Acoustic Axis Research Articles

Experimental Evaluation of the Possibility of Through Defects Detection in Thermally Expanded Graphite Workpieces by Acoustic Method

The paper presents the results of evaluating the possibility of detecting defects (e.g., through holes) in workpieces made of thermally expanded graphite used as sealing materials using a non-contact air-coupled acoustic inspection system. The deviation of the acoustic signal amplitude when it passes through a sample of thermally expanded graphite in defective and defect-free regions is used as an informative parameter. The obtained dependences of the change in the amplitude of the passed signal through the sample on the size of the artificial through hole, density and thickness of the object showed a significant influence of these parameters on the detectability of the defect, which should be taken into account in the development of inspection technologies and in the process of its implementation. The change in the amplitude of the signal passed through the object directly depends on the increase in the parameters of the sample (density, thickness) and the size of the through hole, which increases the sensitivity of acoustic control and detectability of defects.On the basis of the obtained dependences the criteria for rejection of workpieces can be developed at the stage of production or immediately before manufacturing of their products. The influence of defect positioning relative to the acoustic axis of the transmitter-receiver system is shown, which leads to a decrease in the informative parameter, and consequently to a decrease in sensitivity. This dependence is characteristic for all thicknesses and densities of objects, as well as for all sizes of artificial through holes when control is carried out immediately after defect formation. When acoustic inspection is carried out some time after the defect formation, the maximum of this dependence may shift due to the shift of the amount of substance to fill the defect cavity, which is confirmed by microscopy. The obtained results can be used in the development of workpieces acoustic control parameters.

The Influential Factors and Prediction of Kuroshio Extension Front on Acoustic Propagation-Tracked

The Kuroshio Extension front (KEF) considerably influences the underwater acoustic environment; however, a knowledge gap persists regarding the acoustic predictions under the ocean front environment. This study utilized the high-resolution ocean reanalysis data (JCOPE2M, 1993–2022) to assess the impact of the KEF on the underwater acoustic environment. Oceanographic factors were extracted from the database using the Douglas-Peucker algorithm, and acoustic propagation characteristics were obtained using the Bellhop raytracing model. This study employed a backpropagation neural network to predict the acoustic propagation affected by the KEF. The depth of the acoustic channel axis and the vertical gradient of the transition layer of sound speed were identified as the fundamental factors influencing the first area of convergence, with correlations between the former and the distance of the first convergence zone ranging from 0.52 to 0.82, and that for the latter ranging from −0.42 to −0.7. The proposed method demonstrated efficacy in forecasting first convergence zone distances, predicting distances with less than 3 km error in >90% of cases and less than 1 km error in 68.61% of cases. Thus, this study provides a valuable predictive tool for studying underwater acoustic propagation in ocean front environments and informs further research.

Acoustic rotation of multiple subwavelength cylinders for three-dimensional topography reconstruction

Accurate rotation of microparticles is of great significance in micro-rotors, multi-angle microscopic observation, microbial three-dimensional phenotyping, and microsystem assembly. However, most methods can only rotate a single object, thus limiting the throughput. In this study, we realized the simultaneous rotation of many trapped and aligned subwavelength glass cylinders inside an evanescent wave field excited by a resonant phononic crystal plate. The unique feature of the rotation lies in its periodic distribution as well as the rotation axis being perpendicular to the acoustic axis. The rotary power originates from viscous torque generated by the evanescent wave-induced near-boundary acoustic streaming's asymmetry distribution on the trapped cylinder. Furthermore, the three-dimensional topographies of rotated cylinders can be reconstructed from the microscopic images under different rotating angles. Our findings can pave the way toward developing simple, disposable, and scalable microfluidic devices for massive subwavelength acoustic rotation by carefully designing acoustic metamaterials.

