TY - CONF A1 - Bulling, Jannis T1 - Ein inverses Verfahren zur Schadensrekonstruktion mittels geführter Wellen N2 - Eine zentrale Aufgabe der zerstörungsfreien Prüfung und der Strukturüberwachung (engl. Structural Health Monitoring - SHM) mit Ultraschallwellen ist die Bewertung von Schäden in Bauteilen. In vielen Bauteilen, wie zum Beispiel platten- und schalenförmigen Strukturen, Rohrleitungen oder Laminaten, breitet sich der Ultraschall in Form geführter Wellen aus. Zwar haben geführte Wellen eine relativ große Reichweite innerhalb des Bauteils und ermöglichen so eine großflächige Prüfung, ihre multimodalen und dispersiven Eigenschaften erschweren jedoch die Analyse der vom Schaden kommenden Reflexionen. Eine Möglichkeit, die Messsignale zu interpretieren und die Schäden zu charakterisieren, ist deren Vergleich mit der Wellenausbreitung in einem digitalen Modell. Hierbei stellt sich die Aufgabe, den Schaden im digitalen Modell anhand der Messdaten zu rekonstruieren. Diese Rekonstruktion beschreibt ein inverses Problem, das mehrere Vorwärtsrechnungen braucht, um das Schadensmodell an die Messdaten anzupassen.Durch die kleine Wellenlänge von Ultraschallwellen sind klassische Vorwärtsmethoden wie die Finte Elemente Methode rechenintensiv, weshalb die Autoren die semi-analytische Scaled Boundary Finite Element Method (SBFEM) benutzen, um den Rechenaufwand zu verringern. Im Beitrag wird ein inverses Verfahren basierend auf dem Automatischen Differenzieren in Kombination mit der SBFEM vorgestellt und an verschiedenen Schadenstypen in 2D-Querschnittmodellen von Wellenleitern getestet. In der präsentierten Vorstudie werden dafür „Messdaten“ aus unabhängigen Simulationen verwendet. T2 - DAGA 2021 - 47. Jahrestagung für Akustik CY - Vienna, Austria DA - 15.08.2021 KW - SBFEM KW - Inverse Verfahren KW - AD KW - SHM KW - NDT PY - 2021 AN - OPUS4-53304 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Bulling, Jannis T1 - Numerical methods (part II) Finite element method (FEM), Spectral element method (SEM) and Scaled Boundary FEM (SBFEM) N2 - A general presentation on numerical methods. In particular, the Finite Element Method, the Spectral Element Method, and the Scaled Boundary Finite Element Method. T2 - ITN-Trainingsevent CY - Online meeting DA - 22.11.2020 KW - FEM KW - SBFEM KW - SEM PY - 2020 AN - OPUS4-52271 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Bulling, Jannis T1 - A Combination of the Scaled Boundary Finite Element Method with the Mortar Method N2 - The simulation of ultrasonic waves in a linearly elastic body can be computationally intensive. The reason is the relatively short wavelength compared to the body size for high frequencies. One possible approach to counteract the high computational costs is to decompose the domain into small parts and strive for parallelization. The Mortar Method is a well-established approach for domain decomposition. A rather new approach to discretize the emerging subdomains is the Scaled Boundary Finite Element Method. This semi-analytical method has many attractive properties. Some of these properties are listed subsequently. The grid consists of polygonal elements, which leaves much freedom in the meshing process. A variety of material distributions, including anisotropic materials, can be considered. High-order shape functions can be used for optimal convergence properties. The approach treats singularities at crack tips and corners analytically. Especially in the frequency domain, the Scaled Boundary Finite Element Method reduces the dimension of the approximation because only degrees of freedom which are associated with the boundary of a polygonal element are necessary. Those desirable properties make the method particularly suitable for calculating the dynamic responses in bodies with cracks, as it is essential for many non-destructive testing and structural health monitoring applications. In this contribution, we present a combination of the Scaled Boundary Finite Element Method with the Mortar Method in two dimensions. The presentation starts with a theoretical overview of both approaches. Subsequently, numerical examples demonstrate the stability of the combination for the polygonal boundary of the elements. The numerical examples increase in complexity and are compared to results computed on non-divided domains with the Finite Element Method. T2 - WCCM-ECCOMAS CONGRESS CY - Online meeting DA - 11.01.2021 KW - Ultrasound KW - Numerical Simulation KW - Scaled Boundary Finite Element Method, Mortar Method PY - 2021 AN - OPUS4-52275 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Bulling, Jannis T1 - On the efficient simulation of ultrasonic waves on polygonal meshes N2 - At many stages of technology development in ultrasonic Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) and Structural Health Monitoring (SHM), simulation tools are essential. Many modern approaches to ultrasonic testing, such as Model Assisted Probability of Detection, inverse problems with iterative optimization, or the generation of data for AI training, benefit from highly effcient simulation tools in terms of simulation time. In this talk, we investigate explicit time stepping with the Scaled Boundary Finite Element Method (SBFEM) for approximating the linear elastic wave equation on 2D polygonal meshes, enhanced with a mass lumping technique for faster simulation times. We present the proposed changes to the formulation to successfully use mass lumping. Examples are used to demonstrate that there is no loss of quality due to the approximated mass matrix. Furthermore, mass lumping reduces the simulation time and makes the simulation more effcient. In addition, the proposed simulation method has the advantages of SBFEM meshing techniques. These advantages include fast meshing using an image-based quadtree algorithm or polygonal meshing by transforming triangular meshes based on a CAD model. The latter meshing method can include special crack tip elements that effciently handle the crack tip singularity. T2 - DAS | DAGA 2025 CY - Copenhagen, Denmark DA - 17.03.2025 KW - Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) KW - Scaled Boundary Finite Element Method (SBFEM) KW - Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-63016 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Bulling, Jannis T1 - Mass Lumping for Scaled Boundary Polygonal Elements N2 - Many modern ultrasonic methods in the fields of Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) and Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) require simulations in research. Researchers either use simulation data initially during development to investigate certain aspects, or the simulation process is directly part of the research task. Examples of the second case are inverse methods for parameter estimation, model-assisted probability of detection analysis or the generation of training data for AI algorithms. All these applications require algorithms that are as efficient as possible. For methods based on explicit time-step methods, a significant increase in efficiency can be achieved if a so-called lumped mass matrix can be used, which approximates the consistent mass matrix but is easier to invert. The finite element method has been the subject of many studies on approximations of the mass matrix. In contrast, the lumped mass matrix in the context of the Scaled Boundary Finite Element Method (SBFEM) is a current field of research [1,2]. In the time domain, the semi-analytical SBFEM is notable for its flexibility to be applied to polygonal meshes. In particular, image-based mesh generation using a quadtree algorithm is possible. In general, polygonal meshes have the same flexibility as triangular meshes, but polygonal meshes can have additional advantages such as greater tolerance to distortion. In this contribution, the SBFEM formulation based on bubble functions [3] for the time domain is presented for two-dimensional elastic waves. The adjustments necessary for a good approximating lumped mass matrix are emphasized. Several grid generation methods for polygonal elements are shown. Figure 1 depicts the difference between the consistent mass matrix and the lumped mass matrix for a normal polygonal mesh. Finally, the accuracy of mass lumping for linear, quadratic and cubic shape functions is presented and the computational efficiency is demonstrated using exemplary waveguide geometries. T2 - Guided Ultrasonic Waves: Emerging Methods (GUWEM) CY - Überherrn, Germany DA - 08.07.2024 KW - Scaled boundary finite element method KW - Mass lumping KW - Guided waves PY - 2024 UR - https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.12517188 AN - OPUS4-60766 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Bulling, Jannis A1 - Jurgelucks, B. A1 - Prager, Jens A1 - Walther, A. T1 - Schadensrekonstruktion mittels geführter Wellen in Stahlplatten N2 - Ein Hauptziel der zerstörungsfreien Prüfung und der Strukturüberwachung (engl. Structural Health Monitoring - SHM) mit Ultraschallwellen ist die Charakterisierung von Schäden in Bauteilen. In vielen schalenförmigen Bauteilen, wie zum Beispiel Rohrleitungen, Laminaten und Platten, breitet sich der Ultraschall in Form geführter Wellen aus. Zwar erlauben geführte Wellen eine großflächige Prüfung durch das langsame Abklingen der Wellen. Jedoch breiten sich die Wellen in verschiedenen dispersiven Moden aus, was die Analyse der vom Schaden erzeugten Reflexionen erschwert. Eine Möglichkeit, die Messsignale zu interpretieren, um Schäden zu charakterisieren, ist der direkte Vergleich mit einem Simulationsmodell. Die Rekonstruktion des Schadens stellt ein inverses Problem dar. Das inverse Problem kann als Optimierungsproblem formuliert werden. Für die Optimierung werden mehrere Vorwärtsrechnungen gebraucht, um das Schadensmodell an die Messdaten anzupassen. Aufgrund der kurzen Wellenlängen von Ultraschallwellen sind klassische Methoden für die Vorwärtsrechnung, wie z.B. die Finite Elemente Methode (FEM), rechenintensiv. Eine Möglichkeit den Rechenaufwand zu reduzieren, bietet die Approximation der Wellenausbreitung mittels der semi-analytischen Scaled Boundary Finite Element Method (SBFEM). Frühere Untersuchungen haben gezeigt, dass die benötigten Freiheitsgrade im Vergleich zur FEM wesentlich geringer sind [1]. Im Beitrag wird eine Optimierung basierend auf einem Gradientenverfahren in Kombination mit der SBFEM vorgestellt und an verschiedenen Schadenstypen in 2D-Querschnittsmodellen von Stahlplatten getestet. Der Gradient des Vorwärtsmodells wird durch Algorithmisches Differenzieren