pulse-echo measurements are performed column-by-column in sequence using either one column or five columns to TX the ultrasonic pulse at 20 MHz. TX beamforming is used to focus the ultrasonic beam at the imaging plane where the finger is located, increasing the ultrasonic pressure and narrowing the 3-dB beamwidth to [Formula: see text], a factor of 6.4 narrower than nonbeamformed measurements. The surface of the sensor is coated with a poly-dimethylsiloxane (PDMS) layer to provide good acoustic impedance matching to skin. Scanning laser Doppler vibrometry of the PDMS surface was used to map the ultrasonic pressure field at the imaging surface, demonstrating the expected increase in pressure, and reduction in beamwidth. Imaging experiments were conducted using both PDMS phantoms and real fingerprints. The average image contrast is increased by a factor of 1.5 when beamforming is used.

Classification of breast masses by ultrasonic Nakagami imaging: a feasibility study

Science.gov (United States)

Tsui, Po-Hsiang; Yeh, Chih-Kuang; Chang, Chien-Cheng; Liao, Yin-Yin

2008-11-01

Ultrasound is an important clinical tool in noninvasive diagnoses of breast cancer. The Nakagami statistical parameter estimated from the ultrasonic backscattered envelope has been demonstrated to be useful in complementing conventional B-mode scans when classifying breast masses. However, the shadowing effect caused by certain high-attenuation tumors in the B-mode image makes the tumor contour unclear, and thus it is more difficult to choose an appropriate region of interest from which to collect tumor data for estimating the Nakagami parameter. This study explored the feasibility of using the Nakagami parametric image to overcome the shadowing effect for visualizing the properties of breast masses. Experiments were performed on a breast-mimicking phantom and on some typical clinical cases for cysts, fat and tumors (fibroadenoma) (n = 18) in order to explore the performance of the Nakagami image under ideal and practical conditions. The experimental results showed that the Nakagami image pixels (i.e. the local Nakagami parameter) in the cyst, tumor and fat are 0.21 ± 0.01, 0.65 ± 0.05 and 0.98 ± 0.07, respectively, for six independent phantom measurements, and 0.14 ± 0.03, 0.67 ± 0.11 and 0.89 ± 0.08, respectively, for clinical experiments. This suggests that the Nakagami image is able to classify various breast masses (p < 0.005) although the clinical results from tumors of different cases have a larger variance that may be caused by the complexity of real breast tissues. In particular, unlike the B-mode image, the Nakagami image is not subject to significant shadowing effects, making it useful to complement the B-mode image to describe the tumor contour for identifying the tumor-related region when the shadowing effect is stronger or a low system gain is used.

Classification of breast masses by ultrasonic Nakagami imaging: a feasibility study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tsui, P-H; Chang, C-C [Division of Mechanics, Research Center for Applied Sciences, Academia Sinica, 128, Section 2, Academia Road, Nankang, Taipei 11529, Taiwan (China); Yeh, C-K; Liao, Y-Y [Department of Biomedical Engineering and Environmental Sciences, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan (China)], E-mail: mechang@gate.sinica.edu.tw, E-mail: ckyeh@mx.nthu.edu.tw

2008-11-07

Ultrasound is an important clinical tool in noninvasive diagnoses of breast cancer. The Nakagami statistical parameter estimated from the ultrasonic backscattered envelope has been demonstrated to be useful in complementing conventional B-mode scans when classifying breast masses. However, the shadowing effect caused by certain high-attenuation tumors in the B-mode image makes the tumor contour unclear, and thus it is more difficult to choose an appropriate region of interest from which to collect tumor data for estimating the Nakagami parameter. This study explored the feasibility of using the Nakagami parametric image to overcome the shadowing effect for visualizing the properties of breast masses. Experiments were performed on a breast-mimicking phantom and on some typical clinical cases for cysts, fat and tumors (fibroadenoma) (n = 18) in order to explore the performance of the Nakagami image under ideal and practical conditions. The experimental results showed that the Nakagami image pixels (i.e. the local Nakagami parameter) in the cyst, tumor and fat are 0.21 {+-} 0.01, 0.65 {+-} 0.05 and 0.98 {+-} 0.07, respectively, for six independent phantom measurements, and 0.14 {+-} 0.03, 0.67 {+-} 0.11 and 0.89 {+-} 0.08, respectively, for clinical experiments. This suggests that the Nakagami image is able to classify various breast masses (p < 0.005) although the clinical results from tumors of different cases have a larger variance that may be caused by the complexity of real breast tissues. In particular, unlike the B-mode image, the Nakagami image is not subject to significant shadowing effects, making it useful to complement the B-mode image to describe the tumor contour for identifying the tumor-related region when the shadowing effect is stronger or a low system gain is used.

Ultrasonic control of ceramic membrane fouling by particles: effect of ultrasonic factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Dong; Weavers, Linda K; Walker, Harold W

2006-07-01

Ultrasound at 20 kHz was applied to a cross-flow ultrafiltration system with gamma-alumina membranes in the presence of colloidal silica particles to systematically investigate how ultrasonic factors affect membrane cleaning. Based on imaging of the ultrasonic cavitation region, optimal cleaning occurred when the membrane was outside but close to the cavitation region. Increasing the filtration pressure increased the compressive forces driving cavitation collapse and resulted in fewer cavitation bubbles absorbing and scattering sound waves and increasing sound wave penetration. However, an increased filtration pressure also resulted in greater permeation drag, and subsequently less improvement in permeate flux compared to low filtration pressure. Finally, pulsed ultrasound with short pulse intervals resulted in permeate flux improvement close to that of continuous sonication.

Feasibility of ultrasonic and eddy current methods for measurement of residual stress in shot peened metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lavrentyev, Anton I.; Stucky, Paul A.; Veronesi, William A.

2000-01-01

Shot peening is a well-known method for extending the fatigue life of metal components by introducing compressive residual stresses near their surfaces. The capability to nondestructively evaluate the near surface residual stress would greatly aid the assurance of proper fatigue life in shot-peened components. This paper presents preliminary results from a feasibility study examining the use of ultrasonic and eddy current NDE methods for residual stress measurement in components where the stress has been introduced by shot peening. With an ultrasonic method, a variation of ultrasonic surface wave speed with shot peening intensity was measured. Near surface conductivity was measured by eddy current methods. Since the effective penetration depth of both methods employed is inversely related to the excitation frequency, by making measurements at different frequencies, each method has the potential to provide the stress-depth profile. Experiments were conducted on aluminum specimens (alloy 7075-T7351) peened within the Almen peening intensity range of 4C to 16C. The experimental results obtained demonstrate a correlation between peening intensity and Rayleigh wave velocity and between peening intensity and conductivity. The data suggests either of the methods may be suitable, with limitations, for detecting unsatisfactory levels of shot peening. Several factors were found to contribute to the measured responses: surface roughness, near surface plastic deformation (cold work) and residual stress. The contribution of each factor was studied experimentally. The feasibility of residual stress determination from the measured data is discussed

Nondestructive evaluation of adhesive joints by C-scan ultrasonic testing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zeighami, Mehdi; Honarvar, Farhang

2009-01-01

Evaluation of the quality of adhesive bonding is an important issue in many industries who incorporate adhesive joints in their products. Over the past few decades, numerous acoustical techniques have been developed for nondestructive testing (NDT) of adhesively bonded joints. Among these techniques, the ultrasonic pulse-echo method is the most promising means for inspection of adhesive bonds. In practice, due to low impedance matching between adhesive and metal, the discrimination of a good bond from a bad bond is difficult. The low impedance matching also results in low contrast between perfect and disbanded zone in a C-scan image. In this paper, the quality of the interface between aluminum and epoxy is investigated by using an in-house built ultrasonic C-scan system. Two adhesion indices are proposed for producing C-scan images. To verify the capability of these indices, an adhesively bonded sample was fabricated using aluminum plates and epoxy. An artificial defect was implanted in the first interface of the specimens. The C-scan measurement prepared based on the proposed indices was able to reveal the defect much better than the C-scan image prepared by conventional approach. (author)

Synthesis of hydroxyapatite nanoparticles by a novel ultrasonic assisted with mixed hollow sphere template method

Science.gov (United States)

Gopi, D.; Indira, J.; Kavitha, L.; Sekar, M.; Mudali, U. Kamachi

Hydroxyapatite (HAP) is the main inorganic component of bone material and is widely used in various biomedical applications due to its excellent bioactivity and biocompatibility. In this paper, we have reported the synthesis of hydroxyapatite nanoparticles by a novel ultrasonic assisted mixed template directed method. In this method glycine-acrylic acid (GLY-AA) hollow spheres were used as an organic template which could be prepared by mixing of glycine with acrylic acid. The as-synthesized HAP nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and tunnelling electron microscope (TEM) to investigate the nature of bonding, crystallinity, size and shape. The thermal stability of as-synthesized nanoparticles was also investigated by the thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA). The effect of ultrasonic irradiation time on the crystallinity and size of the HAP nanoparticles in presence of glycine-acrylic acid hollow spheres template were investigated. From the inspection of the above results it is confirmed that the crystallinity and size of the HAP nanoparticles decrease with increasing ultrasonic irradiation time. Hence the proposed synthesis strategy provides a facile pathway to obtain nano sized HAP with high quality, suitable size and morphology.

Design and development of an ultrasonic pulser-receiver unit for non-destructive testing of materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patankar, V.H.; Joshi, V.M.

2002-11-01

The pulser/receiver constitutes the most vital part of an ultrasonic flaw detector or an ultrasonic imaging system used for inspection of materials. The ultrasonic properties of the material and resolution requirements govern the choice of the frequency of ultrasound that can be optimally used. The pulser/receiver in turn decides the efficiency of excitation of the transducer and the overall signal to noise ratio of the system for best sensitivity and resolution. A variety of pulsers are used in the ultrasonic instruments employed for materials inspection. This report describes a square wave type of an ultrasonic pulser-receiver unit developed at Ultrasonic Instrumentation Section, Electronics Division, BARC. It has been primarily designed for excitation of the transducer that is used with a multi-channel ultrasonic imaging system ULTIMA 100M targeted for inspection of SS403 billets, which are in turn used as the base material for fabrication of end fittings for coolant channels of pressurized heavy water nuclear reactors (PHWRs). The design of the pulser is based upon very fast MOSFETs, configured as electronic switches. The pulser is operated with a linear bipolar H.V. supply (+/- 500V max.). The receiver provides a 60 dB gain with a -3 dB BW of 40 MHz. This pulser/receiver unit has been successfully interfaced with a 4 channel ULTIMA 100 M4 multichannel ultrasonic C-scan imaging system, also designed and developed by the authors at Ultrasonic Instrumentation Section (Electronics Division, BARC) and supplied to Centre for Design and Manufacturer - CDM, BARC. This system is being regularly used in C-scan imaging mode for volumetric inspection of SS403 billets for end fittings of 500 MWe PHWRs. (author)

Interactive ultrasonic field simulations for complex non-destructive testing configurations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chouh, Hamza

2016-01-01

In order to fulfill increasing reliability and safety requirements, non-destructive testing techniques are constantly evolving and so does their complexity. Consequently, simulation is an essential part of their design. We developed a tool for the simulation of the ultrasonic field radiated by any planar probes into non-destructive testing configurations involving meshed geometries without prominent edges, isotropic and anisotropic, homogeneous and heterogeneous materials, and wave trajectories that can include reflections and transmissions. We approximate the ultrasonic wave fronts by using polynomial interpolators that are local to ultrasonic ray pencils. They are obtained using a surface research algorithm based on pencil tracing and successive subdivisions. Their interpolators enable the computation of the necessary quantities for the impulse responses on each point of a sampling of the transducer surface that fulfills the Shannon criterion. By doing so, we can compute a global impulse response which, when convolved with the excitation signal of the transducer, results in the ultrasonic field. The usage of task parallelism and of SIMD instructions on the most computationally expensive steps yields an important performance boost. Finally, we developed a tool for progressive visualization of field images. It benefits from an image reconstruction technique and schedules field computations in order to accelerate convergence towards the final image. (author) [fr

Pulsed infrared thermography for assessment of ultrasonic welds

Science.gov (United States)

McGovern, Megan E.; Rinker, Teresa J.; Sekol, Ryan C.

