A Real-coded Genetic Algorithm for Identification of Defects with Ultrasound Time-of-Flight Data

Abstract

AbstractTomographic reconstruction enables to look through engineering objects for material defects without hindering the objects functionality. Tomographic reconstruction procedures available in literature are developed in the lines of binary genetic algorithm principles. The binary genetic algorithm procedure reported earlier required the user to input the actual values of characteristic properties of materials present in an objects cross-section. The previous algorithm was designed to estimate the size and location of the defects, given the characteristic properties of object and defect material. In this work, a tomographic reconstruction procedure is modeled and implemented using the principles of real genetic algorithms. The algorithm is shown to achieve the task of reconstructing the cross-section of a test specimen starting with initial guesses that are within a given range of characteristic property to be estimated. The present algorithm does not necessitate the user to input exact characteristic property of material defects assumed to be present in the material cross-section being examined. The efficacy of proposed reconstruction algorithm is demonstrated with several numerical simulation studies.KeywordsNon-destructive testingTomographic reconstructionReal-coded genetic algorithmsTime-of-flight of ultrasound