berechnet, wodurch eine genaue und schnelle Optimierung ermöglicht wird. Es werden Untersuchungen zum inversen Problem und das Finden einer geeigneten Zielfunktion präsentiert. Es wird verdeutlicht, dass der entwickelte Algorithmus robust gegenüber von Rauscheinflüssen ist. In diesen Untersuchungen werden zunächst „Messdaten“ aus unabhängigen Simulationen verwendet [2]. Erste Schritte für die experimentelle Validierung und Erweiterung auf 3D Modelle werden anschließend vorgestellt. T2 - Doktorandenworkshop in Kloster Lehnin CY - Kloster Lehnin, Germany DA - 19.10.22 KW - SBFEM KW - Zerstörungsfreie Prüfung KW - Structural Health Monitoring KW - Ultraschallwellen PY - 2022 AN - OPUS4-56551 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Bulling, Jannis A1 - Jurgelucks, B. A1 - Prager, Jens A1 - Walther, A. T1 - Modellierung und Validierung eines inversen Verfahrens zur Schadensrekonstruktion mittels Lamb-Wellen im Ultraschallbereich N2 - Das Ausbreitungsverhalten geführter Ultraschallwellen ermöglicht die großflächige Prüfung von Platten und schalenförmigen Bauteilen wie Rohren und Laminaten auf Fehlstellen von wenigen Prüfpunkten aus. Während die beschränkte Divergenz der geführten Wellen die Ultraschallprüfung begünstigt, erschwert das dispersive und multimodale Verhalten der Lamb-Wellen die Auswertung der Ultraschallsignale. Die dispersive und multimodale Wellenausbreitung verkompliziert die Bestimmung der Fehlerposition bei der Auswertung der Geschwindigkeiten einzelner Wellenpakete. Zudem ist es herausfordernd, einen einfachen Zusammenhang zwischen den Reflexionen der Fehlstelle und deren Größe und Form herzustellen. Eine Möglichkeit zur genauen Bestimmung der Fehlerposition und -geometrie bietet der direkte Vergleich der Messsignale mit den Signalen aus einem Simulationsmodell. Die Nachbildung des Schadens im Simulationsmodell stellt ein inverses Problem dar, das iterativ gelöst werden kann, indem ein Vorwärtsmodell immer weiter optimiert wird. Klassische Ansätze wie die Finite Elemente Methode (FEM) sind für die Simulation von Ultraschallwellen aufgrund der kleinen Wellenlängen im Vergleich zur Bauteilgröße meist ineffizient. Aus diesem Grund basiert das vorgestellte Vorwärtsmodell auf der semi-analytischen Scaled Boundary Finite Element Method (SBFEM), die große Teile der Wellenausbreitung analytisch berechnet. In diesem Beitrag wird die Validierung des zweidimensionalen Modells an Platten mit einer rechteckigen Nut als Ersatzfehler präsentiert und es werden erste Schritte zur Validierung von 3D-Modellen vorgestellt. T2 - DAGA 2024 CY - Hannover, Germany DA - 18.03.2024 KW - Geführter Ultraschall KW - Inverse Verfahren KW - SBFEM PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-60214 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Bühling, Benjamin T1 - Entwicklung eines luftgekoppelten Ultraschall-Echo-Prüfverfahrens mittels fluidischer Anregung N2 - In vielen technischen Bereichen werden Ultraschallverfahren zur zerstörungsfreien Werkstoffprüfung (ZfP) eingesetzt um auf Basis der Signalstärke und der Laufzeit Einbauteile und Beschädigungen zu orten. Luftgekoppelter Ultraschall spielt bisher in kommerziellen Anwendungen vor Allem im Bauwesen eine untergeordnete Rolle, da die Differenz der akustischen Impedanzen von Luft und Festkörpern immense Verluste beim Übergang des Schallsignals hervorruft. Im Rahmen des Promotionsvorhabens soll die Eignung eines neuartigen Anregungsprinzip untersucht werden, mit dem ein Großteil dieser Verluste vermieden werden soll. Anstelle eines Festkörpers soll mit Hilfe einer fluidischen Düse Druckluft zur Signalerzeugung eingesetzt werden. Die Impedanzverluste zwischen Aktuatormembran und Umgebungsluft entfallen daher. Die gezielte Schallerzeugung durch einen pulsierenden Freistrahl ist weitgehend unerforscht. Es ist daher notwendig, den so erzeugten Schallpuls in der Interaktion mit dem transienten Strömungsfeld zu untersuchen. Das kompressible Medium Luft und die geringen räumlichen Dimensionen einer hochfrequenten Pulsdüse werfen darüber hinaus einige Herausforderungen hinsichtlich der eingesetzten Messtechnik auf. Hier sollen geeignete Verfahren weiterentwickelt und validiert werden, um die Eignung des fluidisch erzeugten Pulses zu überprüfen. In diesem Vortrag werden erste Messungen an einem fluidischen Schalter mit denen an einem kommerziellen Luftultraschallprüfkopf verglichen. T2 - Doktorandenseminar BAM Abt. 8 CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 17.02.2020 KW - ZfP KW - Ultraschall KW - NDT KW - Ultrasound KW - Air-coupled KW - Non-Contact KW - Luftgekoppelt KW - Kontaktlos PY - 2020 AN - OPUS4-51120 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Bühling, Benjamin T1 - Recent Developments of Fluidic Ultrasonic Transducers at BAM N2 - Ultrasonic measurement technology has become indispensable in NDT. In order to reduce measurement time and extend the application to other materials, contactless ultrasound is the subject of many different research groups. Department 8 has been researching successfully in this field for years. A novel approach is based on so-called fluidic devices. These devices can be used to perform binary logic operations with the help of natural flow instabilities. Hence the abbreviated name, Fluidic (FLUID+LogIC). Only a pressure reservoir of the used fluid is required as energy supply. This enables the production of very robust actuators that generate ultrasonic signals in an extremely energy efficient way. The presentation includes the research results of the ZIM innovation project OsciCheck. The original idea will be presented and its application on different building materials is validated. Beyond this, the possible application areas are much larger and a detailed outlook is given to discuss the future potential of fluidic ultrasonic actuators. T2 - Abteilungsseminar Abteilung 8 CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 23.09.2021 KW - Uultrasound KW - Non-destructive testing KW - Fluidic devices KW - Hydrogen KW - Ranging KW - Harsh environments PY - 2021 AN - OPUS4-53356 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Bühling, Benjamin T1 - Using a spectral entropy criterion for improved onset picking in ultrasonic testing N2 - In ultrasonic testing, the time of flight (ToF) of a signal can be used to infer material and structural properties of a test item. In dispersive media, extracting the bulk wave velocity from a received signal is challenging as the waveform changes along its path of propagation. When using signal features such as the first peak or the envelope maximum, the calculated velocity changes with the propagation distance. This does not occur when picking the signal onset. Borrowing from seismology, researchers used the Akaike information criterion (AIC) picker to automatically obtain onset times. In addition to being dependent on arbitrarily set parameters, the AIC picker assumes no prior knowledge of the spectral properties of the signal. This is unnecessary in ultrasonic through-transmission testing, where the signal spectrum is known to differ significantly from noise. In this contribution, a novel parameter-free onset picker is proposed, that is based on a spectral entropy criterion (SEC) to model the signal using the AIC framework. Synthetic and experimental data are used to compare the performance of SEC and AIC pickers, showing an improved accuracy for densely sampled data. T2 - 183rd Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America CY - Nashville, TN, USA DA - 05.12.2022 KW - ToF KW - Arrival time KW - Nondestructive testing KW - Through-transmission KW - AIC picker PY - 2022 AN - OPUS4-56616 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Campos de Oliveira, Paula T1 - Enhanced image segmentation of refractories using synchrotron X-ray computed tomography and machine learning techniques N2 - The microstructure of refractory materials is complex, featuring a variety of mineral phases, agglomerates, defects, and controlled porosity. The behavior of refractories at high temperatures adds another layer of complexity, as phase transitions and particle rearrangements can strongly affect their properties. To analyze such intricate microstructure, advanced imaging techniques such as Synchrotron X-ray Computed Tomography (SXCT) allow detailed 3D visualization and quantification of features up to 1 μm. However, the intricacy of these microstructures makes phase identification (known as image segmentation) in digital images a challenging process. X-ray images often contain noise and image artifacts, making the analysis more difficult. Therefore, this work describes image segmentation and artifact reduction methods to characterize refractories using X- ray imaging. We studied refractory ceramics used in the aerospace industry, primarily composed of fused silica. For image segmentation, the traditional approach of greyscale thresholding was compared with machine learning. Greyscale thresholding relies on predefined algorithms to assign phases based on intensity values. In contrast, machine learning extracts patterns from large datasets, enabling more adaptive and accurate segmentation. By combining high-resolution SXCT and machine learning analysis algorithms, we successfully segmented previously uncharacterized 3D microstructural key features of refractories, including agglomerates, grain boundaries, pore size distribution and interconnectivity. Compared to traditional methods, the machine learning-enhanced segmentation presented a more accurate quantification of porosity and defects. The integration of advanced imaging techniques with machine learning segmentation significantly improves the characterization of refractory materials, providing a more precise understanding of the relationship between microstructure and material performance, supporting the development of innovative industrial solutions. T2 - 19th Biennial Unified International Technical Conference on Refractories (UNITECR 2025) CY - Cancún, Mexico DA - 27.10.2025 KW - Synchrotron X-ray Tomography KW - Refractories KW - Machine learning KW - Ceramics KW - Aerospace PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-64612 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Campos de Oliveira, Paula T1 - Advancing microstructural characterisation of ceramic cores for aerospace: from state-of-the-art to in-situ synchrotron X-ray computed tomography N2 - Ceramic cores are crucial for manufacturing turbine blades in aircraft engines, creating intricate cooling channels that improve engine efficiency and reduce