2018-03-01

Battery packs are a critical component in electric vehicles. During pack assembly, the battery cell tab and busbar are ultrasonically welded. The properties of the welds ultimately affect battery pack durability. Quality inspection of these welds is important to ensure durable battery packs. Pack failure is detrimental economically and could also pose a safety hazard, such as thermal runaway. Ultrasonic welds are commonly checked by measuring electrical resistance or auditing using destructive mechanical testing. Resistance measurements are quick, but sensitive to set-up changes. Destructive testing cannot represent the entire weld set. It is possible for a weak weld to satisfy the electrical requirement check, because only sufficient contact between the tabs and busbar is required to yield a low resistance measurement. Laboratory techniques are often not suitable for inline inspection, as they may be time-consuming, use couplant, or are only suitable for coupons. The complex surface geometry also poses difficulties for conventional nondestructive techniques. A method for inspection of ultrasonic welds is proposed using pulsed infrared thermography to identify discrepant welds in a manufacturing environment. Thermal measurements of welds were compared to electrical and mechanical measurements. The heat source distribution was calculated to obtain thermal images with high temporal and spatial resolution. All discrepant welds were readily identifiable using two thermographic techniques: pixel counting and the gradient image. A positive relationship between pixel count and mechanical strength was observed. The results demonstrate the potential of pulsed thermography for inline inspection, which can complement, or even replace, conventional electrical resistance measurements.

Ultrasonic simulation studies for sizing of planar flaws in thick carbon steel welds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prakash, Alok

2015-01-01

Ultrasonic non-destructive testing typically involves detection of flaws that may affect the integrity of component under test. Once detected, the flaw is sized for its critical dimensions and its nature. The detection of flaw in the component by ultrasonic test is based on the principle of echo or reflection. Once the echo from a flaw is received, there are several approaches for analyzing the signal so that more and accurate information is obtained on the size of the flaw and its nature. The 6dB drop method is commonly used for sizing of flaws. This technique is based on determining the end points where the ultrasonic signal amplitude from the flaw drops to half of the peak amplitude. Though this method works well for large flaws whose size is larger than the beam width, it has a tendency to oversize the flaw which is smaller than the beam dimensions. In addition to beam divergence, flaw sizing also depends upon the orientation of the flaw with respect to incident sound beam. The paper describes the results of simulation studies on ultrasonic response from planar flaws of various orientations, their imaging and the methodology to be adopted for their accurate depth sizing. The paper also describes the experimental results to validate the flaw sizing approach

Ultrasonic defect-sizing using decibel drop methods. I

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murphy, R.V.

1987-03-01

Results are reported of a study performed to investigate the accuracy and repeatability of various ultrasonic decibel (dB) drop sizing methods in determining the length, vertical extent and orientation of artificial and real weld flaws in thin steel sections. Seven artificial flaws and nine real weld flaws were examined; over 200 data plots were produced. The general findings are: a) length and vertical extent are assessed most accurately when using a 14 dB drop from the maximum indication amplitude; b) decibel drops less that 14 dB generally undersize flaws while decibel drops greater than 14 dB generally oversize flaws; c) flaws which are smaller than the width of the sound beam cannot be assessed accurately using dB drop methods; d) large flaws are assessed most accurately when the sound beam strikes the flaws at near normal incidence; e) the vertical extent and orientation of large flaws are plotted most accurately using the beam centre line method as opposed to the beam profile method; and, f) the limitations of dB-drop-sizing methods have considerable ramifications for CAN3-N285.4-M83 and ASME XI evaluation criteria

Optimization design and application of composite ultrasonic extraction method for effective constituents of green tea

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cheng-Chi Wang

2015-12-01

Full Text Available A composite ultrasonic process is used to extract five constituent components of green tea, namely caffeine, catechin, epigallocatechin gallate, epicatechin, and chlorogenic acid. The optimal parameters of the extraction process are determined using the robust Taguchi design method. The extracted products are analyzed using gas chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography. The experimental results confirm the effectiveness of the proposed ultrasonic technique in extracting the components of interest. Moreover, it is shown that the optimal extraction parameters depend on the particular component. In general, the present findings provide a useful reference for further research on the processing of green tea.

Nondestructive control of materials by ultrasonic tests

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mercier, Noelle.

1974-01-01

A bibliographic study of nondestructive control methods of solids by ultrasonic tests, and of the ultrasonic emission of a transducer of finite dimension, is first presented. The principle of two of these methods is verified experimentally; they should permit the measurement of various physical parameters of solids, and the detection of local inhomogeneities. The first method calls upon the analysis of the ultrasonic signal (amplitude and phase), after it has crossed a constant thickness of a metallic specimen. This analysis reveals variations of attenuation and of ultrasonic propagation velocity within the specimen. A good spatial resolution is obtained by using 1mm-diameter probes. The second method leads, thanks to a test rig equipped with broad frequency band electrostatic transducers, to the knowledge of the attenuation law of the specimens as a function of frequency (present range: 5 to 15MHz); from this a classification of these specimens as regards their granulometry is deduced [fr

Inspection of copper canisters for spent nuclear fuel by means of ultrasound. Phased arrays, ultrasonic imaging and nonlinear acoustics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stepinski, Tadeusz (ed.); Ping Wu; Wennerstroem, Erik [Uppsala Univ. (Sweden). Signals and Systems

2004-09-01

This report contains the research results concerning advanced ultrasound for the inspection of copper canisters for spent nuclear fuel obtained at Signals and Systems, Uppsala University in years 2003/2004. After a short introduction a review of beam forming fundamentals required for proper understanding phased array operation is included. The factors that determine lateral resolution during ultrasonic imaging of flaws in solids are analyzed and results of simulations modelling contact inspection of copper are presented. In the second chapter an improved synthetic aperture imaging (SAI) technique is introduced. The proposed SAI technique is characterized by an enhanced lateral resolution compared with the previously proposed extended synthetic aperture focusing technique (ESAFT). The enhancement of imaging performance is achieved due to more realistic assumption concerning the probability density function of scatterers in the region of interest. The proposed technique takes the form of a two-step algorithm using the result obtained in the first step as a prior for the second step. Final chapter contains summary of our recent experimental and theoretical research on nonlinear ultrasonics of unbounded interfaces. A new theoretical model for rough interfaces is developed, and the experimental results from the copper specimens that mimic contact cracks of different types are presented. Derivation of the theory and selected measurement results are given in appendix.

In silico simulation and in vitro evaluation of an elastomeric scaffold using ultrasonic shear wave imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Jiao; Nie, Erwei; Zhu, Yanying; Hong, Yi

2018-03-01

Biodegradable elastomeric scaffolds for soft tissue repair represent a growing area of biomaterials research. Mechanical strength is one of the key factors to consider in the evaluation of candidate materials and the designs for tissue scaffolds. It is desirable to develop non-invasive evaluation methods of the mechanical property of scaffolds which would provide options for monitoring temporal mechanical property changes in situ. In this paper, we conduct in silico simulation and in vitro evaluation of an elastomeric scaffold using a novel ultrasonic shear wave imaging (USWI). The scaffold is fabricated from a biodegradable elastomer, poly(carbonate urethane) urea using salt leaching method. A numerical simulation is performed to test the robustness of the developed inversion algorithm for the elasticity map reconstruction which will be implemented in the phantom experiment. The generation and propagation of shear waves in a homogeneous tissue-mimicking medium with a circular scaffold inclusion is simulated and the elasticity map is well reconstructed. A PVA phantom experiment is performed to test the ability of USWI combined with the inversion algorithm to non-invasively characterize the mechanical property of a porous, biodegradable elastomeric scaffold. The elastic properties of the tested scaffold can be easily differentiated from the surrounding medium in the reconstructed image. The ability of the developed method to identify the edge of the scaffold and characterize the elasticity distribution is demonstrated. Preliminary results in this pilot study support the idea of applying the USWI based method for non-invasive elasticity characterization of tissue scaffolds.

Processing surface sizing starch using oxidation, enzymatic hydrolysis and ultrasonic treatment methods--Preparation and application.

Science.gov (United States)

Brenner, Tobias; Kiessler, Birgit; Radosta, Sylvia; Arndt, Tiemo

2016-03-15

The surface application of starch is a well-established method for increasing paper strength. In surface sizing, a solution of degraded starch is applied to the paper. Two procedures have proved valuable for starch degradation in the paper mill: enzymatic and thermo-oxidative degradation. The objective of this study was to determine achievable efficiencies of cavitation in preparing degraded starch for surface application on paper. It was found that ultrasonic-assisted starch degradation can provide a starch solution that is suitable for surface sizing. The molecular composition of starch solutions prepared by ultrasonic treatment differed from that of starch solutions degraded by enzymes or by thermo-oxidation. Compared to commercial degradation processes, this resulted in intensified film formation and in greater penetration during surface sizing and ultimately in a higher starch content of the paper. Paper sized with ultrasonically treated starch solutions show the same strength properties compared to commercially sized paper. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hardware Developments of an Ultrasonic Tomography Measurement System

OpenAIRE

Hudabiyah ARSHAD AMARI; Ruzairi ABDUL RAHIM; Mohd Hafiz FAZALUL RAHIMAN; Herlina ABDUL RAHIM; Muhammad Jaysuman PUSPPANATHAN

2010-01-01

This research provides new technique in ultrasonic tomography by using ultrasonic transceivers instead of using separate transmitter-receiver pair. The numbers of sensors or transducers used to acquire data plays an important role to generate high resolution tomography images. The configuration of these sensors is a crucial factor in the efficiency of data acquisition. Instead of using common separated transmitter – receiver, an alternative approach has been taken to use dual functionality ul...

Modeling of ultrasonic wave propagation in composite laminates with realistic discontinuity representation.

Science.gov (United States)

Zelenyak, Andreea-Manuela; Schorer, Nora; Sause, Markus G R

2018-02-01

This paper presents a method for embedding realistic defect geometries of a fiber reinforced material in a finite element modeling environment in order to simulate active ultrasonic inspection. When ultrasonic inspection is used experimentally to investigate the presence of defects in composite materials, the microscopic defect geometry may cause signal characteristics that are difficult to interpret. Hence, modeling of this interaction is key to improve our understanding and way of interpreting the acquired ultrasonic signals. To model the true interaction of the ultrasonic wave field with such defect structures as pores, cracks or delamination, a realistic three dimensional geometry reconstruction is required. We present a 3D-image based reconstruction process which converts computed tomography data in adequate surface representations ready to be embedded for processing with finite element methods. Subsequent modeling using these geometries uses a multi-scale and multi-physics simulation approach which results in quantitative A-Scan ultrasonic signals which can be directly compared with experimental signals. Therefore, besides the properties of the composite material, a full transducer implementation, piezoelectric conversion and simultaneous modeling of the attached circuit is applied. Comparison between simulated and experimental signals provides very good agreement in electrical voltage amplitude and the signal arrival time and thus validates the proposed modeling approach. Simulating ultrasound wave propagation in a medium with a realistic shape of the geometry clearly shows a difference in how the disturbance of the waves takes place and finally allows more realistic modeling of A-scans. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ultrasonic methods for locating hold-up

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sinha, D.N.; Olinger, C.T.

1995-01-01

Hold-up remains one of the major contributing factors to unaccounted for materials and can be a costly problem in decontamination and decommissioning activities. Ultrasonic techniques are being developed to noninvasively monitor hold-up in process equipment where the inner surface of such equipment may be in contact with the hold-up material. These techniques may be useful in improving hold-up measurements as well as optimizing decontamination techniques

A comparison of sputum induction methods: ultrasonic vs compressed-air nebulizer and hypertonic vs isotonic saline inhalation.

Science.gov (United States)

Loh, L C; Eg, K P; Puspanathan, P; Tang, S P; Yip, K S; Vijayasingham, P; Thayaparan, T; Kumar, S

2004-03-01

Airway inflammation can be demonstrated by the modem method of sputum induction using ultrasonic nebulizer and hypertonic saline. We studied whether compressed-air nebulizer and isotonic saline which are commonly available and cost less, are as effective in inducing sputum in normal adult subjects as the above mentioned tools. Sixteen subjects underwent weekly sputum induction in the following manner: ultrasonic nebulizer (Medix Sonix 2000, Clement Clarke, UK) using hypertonic saline, ultrasonic nebulizer using isotonic saline, compressed-air nebulizer (BestNeb, Taiwan) using hypertonic saline, and compressed-air nebulizer using isotonic saline. Overall, the use of an ultrasonic nebulizer and hypertonic saline yielded significantly higher total sputum cell counts and a higher percentage of cell viability than compressed-air nebulizers and isotonic saline. With the latter, there was a trend towards squamous cell contaminations. The proportion of various sputum cell types was not significantly different between the groups, and the reproducibility in sputum macrophages and neutrophils was high (Intraclass correlation coefficient, r [95%CI]: 0.65 [0.30-0.91] and 0.58 [0.22-0.89], p compressed-air nebulizers and isotonic saline. We conclude that in normal subjects, although both nebulizers and saline types can induce sputum with reproducible cellular profile, ultrasonic nebulizers and hypertonic saline are more effective but less well tolerated.

