Filtern
Dokumenttyp
- Vortrag (8) (entfernen)
Sprache
- Englisch (8)
Referierte Publikation
- nein (8) (entfernen)
Schlagworte
- Ultrasonic testing (8) (entfernen)
Organisationseinheit der BAM
Eingeladener Vortrag
- nein (8)
In the last two decades automated ultrasonic inspection devices took over a lot of applications that prior have been carried out using manual inspection with the evaluation of A-scans only. In parallel phased array systems have been developed and brought to the market which offer detailed and fast control over the sound field. When applying automated inspection phased array systems for UT measurements imaging of the recorded data in combination with the probe positioning data is used for the evaluation of inspections. B-Scan, C-Scan and S-Scan images are typically used with this setup.
For more sophisticated applications with linear arrays echo tomography and syntethic aperture focusing technique (SAFT) are well known methods and often applied for high resolution image reconstruction. Since channel count of phased array systems is constantly rising, matrix arrays with up to 256 elements entered the market. Signal processing in the matrix domain became 3D. Since some years the Total Focusing Method (TFM) is an additional imaging tool for these type of application. It is based on the Full Matrix Capture (FMC) using the elements of phased array probes as separate transmitters and receivers.
In this contribution we discuss the common ground of SAFT and TFM as well as the differences between these imaging tools. The combined use of automated inspection, matrix arrays and signal processing for high resolution measurements is a challenging task where a very long parameter list has to be taken into account. Under which conditions which elements of the full matrix should be taken for the reconstruction for best results?
Based on examples taken from measured and simulated echo signals it will be shown how image resolution can be optimized in dependence of different parameters like the distance between transmitters and receivers and their directivity patterns, the depth of echo source and the specimen geometry.
Ray tracing boudary value problems: simulation and SAFT reconstruction for ultrasonic testing
(2016)
The application of advanced imaging techniques for the ultrasonic inspection of inhomogeneous anisotropic materials like austenitic and dissimilar welds requires information about acoustic wave propagation through the material, in particular travel times between two points in the material. Forward ray tracing is a popular approach to determine traveling paths and arrival times but is ill suited for inverse problems since a large number of rays have to be computed in order to arrive at prescribed end points. In this contribution we discuss boundary value problems for acoustic rays, where the ray path between two given points is determined by solving the eikonal equation. The implementation of such a two point boundary value ray tracer for sound field simulations through an austenitic weld is described and its efficiency as well as the obtained results are compared to those of a forward ray tracer. The results are validated by comparison with experimental results and commercially available UT simulation tools. As an application, we discuss an implementation of the method for SAFT (Synthetic Aperture Focusing Technique) reconstruction. The ray tracer calculates the required travel time through the anisotropic columnar grain structure of the austenitic weld. There, the formulation of ray tracing as a boundary value problem allows a straightforward derivation of the ray path from a given transducer position to any pixel in the reconstruction area and reduces the computational cost considerably.
Non-destructive testing (NDT) helps to find material defects without having an influence on the material itself. It is applied as a method of quality control, for online structural health monitoring, and for inspection of safety related components. Due to the ability of automation and a simple test setup ultrasonic testing is one major NDT technique next to several existing options. Whereas contact technique allows the use of higher frequencies of some MHz and phased array focusing, air-coupled ultrasonic testing (ACUT) shows different advantages. Most significant for ACUT is the absence of any coupling fluid and an economical test procedure respective time and costs. Both contact technique and ACUT have been improved and enhanced during the past years. One important enhancement is the development of airborne transducers based on ferroelectrets, like charged cellular polypropylene (cpp), which makes the application of any matching layers being mandatory in conventional piezoelectric transducers unnecessary. In this contribution we show ultrasonic inspection results of specimens made of carbon- and glass-fibre-reinforced plastic. These specimens include defects represented by drill holes and artificial delaminations of various size and depth. We compare inspection results achieved by using contact technique to those achieved by ACUT. For ACUT, conventional piezoelectric transducers and transducers based on cpp were used, both focused as well as non-focused types. Contact inspections were performed with a multi-channel matrix array probe. Once the inspection data is recorded it can be analysed in order to detect and evaluate defects in the specimen. We present different analysing strategies and compare these regarding detection rate and sizing of defects.
Composite pressure vessels are important components for storing gases under high pressure. Beside others, a common type of pressure vessel is made of a metal liner overwrapped with a fibre reinforced plastic material. Conventional hydrostatic tests, used to assess the integrity of pressure vessels, may overstress the material, and thus, may reduce the remaining life-time of the tested component. Therefore, a truly nondestructive structural health monitoring (SHM) system would not only allow to ensure a safer usage and extended life-time, but also to exclude the necessity of the periodic inspection and testing of pressure vessels.