emissions. During high-temperature casting, the cores undergo significant microstructural changes, including phase transitions, particle rearrangements, and porosity transformations, which can affect their properties and must be carefully controlled. State-of-the-art characterisation techniques for ceramic cores mostly rely on 2D methods, such as scanning and transmission electron microscopy. While valuable, these methods are limited in capturing the 3D complexity of the material. Advances in X-ray computed tomography (XCT) offer a more comprehensive perspective on 3D microstructures, but conventional XCT often lacks the resolution and in-situ capabilities to study microstructural evolution under casting conditions. Synchrotron XCT (SXCT) addresses these limitations, offering high spatial and temporal resolution with features down to 1 µm, enabling in-situ investigations. This study highlights the potential of SXCT, revealing previously unseen 3D microstructural features in ceramic cores, such as agglomeration, porosity evolution, surface reactions, microcracking, and particle orientation. These findings provide a more realistic view of dynamic changes during casting, advancing the understanding of core behaviour. Despite its advantages, SXCT is still rarely used in the field due to challenges such as limited access to synchrotron facilities and sample movement artifacts. Future developments, including high-temperature and vacuum compatible CT setups, could enhance this technique, leading to a better optimisation of ceramics performance. T2 - XIXth Conference of the European Ceramic Society (ECERS 2025) CY - Dresden, Germany DA - 31.08.2025 KW - Synchrotron KW - X-ray Computed Tomography KW - Ceramic core KW - Aerospace KW - Microstructure PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-64050 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Casperson, Ralf T1 - Datenformate für die zerstörungsfreie Prüfung N2 - Der Vortrag gibt eine Übersicht über die Versuche der Vergangenheit, ein standardisiertes Datenformat für die zerstörungsfreie Prüfung zu etablieren. T2 - 4. Sitzung DGZfP FA ZfP 4.0 UA Schnittstellen CY - Stockelsdorf, Germany DA - 19.02.2020 KW - ZfP KW - Datenformat KW - TRAPPIST KW - STEP KW - NDTML KW - DICONDE KW - HDF5 PY - 2020 AN - OPUS4-50448 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Casperson, Ralf T1 - Non-Destructive Testing of Composite Pressure Vessels using Conventional and High-Frequency Eddy Current Technique N2 - Pressure vessels for the transport of hazardous gases are subjected to a hydraulic internal pressure test. Basis for the design of metallic pressure vessels is the fatigue strength according to Wöhler, whereby the number of load changes can be equated with the number of filling / emptying cycles of the pressure vessel. Metallic pressure vessels are increasingly replaced by composite pressure vessels due to the weight savings. However, at composite preasure vessels it is not possible to conclude from the number of load cycles on the fatigue strength, because composite pressure vessels are ageing even at constant internal pressure. Non-destructive conventional and high frequency eddy current testing of the metallic liner and load bearing CFRP layer are presented as an alternative to hydraulic internal pressure test. T2 - TAHYA Workshop CY - Online meeting DA - 02.06.2021 KW - Non-destructive testing KW - Composite preasure vessel KW - Eddy currnet testing PY - 2021 AN - OPUS4-52856 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Casperson, Ralf T1 - Aktuelles aus der Normung N2 - Es wird ein Überblick über die aktuellen Aktivitäten im Bereich der Normung und Standardisierung der Wirbelstromprüfung und der ZfP im Allgemeinen bei DIN, ISO, IIW, ASTM und in den Fachausschüssen Wirbelstromprüfung und ZfP 4.0 der DGZfP gegeben. T2 - 2. Fachseminar Wirbelstromprüfung CY - Schweinfurt, Germany DA - 14.09.2022 KW - ZfP KW - Normung KW - Wirbelstrom PY - 2022 AN - OPUS4-55712 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Casperson, Ralf T1 - Aktuelles aus der Normung N2 - Aktuelle Informationen zur Umstrukturierung des Normenausschusses Materialprüfung (NMP) bei DIN und zur Normenarbeit im Bereich der Wirbelstromprüfung bei DIN, EN und ISO. T2 - 3. Anwenderseminar Wirbelstromprüfung CY - Schweinfurt, Germany DA - 10.09.2024 KW - Normung KW - DIN KW - NMP KW - ISO KW - CEN PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-61026 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Casperson, Ralf T1 - DICONDE für die Schienenprüfung N2 - Einführung in DICONDE und deren Verwendung bei der Prüfung verlegter Eisenbahnschienen im Projekt AIFRI. T2 - Projektmeeting AIFRI CY - Online meeting DA - 27.09.2022 KW - DICONDE KW - ZfP KW - I4.0 PY - 2022 AN - OPUS4-55940 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Casperson, Ralf T1 - DICONDE N2 - Die Standard Practice for Digital Imaging and COmmunication in NonDestructive Evaluation (DICONDE) basiert auf dem medizinischen Standard auf Digital Imaging and COmmunication in Medicine (DICOM). DICOM wurde von der Medical Imaging Technology Association (MITA), einer Tochter der National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), entwickelt und von der ASTM International (ehemals American Society for Testing and Material) an die zerstörungsfreie Prüfung angepasst. DICONDE ist mehr als nur ein Datenformat, sondern definiert auch Mechanismen zur Auftragsvergabe, Datenarchivierung und Abrufen von daten aus dem Archiv. DICOM entspricht dem FAIR-Prinzip (findable, accessible, interoperable, reusable) und erfüllt die Anforderungen des EU Data Act. T2 - DGZfP FA Automotive CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 20.11.2024 KW - DICONDE KW - EU Data Act PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-61708 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Casperson, Ralf T1 - DICONDE für die Schienenprüfung N2 - Bei der zerstörungsfreien Prüfung verlegter Eisenbahnschienen werden die Rohdaten derzeit in proprietären Datenformaten gespeichert und auf Datenträgern zwischen den Prüfzügen und den auswertenden Stellen versendet. Die proprietären Datenformate sind in der Regel nur den Herstellern der Prüfsysteme bekannt und deren Dokumentation nicht allgemein zugänglich. Das Forschungsprojekt „Artificial Intelligence for Rail Inspection“ (AIFRI) erfordert den Austausch von Prüfdaten in einem offenen Format sowohl zwischen den Projektpartnern als auch die Veröffentlichung anonymisierter Daten ausgewählter Strecken aus dem Offenen Digitalen Testfeld (ODT). Wir haben uns in dem Projekt für die Verwendung der „Standard Practice for Digital Imaging and Communication in Nondestructive Evaluation“ (DICONDE) entschieden. DICONDE basiert auf dem medizinischen Standard „Digital Imaging and Communication in Medicine“ (DICOM) und wurde von ASTM an die ZfP angepasst. DICOM bzw. DICONDE ist nicht nur ein Datenformat, sondern beinhaltet auch Kommunikationsschnittstellen für die Auftragsvergabe, Datenübertragung und Abfrage gespeicherter Datensätze aus einem Archiv. In dem Vortrag werden DICOM und DICONDE vorgestellt, sowie die Verwendung von DICONDE für die Schienenprüfung im Projekt AIFRI näher erläutert. Es wird gezeigt, wie sich Prüfdaten, Prüfparameter, Streckeninformationen incl. Kilometertafeln und Geokoordinaten und Befunde in DICONDE kodieren lassen. T2 - 13. Fachtagung ZfP im Eisenbahnwesen CY - Erfurt, Germany DA - 12.03.2024 KW - DICONDE KW - Wirbelstromprüfung KW - Ultraschallprüfung KW - Schienenprüfung PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-59663 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Casperson, Ralf T1 - AIFRI - Artificial Intelligence for Rail Inspection N2 - Verlegte Eisenbahnschienen werden mit Schienenprüfzügen, die mit zerstörungsfreier Ultraschall- und Wirbelstromprüftechnik ausgerüstet sind, auf Schienenfehler geprüft. Im Rahmen des mFund-geförderten Projektes AIFRI wurden von der TU Berlin KI-Algorithmen entwickelt, die die Prüfer bei der Auswertung der Daten unterstützen. Felddaten von realen Prüffahrten sind für das Training der KI ungeeignet, da es einerseits kaum Defekte in den Schienen gibt, die sich mit Ultraschall detektieren lassen, andererseits bei der Wirbelstromprüfung zahlreiche Oberflächeneffekte unbekannter Ursache angezeigt werden. Die Aufgabe der BAM bestand darin, durch Simulation gelabelte Trainingsdaten für die KI zu generieren. Während die mit simulierten Daten trainierte KI bei der Ultraschallprüfung eine gute Performance aufweist, sofern der Sim2Real-Gap durch Addition realitätsnaher Rauschsignaturen zu den simulierten Trainingsdaten minimiert wird, erwies sich die verwendete KI bei der Wirbelstromprüfung aufgrund zu vieler Falsch-Positives als ungeeignet. Die Ursache liegt vermutlich darin, dass aufgrund der großen Vielfalt von teils unbekannten Oberflächeneffekten nur eine kleine Auswahl simuliert werden konnte und die KI bei untrainierten Signalsignaturen halluziniert. T2 - AI/ML Symposium CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 06.11.2025 KW - Artificial intelligence KW - Non-destructive testing KW - Ultrasonic testing KW - Eddy current testing KW - Simulation KW - Sim2real gap KW - Railway rail inspection PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-64630 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Casperson, Ralf A1 - Pohl, Rainer T1 - Wirbelstromprüfung am Schrein der Heiligen Drei Könige im Kölner Dom N2 - Die Wirbelstromprüfung ist ein bewährtes Verfahren zur zerstörungsfreien Prüfung elektrisch leitfähiger Objekte im oberflächennahen Bereich. Nach einer Einführung in die Wirkungsweise, Möglichkeiten und Grenzen des Wirbelstromprüfverfahrens wird am Beispiel des Schreins der Heiligen Drei Könige gezeigt, wie sich mit dem Wirbelstromprüfverfahren unterschiedliche Metalllegierungen unter einer Vergoldung zerstörungsfrei identifizieren lassen. Der Schrein der Heiligen Drei Könige wurde um das Jahr 1200 von Nikolaus von Verdun erschaffen, ca. 1750 von Johann Rohr und 1807 von Wilhelm Pollack restauriert. Die Restaurierungsarbeiten wurden jedoch nur unvollständig dokumentiert. Es ist bekannt, dass zu den unterschiedlichen Zeiten unterschiedliche Metalllegierungen als Grundmaterial unter der Vergoldung verwendet wurden. Mit Hilfe von Vergleichsproben aus einer Sammlung der Kölner Dombauverwaltung ließen sich die Akanthus-Prägungen des Schreins den verschiedenen Restaurierungen zuordnen. T2 - 1. Fachseminar Historisches trifft Materialkunde CY - Quedlinburg, Germany DA - 20.02.2024 KW - Zerstörungsfreie Prüfung KW - Wirbelstromprüfung KW - Leitfähigkeitsmessung PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-59569 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Charmi, Amir T1 - Closing the gap between simulation and experiment using autoencoders N2 - Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) mittels geführter Ultraschallwellen ermöglicht eine kontinuierliche Überwachung komplexer Bauteile und liefert umfangreiche Informationen über deren strukturelle Integrität. Die aufgezeichneten Signale sind jedoch komplex und werden daher zunehmend mittels KI verarbeitet, um Anomalien in der Systemintegrität automatisch zu erkennen. Eine Herausforderung dabei ist jedoch das Trainieren solcher KI-Modelle, da dafür große Mengen an Trainingsdaten inklusive diverser Schadensfälle benötigt werden, um eine hohe Genauigkeit und Zuverlässigkeit zu gewährleisten. Experimentelle Generierung dieser Daten ist wegen des enormen Zeit- und Kostenaufwands nicht möglich. Eine Alternative hierfür bieten die numerischen Simulationen, da dadurch Trainingsdaten für beliebige Anzahl an Schadenskonfigurationen erzeugt werden können. Das Hauptproblem dabei ist jedoch die Abweichung zwischen den experimentellen und simulierten Daten (durch z.B. Abweichungen bei der Geometrie, Randbedingungen oder Materialparameter). Um diese Abweichungen zu reduzieren bzw. zu eliminieren, wird ein KI-Modell mit einer Autoencoder-Decoder Architektur vorgestellt, die mittels eines Experiments kalibriert werden kann und anschließend in der Lage ist, die Genauigkeit der Simulationsergebnisse nachträglich zu erhöhen. T2 - 28. DEGA-Workshop „Physikalische Akustik“ - Maschinelles Lernen in der physikalischen Akustik CY - Bad Honnef, Germany DA - 19.10.2023 KW - KI KW - SHM KW - Simulation KW - Geführte Ultraschallwellen PY - 2023 AN - OPUS4-58686 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Charmi, Amir T1 - A Machine Learning Based-Guided Wave Approach for Damage Detection and Assessment in Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessels N2 - The applications of composite overwrapped pressure vessels (COPVs) in extreme conditions, such as storing hydrogen gases at very high pressure, impose new requirements related to the system's integrity and safety. The development of a structural health monitoring (SHM) system that allows for continuous monitoring of the COPVs provides rich information about the structural integrity of the component. Furthermore, the collected data can be used for different purposes such as increasing the periodic inspection intervals, providing a remaining lifetime prognosis, and also ensuring optimal operating conditions. Ultimately this information can be complementary to the development of the envisioned digital twin of the monitored COPVs. Guided waves (GWs) are preferred to be used in continuous SHM given their ability to travel in complex structures for long distances. However, obtained GW signals are complex and require advanced processing techniques. Machine learning (ML) is increasingly utilized as the main part of the processing pipeline to automatically detect anomalies in the system's integrity. Hence, in this study, we are scrutinizing the potential of using ML to provide continuous monitoring of COPVs based on ultrasonic GW data. Data is collected from a network of sensors consisting of fifteen Piezoelectric (PZT) wafers that were surface mounted on the COPV. Two ML algorithms are used in the automated evaluation procedure (i) a long short-term memory (LSTM) autoencoder for anomaly detection (defects/impact), and (ii) a convolutional neural network (CNN) model for feature extraction and classification of the artificial damage sizes and locations. Additional data augmentation steps are introduced such as modification and addition of random noise to original signals to enhance the model's robustness to uncertainties. Overall, it was shown that the ML algorithms used were able to detect and classify the simulated damage with high accuracy. T2 - European Conference on Non-Destructive Testing (ECNDT) CY - Lisbon, Portugal DA - 03.07.2023 KW - Guided waves KW - Structural Health Monitoring KW - Machine learning KW - Damage localization KW - COPV PY - 2023 AN - OPUS4-58687 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Charmi, Amir T1 - Application of deep learning for structural health monitoring of a composite overwrapped pressure vessel undergoing cyclic loading N2 - Structural health monitoring (SHM) using ultrasonic-guided waves (UGWs) enables continuous monitoring of components with complex geometries and provides extensive information about their structural integrity and their overall condition. Composite overwrapped pressure vessels (COPVs) used for storing hydrogen gases at very high pressures are an example of a critical infrastructure that could benefit significantly from SHM. This can be used to increase the periodic inspection intervals, ensure safe operating conditions by early detection of anomalies, and ultimately estimate the remaining lifetime of COPVs. Therefore, in the digital quality infrastructure initiative (QI-Digital) in Germany, an SHM system is being developed for COPVs used in a hydrogen refueling station. In this study, the results of a lifetime fatigue test on a Type IV COPV subjected to many thousands of load cycles under different temperatures and pressures are presented to demonstrate the strengths and challenges associated with such an SHM system. During the cyclic testing up to the final material failure of the COPV, a sensor network of fifteen surface-mounted piezoelectric (PZT) wafers was used to collect the UGW data. However, the pressure variations, the aging process of the COPV, the environmental parameters, and possible damages simultaneously have an impact on the recorded signals. This issue and the lack of labeled data make signal processing and analysis even more demanding. Thus, in this study, semi-supervised, and unsupervised deep learning approaches are utilized to separate the influence of different variables on the UGW data with the final aim of detecting and localizing the damage before critical failure. T2 - 11th European Workshop on Structural Health Monitoring CY - Potsdam, Germany DA - 10.06.2024 KW - Anomaly detection KW - Damage localization KW - Deep learning KW - Structural health monitoring KW - Ultrasonic-guided waves PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-60745 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Chaudhuri, Somsubhro T1 - EvalTherm - Weather-dependent passive thermography and thermal simulation of in-service wind turbine blades N2 - To cope with the increase in the manufacturing and operation of wind turbines, wind farm operators need inspection tools that are able to provide reliable information while keeping the downtime low. Current inspection techniques require to stop the wind turbine. This work presents the current progress in the project EvalTherm, in which passive thermography is evaluated as a possible non-destructive inspection tool for operational wind turbine blades (WTBs). A methodology to obtain thermal images of rotating WTBs has been established in this project. However, the quality of the results is heavily dependent on various aspects such as weather conditions, information on the inspected WTB, damage history, etc. In this work, a section of a used WTB is simulated using finite-element modelling (FEM) as well as experimentally tested for evaluating the accuracy of the model. Such a model will provide insight into the potential thermal response of a certain structure (with specific material properties) in given weather (boundary) conditions. The model is able to provide satisfactory predictions of the thermal response of the structure, as well as indicate what thermal contrast(s) result from artificial defects introduced in the structure. T2 - WindEurope Annual Event 2023 CY - Copenhagen, Denmark DA - 25.04.2023 KW - FEM KW - Thermografie KW - Wind turbine rotor blades KW - Windenergie anlage rotorblätter PY - 2023 AN - OPUS4-58274 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Chaudhuri, Somsubhro T1 - EvalTherm - Detectability of internal defects in wind turbine rotor blades using passive infrared thermography N2 - A steady increase of wind energy infrastructure brings along a challenge of maintaining and operating wind turbines (WT) with its multiple components. Inspection of wind turbine rotor blades (WTB) is an important part of maintaining the overall health and safety of a WT. It involves visually or mechanically examining the blades for signs of damage or wear that could affect their performance and structural integrity of the entire WT. A WTB is a complex structure due to its ever-increasing scale (going beyond 100 m for a 16 MW WT) as well as multi-material construction. Passive infrared thermography offers an alternative to contact- or proximity-based inspection techniques currently in use such as visual inspection performed by technical personnel (using a lift or a drone) and involves looking for signs of damage on the surface of the blades, and ultrasonic testing to detect internal defects. In contrast to active thermography, passive thermography uses the sun as source of heat, instead of conventional heat lamps, flash, or laser. An inspection technique to (semi-autonomously) inspect the WTBs of an operating WT from the ground has been developed. Given the optimum thermal contrast (weather conditions for field measurements), external as well as internal features of the WTB can be visualised with appropriate post-processing. The work presented here is part of an ongoing multi-partner project titled “EvalTherm”: the evaluation of passive thermography as a non-destructive inspection tool of WTBs in operation. In this work, artificial defects representative of realistic defects in glass fibre reinforced plastic (GFRP) WTBs are introduced in out-of-service WTB pieces. These are scanned using X-ray computed tomography to obtain a three-dimensional reconstruction to be used as input for finite-element based thermal simulation using COMSOL Multiphysics. The simulation data is compared with infrared thermal inspection of the same WTB section, in order to compare the effect of thermal contrast caused in certain weather conditions. In addition, the influence of defect characteristics such as defect size, morphology, and location on detectability is investigated. Validated simulation models are used to predict thermal signatures of defects along with the optimal thermal contrast. Such simulation models in combination