Study of ultrasonic imagine of spleen in patients with leukemia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zheng Hui; Zhou Chunyan; Jiang Ju; Luo Liying; Huang Yanhong

2011-01-01

To investigate spleen ultrasonic imagine in patients with leukemia and to provide basis information for preventing and treat disease,the spleens imaging of 158 patients with leukemia were detected by B mode ultrasonicgraphy and the data of clinical medical examination were analyzed.The results showed that the spleens' ultrasonic imagine of patients with leukemia were not related to the degree of anemia.The ultrasonic imagines of spleen in patients with chronic leukemia were different to the other kinds of leukemia.The ultrasonic imagine of spleens in leukemia patients are related to types and development of leukemia.The B-ultrasound screening should be used to help clinical diagnosis and treatment of patients with leukemia. (authors)

Improved electroless plating method through ultrasonic spray atomization for depositing silver nanoparticles on multi-walled carbon nanotubes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhao, Qi [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650093 (China); Xie, Ming [Kunming Institute of Precious Metals, Kunming 650106 (China); Liu, Yichun, E-mail: liuyichun@kmust.edu.cn [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650093 (China); Yi, Jianhong [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650093 (China)

2017-07-01

Highlights: • Electroless plating method assisted by ultrasonic spray atomization was developed. • This method leads to much more uniform silver coatings on MWCNTs. • The plating parameters affect the layer morphologies a lot. - Abstract: A novel method was developed to deposit nanosized silver particles on multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). The electroless plating of silver on MWCNTs accomplished in small solution drops generated by ultrasonic spray atomization, which inhibited excessive growth of silver particles and led to much more uniform nanometer grain-sized coatings. The results showed that pretreatment was essential for silver particles to deposit on the MWCNTs, and the electrolyte concentration and reaction temperature were important parameters which had a great influence on the morphology and structure of the silver coatings. Possible mechanisms of this method are also discussed in the paper.

Improved electroless plating method through ultrasonic spray atomization for depositing silver nanoparticles on multi-walled carbon nanotubes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao, Qi; Xie, Ming; Liu, Yichun; Yi, Jianhong

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Electroless plating method assisted by ultrasonic spray atomization was developed. • This method leads to much more uniform silver coatings on MWCNTs. • The plating parameters affect the layer morphologies a lot. - Abstract: A novel method was developed to deposit nanosized silver particles on multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). The electroless plating of silver on MWCNTs accomplished in small solution drops generated by ultrasonic spray atomization, which inhibited excessive growth of silver particles and led to much more uniform nanometer grain-sized coatings. The results showed that pretreatment was essential for silver particles to deposit on the MWCNTs, and the electrolyte concentration and reaction temperature were important parameters which had a great influence on the morphology and structure of the silver coatings. Possible mechanisms of this method are also discussed in the paper.

The effectiveness of chemical denture cleansers and ultrasonic device in biofilm removal from complete dentures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patrícia Costa Cruz

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Adequate denture hygiene can prevent and treat infection in edentulous patients. They are usually elderly and have difficulty for brushing their teeth. OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the efficacy of complete denture biofilm removal using chemical (alkaline peroxide-effervescent tablets, mechanical (ultrasonic and combined (association of the effervescent and ultrasonic methods. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Eighty complete denture wearers participated in the experiment for 21 days. They were distributed into 4 groups (n=20: (1 Brushing with water (Control; (2 Effervescent tablets (Corega Tabs; (3 Ultrasonic device (Ultrasonic Cleaner, model 2840 D; (4 Association of effervescent tablets and ultrasonic device. All groups brushed their dentures with a specific brush (Bitufo and water, 3 times a day, before applying their treatments. Denture biofilm was collected at baseline and after 21 days. To quantify the biofilm, the internal surfaces of the maxillary complete dentures were stained and photographed at 45º. The photographs were processed and the areas (total internal surface stained with biofilm quantified (Image Tool 2.02. The percentage of the biofilm was calculated by the ratio between the biofilm area multiplied by 100 and the total area of the internal surface of the maxillary complete denture. RESULTS: The Kruskal-Wallis test was used for comparison among groups followed by the Dunn multiple-comparison test. All tests were performed respecting a significance level of 0.05. Significant difference was found among the treatments (KW=21.18; P<0.001, the mean ranks for the treatments and results for Dunn multiple comparison test were: Control (60.9; Chemical (37.2; Mechanical (35.2 and Combined (29.1. CONCLUSION: The experimental methods were equally effective regarding the ability to remove biofilm and were superior to the control method (brushing with water. Immersion in alkaline peroxide and ultrasonic vibration can be used as auxiliary agents

Fast ultrasonic visualisation under sodium. Application to the fast neutron reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Imbert, Ch.

1997-01-01

The fast ultrasonic visualization under sodium is in the programme of research and development on the inspection inside the fast neutron reactors. This work is about the development of a such system of fast ultrasonic imaging under sodium, in order to improve the existing visualization systems. This system is based on the principle of orthogonal imaging, it uses two linear antennas with an important dephasing having 128 piezo-composite elements of central frequency equal to 1.6 MHz. (N.C.)

Ultrasonic testing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Song, Sung Jin [Sungkwunkwan Univ., Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Jeong, Hyun Jo [Wonkwang Univ., Iksan (Korea, Republic of)

2004-02-15

For the proper performance of ultrasonic testing of steel welded joints, and anisotropic material it is necessary to have sound understanding on the underlying physics. To provide such an understanding, it is beneficial to have simulation tools for ultrasonic testing. In order to address such a need, we develop effective approaches to simulate angle beam ultrasonic testing with a personal computer. The simulation is performed using ultrasonic measurement models based on the computationally efficient multi-Gaussian beams. This reach will describe the developed ultrasonic testing models together with the experimental verification of their accuracy.

Ultrasonic characterization of yogurt fermentation process

OpenAIRE

IZBAIM , DRIS; FAIZ , BOUAZZA; MOUDDEN , ALI; MALAININE , MOHAMED; ABOUDAOUD , Idriss

2012-01-01

International audience; The objective of this work is to characterize the fermentation of yogurt based on an ultrasonic technique. Conventionally, the acidity of the yogurt is measured by a pH meter to determine the progress of fermentation. However, the pH meter should be cleaned and calibrated for each measurement and, therefore, this method is not practical. In this regard, ultrasonic techniques are fast, non-invasive and inexpensive. The measurement of ultrasonic parameters such as amplit...

Synthesis of hydroxyapatite nanoparticles by a novel ultrasonic assisted with mixed hollow sphere template method.

Science.gov (United States)

Gopi, D; Indira, J; Kavitha, L; Sekar, M; Mudali, U Kamachi

2012-07-01

Hydroxyapatite (HAP) is the main inorganic component of bone material and is widely used in various biomedical applications due to its excellent bioactivity and biocompatibility. In this paper, we have reported the synthesis of hydroxyapatite nanoparticles by a novel ultrasonic assisted mixed template directed method. In this method glycine-acrylic acid (GLY-AA) hollow spheres were used as an organic template which could be prepared by mixing of glycine with acrylic acid. The as-synthesized HAP nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and tunnelling electron microscope (TEM) to investigate the nature of bonding, crystallinity, size and shape. The thermal stability of as-synthesized nanoparticles was also investigated by the thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA). The effect of ultrasonic irradiation time on the crystallinity and size of the HAP nanoparticles in presence of glycine-acrylic acid hollow spheres template were investigated. From the inspection of the above results it is confirmed that the crystallinity and size of the HAP nanoparticles decrease with increasing ultrasonic irradiation time. Hence the proposed synthesis strategy provides a facile pathway to obtain nano sized HAP with high quality, suitable size and morphology. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Real-time ultrasonic imaging of the ovary and uterus of the dog.

Science.gov (United States)

England, G C; Allen, W E

1989-01-01

The reproductive tracts of 50 bitches were ultrasonically imaged to evaluate the appearance of the uterus and ovaries at different stages of the oestrous cycle. Ovarian follicular growth was observed throughout the oestrous period. Follicles increased in size slowly until 7 days after the onset of pro-oestrus. Thereafter there was a rapid increase in diameter, indicating impending ovulation. The maximum recorded follicular diameter was 13 mm. It was not possible to observe ovulation since in the bitch follicles do not collapse as rapidly as in other species. During the post-ovulatory period there was a gradual loss of follicle shape and an increase in wall thickness. It was not possible to image the uterus of prepubertal bitches or young nulliparous bitches in anoestrus. During pro-oestrus and oestrus the uterus became increasingly hypoechoic with central regions of hyperechogenicity, which may represent uterine oedema. Uterine involution was observed in 5 bitches, and a rapid change in uterine diameter occurred over the first 3 days post partum. The ultrasonographic appearance was characteristic at this time.

A Simple Model for Nonlinear Confocal Ultrasonic Beams

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Dong; Zhou, Lin; Si, Li-Sheng; Gong, Xiu-Fen

2007-01-01

A confocally and coaxially arranged pair of focused transmitter and receiver represents one of the best geometries for medical ultrasonic imaging and non-invasive detection. We develop a simple theoretical model for describing the nonlinear propagation of a confocal ultrasonic beam in biological tissues. On the basis of the parabolic approximation and quasi-linear approximation, the nonlinear Khokhlov-Zabolotskaya-Kuznetsov (KZK) equation is solved by using the angular spectrum approach. Gaussian superposition technique is applied to simplify the solution, and an analytical solution for the second harmonics in the confocal ultrasonic beam is presented. Measurements are performed to examine the validity of the theoretical model. This model provides a preliminary model for acoustic nonlinear microscopy.

Ultrasonic scanner for stainless steel weld inspections. [LMFBR

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kupperman, D. S.; Reimann, K. J.

1978-09-01

The large grain size and anisotropic nature of stainless steel weld metal make conventional ultrasonic testing very difficult. A technique is evaluated for minimizing the coherent ultrasonic noise in stainless steel weld metal. The method involves digitizing conventional ''A-scan'' traces and averaging them with a minicomputer. Results are presented for an ultrasonic scanner which interrogates a small volume of the weld metal while averaging the coherent ultrasonic noise.

Experiments of Long-range Inspection Method in Straight Pipes using Ultrasonic Guided Waves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eom, H. S.; Lim, S. H.; Kim, J. H.; Joo, Y.S.

2006-02-01

This report describes experimental results of a long-range inspection method of pipes using ultrasonic guided waves. In chapter 2, theory of guided wave was reviewed. In chapter 3, equipment and procedures which were used in the experiments were described. Detailed specifications of the specimens described in chapter 4. In chapter 5, we analyzed characteristics of guided wave signals according to shapes and sizes of defects and presents results of various signal processing methods

Design and application of a small size SAFT imaging system for concrete structure

Science.gov (United States)

Shao, Zhixue; Shi, Lihua; Shao, Zhe; Cai, Jian

2011-07-01

A method of ultrasonic imaging detection is presented for quick non-destructive testing (NDT) of concrete structures using synthesized aperture focusing technology (SAFT). A low cost ultrasonic sensor array consisting of 12 market available low frequency ultrasonic transducers is designed and manufactured. A channel compensation method is proposed to improve the consistency of different transducers. The controlling devices for array scan as well as the virtual instrument for SAFT imaging are designed. In the coarse scan mode with the scan step of 50 mm, the system can quickly give an image display of a cross section of 600 mm (L) × 300 mm (D) by one measurement. In the refined scan model, the system can reduce the scan step and give an image display of the same cross section by moving the sensor array several times. Experiments on staircase specimen, concrete slab with embedded target, and building floor with underground pipe line all verify the efficiency of the proposed method.

ZnO nanowire/TiO2 nanoparticle photoanodes prepared by the ultrasonic irradiation assisted dip-coating method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gan Xiaoyan; Li Xiaomin; Gao Xiangdong; Zhuge Fuwei; Yu Weidong

2010-01-01

Hybrid ZnO/TiO 2 photoanodes for dye-sensitized solar cells were prepared by combining ZnO nanowire (NW) arrays and TiO 2 nanoparticles (NPs) with the assistance of the ultrasonic irradiation assisted dip-coating method. Results show that the ultrasonic irradiation was an efficient way to promote the gap filling of TiO 2 NPs in the interstices of ZnO NWs. Hybrid ZnO NW/TiO 2 NP electrodes prepared with ultrasonic treatment exhibited better gap filling efficiency and higher visible absorptance. The overall conversion efficiency of the hybrid electrode was 0.79%, representing 35% improvement compared with that of the traditional one (0.58%). The enlarged surface area and improved attachments of TiO 2 NPs onto the walls of ZnO NWs induced by the application of ultrasonic irradiation may be the underlying reason. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements indicated that hybrid electrodes combined the advantages of improved electron transport along the ZnO NWs and increased surface area provided by infiltrated TiO 2 NPs, both of which are responsible for the improved cell efficiency.