Ultrasonic visualization and quantitative analysis of internal defects in RTV coatings

Room temperature vulcanised (RTV) silicone rubber coatings effectively enhance the insulation properties of electrical equipment. However, RTV coatings are prone to internal defects caused by the coating process and the effects of aging during service, which can lead to debonding of the coatings. Internal debonding defects are challenging to detect and can ultimately lead to accidents due to a reduction in the insulation capacity of the equipment. To visualize the internal defect morphology of RTV coatings and quantify the defect size, an ultrasonic pulse-echo-based method for detecting and imaging debonding defects is proposed. The method involves the development of a finite element model to investigate how ultrasonic waves propagate in RTV coatings and the influence of ultrasonic probes and inspection conditions on defect echoes. Furthermore, an ultrasonic detection system specifically designed for RTV coating debonding defects is constructed. This system utilizes wavelet packets in the time-frequency domain to analyze the echo signals in both normal and defective regions. The three-dimensional reconstruction of the debonding defect morphology is accomplished by integrating ultrasonic echo amplitude and position information. Finally, the size of the debonding defects is quantified using an adaptive threshold segmentation method. The findings indicate that ultrasound waves reflected in RTV materials propagate as spherical waves, with the acoustic energy primarily concentrated near the acoustic axis. As the propagation distance increases, the sound beam disperses along the axis and extends beyond the transducer, resulting in a decrease in the sound field's directionality. The developed visual reconstruction method in this study offers the capability of three-dimensional visualization for defects present within RTV coatings, including their length, width, and depth. The accurate determination of defect size is achieved through the utilization of the adaptive threshold segmentation method, yielding an average error rate of 5.7 % across different defect types. In comparison, the maximal interclass variance method (OTSU) and the fuzzy C-means (FCM) method produced results with error rates of 9.8 % and 7.9 %, respectively. The research presented in this paper enables precise assessment of debonding defect severity and establishes a reliable foundation for on-site inspection, operation, and maintenance of RTV coatings.

Selection of Exposure Parameters for a HIFU Ablation System Using an Array of Thermocouples and Numerical Simulations

Image-guided High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) technique is dynamically developing technology for treating solid tumors due to its non-invasive nature. Before a HIFU ablation system is ready for use, the exposure parameters of the HIFU beam capable of destroying the treated tissue without damaging the surrounding tissues should be selected to ensure the safety of therapy. The purpose of this work was to select the threshold acoustic power as well as the step and rate of movement of the HIFU beam, generated by a transducer intended to be used in the HIFU ablation system being developed, by using an array of thermocouples and numerical simulations. For experiments a bowl-shaped 64-mm, 1.05 MHz HIFU transducer with a 62.6 mm focal length (f-number 0.98) generated pulsed waves propagating in two-layer media: water/ex vivo pork loin tissue (50 mm/40 mm) was used. To determine a threshold power of the HIFU beam capable of creating the necrotic lesion in a small volume within the tested tissue during less than 3 s each tissue sample was sonicated by multiple parallel HIFU beams of different acoustic power focused at a depth of 12.6 mm below the tissue surface. Location of the maximum heating as well as the relaxation time of the tested tissue were determined from temperature variations recorded during and after sonication by five thermo-couples placed along the acoustic axis of each HIFU beam as well as from numerical simulations. The obtained results enabled to assess the location of each necrotic lesion as well as to determine the step and rate of the HIFU beam movement. The location and extent of the necrotic lesions created was verified using ultrasound images of tissue after sonication and visual inspection after cutting the samples. The threshold acoustic power of the HIFU beam capable of creating the local necrotic lesion in the tested tissue within 3 s without damaging of surrounding tissues was found to be 24 W, and the pause between sonications was found to be more than 40 s. (f-number 0.98) and propagated in two-layer media: water/ex vivo pork loin tissue (50mm/40mm). The thickness of a water layer was determined from a nonlinear propagation model. To determine a threshold power of the HIFU beam capable of creating a necrotic lesion in small volume within a tested tissue during exposure less than 3s the tissue samples were sonicated by parallel HIFU beams with a varied acoustic power (8W - 36W) focused at a depth of 12.6 mm below the tissue surface. The location of the maximum heating spot induced by these beams as well as the tissue relaxation time were determined from temperatures recorded by a thermocouple array placed on the acoustic axis of each HIFU beam. The results obtained enabled to detect the location of necrotic lesions as well as the scanning speed of the tumor by means of the HIFU beam focus. The location of necrotic lesions was verified by ultrasonic images of tissue samples after their sonication and by visual inspection of visible lesions after cutting the samples. Results of the experiments showed that the threshold acoustic power of the HIFU beam capable of creating local necrotic lesion in the ex vivo pork loin tissue within 3s without damaging of surrounding tissue structures amounted to 24 W, and the interval between exposures, resulting from the relaxation time of tissue, was above 40 seconds.