with weather forecast data can assist operators of wind turbine infrastructure to plan passive thermography inspection without the need of dangerous inspection procedures and associated shutdown of energy production. T2 - Wind Energy Science Conference (WESC) 2023 CY - Glasgow, Scotland DA - 23.05.2023 KW - FEM KW - Thermografie KW - Wind turbine rotor blades KW - Windenergie anlage rotorblätter KW - Thermography PY - 2023 AN - OPUS4-58283 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Chaudhuri, Somsubhro T1 - Passive infrared thermography as an inspection tool for operational wind turbine rotor blades N2 - The growing wind energy infrastructure presents a significant challenge in the maintenance and operation of wind turbines (WT) and their intricate components. An important aspect of WT maintenance is the inspection of wind turbine rotor blades (WTB) to ensure the overall health and safety of the turbine. This inspection process involves both visual and mechanical examinations of the blades to identify any indicators of damage or wear that could compromise their performance and, consequently, the structural integrity of the entire WT system. The complexity of WTBs is compounded by their ever-expanding dimensions, exceeding 100 meters in length for 16 MW WT systems, and their multi-material composition. Within this context, passive infrared thermography emerges as a potential alternative to conventional contact- or proximity-based inspection methods. Unlike active thermography, passive thermography uses solar radiation and ambient temperature variation for thermal contrast, eliminating the need for traditional heat lamps, flash, or laser-based techniques. A novel inspection method has been developed to semi-autonomously assess wind turbine blades (WTBs) while the wind turbine (WT) is operational, from ground level. This approach leverages optimal thermal contrast, which depends on prevailing weather conditions during field measurements, enabling the visualization of both external and internal features of the WTBs through post-processing techniques. In this study, thermal data obtained through passive thermography is compared with contemporaneous visual imagery to definitively classify observed features in thermal images as either surface or sub-surface features. This analysis, coupled with corresponding weather conditions, provides valuable insights into the capabilities and limitations of the inspection technique. Additionally, finite-element-based (FE) thermal simulations of a WTB section are employed to parametrically assess the influence of weather conditions, beyond those observed during field measurements, based on a validated model. In addition, the thermal images also consist of thermal signatures of leading-edge turbulence due to possible leading-edge erosion in WTBs. These are primarily vortices, and their shape and size depend on the morphology of the damage as well as the rotational speed of the WTBs. The inspections are accompanied by automatic data evaluation of the thermal signatures. To improve the precision of erosion damage identification, a fully convolutional network (FCN) is employed, trained, and tested using over 1000 annotated thermographic blade images. Additionally, the study introduces strategies for grouping smaller damage indications and simplification rules based on realistic thermal imaging resolutions. As leading-edge erosion could potentially lead to annual energy production (AEP) losses, this technique could prove to be a powerful tool in establishing the presence of damage and the resulting AEP loss. T2 - 20th World Conference on Non-Destructive Testing CY - Incheon, South Korea DA - 27.05.2024 KW - Non-destructive testing KW - Thermografie KW - Wind turbine rotor blades KW - Windenergie Anlage Rotorblätter KW - Thermography PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-60695 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Chaudhuri, Somsubhro A1 - Junker, Birgit T1 - Infrared thermography as an inspection tool for wind turbine rotor blades N2 - With the rapid expansion of wind turbine construction, rotor blades have increasingly been identified as a primary cause of turbine downtime and failure. This has led to a growing demand for inspection technologies through which energy production losses can be minimised—particularly in comparison to conventional methods such as rope-access inspections—and through which sub-surface blade conditions can be assessed to detect damage or failure in advance. Infrared thermography has been considered as a promising non-contact, full-field inspection method that can be applied to rotor blades in both operational and idle states. In this presentation, delivered at BladesEurope 2025, the physical mechanisms that give rise to thermal contrast during thermographic inspection were explained, as this contrast enables the detection and visualisation of structural features. Results obtained from a collaborative project between BAM and Statkraft Norway were presented, followed by the validation of a finite element simulation through experiments conducted in a climate chamber.” T2 - BladesEurope Forum 2025 CY - Edinburgh, Scotland DA - 29.04.2025 KW - Thermography KW - Wind energy KW - Inspection KW - Windenergie anlage rotorblätte KW - Damage detection PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-63060 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Chaudhuri, Somsubhro T1 - Infrared thermography as an inspection tool for wind turbine rotor blades N2 - This presentation explores the use of infrared thermography as an inspection tool for wind turbine rotor blades. It highlights the implementation of ground-based thermographic techniques, demonstrates what can be achieved through such inspections, and presents a case study conducted in partnership with Statkraft. Particular attention is given to the discussion of thermal contrast and how it can be obtained for effective defect detection. To assess the potential and limitations of thermography, results from controlled climate chamber experiments and complementary simulations are also presented. T2 - IQPC Wind Week 2025 CY - Bremen, Germany DA - 26.08.2025 KW - Thermography KW - Thermografie KW - Wind turbine rotor blades KW - Windenergie anlage rotorblätte KW - Damage detection PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-64056 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Chaudhuri, Somsubhro T1 - WTB-IRT: Modelling and Measurement of Thermal Contrast in wind turbine rotor blades (WTBs) N2 - To understand the results that can be obtained with thermography of operational wind turbine blades, a climate chamber based experiment was performed. The results of these experiments were additionally modelled using COMSOL Multiphysics. The results have been presented at the conference. T2 - Advanced Infrared Technology and Applications (AITA) 2025 CY - Kobe, Japan DA - 15.09.2025 KW - Thermography KW - Thermografie KW - Wind turbine rotor blades KW - Windenergie Anlage Rotorblätter KW - FEA PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-64222 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Chaudhuri, Somsubhro T1 - Thermography-Assisted Mechanical Testing of Cold-Spray (AM) Repair N2 - Cold Spray Additive Manufacturing (CSAM) is a solid-state process that is being increasingly used for structural repairs in aerospace and energy sectors. It enables the deposition of dense material at low temperatures by accelerating metal particles to supersonic velocities, thereby reducing thermal distortion. However, the structural integrity of CSAM repairs—particularly at the interface between the deposited layer and the substrate—remains a critical concern. Various post-treatments and characterization methods have been explored to optimize performance. While X-ray Computed Tomography (XCT) is effective for sub-surface inspection, it cannot be applied in situ during mechanical testing. Digital Image Correlation (DIC), a surface-based method, also lacks sub-surface sensitivity. To address this, Infrared Thermography (IRT) was employed alongside DIC during the tensile and fatigue testing of aluminum CSAM-repaired specimens. A cooled IRT camera operating at 200 FPS captured thermal data, with lock-in processing subsequently applied in post-processing. IRT successfully detected early interfacial damage and enabled the tracking of crack propagation, which was later confirmed through fracture surface analysis. T2 - Advanced Infrared Technology and Applications (AITA) 2025 CY - Kobe, Japan DA - 15.09.2025 KW - Thermography KW - Thermografie KW - Thermal stress analysis KW - Cold spray KW - Damage detection PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-64227 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Chaudhuri, Somsubhro T1 - EvalTherm: Evaluation of passive thermography for the inspection of operational wind turbine rotor blades N2 - Wind turbine rotor blades (WTBs) have undergone numerous developments related to their design, manufacturing, and material selection. The drive for cost efficiency has resulted in increasingly longer WTBs over the past two decades [1]. Despite advancements in wind turbine technology, WTB inspection methods have seen little change over the years. While drones are increasingly used, inspections still rely primarily on visual assessments. However, critical structural damage - often originating from manufacturing defects - typically begins within the composite blade structure. With the increase in wind turbine blade (WTB) sizes, now exceeding lengths of 120 meters, passive infrared thermography (IRT) has been explored as an alternative inspection method when thermal or optical excitation is impractical [2]. Despite its advantages, employing IRT in wind industry presents significant challenges due to inherent uncertainties related to material properties, environmental conditions, and calibration factors [3]. The effects of these conditions can be analysed through finite element (FE) modelling, albeit with certain limitations [4, 5]. This work is part of the multi-partner project “EvalTherm,” which aims to evaluate passive IRT as a non-destructive inspection tool for WTBs in operation (schematic of the project is shown in Figure 1:). One parameter that can be used to investigate its effectiveness is thermal contrast, which allows two distinct features to be distinguished in thermal data. Selected results from the project “EvalTherm” are discussed and shown in the presentation. They are primarily categorised into inspections done under controlled conditions: i.e. in laboratory (with active excitation in the form of irradiation) and a climate chamber (with a temperature transient introduced with airflow). Results from these trials help understand the combined effect that are observed in outside measurements, with exposure to the sun and diurnal temperature changes. The presentation will include results obtained from field inspections on operational WTBs. T2 - Wind Energy Science Conference (WESC) 2025 CY - Nantes, France DA - 24.06.2025 KW - Thermography KW - Wind energy KW - Wind turbine rotor blades KW - Windenergie Anlage Rotorblätter KW - Damage detection PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-63558 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Chaudhuri, Somsubhro T1 - Infrarot-Thermografie zur Überwachung von mittels Kaltgasspritzen (Cold- Spray) reparierten Bauteilen unter zyklischer Belastung N2 - Das Kaltgasspritzen ist ein vielversprechendes Verfahren für die Reparatur von metallischen Komponenten , insbesondere sicherheitsrelevante Bauteile in der Luft- und Raumfahrt. Durch die Abscheidung von Partikeln mit hoher Geschwindigkeit ohne Schmelzen entsteht eine mechanisch verbundene Grenzfläche zwischen dem Substrat und der Beschichtung. Die Überwachung der Integrität dieser Grenzfläche unter Ermüdungsbelastung stellt jedoch nach wie vor eine Herausforderung dar, da die Grenzfläche nicht sichtbar ist. Die Röntgencomputertomographie (XCT) wird bereits häufig zur Charakterisierung von Defekten in Kaltgasspritzbeschichtungen und Grenzflächenbereichen eingesetzt. XCT bietet zwar hochauflösende Einblicke in interne Strukturen, ihre Anwendung bei mechanischen Prüfungen ist jedoch aufgrund praktischer Einschränkungen bei der In-situ-Implementierung begrenzt. In dieser Studie wurde die Infrarot-Thermografie (IRT) eingesetzt, um die Schadensentwicklung in kaltgespritzten Al6061-Proben während Zug- und Ermüdungsbelastung zu überwachen. Eine gekühlte Infrarotkamera mit hoher Bildfrequenz wurde synchron mit den mechanischen Prüfungen eingesetzt, und die Daten wurden mit Lock-in-Thermografieverfahren verarbeitet, um Phasen- und Amplitudensignale zu extrahieren, die mit thermoelastischen und dissipativen Effekten in Zusammenhang stehen. Die IRT ermöglichte die Erkennung thermischer Anomalien an der Grenzfläche zwischen Beschichtung und Substrat, die mit der Rissbildung und -ausbreitung korrelierten. Parallel dazu wurde die digitale Bildkorrelation (DIC) angewendet, um Oberflächenverformungsfelder abzubilden. Der Vergleich von DIC und IRT ermöglichte eine multimodale Betrachtung der Schadensmechanismen. Die fraktografische Analyse bestätigte, dass die mit IRT identifizierten Bereiche gut mit der Rissentstehung an der Grenzfläche übereinstimmen. Diese Ergebnisse bestätigen den Wert der Infrarot-Thermografie als zerstörungsfreies Verfahren zur In-situ-Überwachung der strukturellen Integrität bei Kaltgasspritzreparaturen. Sie ergänzt XCT und DIC, indem sie eine kontinuierliche Verfolgung der Schadensentwicklung unter realistischen Belastungsbedingungen ermöglicht. T2 - Thermo25: Infrarot-Thermografie im Dialog zwischen Forschung und Praxis CY - Garching bei München, Germany DA - 12.11.2025 KW - Thermografie KW - Lock-In KW - Kaltgasspritzen KW - Grenzflächenintegrität PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-64709 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Costard, René T1 - Auswirkungsbetrachtungen auf Strukturen T1 - Scaling of Blast Effects on Reinforced Concrete Structures N2 - Protection against terroristic or accidental scenarios in industrial settings requires suitable designs of structures to resist blast loads. Field testing as well as finite element simulations are among the techniques available to engineers in the understanding of the structural behavior against blast loading. As blast testing of complex scenarios can be very resource intensive, tests are generally performed for simplified scenarios. Numerical tools can be used to model these scenarios to get better insight into blast loading, structural response, and the resulting damage to the structure. During the next steps, the simplified scenario is successively modified in numerical simulations to incorporate complexities that cannot be covered in blast testing experiments. One of the conditions for this approach to work is that the original simplified numerical simulation is valid. The scopes and challenges encountered in such a validation are the focus of this presentation/article. A relatively ‘simple’ field test of a horizontal reinforced concrete (RC) slab subjected to blast loading is taken as an example for validation of the performance of numerical tools. The blast test incorporated various measurement techniques to quantify the blast load as well as the behavior of the RC slab. Blast load was measured using flush mounted piezoelectric pressure gauges, whereas acceleration sensors and fiber-optic sensor cables were used to characterize the dynamic behavior of the slab under blast loading. Additionally, damage characteristics were ascertained also using fiber optic sensing. The application of such measurement techniques, along with different numerical software available for the analysis of the scenario in question, demonstrate the scope of our contribution. When it comes to the challenges, it begins with proper instrumentation of the test specimen followed by the data processing. For numerical modelling, geometric conditions with appropriate boundary constraints, physical conditions such as the configuration of the rebars, as well as material parameters add to this challenge. The issues of choosing appropriate material models and comparison of results with multiple software tools will be discussed. This discussion forms the basis for a coherent approach to technical-safety assessment of blast effects on structures in its broader sense. T2 - Beiratssitzung Infrastruktur CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 11.04.2024 KW - Blast KW - Scaling KW - Fiber optic sensing KW - CFD KW - FEM PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-59849 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Costard, René T1 - Explosionsauswirkungen auf Strukturen Versuche und Simulationen N2 - Vorstellung der Versuche von Explosionsversuchen auf dem TTS. Diese werden ergänzt durch die Ergebnisse durchgeführter Simulationen und zeigen die Wirkung von zivilen Explosivstoffen auf Gebäudestrukturen und die aufgetretenen Schädigungen. T2 - 46. Informationstagung Sprengtechnik CY - Siegen, Germany DA - 25.04.2025 KW - Explosivstoff KW - Skalierung KW - Strukturauswirkung KW - Numerische Simulation PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-62998 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Costard, René T1 - Charakterisierung der Belastung und Schädigung von Stahlbetonprüfkörpern unter Explosionsbeanspruchung N2 - Sprengversuche sind ein wesentliches Werkzeug, um die Eignung von Schutzobjekten und Bauteilen zum Schutz der Bevölkerung vor Anschlägen mit explosionsgefährlichen Stoffen wie Explosivstoffen, sogenannten „home-made-explosives“ (HME) und unkonventionellen Spreng- und Brandvorrichtungen (USBV) zu bewerten. Für forensische Zwecke werden oft Explosionsszenarien nachgebildet, um die Auswirkung von Anschlägen oder Unfällen genau untersuchen zu können. Feldversuche in Kombination mit numerischen Simulationen ermöglichen eine Charakterisierung der Belastung und Schädigung von Bauteilen und Strukturen unter hochdynamischen Explosionsbelastungen. Auf dem Testgelände Technische Sicherheit (TTS) der BAM in Horstwalde, Brandenburg werden Sprengversuche im Real-Maßstab durchgeführt. Dabei werden Bauteile mit Messtechnik ausgestattet, um eine dynamische Strukturcharakterisierung mittels sensorbasierten Monitorings zu ermöglichen. In diesem Vortrag werden am Beispiel einer Versuchskampagne mit einer Stahlbetonwand als Prüfkörper die Eignung verschiedener Prüfmethoden bei Sprengversuchen evaluiert. Es werden Messmethoden zur Charakterisierung der Explosionsereignisse, des globalen Strukturverhaltens sowie der lokalen Schädigung vorgestellt. Die direkte Charakterisierung der Explosionsbelastung erfolgt mit Hilfe von piezo-elektrischen Druckaufnehmern (bündig mit der Oberfläche im Prüfkörper montiert) und High-Speed-Kameras. Die Beobachtung der explosionsinduzierten Reaktion des Bauteils während und nach dem Eintreffen der Stoßwelle erfolgt mittels Beschleunigungssensoren, Stereo-Fotogrammetrie sowie mit in den Prüfkörper eingebetteter verteilter faseroptischer Sensoren, mit Hilfe derer die Dehnungsraten im Bauteil zeit- und ortsaufgelöst gemessen werden können. Die faseroptischen Sensoren erlauben außerdem die örtlich hochaufgelöste Bestimmung statischer Dehnungsänderungen im Bauteil nach einem Versuch, sodass auch nicht sichtbare Schädigungen wie kleinste Risse detektiert und charakterisiert werden können. Vergleichende Messungen mit Ultraschall komplettieren die Schadenscharakterisierung. In unserem Beitrag diskutieren wir die Herausforderungen dieser Messungen sowie die Ergebnisse und Möglichkeiten der genannten komplementären Messmethoden. T2 - 44. Informationstagung Sprengtechnik CY - Siegen, Germany DA - 14.04.2023 KW - Explosivstoffe KW - Sprengversuche KW - Schädigungscharakterisierung KW - Sensorik PY - 2023 AN - OPUS4-57319 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - D'Accardi, E. T1 - Capability of active thermography to detect and localize pores in Metal Additive Manufacturing materials N2 - A powerful tool to understand, demonstrate and explain the limits of the pulsed technique in terms of detectability and localizability of AM keyhole pores has been assessed by comparing the active thermographic approach (both experimental and FEM simulations) to Computed Tomography results; ✓ µCT results demonstrate that the intended defect geometry is not achieved; indeed a network of voids (microdefects consisting of small sharp-edged hollows with a complicated, almost fractal, inner surface) was found; ✓ both Exp-PT and FEM results explains clearly why no indication of defect related to the thermal contrasts could be found during the investigation of an uncoated surface. However, the application of further data evaluations focusing on the thermal behavior and emissivity evaluation (PPT post data processing) enable the detection of some defects; ✓ coating facilitates a closer inspection of inner defects, but inhomogeneities of the coating could impair the spatial resolution and lead to the emergence of hotspots (the FEM simulation reached its limit with