Standard practice for leaks using ultrasonics

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2011-01-01

1.1 Practice A, Pressurization—This practice covers procedures for calibration of ultrasonic instruments, location, and estimated measurements of gas leakage to atmosphere by the airborne ultrasonic technique. 1.2 In general practice this should be limited to leaks detected by two classifications of instruments, Class I and Class II. Class I instruments should have a minimum detectable leak rate of 6.7 × 10−7 mol/s (1.5 × 10−2 std. cm3/s at 0°C) or more for the pressure method of gas leakage to atmosphere. Class II instruments should have a minimal detectable leak rate of 6.7 × 10−6 mol/s (1.5 × 10−1 std. cm3/s at 0°C) or more for the pressure method of gas leakage to atmosphere. Refer to Guide E432 for additional information. 1.3 Practice B, Ultrasonic Transmitter—For object under test not capable of being pressurized but capable of having ultrasonic tone placed/injected into the test area to act as an ultrasonic leak trace source. 1.3.1 This practice is limited to leaks producing leakage o...

A new ultrasonic transducer for improved contrast nonlinear imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bouakaz, Ayache; Cate, Folkert ten; Jong, Nico de

2004-01-01

Second harmonic imaging has provided significant improvement in contrast detection over fundamental imaging. This improvement is a result of a higher contrast-to-tissue ratio (CTR) achievable at the second harmonic frequency. Nevertheless, the differentiation between contrast and tissue at the second harmonic frequency is still in many situations cumbersome and contrast detection remains nowadays as one of the main challenges, especially in the capillaries. The reduced CTR is mainly caused by the generation of second harmonic energy from nonlinear propagation effects in tissue, which hence obscures the echoes from contrast bubbles. In a previous study, we demonstrated theoretically that the CTR increases with the harmonic number. Therefore the purpose of our study was to increase the CTR by selectively looking to the higher harmonic frequencies. In order to be able to receive these high frequency components (third up to the fifth harmonic), a new ultrasonic phased array transducer has been constructed. The main advantage of the new design is its wide frequency bandwidth. The new array transducer contains two different types of elements arranged in an interleaved pattern (odd and even elements). This design enables separate transmission and reception modes. The odd elements operate at 2.8 MHz and 80% bandwidth, whereas the even elements have a centre frequency of 900 kHz with a bandwidth of 50%. The probe is connected to a Vivid 5 system (GE-Vingmed) and proper software is developed for driving. The total bandwidth of such a transducer is estimated to be more than 150% which enables higher harmonic imaging at an adequate sensitivity and signal to noise ratio compared to standard medical array transducers. We describe in this paper the design and fabrication of the array transducer. Moreover its acoustic properties are measured and its performances for nonlinear contrast imaging are evaluated in vitro and in vivo. The preliminary results demonstrate the advantages of

Employment of a novel ultrasonic method to investigate high pressure phase transitions in oleic acid

Science.gov (United States)

Rostocki, A. J.; Siegoczyński, R. M.; Kiełczyński, P.; Szalewski, M.; Balcerzak, A.; Zduniak, M.

2011-06-01

In this work, the variation of sound velocity with hydrostatic pressure for oleic acid is evaluated up to 350 MPa. During the measurement, we identified the phase transformation of oleic acid and the presence of the hysteresis of the dependence of sound velocity on pressure. From the performed measurements, it can be seen that the dependence of sound velocity on pressure can be used to investigate phase transformations in natural oils. Ultrasonic waves were excited and detected using piezoelectric LiNbO3(Y-36 cut) 5 MHz transducers. The phase velocity of the longitudinal ultrasonic waves was measured using a cross-correlation method to evaluate the time of flight.

Preparation and characterization of CNTs/UHMWPE nanocomposites via a novel mixer under synergy of ultrasonic wave and extensional deformation.

Science.gov (United States)

Yin, Xiaochun; Li, Sai; He, Guangjian; Feng, Yanhong; Wen, Jingsong

2018-05-01

In this work, design and development of a new melt mixing method and corresponding mixer for polymer materials were reported. Effects of ultrasonic power and sonication time on the carbon nanotubes (CNTs) filled ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) nanocomposites were experimentally studied. Transmission Electron Microscopy images showed that homogeneous dispersion of CNTs in intractable UHMWPE matrix is successfully realized due to the synergetic effect of ultrasonic wave and extensional deformation without any aid of other additives or solvents. Differential scanning calorimetry results revealed an increase in crystallinity and crystallization rate due to the finer dispersion of the CNTs in the matrix which act as nucleating point. Composites' complex viscosity and storage modulus decreased sharply at first and then leveled off with the increase of sonication time or the ultrasonic power. The thermal stability and the tensile strength of the CNTs/UHMWPE nanocomposites improved by using this novel mixing method. This is the first method that combined the ultrasonic wave and the extensional deformation in which the elongation rate, sonication time and ultrasonic power can be adjusted simultaneously during mixing. The novel mixer offers several advantages such as environment-friendly, high mixing efficiency, self-cleaning and wide adaptability to materials. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Dental hard tissue characterization using laser-based ultrasonics

Science.gov (United States)

Blodgett, David W.; Massey, Ward L.

2003-07-01

Dental health care and research workers require a means of imaging the structures within teeth in vivo. One critical need is the detection of tooth decay in its early stages. If decay can be detected early enough, the process can be monitored and interventional procedures, such as fluoride washes and controlled diet, can be initiated to help re-mineralize the tooth. Currently employed x-ray imaging is limited in its ability to visualize interfaces and incapable of detecting decay at a stage early enough to avoid invasive cavity preparation followed by a restoration. To this end, non-destructive and non-contact in vitro measurements on extracted human molars using laser-based ultrasonics are presented. Broadband ultrasonic waves are excited in the extracted sections by using a pulsed carbon-dioxide (CO2) laser operating in a region of high optical absorption in the dental hard tissues. Optical interferometric detection of the ultrasonic wave surface displacements in accomplished with a path-stabilized Michelson-type interferometer. Results for bulk and surface in-vitro characterization of caries are presented on extracted molars with pre-existing caries.

A Miniature Probe for Ultrasonic Penetration of a Single Cell

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mingfei Xiao

2009-05-01

Full Text Available Although ultrasound cavitation must be avoided for safe diagnostic applications, the ability of ultrasound to disrupt cell membranes has taken on increasing significance as a method to facilitate drug and gene delivery. A new ultrasonic resonance driving method is introduced to penetrate rigid wall plant cells or oocytes with springy cell membranes. When a reasonable design is created, ultrasound can gather energy and increase the amplitude factor. Ultrasonic penetration enables exogenous materials to enter cells without damaging them by utilizing instant acceleration. This paper seeks to develop a miniature ultrasonic probe experiment system for cell penetration. A miniature ultrasonic probe is designed and optimized using the Precise Four Terminal Network Method and Finite Element Method (FEM and an ultrasonic generator to drive the probe is designed. The system was able to successfully puncture a single fish cell.

Ultrasonic Linear Motor with Two Independent Vibrations

Science.gov (United States)

Muneishi, Takeshi; Tomikawa, Yoshiro

2004-09-01

We propose a new structure of an ultrasonic linear motor in order to solve the problems of high-power ultrasonic linear motors that drive the XY-stage for electron beam equipment and to expand the application fields of the motor. We pay special attention to the following three points: (1) the vibration in two directions of the ultrasonic linear motor should not influence mutually each other, (2) the vibration in two directions should be divided into the stage traveling direction and the pressing direction of the ultrasonic linear motor, and (3) the rigidity of the stage traveling direction of the ultrasonic linear motor should be increased. As a result, the supporting method of ultrasonic linear motors is simplified. The efficiency of the motor is improved and temperature rise is reduced. The stage position drift is also improved.

Smooth polishing of femtosecond laser induced craters on cemented carbide by ultrasonic vibration method

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, H. P.; Guan, Y. C.; Zheng, H. Y.

2017-12-01

Rough surface features induced by laser irradiation have been a challenging for the fabrication of micro/nano scale features. In this work, we propose hybrid ultrasonic vibration polishing method to improve surface quality of microcraters produced by femtosecond laser irradiation on cemented carbide. The laser caused rough surfaces are significantly smoothened after ultrasonic vibration polishing due to the strong collision effect of diamond particles on the surfaces. 3D morphology, SEM and AFM analysis has been conducted to characterize surface morphology and topography. Results indicate that the minimal surface roughness of Ra 7.60 nm has been achieved on the polished surfaces. The fabrication of microcraters with smooth surfaces is applicable to molding process for mass production of micro-optical components.

Enhanced Sonocatalytic Degradation of Rhodamine B by Graphene-TiO2 Composites Synthesized by an Ultrasonic-Assisted Method%Enhanced Sonocatalytic Degradation of Rhodamine B by Graphene-TiO2 Composites Synthesized by an Ultrasonic-Assisted Method

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

ZHU Lei; Trisha GHOSH; Chong-Yeon PARK; MENG Ze-Da; OH Won-Chun

2012-01-01

A series of graphene-TiO2 composites was fabricated from graphene oxide and titanium n-butoxide (TNB) by an ultrasonic-assisted method.The structure and composition of the nanocomposites were characterized by Raman spectroscopy,BET surface area measurements,X-ray diffraction,transmission electron microscopy,and ultraviolet-visible absorption spectroscopy.The average size of the TiO2 nanoparticles on the graphene nanosheets was controlled at around 10-15 nm without using surfactant,which is attributed to the pyrolysis and condensation of dissolved TNB into TiO2 by ultrasonic irradiation.The catalytic activity of the composites under ultrasonic irradiation was determined using a rhodamine B (RhB) solution.The graphene-TiO2 composites possessed a high specific surface area,which increased the decolorization rate for RhB solution.This is because the graphene and TiO2 nanoparticles in the composites interact strongly,which enhances the photoelectric conversion of TiO2 by reducing the recombination ofphotogenerated electron-hole pairs.

Computer-aided ultrasonic inspection of steam turbine rotors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mayer, K H; Weber, M; Weiss, M [GEC ALSTHOM Energie GmbH, Nuremberg (Germany)

1999-12-31

As the output and economic value of power plants increase, the detection and sizing of the type of flaws liable to occur in the rotors of turbines using ultrasonic methods assumes increasing importance. An ultrasonic inspection carried out at considerable expense is expected to bring to light all safety-relevant flaws and to enable their size to be determined so as to permit a fracture-mechanics analysis to assess the reliability of the rotor under all possible stresses arising in operation with a high degree of accuracy. The advanced computer-aided ultrasonic inspection of steam turbine rotors have improved reliability, accuracy and reproducibility of ultrasonic inspection. Further, there has been an improvement in the resolution of resolvable group indications by applying reconstruction and imagine methods. In general, it is also true for the advanced computer-aided ultrasonic inspection methods that, in the case of flaw-affected forgings, automated data acquisition provides a substantial rationalization and a significant documentation of the results for the fracture mechanics assessment compared to manual inspection. (orig.) 8 refs.

Computer-aided ultrasonic inspection of steam turbine rotors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mayer, K.H.; Weber, M.; Weiss, M. [GEC ALSTHOM Energie GmbH, Nuremberg (Germany)

1998-12-31

As the output and economic value of power plants increase, the detection and sizing of the type of flaws liable to occur in the rotors of turbines using ultrasonic methods assumes increasing importance. An ultrasonic inspection carried out at considerable expense is expected to bring to light all safety-relevant flaws and to enable their size to be determined so as to permit a fracture-mechanics analysis to assess the reliability of the rotor under all possible stresses arising in operation with a high degree of accuracy. The advanced computer-aided ultrasonic inspection of steam turbine rotors have improved reliability, accuracy and reproducibility of ultrasonic inspection. Further, there has been an improvement in the resolution of resolvable group indications by applying reconstruction and imagine methods. In general, it is also true for the advanced computer-aided ultrasonic inspection methods that, in the case of flaw-affected forgings, automated data acquisition provides a substantial rationalization and a significant documentation of the results for the fracture mechanics assessment compared to manual inspection. (orig.) 8 refs.

Case studies in ultrasonic testing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prasad, V.; Satheesh, C.; Varde, P.V.

2015-01-01

Ultrasonic testing is widely used Non Destructive Testing (NDT) method and forms the essential part of In-service inspection programme of nuclear reactors. Main application of ultrasonic testing is for volumetric scanning of weld joints followed by thickness gauging of pipelines and pressure vessels. Research reactor Dhruva has completed the first In Service Inspection programme in which about 325 weld joints have been volumetrically scanned, in addition to thickness gauging of 300 meters of pipe lines of various sizes and about 24 nos of pressure vessels. Ultrasonic testing is also used for level measurements, distance measurements and cleaning and decontamination of tools. Two case studies are brought out in this paper in which ultrasonic testing is used successfully for identification of butterfly valve opening status and extent of choking in pipe lines in Dhruva reactor systems

Fourier Collocation Approach With Mesh Refinement Method for Simulating Transit-Time Ultrasonic Flowmeters Under Multiphase Flow Conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Simurda, Matej; Duggen, Lars; Basse, Nils T; Lassen, Benny

2018-02-01

A numerical model for transit-time ultrasonic flowmeters operating under multiphase flow conditions previously presented by us is extended by mesh refinement and grid point redistribution. The method solves modified first-order stress-velocity equations of elastodynamics with additional terms to account for the effect of the background flow. Spatial derivatives are calculated by a Fourier collocation scheme allowing the use of the fast Fourier transform, while the time integration is realized by the explicit third-order Runge-Kutta finite-difference scheme. The method is compared against analytical solutions and experimental measurements to verify the benefit of using mapped grids. Additionally, a study of clamp-on and in-line ultrasonic flowmeters operating under multiphase flow conditions is carried out.