Machine learning model for preoperative assessment of ultrasound diathermy with implants

Ultrasound diathermy is a medical device commonly used in clinical practice to treat contractures, especially for patients with metal implants. However, the effects of thermotherapy tend to vary from person to person as it is dependent on the temperature distribution within soft tissues. As a result, a convenient tool for preoperative assessment is needed to avoid hyperthermia. In this study, a deep learning architecture based on the long short-term memory (LSTM) model as a workhorse is proposed to perform preoperative assessment for ultrasound diathermy with an operating frequency of 3 MHz and treatment duration of 60 s. The dataset was generated through finite element simulations validated by in-vitro experiments. Numerical examples are provided to demonstrate that the proposed model can accurately predict the temperature history curves at different locations along the acoustic axis for different heating profiles, hydrogel thicknesses, and implant thicknesses while maintaining a maximum root mean square error (RMSE) of less than 0.25 °C. It is noted that the peak temperature during ultrasound diathermy was found not to occur at the intersection point of the acoustic axis and the interface between the phantom and implant layers. The proposed model can also generate the temperature distribution in the phantom layer along the acoustic axis for various hydrogel thicknesses and implant thicknesses for preoperative assessment.

Peculiarities in the Transformation of the Profile of Acoustic Nonlinear Waves Reflected from a Stepped Structure

The article presents the results of studying the reflection of an intense acoustic beam from stepped structures. The case of high Reynolds numbers is considered, when a sawtooth wave profile formed in the incident beam, and an obstacle in the form of a step was located normal to the acoustic axis and behind the discontinuity coordinate. When reflected from the obstacle, the acoustic beam incident on it splits into two parts, between which there is a path difference, specified by the stepped structure itself. The experiment focused on obstacles that create a path difference between the two parts of the beam during reflection, equal to 0, λ/3, λ/2, λ, etc. A broadband membrane hydrophone was used to record the shape of the profile of nonlinear waves of the incident and reflected acoustic beams at an arbitrary spatial point. This made it possible to analyze the evolution of the beam shape with increasing distance from the obstacle, as well as to study its transverse structure. The effect of doubling the characteristic frequency of a signal as an acoustic beam is reflected from a stepped structure is shown, which creates a path difference of λ/2 between the two parts of the reflected beam. It is demonstrated that the dynamics of nonlinear effects in intense beams reflected from stepped structures is similar to the transformation of the profile of acoustic waves generated by dual-frequency pump signals.

On the non-linear behaviour of ultrasonic air-borne phased arrays

Air-coupled phased arrays are an increasing area of academic and industrial interest. Their application to acoustic levitation and mid-air haptics relies on high amplitude focussed fields capable of generating very high acoustic pressures (e.g. >150 dB SPL). At these elevated pressures non-linear propagation effects can become significant, for example: the generation of harmonic frequencies, waveform asymmetry and acoustic saturation. In this work the basics of non-linear acoustics are presented with emphasis on energy loss mechanisms. Experimental work shows non-linearities as a function of focussing distance and driving amplitude. Large 2D microphone scans normal and tangential to the acoustic axis are carried out. Comparisons to linear models are made as well as modification to saturation equations developed for water-coupled fields. It is shown that saturation losses can become significant at elevated transducer amplitudes and focal distances. Metrics such as the waveform asymmetry, total harmonic distortion and energy loss are used to show the onset and magnitude of non-linearities. The volumetric experimental data shows how the fundamental and harmonic fields can differ in amplitude sufficiently such that harmonic amplitudes can exceed the fundamental. Suggestions are made on how to identify non-linearities and their general effect on air-coupled arrays and their applications.

