Severity evaluation of the transverse crack in a cylindrical part using a PZT wafer based on an interval energy approach

Abstract

Transverse cracks in cylindrical parts can be detected by using the ultrasound based pulse–echo method, which has been widely used in industrial applications. However, it is still a challenge to identify the echoes reflected by a crack and bottom surfaces of a cylindrical part due to the multi-path propagation and wave mode conversion. In this paper, an interval energy approach is proposed to evaluate the severity of the transverse crack in a cylindrical part. Lead zirconate titanate patch transducers are used to generate the ultrasound pulse and to detect the echoes. The echo signals are preprocessed and divided into two zones, the normal reflection zone and the crack reflection zone. Two energy factors evaluating the severity of the crack are computed based on the interval energy. When using this proposed method, it is not necessary to identify the echo sources since all the crack and boundary echoes are automatically taken into consideration by using the proposed method. The experimental results indicate that proposed approach is more suitable and sensitive to evaluate the transverse crack severity of cylindrical part than the traditional method.