Wear reduction through piezoelectrically-assisted ultrasonic lubrication

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dong, Sheng; J Dapino, Marcelo

2014-01-01

Traditional lubricants are undesirable in harsh aerospace environments and certain automotive applications. Ultrasonic vibrations can be used to reduce and modulate the effective friction coefficient between two sliding surfaces. This paper investigates the relationship between friction force reduction and wear reduction in ultrasonically lubricated surfaces. A pin-on-disc tribometer is modified through the addition of a piezoelectric transducer which vibrates the pin at 22 kHz in the direction perpendicular to the rotating disc surface. Friction and wear metrics including volume loss, surface roughness, friction forces and apparent stick-slip effects are measured without and with ultrasonic vibrations at three different sliding velocities. SEM imaging and 3D profilometry are used to characterize the wear surfaces and guide model development. Over the range of speeds considered, ultrasonic vibrations reduce the effective friction force up to 62% along with a wear reduction of up to 49%. A simple cube model previously developed to quantify friction force reduction is implemented which describes wear reduction within 15% of the experimental data. (paper)

A thinker's guide to ultrasonic imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Powis, R.L.; Powis, W.J.

1984-01-01

Bridging the gap between elementary physics and advanced ultrasonographic theory, this book provides the clinician with an indispensable tool for the most effective use of ultrasound equipment. It is directed to every individual who must take a transducer in hand, make an ultrasonic study, and interpret the visual results. It stands between the very rudimentary texts that provide simple basics and texts in advanced ultrasound science and applications. It is designed to provide an intermediate step in the continuing education of both physician and sonographer. Each chapter stands alone, yet is connected with the others by reference and suggested readings

Beginning of fish defrosting by using non-destructive ultrasonic technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Malainine, M; Faiz, B; Izbaim, D; Aboudaoud, I; Moudden, A; Maze, G

2012-01-01

During the experiments carried out on the monitoring and the study of fish defrosting by an ultrasonic technique, we have difficulties in detecting the beginning of the thawing which is an important criterion of fish quality control. To address this problem, we use the Singular Value Decomposition method (SVD) which is a mathematical tool that permits to separate the high and low energies of an histogram. The image representing low energy signals indicates the start of the thawing by showing an echo that was hidden in the original image for cod fish. Using transducers for central frequencies above 500 kHz the observed results are not very good. Therefore, this method is suitable for fish which fat content is medium or low.

Reproducibility problems of in-service ultrasonic testing results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Honcu, E.

1974-01-01

The reproducibility of the results of ultrasonic testing is the basic precondition for its successful application in in-service inspection of changes in the quality of components of nuclear power installations. The results of periodic ultrasonic inspections are not satisfactory from the point of view of reproducibility. Regardless, the ultrasonic pulse-type method is suitable for evaluating the quality of most components of nuclear installations and often the sole method which may be recommended for inspection with regard to its technical and economic aspects. (J.B.)

Detection of tissue coagulation by decorrelation of ultrasonic echo signals in cavitation-enhanced high-intensity focused ultrasound treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoshizawa, Shin; Matsuura, Keiko; Takagi, Ryo; Yamamoto, Mariko; Umemura, Shin-Ichiro

2016-01-01

A noninvasive technique to monitor thermal lesion formation is necessary to ensure the accuracy and safety of high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) treatment. The purpose of this study is to ultrasonically detect the tissue change due to thermal coagulation in the HIFU treatment enhanced by cavitation microbubbles. An ultrasound imaging probe transmitted plane waves at a center frequency of 4.5 MHz. Ultrasonic radio-frequency (RF) echo signals during HIFU exposure at a frequency of 1.2 MHz were acquired. Cross-correlation coefficients were calculated between in-phase and quadrature (IQ) data of two B-mode images with an interval time of 50 and 500 ms for the estimation of the region of cavitation and coagulation, respectively. Pathological examination of the coagulated tissue was also performed to compare with the corresponding ultrasonically detected coagulation region. The distribution of minimum hold cross-correlation coefficient between two sets of IQ data with 50-ms intervals was compared with a pulse inversion (PI) image. The regions with low cross-correlation coefficients approximately corresponded to those with high brightness in the PI image. The regions with low cross-correlation coefficients in 500-ms intervals showed a good agreement with those with significant change in histology. The results show that the regions of coagulation and cavitation could be ultrasonically detected as those with low cross-correlation coefficients between RF frames with certain intervals. This method will contribute to improve the safety and accuracy of the HIFU treatment enhanced by cavitation microbubbles.

An ultrasonic-accelerated oxidation method for determining the oxidative stability of biodiesel.

Science.gov (United States)

Avila Orozco, Francisco D; Sousa, Antonio C; Domini, Claudia E; Ugulino Araujo, Mario Cesar; Fernández Band, Beatriz S

2013-05-01

Biodiesel is considered an alternative energy because it is produced from fats and vegetable oils by means of transesterification. Furthermore, it consists of fatty acid alkyl esters (FAAS) which have a great influence on biodiesel fuel properties and in the storage lifetime of biodiesel itself. The biodiesel storage stability is directly related to the oxidative stability parameter (Induction Time - IT) which is determined by means of the Rancimat® method. This method uses condutimetric monitoring and induces the degradation of FAAS by heating the sample at a constant temperature. The European Committee for Standardization established a standard (EN 14214) to determine the oxidative stability of biodiesel, which requires it to reach a minimum induction period of 6h as tested by Rancimat® method at 110°C. In this research, we aimed at developing a fast and simple alternative method to determine the induction time (IT) based on the FAAS ultrasonic-accelerated oxidation. The sonodegradation of biodiesel samples was induced by means of an ultrasonic homogenizer fitted with an immersible horn at 480Watts of power and 20 duty cycles. The UV-Vis spectrometry was used to monitor the FAAS sonodegradation by measuring the absorbance at 270nm every 2. Biodiesel samples from different feedstock were studied in this work. In all cases, IT was established as the inflection point of the absorbance versus time curve. The induction time values of all biodiesel samples determined using the proposed method was in accordance with those measured through the Rancimat® reference method by showing a R(2)=0.998. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Development of pulse-echo ultrasonic propagation imaging system and its delivery to Korea Air Force

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmed, Hasan; Hong, Seung-Chan; Lee, Jung-Ryul; Park, Jongwoon; Ihn, Jeong-Beom

2017-04-01

This paper proposes a full-field pulse-echo ultrasonic propagation imaging (FF-PE-UPI) system for non-destructive evaluation of structural defects. The system works by detection of bulk waves that travel through the thickness of a specimen. This is achieved by joining the laser beams for the ultrasonic wave generation and sensing. This enables accurate and clear damage assessment and defect localization in the thickness with minimum signal processing since bulk waves are less susceptible to dispersion during short propagation through the thickness. The system consists of a Qswitched laser for generating the aforementioned waves, a laser Doppler vibrometer (LDV) for sensing, optical elements to combine the generating and sensing laser beams, a dual-axis automated translation stage for raster scanning of the specimen and a digitizer to record the signals. A graphical user interface (GUI) is developed to control all the individual blocks of the system. Additionally, the software also manages signal acquisition, processing, and display. The GUI is created in C++ using the QT framework. In view of the requirements posed by the Korean Air Force(KAF), the system is designed to be compact and portable to allow for in situ inspection of a selected area of a larger structure such as radome or rudder of an aircraft. The GUI is designed with a minimalistic approach to promote usability and adaptability while masking the intricacies of actual system operation. Through the use of multithreading the software is able to show the results while a specimen is still being scanned. This is achieved by real-time and concurrent acquisition, processing, and display of ultrasonic signal of the latest scan point in the scan area.

Micromachined capacitive ultrasonic immersion transducer array

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Xuecheng

Capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers (cMUTs) have emerged as an attractive alternative to conventional piezoelectric ultrasonic transducers. They offer performance advantages of wide bandwidth and sensitivity that have heretofore been attainable. In addition, micromachining technology, which has benefited from the fast-growing microelectronics industry, enables cMUT array fabrication and electronics integration. This thesis describes the design and fabrication of micromachined capacitive ultrasonic immersion transducer arrays. The basic transducer electrical equivalent circuit is derived from Mason's theory. The effects of Lamb waves and Stoneley waves on cross coupling and acoustic losses are discussed. Electrical parasitics such as series resistance and shunt capacitance are also included in the model of the transducer. Transducer fabrication technology is systematically studied. Device dimension control in both vertical and horizontal directions, process alternatives and variations in membrane formation, via etch and cavity sealing, and metalization as well as their impact on transducer performance are summarized. Both 64 and 128 element 1-D array transducers are fabricated. Transducers are characterized in terms of electrical input impedance, bandwidth, sensitivity, dynamic range, impulse response and angular response, and their performance is compared with theoretical simulation. Various schemes for cross coupling reduction is analyzed, implemented, and verified with both experiments and theory. Preliminary results of immersion imaging are presented using 64 elements 1-D array transducers for active source imaging.

Assessing ultrasonic examination results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deutsch, V.; Vogt, M.

1977-01-01

Amongst nondestructive examination methods, the ultrasonic examination plays an important role. The reason why its scope of application is so wide is because the sound conducting capacity is the only property the material of a test specimen has to have. As the fields are so manifold, only main aspects can be described briefly. The list of references, however, is very extensive and gives plenty of information of all the problems concerning the assessment of ultrasonic examination results. (orig./RW) [de

Improvement of ultrasonic examination using the Spartacus system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Benoist, P.; Chapuis, N.; Cartier, F.; Pincemaille, G.

1992-01-01

Improved computer technology and technical advances in data analysis have significantly modified the methods employed to perform ultrasonic inspections. The SPARTACUS system developed by the CEA (French Atomic Agency) in an example of this progress. The nerve center of the system is a graphic workstation. The system permits full digitization of waveform while retaining high data acquisition rates of conventional system. In addition, it enables ultra fast analysis with comprehensive interactive imaging including signal processing (filtering, correlation, deconvolution...), image processing, spectrum analysis, automatic edition of report, 3D presentation. This system is now use during In-Service Inspection with MIS (In-Service Inspection Machine). Some examples of applications are shown: improvement in sizing capabilities, examination of austenitic weldments; thickness measurement (tube applications...), automatic detection

Nonlinear ultrasonic stimulated thermography for damage assessment in isotropic fatigued structures

Science.gov (United States)

Fierro, Gian Piero Malfense; Calla', Danielle; Ginzburg, Dmitri; Ciampa, Francesco; Meo, Michele

2017-09-01

Traditional non-destructive evaluation (NDE) and structural health monitoring (SHM) systems are used to analyse that a structure is free of any harmful damage. However, these techniques still lack sensitivity to detect the presence of material micro-flaws in the form of fatigue damage and often require time-consuming procedures and expensive equipment. This research work presents a novel "nonlinear ultrasonic stimulated thermography" (NUST) method able to overcome some of the limitations of traditional linear ultrasonic/thermography NDE-SHM systems and to provide a reliable, rapid and cost effective estimation of fatigue damage in isotropic materials. Such a hybrid imaging approach combines the high sensitivity of nonlinear acoustic/ultrasonic techniques to detect micro-damage, with local defect frequency selection and infrared imaging. When exciting structures with an optimised frequency, nonlinear elastic waves are observed and higher frictional work at the fatigue damaged area is generated due to clapping and rubbing of the crack faces. This results in heat at cracked location that can be measured using an infrared camera. A Laser Vibrometer (LV) was used to evaluate the extent that individual frequency components contribute to the heating of the damage region by quantifying the out-of-plane velocity associated with the fundamental and second order harmonic responses. It was experimentally demonstrated the relationship between a nonlinear ultrasound parameter (βratio) of the material nonlinear response to the actual temperature rises near the crack. These results demonstrated that heat generation at damaged regions could be amplified by exciting at frequencies that provide nonlinear responses, thus improving the imaging of material damage and the reliability of NUST in a quick and reproducible manner.

Full-field ultrasonic inspection for a composite sandwich plate skin-core debonding detection using laser-based ultrasonics

Science.gov (United States)

Chong, See Yenn; Victor, Jared J.; Todd, Michael D.

