Ultrasonic time-reversal-based super resolution imaging for defect localization and characterization

Abstract

In this paper, time reversal with multiple signal classification (TR-MUSIC) and its phase-coherent form (PC-MUSIC), the two typical ultrasonic time-reversal-based super resolution imaging techniques, have been introduced and explored to image defects in metallic samples. The principles for super resolution imaging technique and defect characterization based on ultrasonic image have been presented firstly. And then both TR-MUSIC and PC-MUSIC are tested with experimental ultrasonic array data acquired from the metallic samples including defects using the full matrix capture (FMC) process. Here, if the size of defect is smaller than the central ultrasonic wavelength, the defect can be regarded as point-like target. On the contrary, if the size of defect is larger than the central ultrasonic wavelength, it can be regarded as extended target. The comparison on super resolution imaging for point-like and extended targets has been investigated. For point-like targets, TR-MUSIC as well as PC-MUSIC can distinguish and locate the position, and the overall performance of TR-MUSIC is better than that of PC-MUSIC. For extended target, TR-MUSIC can only determine the area where the defect occurs. PC-MUSIC can distinguish and assess the length of extended target parallel to the array, the lowest error is 9.62% when the dimension of signal subspace is set to be 10 for the case considered. In addition, the defect characterization based on ultrasonic super-resolved image has been studied, and a sizing strategy is introduced. The length and angle of extended targets oblique to the array can be obtained from the PC-MUSIC images. The worst errors for assessing the length and angel are 9.14% and 13.3% respectively. And for the cases considered in the experiment, the longer the length of extended target, the smaller the error.