Focus prediction of high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) in biological tissues based on magnetic resonance images

High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is a non-invasive tumor treatment method that works by converting acoustic energy into heat and killing diseased cells at high temperatures in diseased areas of human tissue. The ability to accurately predict the HIFU focus has a direct impact on the safety and efficacy of the treatment procedure. At present the medical community mainly uses MR for guidance during HIFU procedures through temperature feedback and tissue displacement feedback. These systems perform poorly if one wishes to determine whether the HIFU focus is accurately focused on the target lesion prior to the start of treatment. A method is therefore proposed in this paper to accurately predict the HIFU focus in biological tissues. The method mines the mapping relationship between grey-scale information and acoustic parameters of magnetic resonance images of biological tissues from a novel perspective; after which the HIFU focus shift is predicted and experimentally validated. First, we performed MRI imaging on pork tissues (muscle, fat, and skin), and fitted a mathematical relationship between the grayscale of the magnetic resonance image and the acoustic parameters. Second, we reconstructed a 3D structural model of pork tissue based on magnetic resonance images. Third, we predicted the HIFU focus by combining k-Wave and 3D structural model. Finally, we performed actual experiments to measure the focal position of the HIFU sound field and compared it with simulation results. The comparison shows that the deviation between the focal point simulated by k-Wave and the actual measured focus is less than 0.30 mm on all acoustic axes in the X-, Y- and Z-direction, which falls within the acceptable range.

Cross‐Ray Ultrasound Tomography and Photoacoustic Tomography of Cerebral Hemodynamics in Rodents

Recent advances in functional ultrasound imaging (fUS) and photoacoustic tomography (PAT) offer powerful tools for studying brain function. Complementing each other, fUS and PAT, respectively, measure the cerebral blood flow (CBF) and hemoglobin concentrations, allowing synergistic characterization of cerebral hemodynamics. Here, cross‐ray ultrasound tomography (CRUST) and its combination with PAT are presented. CRUST employs a virtual point source from a spherically focused ultrasonic transducer (SFUST) to provide widefield excitation at a 4‐kHz pulse repetition frequency. A full‐ring‐shaped ultrasonic transducer array whose imaging plane is orthogonal to the SFUST's acoustic axis receives scattered ultrasonic waves. Superior to conventional fUS, whose sensitivity to blood flow is angle‐dependent and low for perpendicular flow, the crossed transmission and panoramic detection fields of CRUST provide omnidirectional sensitivity to CBF. Using CRUST‐PAT, the CBF, oxygen saturation, and hemoglobin concentration changes of the mouse brain during sensory stimulation are measured, with a field of view of ≈7 mm in diameter, spatial resolution of ≈170 µm, and temporal resolution of 200 Hz. The results demonstrate CRUST‐PAT as a unique tool for studying cerebral hemodynamics.

Dispersive nonlinear acoustic waves

The main phenomena and mathematical models of the theory of nonlinear dispersive acoustic waves are described. For the physical dispersion of the relaxation type, the form of the kernels of the integro-differential equation for several relaxation times and the continuous spectrum of such times is indicated. The possibility of obtaining simple equations for media with a finite “memory time” is indicated. As a medium with resonant dispersion, where the kernels have an oscillatory character, a liquid with gas bubbles is considered. The dispersion curves are analyzed. It is argued that the introduction of resonant elements into a homogeneous matrix is a special case of creating metamaterials with unusual nonlinear-dispersion properties. As an example of the geometric dispersion, important problems of nonlinear focusing are considered based on the Ostrovsky–Vakhnenko equation, which is interpreted here as the projection of the Khokhlov–Zabolotskaya equation onto the acoustic beam axis. When analyzing the nonlinear dispersion, it was indicated that in acoustics the dependence of the wave propagation velocity on the magnitude of the perturbation is a common phenomenon. It leads to a distortion of the wave profile in time, as well as to a deformation of the spatial shape of the beam — to effects like self-refraction. In acoustics, nonlinearities of odd degrees are encountered much less frequently than in optics; cubic nonlinearity is possessed, for example, by shear waves in solids. Nevertheless, it leads to original effects — the formation of trapezoidal sawtooth waves and unusual self-focusing. The article systematically presents both known and new results.