We propose to use guided ultrasonic waves which have a potential to detect the main damage types such as cracking in the metal liner, fibre breaks and composite Matrix delamination. For designing such a SHM system, the multimodal ultrasonic wave propagation and the defect-mode interaction must be fully understood.
In this contribution, we present simulation results obtained by means of finite element modelling. Based on the findings, suggestions about appropriate wave modes, their interaction with different flaw types as well as the necessary excitation and suitable sensor configuration are made. Finally, we suggest a first approach of a reliable SHM system for composite pressure vessels.
Since 1999 there has been a continuous development of non-destructive head check inspection. Especially in case of modern rail inspection systems, high demands on a fast, detailed detection and classification of defects called for improved testing methods. Due to the large amount of different rail types and profiles, the adaptation and optimization of algorithms is still in progress. Additional data analysis is under devel-opment for combined eddy current and ultrasonic inspection methods. This presentation gives an over-view of further enhancement and linking of testing systems as well as data processing. Main foci of the development are an improved sensitivity and an increased reliability of the testing results. Also, additional information can be obtained like determination of local hardness and roughness of the rail as well as an enhanced resolution for locating of defects which will be part of the presented work.
The worldwide spread of windfarms brings new challenges, especially for concrete structures as a part of towers, connecting joints and foundations of wind turbines. High-cyclic loadings in such structures lead to a high relevance of the subject of fatigue. A proper assessment of the fatigue strength of concrete demands therefore a basis of reliable experimental data and the development of standardized testing methods. This article presents first results of an ongoing research program of BAM (Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung) which is a part of a joint project (WinConFat) funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. The subproject investigates the effects of size and slenderness of the specimens on the fatigue behaviour of high strength concrete at different stress levels. Not only the fatigue strength, but also the fatigue process itself is monitored by means of several measurement methods. Strain measurements are used to calculate the load dependent elastic modulus in the fatigue hysteresis as indicators for fatigue development. Furthermore, the application of non-destructive methods like acoustic emission analysis and ultrasonic measurement in laboratory tests gives a deeper insight into damage processes under cyclic loading. The results shall be used to improve design rules for concrete members under fatigue load and to develop or improve non-destructive techniques for in-service structural health monitoring.
Severe mechanical fatigue conditions for worldwide proliferating windfarms are a Major challenge for high-performance concrete in towers, connecting joints and foundations of wind turbines. High-performance concrete offers potential for the application in offshore windfarms, not only regarding its good mechanical, but also chemical resistivity due to low diffusivity in the highly densified microstructure. For a more reliable fatigue assessment, monitoring based on nondestructive testing can be a valuable complement to design rules. Both approaches demand reliable experimental data, information about scalability and the development of standardized testing methods. This article presents results of an ongoing research program of BAM (Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung), which is a part of a joint national project (WinConFat) funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. The subproject implemented by BAM examines the fatigue behavior in dependence of size and slenderness for varying concrete strength at different stress levels. Besides fatigue strength, nondestructive testing is carried out additionally.
Methods used are strain measurement and ultrasonic testing. The change of strain, stiffness and ultrasonic pulse velocity in the fatigue process is discussed. Results disclose a deeper insight into the damage process under cyclic loading of high-performance concrete and contribute to improve nondestructive monitoring.
Integration of fibre reinforcement in high-performance cementitious materials has become widely applied in many fields of construction. One of the most investigated advantages of steel fibre reinforced concrete (FRC) is the deceleration of crack growth and hence it’s improved sustainability due to e.g. decrease of permeability of concrete by aggressive substances. Additional benefits are associated with the structural properties of FRC, where fibres can significantly increase the ductility and the tensile strength of concrete. In some applications, such as tunnel linings or industrial slabs, it is even possible to entirely replace the conventional reinforcement, leading to significant logistical and environmental benefits. Fibre reinforcement can, however, have critical disadvantages and even hinder the performance of concrete, since it can induce an anisotropic material behaviour of the mixture if the fibres are not appropriately oriented. For a safe use of FRC in the future, reliable non-destructive methods need to be identified to assess the fibres’ orientation in hardened concrete. In this study, ultrasonic material testing, electrical impedance testing, and X-ray computer tomography have been investigated for this purpose using specially produced samples with biased or random fibre orientations. This paper demonstrates the capabilities of each of these NDT techniques for fibre orientation measurements and draws conclusions based on these results about the most promising areas for future research and development using these techniques.