2017-04-01

In this paper, a full-field ultrasonic guided wave method is proposed to inspect a composite sandwich specimen made for an aircraft engine nacelle. The back skin/core interface of the specimen is built with two fabricated disbond defects (diameters of 12.7 mm and 25.4 mm) by removing areas of the adhesive used to bond the back skin to the core. A laser ultrasonic interrogation system (LUIS) incorporated with a disbond detection algorithm is developed. The system consists of a 1-kHz laser ultrasonic scanning system and a single fixed ultrasonic sensor to interrogate ultrasonic guided waves in the sandwich specimen. The interest area of 400 mm × 400 mm is scanned at a 0.5 mm scan interval. The corresponding full-field ultrasonic data is obtained and generated in the three-dimensional (3-D) space-time domain. Then, the 3-D full-field ultrasonic data is Fourier transformed and the ultrasonic frequency spectra are analyzed to determine the dominant frequency that is sensitive to the disbond defects. Continuous wavelet transform (CWT) based on fast Fourier transform (FFT) is implemented as a single-frequency bandpass filter to filter the full-field ultrasonic data in the 3-D space-time domain at the selected dominant frequency. The LUIS has shown the ability to detect the disbond with diameters of 11 mm and 23 mm which match to the pre-determined disbond sizes well. For future research, a robust signal processing algorithm and a model-based matched filter will be investigated to make the detection process autonomous and improve detectability

Dynamic analysis of ultrasonically levitated droplet with moving particle semi-implicit and distributed point source method

Science.gov (United States)

Wada, Yuji; Yuge, Kohei; Nakamura, Ryohei; Tanaka, Hiroki; Nakamura, Kentaro

2015-07-01

Numerical analysis of an ultrasonically levitated droplet with a free surface boundary is discussed. The droplet is known to change its shape from sphere to spheroid when it is suspended in a standing wave owing to the acoustic radiation force. However, few studies on numerical simulation have been reported in association with this phenomenon including fluid dynamics inside the droplet. In this paper, coupled analysis using the distributed point source method (DPSM) and the moving particle semi-implicit (MPS) method, both of which do not require grids or meshes to handle the moving boundary with ease, is suggested. A droplet levitated in a plane standing wave field between a piston-vibrating ultrasonic transducer and a reflector is simulated with the DPSM-MPS coupled method. The dynamic change in the spheroidal shape of the droplet is successfully reproduced numerically, and the gravitational center and the change in the spheroidal aspect ratio are discussed and compared with the previous literature.

Study on electrical impedance matching for broadband ultrasonic transducer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Geon Woo [University of Science and Technology, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Ki Bok [Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science, Center for Safety Measurement, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Baek, Kwang Sae [Elache Co., Busan (Korea, Republic of)

2017-02-15

Ultrasonic transducers with high resolution and resonant frequency are required to detect small defects (less than hundreds of μm) by ultrasonic testing. The resonance frequency and resolution of an ultrasonic transducer are closely related to the thickness of piezo-electric materials, backing materials, and the electric impedance matching technique. Among these factors, electrical impedance matching plays an important role because it can reduce the loss and reflection of ultrasonic energy differences in electrical impedance between an ultrasonic transducer and an ultrasonic defects detecting system. An LC matching circuit is the most frequently used electric matching method. It is necessary for the electrical impedance of an ultrasonic transducer to correspond to approximately 50 Ω to compensate the difference in electrical impedance between both connections. In this study, a 15 MHz immersion ultrasonic transducer was fabricated and an LC electrical impedance circuit was applied to that for having broad-band frequency characteristic.

Development of the Automated Ultrasonic Testing System for Inspection of the flaw in the Socket Weldment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Jeong Ki; Park, Moon Ho; Park, Ki Sung; Lee, Jae Ho; Lim, Sung Jin

2004-01-01

Socket weldment used to change the flow direction of fluid nay have flaws such as lack of fusion and cracks. Liquid penetrant testing or Radiography testing have been applied as NDT methods for flaw detection of the socket weldment. But it is difficult to detect the flaw inside of the socket weldment with these methods. In order to inspect the flaws inside the socket weldment, a ultrasonic testing method is established and a ultrasonic transducer and automated ultrasonic testing system are developed for the inspection. The automated ultrasonic testing system is based on the portable personal computer and operated by the program based Windows 98 or 2000. The system has a pulser/receiver, 100MHz high speed A/D board, and basic functions of ultrasonic flaw detector using the program. For the automated testing, motion controller board of ISA interface type is developed to control the 4-axis scanner and a real time iC-scan image of the automated testing is displayed on the monitor. A flaws with the size of less than 1mm in depth are evaluated smaller than its actual site in the testing, but the flaws larger than 1mm appear larger than its actual size on the contrary. This tendency is shown to be increasing as the flaw size increases. h reliable and objective testing results are obtained with the developed system, so that it is expected that it can contribute to safety management and detection of repair position of pipe lines of nuclear power plants and chemical plants

Feasibility Study on Ultrasonic Waveguide Sensor for Under-Sodium Visualization of Sodium Fast Reactor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Joo, Young-Sang; Park, Chang-Gyu; Lee, Jae-Han; Lim, Sa-Hoe

2008-01-15

The reactor core and internal structures of a sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR) can not be visually examined due to the opaque sodium. The examination of the internal structures is possible by using ultrasonics to penetrate the sodium. The under-sodium viewing technique using an ultrasonic wave should be applied for the in-service inspection of the reactor internals. Immersion sensors and waveguide sensors have been utilized for the under-sodium viewing application. The immersion sensor has a precise imaging capability, but may have high temperature restrictions and an uncertain life. The waveguide sensor can operate in a hostile environment, such as liquid metal at a high temperature in the presence of high radiation. The waveguide sensor has the advantages of simplicity and reliability, but limits in its movement. A new plate-type waveguide sensor has been developed to overcome the limitations of previous waveguide sensors. And a novel ultrasonic technique has been suggested. The technique is capable of steering a radiation beam of a waveguide sensor without a mechanical movement of the waveguide sensor. The control of the radiation beam angle can be achieved by a frequency tuning method of the excitation pulse in the dispersive low frequency range of the A{sub 0} Lamb wave. A waveguide sensor assembly has been designed for the actual application of undersodium visual inspection in sodium-cooled fast reactor. The main purpose of this study is achievement of feasibility of ultrasonic waveguide sensor technology to the application of undersodium viewing. Under-water C-scan imaging test was carried out by using 10 m long waveguide sensor assembly. It was confirmed that the test target could be clearly visualized and the resolution of C-scan image could be less than 2 mm.

Feasibility Study on Ultrasonic Waveguide Sensor for Under-Sodium Visualization of Sodium Fast Reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Joo, Young-Sang; Park, Chang-Gyu; Lee, Jae-Han; Lim, Sa-Hoe

2008-01-01

The reactor core and internal structures of a sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR) can not be visually examined due to the opaque sodium. The examination of the internal structures is possible by using ultrasonics to penetrate the sodium. The under-sodium viewing technique using an ultrasonic wave should be applied for the in-service inspection of the reactor internals. Immersion sensors and waveguide sensors have been utilized for the under-sodium viewing application. The immersion sensor has a precise imaging capability, but may have high temperature restrictions and an uncertain life. The waveguide sensor can operate in a hostile environment, such as liquid metal at a high temperature in the presence of high radiation. The waveguide sensor has the advantages of simplicity and reliability, but limits in its movement. A new plate-type waveguide sensor has been developed to overcome the limitations of previous waveguide sensors. And a novel ultrasonic technique has been suggested. The technique is capable of steering a radiation beam of a waveguide sensor without a mechanical movement of the waveguide sensor. The control of the radiation beam angle can be achieved by a frequency tuning method of the excitation pulse in the dispersive low frequency range of the A 0 Lamb wave. A waveguide sensor assembly has been designed for the actual application of undersodium visual inspection in sodium-cooled fast reactor. The main purpose of this study is achievement of feasibility of ultrasonic waveguide sensor technology to the application of undersodium viewing. Under-water C-scan imaging test was carried out by using 10 m long waveguide sensor assembly. It was confirmed that the test target could be clearly visualized and the resolution of C-scan image could be less than 2 mm

Stand for visual ultrasonic testing of spent fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Czajkowski, W.; Borek-Kruszewska, E.

2001-01-01

A stand for visual and ultrasonic testing of spent fuel, constructed under Strategic Governmental Programme for management of spent fuel and radioactive waste, is presented in the paper. The stand, named 'STEND-1', built up at the Institute of Atomic Energy in Swjerk, is appointed for underwater visual testing of spent fuel elements type MR6 and WWR by means of TV-CCD camera and image processing system and for ultrasonic scanning of external surface of these elements by means of video scan immersion transducer and straight UHT connector. 'STEND-1' is built using flexible in use, high-tensile, anodized aluminum profiles. All the profiles feature longitudinal grooves to accommodate connecting elements and for the attachment of accessories at any position. They are also characterised by straight-through core bores for use with standard fastening elements and to accommodate accessory components. Stand, equipped with automatic control and processing system based on personal computer, may be manually or automatically controlled. Control system of movements of the camera in the vertical axis and rotational movement of spent fuel element permits to fix chosen location of fuel element with accuracy better than 0.1 mm. High resolution of ultrasonic method allows to record damages of outer surface of order 0.1 mm. The results of visual testing of spent fuel are recorded on video tape and then may be stored on the hard disc of the personal computer and presented in shape of photo or picture. Only selected damage surfaces of spent fuel elements are tested by means of ultrasonic scanning. All possibilities of the stand and results of visual testing of spent fuel type WWR are presented in the paper. (author)

Concrete Infill Monitoring in Concrete-Filled FRP Tubes Using a PZT-Based Ultrasonic Time-of-Flight Method.

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Mingzhang; Li, Weijie; Hei, Chuang; Song, Gangbing

2016-12-07

Concrete-filled fiber-reinforced polymer tubes (CFFTs) have attracted interest for their structural applications in corrosive environments. However, a weak interfacial strength between the fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) tube and the concrete infill may develop due to concrete shrinkage and inadequate concrete compaction during concrete casting, which will destroy the confinement effect and thereby reduce the load bearing capacity of a CFFT. In this paper, the lead zirconate titanate (PZT)-based ultrasonic time-of-flight (TOF) method was adopted to assess the concrete infill condition of CFFTs. The basic idea of this method is that the velocity of the ultrasonic wave propagation in the FRP material is about half of that in concrete material. Any voids or debonding created along the interface between the FRP tube and the concrete will delay the arrival time between the pairs of PZT transducers. A comparison of the arrival times of the PZT pairs between the intact and the defected CFFT was made to assess the severity of the voids or the debonding. The feasibility of the methodology was analyzed using a finite-difference time-domain-based numerical simulation. Experiments were setup to validate the numerical results, which showed good agreement with the numerical findings. The results showed that the ultrasonic time-of-flight method is able to detect the concrete infill condition of CFFTs.

Concrete Infill Monitoring in Concrete-Filled FRP Tubes Using a PZT-Based Ultrasonic Time-of-Flight Method

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Mingzhang; Li, Weijie; Hei, Chuang; Song, Gangbing

2016-01-01

Concrete-filled fiber-reinforced polymer tubes (CFFTs) have attracted interest for their structural applications in corrosive environments. However, a weak interfacial strength between the fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) tube and the concrete infill may develop due to concrete shrinkage and inadequate concrete compaction during concrete casting, which will destroy the confinement effect and thereby reduce the load bearing capacity of a CFFT. In this paper, the lead zirconate titanate (PZT)-based ultrasonic time-of-flight (TOF) method was adopted to assess the concrete infill condition of CFFTs. The basic idea of this method is that the velocity of the ultrasonic wave propagation in the FRP material is about half of that in concrete material. Any voids or debonding created along the interface between the FRP tube and the concrete will delay the arrival time between the pairs of PZT transducers. A comparison of the arrival times of the PZT pairs between the intact and the defected CFFT was made to assess the severity of the voids or the debonding. The feasibility of the methodology was analyzed using a finite-difference time-domain-based numerical simulation. Experiments were setup to validate the numerical results, which showed good agreement with the numerical findings. The results showed that the ultrasonic time-of-flight method is able to detect the concrete infill condition of CFFTs. PMID:27941617

Catalytic activity of acid and base with different concentration on sol-gel kinetics of silica by ultrasonic method.