Ultrasonic monitoring of the VVER-1000 FA form change

A procedure has been developed to determine the geometrical parameters of fuel assemblies (FA) by an ultrasonic pulse-echo technique used for all types of light-water reactor FAs. The measurement of geometrical parameters is achieved through the pairwise installation of ultrasonic transducers opposite the FA spacer grid faces at a distance of not more than a half of the transducer acoustic field near-region length such that the acoustic axes of the pairwise transducers are parallel to each other. The advantages of the presented technique is that it enables monitoring of any FA modifications, including the VVER reactor assemblies with a different number of spacer grids. The paper presents a mathematical model of the acoustic path developed in a geometrical acoustics approximation and its verification results. The model was used for computational and experimental studies of the ultrasonic test technique, and engineering formulas have been developed to calculate the errors of the transducer-measured distance to the FA surface. A code has been developed to simulate the FA form change monitoring and can be used to design new monitoring systems. The developed technique to determine the VVER-1000 FA geometrical parameters was introduced at units 1 and 2 of the Temelin NPP, the Czech Republic, for the TVSA-T FA form change monitoring. The successful use of the proposed technique makes it possible to recommend it for use in inspection benches at other NPPs.

Ultrasonic field analysis with local interface curvature effect based on the multi-Gaussian beam model

In ultrasonic testing, the amplitude of echoes is determined by the sound pressure along the acoustic axis. When the workpiece has a local curved surface, the ultrasonic field redistribution has a close relationship with the curvature of the incident local region, which raises questions of testing validity and accuracy. In order to develop the curvature adaptation window for a given test condition, the influence of local curved interface on the ultrasonic transmission and reflection field is analyzed quantitatively in this paper. Based on the multi-Gaussian beam model, the distribution of transmitted and reflected sound pressure in the local curved region is calculated by using matrix transformation technique. Furthermore, the relationship between interface curvature and sound pressure along the acoustic axis is obtained. To validate the accuracy of proposed calculation model, developed relationship has been compared against a finite element method computed using COMSOL Multiphysics. It is indicated that the proposed calculation model is more efficient and the regular changes of sound pressure are basically consistent with that of finite element method.

Physical Principles of Elastography: A Primer for Radiologists

AbstractElastography is the noninvasive method of qualitative and quantitative evaluation of strain and elastic modulus distribution in soft tissues. In simpler terms, elastography is the science of measuring tissue stiffness, the deviation of which correlates with pathology of the tissue/organs being evaluated. Whereas, elasticity, refers to the property of solid matter to return to their original shape and size after removal of the deforming forces. In all forms of elastography, irrespective of the types of deforming forces or moduli, the deformation of tissue occurs in the form of shear deformation. The velocity of shear waves in the deformed tissue depends on its density and on the shear modulus. The direction of propagation of shear wave is perpendicular to the inciting mechanical or acoustic wave. The shear wave is then subsequently tracked using multiple tracking pulses, which measures tissue displacement in response to the passing shear wave. The calculated speed of the shear wave is then converted to conventional Young's modulus for the purpose of computing the tissue stiffness.The currently used elastography techniques are static or quasi-static elastography and dynamic elastography. Strain elastography (a form of static or quasi-static elastography) is based on the principle of acquisition of radio-frequency (RF) signals before and after the application of a deforming force in the form of slight compression of tissue by a transducer. RF signals are compared between the pre-compression image data set and the post-compression image data set and correlated between the two data sets.Dynamic elastography may be either ultrasound (US) based or magnetic resonance (MR) based. The types of dynamic US elastography are: acoustic radiation force impulse imaging (ARFI), transient elastography (TE), point shear wave elastography (pSWE), and shear wave elastography (SWE). ARFI uses a standard transducer to produce and propagate rapid bursts of long focused ultrasound pulses, also called as “push pulses” which cause tissue deformity, the propagation of which is tracked using radio-frequency echo tracking. In TE, a probe mounted on a vibrator is used to produce a small thump by piston like motion of transducer. The shear wave which arises from the edges of the transducer is tracked using high pulse repetition frequency tissue Doppler and computed using M-mode for display of quantitative parameters. Point shear wave, also known as quantitative ARFI, uses shear waves generated using transient tissue displacement caused by ARFI and are subsequently subjected to tracking by Doppler. Shear wave elastography is based on the principles of imaging shear wave speed. An acoustic radiation force impulse is transmitted along the acoustic axis to produce tissue displacement and deformation at points of acoustic axis. The generated shear wave is imaged using RF echo tracking over a grid of points, which is translated into a real time image. MR elastography is a dynamic technique and the basic principles of MR elastography are the same as other forms of dynamic elastography. MR elastography has limited utility in iron-overload states and in addition, due to the large amount of time required for acquisition, the technique is not suitable for unstable patients.This review presents a simplified summary of the principles of elastography along with definition of the terms and the types of elastography which are currently available to radiologists for clinical application and concludes with a brief on the newer developments for the future.

