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- 2016 (2)
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- Air-coupled (1)
- Air-coupled ultrasonic testing (1)
- Cellular polypropylene (1)
- Ferroelectret (1)
- Ferroelectrets (1)
- Focused sound fields (1)
- Focused transducers (1)
- Focusing (1)
- Transducer (1)
- Ultrasonic (1)
Rising importance of composite lightweight structures in aircraft and automobile industries increases the demand on reliable non-destructive testing methods for these structures. Air-coupled ultrasonic testing emerged to suit these requirements as it does not require any liquid coupling medium. In conventional air-coupled ultrasonic transducers, matching layers are used in order to decrease the impedance mismatch between transducer and air. Matching layers can be omitted by using ferroelectrets, which are charged cellular polymers having ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties. Especially a low Young’s modulus, low density and low sound velocity of cellular polypropylene (cPP) are properties being required for well-matched air-coupled ultrasonic transducers.
In our contribution we show recent enhancements of cPP transducers resulting in focused sound fields and thus improved lateral sensitivity. The influence of different transmitter apertures was evaluated using measurements of the emitted sound field. Further we show a transmission of a test specimen of carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) containing artificial damages. Results of focused transducers were compared to planar ferroelectret transducers, as well as to conventional air-coupled transducers.
Air-coupled ultrasound has been applied increasingly as a non-destructive testing method for lightweight construction in recent years. It is particularly appropriate for composite materials being used in automotive and aviation industry. Air-coupled ultrasound transducers mostly consist of piezoelectric materials and matching layers. However, their fabrication is challenging and their signal-to-noise ratio often not sufficient for many testing requirements. To enhance the efficiency, air-coupled ultrasound transducers made of cellular polypropylene have been developed. Because of its small density and sound velocity, this piezoelectric ferroelectret matches the small acoustic impedance of air much better than matching layers applied in conventional transducers. In our contribution, we present two different methods of spherical focusing of ferroelectret transducers for the further enhancement of their performance in NDT applications. Measurements on carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) samples and on metal adhesive joints performed with commercially available focused air-coupled ultrasound transducers are compared to measurements executed with self-developed focused ferroelectret transducers.