Science.gov (United States)

Das, R K; Das, M

2015-09-01

The effects of both acid (acetic acid) and base (ammonia) catalysts in varying on the sol-gel synthesis of SiO2 nanoparticles using tetra ethyl ortho silicate (TEOS) as a precursor was determined by ultrasonic method. The ultrasonic velocity was received by pulsar receiver. The ultrasonic velocity in the sol and the parameter ΔT (time difference between the original pulse and first back wall echo of the sol) was varied with time of gelation. The graphs of ln[ln1/ΔT] vs ln(t), indicate two region - nonlinear region and a linear region. The time corresponds to the point at which the non-linear region change to linear region is considered as gel time for the respective solutions. Gelation time is found to be dependent on the concentration and types of catalyst and is found from the graphs based on Avrami equation. The rate of condensation is found to be faster for base catalyst. The gelation process was also characterized by viscosity measurement. Normal sol-gel process was also carried out along with the ultrasonic one to compare the effectiveness of ultrasonic. The silica gel was calcined and the powdered sample was characterized with scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectra, X-ray diffractogram, and FTIR spectroscopy. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Experimental Development and Demonstration of Ultrasonic Measurement Diagnostics for Sodium Fast Reactor Thermal-hydraulics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tokuhiro, Akira; Jones, Byron

2013-09-13

This research project will address some of the principal technology issues related to sodium-cooled fast reactors (SFR), primarily the development and demonstration of ultrasonic measurement diagnostics linked to effective thermal convective sensing under normatl and off-normal conditions. Sodium is well-suited as a heat transfer medium for the SFR. However, because it is chemically reactive and optically opaque, it presents engineering accessibility constraints relative to operations and maintenance (O&M) and in-service inspection (ISI) technologies that are currently used for light water reactors. Thus, there are limited sensing options for conducting thermohydraulic measurements under normal conditions and off-normal events (maintenance, unanticipated events). Acoustic methods, primarily ultrasonics, are a key measurement technology with applications in non-destructive testing, component imaging, thermometry, and velocimetry. THis project would have yielded a better quantitative and qualitative understanding of the thermohydraulic condition of solium under varied flow conditions. THe scope of work will evaluate and demonstrate ultrasonic technologies and define instrumentation options for the SFR.

CA.C.I.U.S.: Ultrasonic C imaging camera. Contribution to its study and its realization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moretti, Jean-Luc

1980-10-01

CA.C.I.U.S. is a dynamic imaging three-dimensional echographic camera. This device provides automatic C images which are frontal slices, orthogonal to the ultrasonic propagation. The detector has a cylindrical shape, its focal length of 250 mm and its size is 220 x 143 mm. The useful field is less large (170 x 143 mm) regarding the impossibility to use entirely the 73 elements electronic pattern on the edges. The emitting array is done in two parts. These two parts. The receiver is an electronically focused mono-dimensional array made of 147 elements (0,8 x 5 mm 2 ) spaced 0,7 mm apart, placed between the emitting arrays. These two arrays contain 22 strips of ten bent transducers (10 x 13,7 mm 2 ). The receiver elements are protected form the water of the tank by a loaded araldite layer of λ/4 thickness which allows a better uniformity response with the reception angle. The array elements are matched to 2.2 MHz, the basking is made of a multilayer plastic material (CELORON). This device allows a geometric focalization of the emission. The thickness of each slice C is 2 ± 0,5 cm, depending on its place in the frontal place (better in the center) and on the weighing factors adjusted at the back of the emitting array. The spatial resolution is 1.5 mm (F. W.H.M.) in the two axis orthogonal to the ultrasonic propagation. Several receivers were made. The electronic pattern was optimized by computer study, its results showed an improving of the image definition. Logarithmic amplifiers were used behind each element to allow simultaneous analysis of small echoes coming from the tissue itself and big boundary echoes. The array was placed in a tank filled with water closed by a double membrane. The visualization was obtained in a grey scale dynamic memory. Several emission reception synchronizations were studied. The slowest mode (1 image by second) gave the best signal on noise ratio. CA.C.I.U.S. demonstrates the reality of the slow dynamic C echography and the necessity

Interfacial Dynamics of Condensing Vapor Bubbles in an Ultrasonic Acoustic Field

Science.gov (United States)

Boziuk, Thomas; Smith, Marc; Glezer, Ari

2016-11-01

Enhancement of vapor condensation in quiescent subcooled liquid using ultrasonic actuation is investigated experimentally. The vapor bubbles are formed by direct injection from a pressurized steam reservoir through nozzles of varying characteristic diameters, and are advected within an acoustic field of programmable intensity. While kHz-range acoustic actuation typically couples to capillary instability of the vapor-liquid interface, ultrasonic (MHz-range) actuation leads to the formation of a liquid spout that penetrates into the vapor bubble and significantly increases its surface area and therefore condensation rate. Focusing of the ultrasonic beam along the spout leads to ejection of small-scale droplets from that are propelled towards the vapor liquid interface and result in localized acceleration of the condensation. High-speed video of Schlieren images is used to investigate the effects of the ultrasonic actuation on the thermal boundary layer on the liquid side of the vapor-liquid interface and its effect on the condensation rate, and the liquid motion during condensation is investigated using high-magnification PIV measurements. High-speed image processing is used to assess the effect of the actuation on the dynamics and temporal variation in characteristic scale (and condensation rate) of the vapor bubbles.

Fast ultrasonic imaging in a liquid filled pipe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kolbe, W.F.; Turko, B.T.; Leskovar, B.

1986-01-01

A new method is described for the imaging of the interior of a liquid filled metallic pipe using acoustical techniques. The experimental system incorporates an array of 20 acoustical transducers and is capable of capturing the images of moving bubbles at a frame rate in excess of 300/s. The transducers are mounted circumferentially around the pipe. Each transducer is pulsed in sequence, and the echoes reflected from vapor bubbles in the interior are detected, digitized and processed by a computer to generate an image. The high rate of speed was achieved by the use of newly developed software and electronic circuitry. This approach has eliminated most of the spurious echo signals which degraded the performance of previous imaging systems. The capability of the method is illustrated by imaging actual vapor bubbles in rapid sequence in the pipe. The described imaging system is used to examine reactor cooling systems

Simultaneous in vivo imaging of diffuse optical reflectance, optoacoustic pressure and ultrasonic scattering (Conference Presentation)

Science.gov (United States)

Subochev, Pavel V.; Orlova, Anna G.; Turchin, Ilya V.

2017-03-01

We will present reflection-mode bioimaging system providing complementary optical, photoacsoutic and acoustic measurements by acoustic detector after each laser pulse with 2kHz repetition rate. The photons absorbed within the biological tissue provide optoacoustic (OA) signals, the photons absorbed by the external electrode of a detector provide the measurable diffuse reflectance (DR) from the sample and the probing ultrasonic (US) pulse. To demonstrate the in vivo capabilities of the system we performed complementary DR/OA/US imaging of small laboratory animals and human palm with 3.5mm/50μm/35μm lateral resolution at up to 3 mm diagnostic depth. Functional OA and DR imaging demonstrated the levels of tissue vascularization and blood supply. Structural US imaging was essential for understanding the position of vessels and zones with different perfusion. Before BiOS-2017 we plan to accomplish more in vivo experiments validating the developed triple-modality system as diagnostic tool to detect vascularization as well as mechanisms of vascular changes when monitoring response to therapy.

Review of ultrasonic irrigation in endodontics: increasing action of irrigating solutions

Science.gov (United States)

Mozo, Sandra; Llena, Carmen

2012-01-01

Introduction: Effective irrigant delivery and agitation are prerequisites for successful endodontic treatment. Ultrasonic irrigation can be performed with or without simultaneous ultrasonic instrumentation. Existing literature reveals that ultrasonic irrigation may have a very positive effect on chemical, biological and physical debridement of the root canal system as investigated in many in vitro studies. Objective: The purpose of this review article was to summarize and discuss the available information concerning ultrasonic irrigation in endodontics. Methods: This article presents an overview of ultrasonic irrigation methods and their debridement efficacy. In this paper the relevant literature on passive ultrasonic irrigation is reviewed. Information from original scientific papers or reviews listed in MEDLINE and Cochrane were included in the review. Results: The use of ultrasound in the irrigation procedure results in improved canal cleanliness, better irrigant transfer to the canal system, soft tissue debridement, and removal of smear layer and bacteria. There are many in vitro studies, but there is a need to standardize protocols, and correlate the clinical efficacy of ultrasonic devices with improved treatment outcomes. Understanding the basis of ultrasonic irrigation is fundamental for clinicians and researchers to improve the design and use of ultrasonic irrigation. Key words:Ultrasonic irrigation, ultrasound, smear layer, endodontics. PMID:22143738

Physical mechanisms of megahertz vibrations and nonlinear detection in ultrasonic force and related microscopies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bosse, J. L.; Huey, B. D. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, 97 North Eagleville Road, Unit 3136, Storrs, Connecticut 06269-3136 (United States); Tovee, P. D.; Kolosov, O. V., E-mail: o.kolosov@lancaster.ac.uk [Department of Physics, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YB (United Kingdom)

2014-04-14

Use of high frequency (HF) vibrations at MHz frequencies in Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) advanced nanoscale property mapping to video rates, allowed use of cantilever dynamics for mapping nanomechanical properties of stiff materials, sensing μs time scale phenomena in nanostructures, and enabled detection of subsurface features with nanoscale resolution. All of these methods critically depend on the generally poor characterized HF behaviour of AFM cantilevers in contact with a studied sample, spatial and frequency response of piezotransducers, and transfer of ultrasonic vibrations between the probe and a specimen. Focusing particularly on Ultrasonic Force Microscopy (UFM), this work is also applicable to waveguide UFM, heterodyne force microscopy, and near-field holographic microscopy, all methods that exploit nonlinear tip-surface force interactions at high frequencies. Leveraging automated multidimensional measurements, spectroscopic UFM (sUFM) is introduced to investigate a range of common experimental parameters, including piezotransducer excitation frequency, probed position, ultrasonic amplitude, cantilever geometry, spring constant, and normal force. Consistent with studies of influence of each of these factors, the data-rich sUFM signatures allow efficient optimization of ultrasonic-AFM based measurements, leading to best practices recommendations of using longer cantilevers with lower fundamental resonance, while at the same time increasing the central frequency of HF piezo-actuators, and only comparing results within areas on the order of few μm{sup 2} unless calibrated directly or compared with in-the-imaged area standards. Diverse materials such as Si, Cr, and photoresist are specifically investigated. This work thereby provides essential insight into the reliable use of MHz vibrations with AFM and provides direct evidence substantiating phenomena such as sensitivity to adhesion, diminished friction for certain ultrasonic conditions, and the

Physical mechanisms of megahertz vibrations and nonlinear detection in ultrasonic force and related microscopies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bosse, J. L.; Huey, B. D.; Tovee, P. D.; Kolosov, O. V.

2014-01-01

Use of high frequency (HF) vibrations at MHz frequencies in Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) advanced nanoscale property mapping to video rates, allowed use of cantilever dynamics for mapping nanomechanical properties of stiff materials, sensing μs time scale phenomena in nanostructures, and enabled detection of subsurface features with nanoscale resolution. All of these methods critically depend on the generally poor characterized HF behaviour of AFM cantilevers in contact with a studied sample, spatial and frequency response of piezotransducers, and transfer of ultrasonic vibrations between the probe and a specimen. Focusing particularly on Ultrasonic Force Microscopy (UFM), this work is also applicable to waveguide UFM, heterodyne force microscopy, and near-field holographic microscopy, all methods that exploit nonlinear tip-surface force interactions at high frequencies. Leveraging automated multidimensional measurements, spectroscopic UFM (sUFM) is introduced to investigate a range of common experimental parameters, including piezotransducer excitation frequency, probed position, ultrasonic amplitude, cantilever geometry, spring constant, and normal force. Consistent with studies of influence of each of these factors, the data-rich sUFM signatures allow efficient optimization of ultrasonic-AFM based measurements, leading to best practices recommendations of using longer cantilevers with lower fundamental resonance, while at the same time increasing the central frequency of HF piezo-actuators, and only comparing results within areas on the order of few μm 2 unless calibrated directly or compared with in-the-imaged area standards. Diverse materials such as Si, Cr, and photoresist are specifically investigated. This work thereby provides essential insight into the reliable use of MHz vibrations with AFM and provides direct evidence substantiating phenomena such as sensitivity to adhesion, diminished friction for certain ultrasonic conditions, and the particular

A novel polyol method to synthesize colloidal silver nanoparticles by ultrasonic irradiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Byeon, Jeong Hoon; Kim, Young-Woo

2012-01-01

A polyol synthesis of silver nanoparticles in the presence of ultrasonic irradiation was compared with other configurations (at ambient temperature, 120° C, and 120 °C with injected solutions) in the absence of ultrasonic irradiation in order to obtain systematic results for morphology and size distribution. For applying ultrasonic irradiation, rather fine and uniform spherical silver particles (21±3.7 nm) were obtained in a simple (at ambient temperature without mechanical stirring) and fast (within 4 min, 3.61×10(-3) mol min(-1)) manner than other cases (at ambient temperature (for 8 h, 0.03×10(-3) mol min(-1)): 86±16.8 nm, 120 °C (for 12 min, 1.16×10(-3) mol min(-1)): 64±14.9 nm, and 120 °C with injected solutions (during 12 min): 35±6.8 nm; all other cases contained anisotropic shaped particles). Even though the temperature of polyol reaction reached only at 80 °C (silver particle and surrounding components) by ultrasonic irradiation might induce a better formation kinetics and morphological uniformity. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Local Interaction Simulation Approach for Fault Detection in Medical Ultrasonic Transducers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Z. Hashemiyan

2015-01-01

Full Text Available A new approach is proposed for modelling medical ultrasonic transducers operating in air. The method is based on finite elements and the local interaction simulation approach. The latter leads to significant reductions of computational costs. Transmission and reception properties of the transducer are analysed using in-air reverberation patterns. The proposed approach can help to provide earlier detection of transducer faults and their identification, reducing the risk of misdiagnosis due to poor image quality.