Nonlinear scattering of crossed ultrasonic beams in the presence of a turbulent bubbly jet flow in water

Experiments involve the nonlinear scattering of mutually perpendicular crossed ultrasonic beams of primary CW frequency components: f1 = 2.240 MHz, f2 = 2.293 MHz; interacting nonlinearly with turbulent bubbly shear flow generated by a circular water jet (nozzle exit diameter D = 1.6 mm and volume flow rate 32 cc/s). The jet axis is perpendicular to the crossed beam axes. The nozzle exit is downward (5 mm above the surface). The water pump’s suction port was at the bottom center of the 10 cm cubic acrylic water tank (wall thickness 4.8 mm). Identical 1.27 cm diameter quartz transducers (T1 and T2) were epoxied at the centers of adjacent vertical tank sidewalls generate the primary beams (in the i or j directions). Identical 4.5MHz receiving transducers (6.35 mm diam PZT-4) measure nonlinear scattering in the forward or backscattered directions. Receiver Rf located in the plane formed by the primary acoustic beam axes) detects in the i cos 45 + j sin 45 direction. Receiver Rb was located in the opposite direction. In the absence of turbulence virtually no radiated sum frequency component exists. Doppler shift, frequency broadening, skewness and kurtosis from the received sum frequency power spectrum were measured.

Clustering of sperm whales recorded by a single hydrophone

Sperm whales (Physter macrocephalus) produce echolocation clicks composed of several pulses while searching for food when diving. The clicks are composed of segments three of which are: the p0 pulse (3 kHz to 15 kHz), the p1 pulse (3 kHz to 15 kHz), and the Low Frequency (LF) signal (<3 kHz) (Zimmer, 2005). The LF signal is omnidirectional in nature unlike the p1 pulse which is very directional. The power in the LF signal recorded by a single hydrophone is a function of the distance of the whale from the hydrophone and the source level of the whale. The power contained in the LF portion of the clicks can be used to assign clicking whales to groups with each group consisting of a least one individual. The inter-pulse interval (IPI) can then be used to determine the lengths of the whales in each cluster adding confidence to the estimated number of whales producing the clicks. Continuous Wavelet Transforms are used with underwater acoustic data recorded in the Gulf of Mexico in 2015 to determine the power of the LF signal, the length of the clicking whale and the alignment of the acoustical axis of the whale with the hydrophone.

Analysis of S waves singularity points in porous rock with two orthogonal sets of mesoscale fractures

SUMMARY The shear waves phase velocity surfaces in orthorhombic (ORT) and lower symmetry anisotropic models touch each other in one or more points resulting in so called singularity points or acoustic axes. These singularity points result in dramatic changes of velocities, amplitudes and polarizations creating problems in seismic data processing and analysis. Considering the frequency-dependent anisotropy due to mesoscale fractures in Chapman's model, we describe the singularity points in porous rock with two orthogonal sets of mesoscale fractures. First, we give the equations for frequency-dependent phase velocities of P, S1 and S2 waves in this anelastic ORT media. Then, we derive the expressions for frequency-dependent singularity points within the symmetry planes and discuss the conditions to detect the existence of singularity point. Finally, the influences of frequency, porosity, fracture density, fracture scale and saturating fluid style on the positions of singularity points within the symmetry plane are investigated.