this extreme geometry where a 25 µm thin disc is considered at a 1 cm thick specimen in millisecond time resolution); ✓ both Exp-PT and FEM results allow the conclusion that very short pulses of 200 ms or shorter should be sufficient to detect these defects below, but near the surface; besides a short duration of the thermal phenomenon it should be emphasized, about 0.04 s (high frame rate camera); T2 - Convegno AIAS 2020 CY - Online meeting DA - 02.09.2020 KW - Additive Manufacturing KW - Laser powderbed fusion KW - Pores KW - Thermography PY - 2020 AN - OPUS4-51922 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Dalichow, Dirk T1 - Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) for the chemical investigation of concrete- Status of practical application and regulations in Germany N2 - The assessment and maintenance of reinforced concrete structures depends largely on knowledge of the chloride content and chloride ingress. Common methods are the wet chemical analysis of drill dust or powder from ground drill core segments. However, due to the homogenization process, this approach often fails to detect locally elevated chloride levels. A state-of-the-art alternative method is laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), which offers rapid analysis and the possibility of detecting several chemical elements simultaneously. This method is particularly characterized by its ability to measure light elements such as hydrogen, carbon or sodium. The spatial resolution of LIBS is usually 0.25 mm but can be increased to 0.1 mm or less if required. BARG, is the first commercial building materials laboratory in Germany to use LIBS in practice. The current LIBS setup enables rapid, spatial quantification of the chlorine content and at the same time the creation of element maps that visually represent the distribution of essential elements in the concrete. This method can be used to localize areas of elevated chlorine content, particularly in cracks or near reinforcing bars. With the ability to analyze several elements simultaneously, LIBS can determine measurement points associated with the cement phase and, taking into account the water content, relate the measured contents directly to the cement mass. The detailed ingress profiles determined by LIBS provide essential data for the estimation of accurate chlorine diffusion coefficients, which are crucial for probabilistic lifetime predictions. The estimation of the carbon distribution enables the localization of carbonated regions and their effect on the chloride distribution. The possibility of quantitatively determining the sulfur distribution also indicates areas that are affected by a possible sulfate attack. The presentation uses practical examples to demonstrate the possibilities and advantages of the LIBS method. In addition, the newly published leaflet B14 of the German Society for Non-Destructive Testing (DGZfP) will be presented, which describes the use of LIBS for the quantitative determination of chloride content in concrete. T2 - ICCRRR 2024 CY - Cape Town, South Africa DA - 04.11.2024 KW - Concrete KW - Chloride KW - Corrosion KW - Repair KW - Maintenance PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-62481 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Eddah, Mustapha T1 - Multi-Energy High Dynamic Range (HDR) Synchrotron X-ray Computed Tomography applied to LTCC samples N2 - Synchrotron X-ray computed tomography (SXCT) is regularly used in materials science to correlate structural properties with macroscopic properties and to optimize manufacturing processes. The X-ray beam energy must be adapted to the sample properties, such as size and density. If both strongly and weakly absorbing materials are present, the contrast to the weakly absorbing materials is lost, resulting in image artifacts and a poor signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). One example is a low-temperature co-fired ceramics (LTCC), in which metal connections are embedded in a ceramic matrix and form 3-dimensional conducting structures. This article describes a method of combining SXCT scans acquired at different beam energies, significantly reducing metal artifacts, and improving image quality. We show how to solve the difficult task of merging the scans at low and high beam energy. Our proposed merging approach achieves up to 35% improvement in SNR within ceramic regions adjacent to metallic conductors. In this way, previously inaccessible regions within the ceramic structure close to the metallic conductors are made accessible. T2 - iCT 2026 CY - Linz, Austria DA - 10.02.2026 KW - Synchrotron x-ray CT KW - Multi-energy CT KW - Low-Temperature cofired ceramics PY - 2026 AN - OPUS4-65586 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Effner, Ute T1 - Ultraschall-Messungen an in-situ-Abdichtbauwerken mit neu entwickelten Messtechniken N2 - Neue Ultraschall-Messsysteme (LAUS, Bohrlochsonde) haben ihre Funktionstüchtigkeit unter Beweis gestellt. Ergebnisse aus den Messungen konnten verifiziert werden. Standard-Mess- und –Auswerteverfahren müssen für Spritzbeton weiterentwickelt und angepasst werden. Mit sämtlichen Messmethoden konnten großflächige Risse detektiert werden. Messungen mit der Bohrlochsonde und LAUS sind zur Qualitätssicherung geeignet. T2 - Workshop zum TFP-SealWasteSafe CY - Online meeting DA - 14.02.2022 KW - Abdichtbauwerk / Verschlussbauwerk KW - Zerstörungsfreie Prüfung KW - Ultraschall-Echoverfahren PY - 2022 AN - OPUS4-55104 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Ehlers, Henrik T1 - Online ET with MR Sensor Arrays for LPBF Parts N2 - In this presentation we discuss the online monitoring of LPFB parts using eddy current testing with magenoresistive sensor arrays. The underlying principle, the developed hardware and the results of the firt online monitoring are described in the presentation. T2 - 2. Online-Workshop "In-situ Monitoring and Microstructure Development in Additive Manufactured Alloys " CY - Online meeting DA - 19.04.2021 KW - Eddy current testing KW - LPBF KW - GMR KW - SLM KW - Haynes282 KW - Additive manufacturing PY - 2021 AN - OPUS4-52700 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Ehlers, Henrik T1 - Hochauflösende Online Wirbelstromprüfung von PBF LB/M Bauteilen mit GMR Arrays N2 - In den letzten Jahren haben additive Fertigungstechnologien an Bedeutung gewonnen. Für komplexe Funktionsbauteile oder die Produktion von Werkstücken in kleinen Stückzahlen kann das Laser-Pulverbettschmelzen eingesetzt werden. Hohe Sicherheitsanforderungen, z. B. in der Luft- und Raumfahrt, erfordern eine umfassende Qualitätskontrolle. Daher werden nach der Fertigung zerstörungsfreie Offline-Prüfverfahren wie die Computertomographie eingesetzt. In jüngster Zeit wurden zur Verbesserung der Rentabilität und Praktikabilität zerstörungsfreie Online-Prüfverfahren wie die optische Tomographie entwickelt. In diesem Beitrag wird die Anwendbarkeit der Wirbelstromprüfung mit GMR Sensoren für die online Prüfung von PBF-LB/M Teilen demonstriert. Die Ergebnisse einer online Wirbelstromprüfung mit GMR Sensoren und einer Ein-Draht-Anregung werden gezeigt. Während des Produktionsprozesses wird für jede Lage eine Wirbelstromprüfung durchgeführt. Trotz hochauflösender Arrays mit 128 Elementen wird durch eine angepasste Hardware die Prüfdauer geringgehalten. So kann die Messung während des Beschichtungsvorgangs durchgeführt werden, ohne den Fertigungsprozess signifikant zu verlangsamen. Eine online Wirbelstromprüfung eines stufenförmigen Testkörpers aus Haynes282 über 184 Lagen zeigt, dass die Kanten nicht nur in der aktuellen Lage detektiert werden können, sondern auch in einer Tiefe von 400 µm, wenn eine Anregungsfrequenz von 1,2 MHz gewählt wird. T2 - DGZfP Jahrestagung 2022 CY - Kassel, Germany DA - 23.05.2022 KW - Wirbelstrom KW - Additive Fertigung KW - GMR KW - PBF PY - 2022 AN - OPUS4-54899 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Epple, Niklas T1 - Monitoring of bridges with coda waves - first steps towards an imaging strategy N2 - Monitoring of concrete structures is of utmost importance in maintenance and preservation of infrastructure. As a part of the DFG research group CoDA (Concrete Damage Assessment by Coda Waves), the works within this PhD project aim for identification of damage sensitive parameters extracted from ultrasonic measurements obtained with embedded sensors, the determination of environmental (reversible) influences on the signal and the localisation of damaged areas. The main technique used for the detection of changes in the monitored material is the so-called Coda Wave Interferometry (CWI). It uses the later part of the ultrasonic recording for the detection of small changes in the sensed area and the calculation of a relative velocity change. Using this technique we can show that we are able to detect changes in concrete temperature with ultrasound measurements. This enables temperature correction for ultrasound monitoring with embedded sensors. The crucial point for imaging and localisation with coda waves is the calculation of the so-called sensitivity kernels. We propose the application of numerical wave simulations for the kernel calculations instead of the commonly used diffusivity equation. Using finite-difference wave modelling code from our DFG project partners we are able to calculate those Kernels and first results are shown in this presentation. The major task for the second year will be the development and implementation of the inversion algorithm as well as the preparation of validation experiments. T2 - Doktorandenseminar BAM Abt. 8 CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 30.03.2020 KW - Ultrasound KW - Non-destructive testing KW - Numerical modelling KW - Structural health monitoring PY - 2020 AN - OPUS4-50624 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Epple, Niklas T1 - Ultrasonic monitoring of large-scale structures – input to engineering assessment N2 - Ultrasonic coda wave interferometry can detect small changes in scattering materials like concrete. We embedded ultrasonic transducers in the Gänstorbrücke Ulm, a monitored road bridge in Germany, to test the methodology. Since fall 2020, we've been monitoring parts of the bridge and comparing the results to commercial monitoring systems. We calculate signal and volumetric velocity changes using coda waves, and long-term measurements show that the influence of temperature on strains and ultrasound velocity changes can be monitored. Velocity change maps indicate that different parts of the bridge react