High Resolution Ultrasonic Method for 3D Fingerprint Recognizable Characteristics in Biometrics Identification

Science.gov (United States)

Maev, R. Gr.; Bakulin, E. Yu.; Maeva, A.; Severin, F.

Biometrics is a rapidly evolving scientific and applied discipline that studies possible ways of personal identification by means of unique biological characteristics. Such identification is important in various situations requiring restricted access to certain areas, information and personal data and for cases of medical emergencies. A number of automated biometric techniques have been developed, including fingerprint, hand shape, eye and facial recognition, thermographic imaging, etc. All these techniques differ in the recognizable parameters, usability, accuracy and cost. Among these, fingerprint recognition stands alone since a very large database of fingerprints has already been acquired. Also, fingerprints are key evidence left at a crime scene and can be used to indentify suspects. Therefore, of all automated biometric techniques, especially in the field of law enforcement, fingerprint identification seems to be the most promising. We introduce a newer development of the ultrasonic fingerprint imaging. The proposed method obtains a scan only once and then varies the C-scan gate position and width to visualize acoustic reflections from any appropriate depth inside the skin. Also, B-scans and A-scans can be recreated from any position using such data array, which gives the control over the visualization options. By setting the C-scan gate deeper inside the skin, distribution of the sweat pores (which are located along the ridges) can be easily visualized. This distribution should be unique for each individual so this provides a means of personal identification, which is not affected by any changes (accidental or intentional) of the fingers' surface conditions. This paper discusses different setups, acoustic parameters of the system, signal and image processing options and possible ways of 3-dimentional visualization that could be used as a recognizable characteristic in biometric identification.

Design of ultrasonic probe and evaluation of ultrasonic waves on E.coli in Sour Cherry Juice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B Hosseinzadeh Samani

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Introduction: The common method used for juice pasteurization is the thermal method since thermal methods contribute highly to inactivating microbes. However, applying high temperatures would lead to inefficient effects on nutrition and food value. Such effects may include vitamin loss, nutritional flavor loss, non-enzyme browning, and protein reshaping (Kuldiloke, 2002. In order to decrease the adverse effects of the thermal pasteurization method, other methods capable of inactivation of microorganisms can be applied. In doing so, non-thermal methods including pasteurization using high hydrostatic pressure processing (HPP, electrical fields, and ultrasound waves are of interest (Chen and Tseng, 1996. The reason for diminishing microbial count in the presence of ultrasonic waves could be due to the burst of very tiny bubbles developed by ultrasounds which expand quickly and burst in a short time. Due to this burst, special temperature and pressure conditions are developed which could initiate or intensify several physical and/or chemical reactions. The aim of this study is to evaluate the non-thermal ultrasonic method and its effective factors on the E.coli bacteria of sour cherry. Materials and methods: In order to supply uniform ultrasonic waves, a 1000 W electric generator (Model MPI, Switzerland working at 20±1 kHz frequency was used. The aim of this study is to evaluate the non-thermal ultrasonic method and its effective factors on the E.coli bacteria of sour cherry. For this purpose, a certain amount of sour cherry fruit was purchased from local markets. First, the fruits were washed, cleaned and cored. The prepared fruits were then dewatered using an electric juicer. In order to separate pulp suspensions and tissue components, the extracted juice was poured into a centrifuge with the speed of 6000 rpm for 20 min. For complete separation of the remaining suspended particles, the transparent portion of the extract was passed through a

Quadrature demodulation based circuit implementation of pulse stream for ultrasonic signal FRI sparse sampling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shoupeng, Song; Zhou, Jiang

2017-01-01

Converting ultrasonic signal to ultrasonic pulse stream is the key step of finite rate of innovation (FRI) sparse sampling. At present, ultrasonic pulse-stream-forming techniques are mainly based on digital algorithms. No hardware circuit that can achieve it has been reported. This paper proposes a new quadrature demodulation (QD) based circuit implementation method for forming an ultrasonic pulse stream. Elaborating on FRI sparse sampling theory, the process of ultrasonic signal is explained, followed by a discussion and analysis of ultrasonic pulse-stream-forming methods. In contrast to ultrasonic signal envelope extracting techniques, a quadrature demodulation method (QDM) is proposed. Simulation experiments were performed to determine its performance at various signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs). The circuit was then designed, with mixing module, oscillator, low pass filter (LPF), and root of square sum module. Finally, application experiments were carried out on pipeline sample ultrasonic flaw testing. The experimental results indicate that the QDM can accurately convert ultrasonic signal to ultrasonic pulse stream, and reverse the original signal information, such as pulse width, amplitude, and time of arrival. This technique lays the foundation for ultrasonic signal FRI sparse sampling directly with hardware circuitry. (paper)

Studies on Section XI ultrasonic repeatability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jamison, T.D.; McDearman, W.R.

1981-05-01

A block representative of a nuclear component has been welded containing intentional defects. Acoustic emission data taken during the welding correlate well with ultrasonic data. Repetitive ultrasonic examinations have been performed by skilled operators using a procedure based on that desribed in ASME Section XI. These examinations were performed by different examination teams using different ultrasonic equipment in such a manner that the effects on the repeatability of the ultrasonic test method caused by the operator and by the use of different equipment could be estimated. It was tentatively concluded that when considering a large number of inspections: (1) there is no significant difference in indication sizing between operators, and (2) there is a significant difference in amplitude and defect sizing when instruments having different, Code acceptable operating characteristics are used. It was determined that the Section XI sizing parameters follow a bivariate normal distribution. Data derived from ultrasonically and physically sizing indications in nuclear components during farication show that the Section XI technique tends to overestimate the size of the reflectors

Fast ultrasonic imaging in a liquid filled pipe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kolbe, W.F.; Turko, B.T.; Leskovar, B.

1985-10-01

A new method is described for the imaging of the interior of a liquid filled metallic pipe using acoustical techniques. The experimental system incorporates an array of 20 acoustical transducers and is capable of capturing the images of moving bubbles at a frame rate in excess of 300/s. The transducers are mounted circumferentially around the pipe. Each transducer is pulsed in sequence, and the echoes reflected from vapor bubbles in the interior are detected, digitized and processed by a computer to generate an image. The high rate of speed was achieved by the use of newly developed software and electronic circuitry. This approach has eliminated most of the spurious echo signals which degraded the performance of previous imaging systems. The capability of the method is illustrated by imaging actual vapor bubbles in rapid sequence in the pipe. 13 refs

Ultrasonic-resonator-combined apparatus for purifying nuclear aerosol particles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hou, Suxia; Zhang, Quanhu; Li, Sufen; Chen, Chen; Su, Xianghua [Xi' an Hi-Tech Institute, Xi' an (China)

2017-12-15

The radiation hazards of radionuclides in the air arising from the storage room of nuclear devices to the operators cannot be ignored. A new ultrasonic-resonator-combined method for purifying nuclear aerosol particles is introduced. To remove particles with diameters smaller than 0.3 μm, an ultrasonic chamber is induced to agglomerate these submicron particles. An apparatus which is used to purify the nuclear aerosol particles is described in the article. The apparatus consists of four main parts: two filtering systems, an ultrasonic chamber and a high-pressure electrostatic precipitator system. Finally, experimental results demonstrated the effectiveness of the implementation of the ultrasonic resonators. The feasibility of the method is proven by its application to the data analysis of the experiments.

Use of focused ultrasonication in activity-based profiling of deubiquitinating enzymes in tissue.

Science.gov (United States)

Nanduri, Bindu; Shack, Leslie A; Rai, Aswathy N; Epperson, William B; Baumgartner, Wes; Schmidt, Ty B; Edelmann, Mariola J

2016-12-15

To develop a reproducible tissue lysis method that retains enzyme function for activity-based protein profiling, we compared four different methods to obtain protein extracts from bovine lung tissue: focused ultrasonication, standard sonication, mortar & pestle method, and homogenization combined with standard sonication. Focused ultrasonication and mortar & pestle methods were sufficiently effective for activity-based profiling of deubiquitinases in tissue, and focused ultrasonication also had the fastest processing time. We used focused-ultrasonicator for subsequent activity-based proteomic analysis of deubiquitinases to test the compatibility of this method in sample preparation for activity-based chemical proteomics. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Overview of the ultrasonic instrumentation research in the MYRRHA project

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dierckx, M.; Leysen, W.; Van Dyck, D. [Belgian Nuclear Research Center SCK.CEN (Belgium)

2015-07-01

The Belgian Nuclear Research Centre SCK.CEN is in the process of developing MYRRHA, a new generation IV fast flux research reactor to replace the aging BR2. MYRRHA is conceptualized as an accelerator driven system cooled with lead bismuth eutectic mixture (LBE). As LBE is opaque to visual light, ultrasonic measurement techniques are employed as the main technology to provide feedback where needed. This paper we will give an overview of the R and D at SCK.CEN with respect to ultrasonic instrumentation in heavy liquid metals. High temperature ultrasonic transducers are deployed into the reactor to generate and receive the required ultrasonic signals. The ultrasonic waves are generated and sensed by means of a piezo-electric disc at the heart of the transducer. The acoustic properties of commonly used piezo-electric materials match rather well with the acoustic properties of heavy liquid metals, simplifying the design and construction of high bandwidth ultrasonic transducers for use in heavy liquid metals. The ultrasonic transducers will operate in a liquid metal environment, where radiation and high temperature limit the choice of materials for construction. Moreover, the high surface tension of the liquid metal hinders proper wetting of the transducer, required for optimal transmission and reception of the ultrasonic waves. In a first part of the paper, we will discuss the effect of these parameters on the performance of the overall ultrasonic system. In the second part of the paper, past, present and future ultrasonic experiments in LBE will be reviewed. We will show the results of an experiment where a transducer is scanned near the free surface of an LBE pool to render ultrasonic images of objects submerged in the heavy liquid metal. Additionally, the preliminary results of an ongoing experiment that measures the evolution of LBE wetting on different types of metals and various surface conditions will be reported. The evolution of wetting is an important

Low-Temperature Preparation of Tungsten Oxide Anode Buffer Layer via Ultrasonic Spray Pyrolysis Method for Large-Area Organic Solar Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Ji, Ran; Zheng, Ding; Zhou, Chang; Cheng, Jiang; Yu, Junsheng; Li, Lu

2017-07-18

Tungsten oxide (WO₃) is prepared by a low-temperature ultrasonic spray pyrolysis method in air atmosphere, and it is used as an anode buffer layer (ABL) for organic solar cells (OSCs). The properties of the WO₃ transition metal oxide material as well as the mechanism of ultrasonic spray pyrolysis processes are investigated. The results show that the ultrasonic spray pyrolysized WO₃ ABL exhibits low roughness, matched energy level, and high conductivity, which results in high charge transport efficiency and suppressive recombination in OSCs. As a result, compared to the OSCs based on vacuum thermal evaporated WO₃, a higher power conversion efficiency of 3.63% is reached with low-temperature ultrasonic spray pyrolysized WO₃ ABL. Furthermore, the mostly spray-coated OSCs with large area was fabricated, which has a power conversion efficiency of ~1%. This work significantly enhances our understanding of the preparation and application of low temperature-processed WO₃, and highlights the potential of large area, all spray coated OSCs for sustainable commercial fabrication.

Ultrasonic stress evaluation through thickness of a stainless steel pressure vessel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Javadi, Yashar; Pirzaman, Hamed Salimi; Raeisi, Mohammadreza Hadizadeh; Najafabadi, Mehdi Ahmadi

2014-01-01

This paper investigates ultrasonic method in stress measurement through thickness of a pressure vessel. Longitudinal critically refracted (L CR ) waves are employed to measure the welding residual stresses in a vessel constructed from austenitic stainless steel 304L. The acoustoelastic constant is measured through a hydro test to keep the pressure vessel intact. Hoop and axial residual stresses are evaluated by using different frequency range of ultrasonic transducers. The welding processes of vessel shell and caps are simulated by a 3D finite element (FE) model which is validated by hole-drilling method. The residual stresses calculated by FE simulation are then compared with those obtained from the ultrasonic measurement while a good agreement is observed. It is demonstrated that the residual stresses through thickness of the stainless steel pressure vessel can be evaluated by combining FE and L CR method (known as FEL CR method). - Highlights: • The main goal is ultrasonic evaluation of through thickness stresses. • Welding processes of a stainless steel pressure vessel are modelled by FE. • The hole-drilling method is used to validate the FE results. • Residual stresses are measured by four different series of ultrasonic transducers. • The comparison between ultrasonic and FE results show an acceptable agreement