ON THE INFLUENCE OF THE SIZE OF FLAKE GRAPHITE INCLUSIONS AND ITS VOLUME CONTENT ON THE ACOUSTIC PARAMETERS OF CAST IRON AND THE CHARACTERISTICS OF ULTRASONIC LONGITUDINAL WAVE SIGNALS

Algorithms have been presented for calculating the velocity (in the approximation of a fine-layered model) and the attenuation coefficient of a longitudinal ultrasonic wave in cast iron, depending on the average size of graphite elements and its volume content, the calculation results for which are qualitatively confirmed experimentally. The calculation was performed using a fine-layered model of the structure, the graphite inclusions were described in the form of plane-parallel layers placed in an isotropic elastic medium (metal base). Computer simulation of acoustic paths for a mediumcast iron with flake graphite for standard direct converters is carried out in order to study the influence of such a medium on the characteristics of transmitted and received signals during ultrasonic testing. In the course of the research, a previously developed model was used to calculate the attenuation coefficient of longitudinal waves in cast iron with flake graphite due to their Rayleigh and phase scattering on graphite inclusions. Computer simulation of the acoustic characteristics of the signals of a direct linear probe with a phased array in cast iron with flake graphite was carried out, during which the shape of the acoustic pulses of the longitudinal wave was calculated, depending on the distance traveled by the wave and the value of the attenuation coefficient for various models of cast iron. The main modeled characteristics of the transducer include the directivity characteristic and the change in the signal amplitude along the acoustic axis. It is shown that for cast iron with flake graphite, there are cases when the directivity of the probe with a phased array transmitted into the cast iron is practically absent.

Model order reduction for the analysis of large arrays of piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducers in water

We present a new multiphysics Reduced Order Model (ROM) for the electro-mechanical-acoustic analysis of large arrays of Piezoelectric Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducers (PMUTs). The solution strategy consists of two main stages. In the former one, the eigenvalue piezoelectric problem is solved on a representative PMUT and a few representative modes are identified.In the latter stage, the piezoelectric-acoustic problem is addressed by representing the mechanical response of each PMUT as a linear combination of the selected modes, each mode corresponding to a single Degree Of Freedom (DOF). The governing equations of the coupled problem are integrated by means of a time-marching staggered algorithm.The proposed formulation is benchmarked with the commercial software COMSOL Multiphysics 5.2, in the case of a single transducer in transmitting (TX) and receiving (RX) phases. The Finite Element Reduced Order Model (FE-ROM) provides a very good accuracy and largely reduced CPU time with respect to the standard coupled piezoelectric-acoustic full-order approach. Since the novel approach has been conceived to address beamforming, focusing and RX problems, the model is next applied to the simulation of pressure waves propagation, involving an array of several vibrating PMUTs. Two case studies are reported. In the former, acoustic energy has been focused at a preselected point along the transversal acoustic axis of the device by means of an array of 11 × 11 PMUTs; in the latter, a RX phase has been simulated with a 7 × 7 cluster of PMUTs, considering an incoming plane pressure wave.

Noise-Resilient Acoustic Low Energy Beacon for Proximity-Based Indoor Positioning Systems.

Proximity-Based Indoor Positioning Systems (PIPSs) are a simple to install alternative in large facilities. Besides, these systems have a reduced computational cost on the mobile device of those users who do not continuously demand a high location accuracy. This work presents the design of an Acoustic Low Energy (ALE) beacon based on the emission of inaudible Linear Frequency Modulated (LFM) signals. This coding scheme provides high robustness to in-band noise, thus ensuring a reliable detection of the beacon at a practical range, after pulse compression. A series of experimental tests have been carried out with nine different Android devices to study the system performance. These tests have shown that the ALE beacon can be detected at one meter distance with signal-to-noise ratios as low as −12 dB. The tests have also demonstrated a detection rate above 80% for reception angles up to 50° with respect to the beacon’s acoustic axis at the same distance. Finally, a study of the ALE beacon energy consumption has been conducted demonstrating comparable power consumption to commercial Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons. Besides, the ALE beacon search can save up to 9% more battery of the Android devices than the BLE beacon scanning.