differently to environmental temperature changes, revealing local material property differences. A load experiment with trucks allows calibration to improve detectability of possibly damaging events. Our work focuses on measurement reliability, potential use of and distinction from temperature effects, combination with complementary sensing systems, and converting measured values to information for damage and life cycle assessment. T2 - IALCCE 2023 CY - Milano, Italy DA - 02.07.2023 KW - Ultrasonic KW - Monitoring KW - Bridges KW - NDT KW - Coda PY - 2023 AN - OPUS4-58046 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Epple, Niklas T1 - Coda Measurements for monitoring infrastructure durability N2 - Presentation about the advancements in the DFG Research unit CoDA, with focus on Coda Wave Monitoring of Infrastructure. With some case studies, possibilities and challenges are discussed on the way towards infrastructural monitoring with CWI. T2 - PhD-Seminar Department 8.2 CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 07.09.2023 KW - CWI KW - Embedded Sensors KW - Ultrasound KW - Bridge Monitoring PY - 2023 AN - OPUS4-58196 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Epple, Niklas T1 - Accounting for Long Term Environmental Influences on Ultrasonic Monitoring Measurements of Reinforced Concrete Constructions with Embedded Transducers N2 - Ultrasound measurements in concrete are a well-known technique in civil engineering and non-destructive testing. For consistent monitoring of a concrete structure, the common techniques, using external sensors can often not provide the appropriate degree of repeatability, as the surface of structures changes, and comparable coupling conditions cannot be guaranteed when a measurement is repeated after some time. By embedding ultrasound transducers in concrete, we aim to develop a strategy for long-term monitoring of infrastructure, especially bridges, as a supplement and extension to other techniques. Applying the so-called coda wave interferometry to these measurements we can detect subtle changes in the medium far beyond the resolution limit of traditional time of flight methods. A smart sensor layout enables cost-efficient sensing of the entire area of interest. Embedding the transducers might remove uncertainties like coupling or positioning changes, while other challenges remain. Temperature and moisture content influence the structure and the transducers. These drifts need to be recorded and removed and good coupling must be ensured while not being able to visually inspect the sensor. In a multidisciplinary research group funded by the German Research Foundation, we aim to solve these problems on the way towards an ultrasound monitoring system for reinforced concrete structures. In various experiments in the lab and field, we determine the influence of temperature variations on the measurements and the equipment. As the monitoring task is the detection of irreversible damages - not reversible changes - a smart system requires a smart way of discrimination between permanent damages and reversible changes. With the data collected in these experiments, we present an approach to an environmental correction to ultrasound data to avoid a misinterpretation of these environmental changes as damage indicators. T2 - 10th International Conference on Structural Health Monitoring of Intelligent Infrastructure CY - Porto, Portugal DA - 30.06.2021 KW - Coda Wave Interferometry KW - Embedded sensors KW - Long-term monitoring KW - Ultrasound KW - Temperature Influence PY - 2021 AN - OPUS4-53404 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Epple, Niklas T1 - Coda Wave Interferometry for Monitoring Bridges with Embedded Ultrasonic Transducers – Lessons Learned at the Gänstorbrücke Bridge Ulm, Germany N2 - Ultrasonic Coda Wave interferometry has the potential to detect minute changes in scattering materials like concrete. By permanently installing ultrasonic transducers in concrete, DFG Research unit CoDA aims to develop methods for concrete damage assessment in Germany's aging infrastructure. To test the methods developed in simulations and laboratory experiments on a large scale, we have implemented several ultrasonic transducers at the Gänstorbrücke Ulm, one of Germany's most monitored road bridges. Since fall 2020 we are monitoring parts of the center of the Bridge, as well as an abutment, and compare the results to the commercial monitoring system. All data is recorded with a self-made data collection device, the so-called W-Box, and analyzed with different coda wave-based algorithms to detect signal and volumetric velocity changes. The long-term measurements show that the influence of temperature changes on strains and therefore ultrasound velocity changes calculated with coda waves can be monitored. The capabilities and limitations of the coda wave-based monitoring system are tested in a controlled experiment. Static loading using a truck with varying loads at several positions allows the calibration of the system to improve the detectability of possibly damaging loads and changes induced by this loading. A map of velocity change analyzing data from this load experiment shows that the influence of load on the material and strain distribution can be detected with array measurements. T2 - NDT-CE 2022 - The International Symposium on Nondestructive Testing in Civil Engineering CY - Zurich, Switzerland DA - 16.08.2022 KW - Coda Wave Interferometry KW - Ultrasound KW - Embedded sensors KW - Bridge Monitoring KW - Load Experiment PY - 2022 AN - OPUS4-56454 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Epple, Niklas T1 - Monitoring of a German Road Bridge Using Embedded Ultrasonic Transducers and Coda Waves N2 - The ‘G¨anstorbr¨ucke’ bridge between the cities of Ulm and Neu-Ulm is one of the best-monitored bridges all over Germany. In addition to an already active bride monitoring system, we have equipped the bridge with 30 ultrasonic transducers to explore the monitoring possibilities at an in-service large-scale reinforced concrete structure with continuous active ultrasonic measurements. The monitoring system is based on the detection of small changes in the entire signal, especially the multiply scattered parts of the recording, the so-called coda. Applying Coda Wave Interferometry (CWI), subtle changes in the signal can be detected and related to changing velocities in the area between source and receiver. A comparison of the results from coda wave interferometry with the strain measurements of the permanent monitoring system shows a correlation between strain measurements and CWI results. We discuss the challenges of changing environmental conditions, pose for interpretation of the results, and highlight the advantages of embedded versus externally attached ultrasonic transducers in permanent bridge monitoring, especially when coda wave interferometry is applied. T2 - EWSHM 2022 CY - Palermo, Italy DA - 04.07.2022 KW - Bridge monitoring KW - Ultrasound KW - Embedded sensors KW - Coda wave interferometry PY - 2022 AN - OPUS4-55383 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Epple, Niklas T1 - Structural Monitoring in an Urban Underground Metro Station Using Coda Wave Interferometry N2 - Active ultrasonic monitoring with coda wave interferometry has demonstrated its potential for structural health monitoring in concrete structures. This study investigates its application using ultrasonic transducers embedded in the ceiling of a subway station in Munich, Germany. We evaluate the impact of environmental conditions, specifically electromagnetic interference and temperature, on data quality, as well as the influence of regular loading from passing trams. Results indicate that electromagnetic interference significantly affects measurements, while temperature effects remain minimal due to the station’s stable thermal environment. Long-term measurements and a controlled load test show that both dynamic and static loading from trams induce ultrasonic velocity changes of only 0.01%–0.06%. Although the experiment demonstrates the capacity to detect structural responses and supports the feasibility of long-term monitoring, T2 - NDT-CE 2025 CY - Izmir, Türkiye DA - 24.09.2025 KW - Coda Wave Interferometry (CWI), KW - Coda Wave Monitoring KW - Concrete KW - Ultrasonic testing KW - Urban infrastructure PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-65462 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Epple, Niklas T1 - Monitoring of Concrete Infrastructure with Active Ultrasound Coda Wave Interferometry N2 - Coda Wave Interferometry has been used in Geophysics to detect weak changes in scattering media. Past research in Structural Health Monitoring has shown that this methodology can be applied to concrete structures to detect material changes by calculation of relative velocity changes. Successive measurements with embedded ultrasonic transducers provide a repeatable signal for reliable long-term monitoring of concrete. To research the application in real-world structures, we have embedded ultrasonic transducers in a bridge in Ulm and a Metro station in Munich, Germany. This study gives an overview of the monitoring of these two structures. The results show the potential and challenges of the method. Data evaluation can be largely automated to gain insights into material changes and other influences on the structure, such as traffic-induced load and temperature variations. The experiments demonstrate the ease of installation, longevity of the sensor installation, and sensitivity of the measurement technique, but highlight problems with the application, especially if electromagnetic noise affects data quality. As no confirmed substantial damage was recorded during the monitoring period on both structures, we evaluate load tests to investigate the effect of static load on the structures and the coda monitoring results. The experiments show that the influence of load can be detected, even if the temperature influence is not removed from the data. This indicates that online damage detection with coda monitoring is possible, but further research on damage detection in real-world structures has to be conducted to confirm laboratory findings. T2 - 13th International Conference on Structural Health Monitoring of Intelligent Infrastructure CY - Graz, Austria DA - 01.09.2025 KW - Active Ultrasound Measurements KW - Coda Wave Monitoring, KW - Embedded Transducers PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-65460 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -