Acoustic Transmission Measurements Research Articles

Combined Acoustic Emission and Ultrasonic Measurements in Cross Laminated Timber-Steel Composite Beam

Combined acoustic emission and ultrasonic measurements were carried out before and during a four-point bending test on a composite floor beam made of cross-laminated timber with length of 11.6 m, width of 1.5 m, and thickness of 0.28 m. One key aspect of the composite design is the formation of the shear-resistant connection between the panel and steel girder. For the measurements a 16-channel system with combined acoustic emission and transmission measurements was used. The signals were digitized with a very high frequency of 10 MHz with amplitude resolution of 16 bits. To monitor acoustic emission activity a network of 16 AE sensors were attached to the surface of the specimen in the central part of the specimen where the highest deflection and load were expected. For this purpose, broadband AE sensors with measurement frequency of up to 200 kHz were used. The ultimate failure of the specimen occurred at a maximum test load of approximately 200 kN. The deflection at this force was about 200 mm. During the tests which lasted about 50 minutes approximately 8,500 AE events were detected. More than 2,600 events were recorded by at least six channels which makes them well suited for three-dimensional localization. Because of the inhomogeneous cross-laminated timber conventional localization using an unique velocity model are not possible. Therefore, a velocity model was experimentally determined by measure the velocity of the elastic waves in all directions. The greatest value was measured in the longitudinal direction along the beam axis. The average value is approximately 4000 m/s. While in the transverse direction the velocity drops down to approximately 2800 m/s. The lowest value was measured in thickness direction of about 1800 m/s.

Acoustic Transmission Measurements for Extracting the Mechanical Properties of Complex 3D MEMS Transducers.

Recent publications on acoustic MEMS transducers present a new three-dimensional folded diaphragm that utilizes buried in-plane vibrating structures to increase the active area from a small chip volume. Characterization of the mechanical properties plays a key role in the development of new MEMS transducers, whereby established measurement methods are usually tailored to structures close to the sample surface. In order to access the lateral vibrations, extensive and destructive sample preparation is required. This work presents a new passive measurement technique that combines acoustic transmission measurements and lumped-element modelling. For diaphragms of different lengths, compliances between 0.08 × 10-15 and 1.04 × 10-15 m3/Pa are determined without using destructive or complex preparations. In particular, for lengths above 1000 µm, the results differ from numerical simulations by only 4% or less.

Angle-Dependent Ultrasonic Wave Reflection for Estimating High-Resolution Elastic Properties of Complex Rock Samples

Due to depositional, diagenetic, and structural processes, reservoir rocks are rarely homogeneous, often exhibiting significant short-range variations in elastic properties. Such spatial variability can have measurable effects on macroscopic mechanical properties for drilling and fluid production operations. We describe a new laboratory method for the acquisition of ultrasonic angle-dependent measurements of reflected waves that delivers high-resolution, continuous descriptions of P- and S-wave velocity along the surface of the rock sample. Reflection coefficient vs. incidence angle is the main source of information about rock elastic properties. The acquired measurements are matched to numerical simulations to estimate P- and S-wave velocity and density of the porous sample and their variations within the rock specimen, hence providing continuous descriptions of sample complexity. Data collected from various locations on the rock specimen are subsequently used to construct two-dimensional (2D) models of elastic properties along the surface of the rock sample. P- and S-wave velocities estimated with this method agree well with acoustic transmission measurements for most homogeneous rocks. The spatial resolution of the method is limited by receiver size, measurement frequency, and incidence angle. At high incidence angles, the surface area sensitive to the measurements increases, and consequently, the spatial resolution of the corresponding reflection coefficient decreases across neighboring rock features.

Mechanically-tunable bandgap closing in 2D graphene phononic crystals

We present a tunable phononic crystal which can be switched from a mechanically insulating to a mechanically conductive (transmissive) state. Specifically, in our simulations for a phononic lattice under biaxial tension (σxx = σyy = 0.01 N m−1), we find a bandgap for out-of-plane phonons in the range of 48.8–56.4 MHz, which we can close by increasing the degree of tension uniaxiality (σxx/σyy) to 1.7. To manipulate the tension distribution, we design a realistic device of finite size, where σxx/σyy is tuned by applying a gate voltage to a phononic crystal made from suspended graphene. We show that the bandgap closing can be probed via acoustic transmission measurements and that the phononic bandgap persists even after the inclusion of surface contaminants and random tension variations present in realistic devices. The proposed system acts as a transistor for MHz-phonons with an on/off ratio of 105 (100 dB suppression) and is thus a valuable extension for phonon logic applications. In addition, the transition from conductive to isolating can be seen as a mechanical analogue to a metal-insulator transition and allows tunable coupling between mechanical entities (e.g. mechanical qubits).

Combining Operando Techniques to Probe Chemo-Mechanical Evolution at Buried Solid/Solid Interfaces

Chemical and mechanical changes local to the electrode/electrolyte interface critically impact performance in all-solid-state batteries. Unfortunately, the dynamics at electrochemical interfaces are exceptionally challenging to probe in all-solid-state batteries because these changes take place across multiple length scales (from the nano- to meso-scale) and are buried within the system (at the solid/solid electrode/electrolyte interface). Here, I show our efforts to couple operando acoustic transmission measurements with nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and imaging to correlate changes in interfacial mechanics with the growth of Li microstructures and the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) in a non-invasive, multimodal fashion. Specifically, we study chemo-mechanical changes at the interface between Li metal anodes and Li7La3Zr2O12 solid electrolytes as a function of stack pressure and current density.

Evolving contact mechanics and microstructure formation dynamics of the lithium metal-Li7La3Zr2O12 interface

The dynamic behavior of the interface between the lithium metal electrode and a solid-state electrolyte plays a critical role in all-solid-state battery performance. The evolution of this interface throughout cycling involves multiscale mechanical and chemical heterogeneity at the micro- and nano-scale. These features are dependent on operating conditions such as current density and stack pressure. Here we report the coupling of operando acoustic transmission measurements with nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and magnetic resonance imaging to correlate changes in interfacial mechanics (such as contact loss and crack formation) with the growth of lithium microstructures during cell cycling. Together, the techniques reveal the chemo-mechanical behavior that governs lithium metal and Li7La3Zr2O12 interfacial dynamics at various stack pressure regimes and with voltage polarization.

Acoustic waves in granular packings at low confinement pressure

Elastic properties of a granular packing show a nonlinear behavior determined by its discrete structure and nonlinear inter-grain force laws. Acoustic waves show a transition from constant, pressure-dependent sound speed to a shock-wave-like behavior with an amplitude-determined propagation speed. This becomes increasingly visible at low static confinement pressure as the transient regime shifts to lower wave amplitudes for lower static pressure. In microgravity, confinement pressure can be orders of magnitude lower than in a ground-based experiment. In addition, the absence of hydrostatic gradients allows for much more homogeneous and isotropic pressure distribution. We present a novel apparatus for acoustic wave transmission measurements at such low packing pressures. A pressure control loop is implemented by using a microcontroller that monitors static force sensor readings and adjusts the position of a movable wall with a linear-motor until the desired pressure is reached. Measurements of acoustic waves are possible using accelerometers embedded in the granular packing as well as piezos. For excitation, we use a voice-coil-driven wall, with a large variety of signal shapes, frequencies, and amplitudes. This enables experiments in both the linear and strongly nonlinear regimes.

Reduction in edge effects for small panels characterized by a parametric array source.

This study sought to explore effects of panel size on underwater acoustic transmission and reflection measurements made with a truncated parametric array source. The transmission loss (TL) and reflection loss spectra of aluminum panels of several different sizes were determined experimentally, and compared to predictions from plane wave theory in the 5-100 kHz frequency range. For the smallest panel size, there were significant discrepancies between experimental data and plane wave theory, which were attributed to contributions from edge-diffracted waves and interferences from the mounting fixture for the panel. For reflection measurements, the latter interference could be corrected for in part by measurement of the reflected signal from the sample holder (with no panel present), and subtracting this signal from reference and test panel waveforms. In order to reduce the contributions from edge diffracted waves in TL measurements, an alternative panel mounting system was investigated, which involved surrounding the panel in a reflective baffle. There was a significant improvement in agreement of experimental TL spectra with plane wave theory for the smallest aluminum panel when the baffle mounting arrangement was used.

Gas-bubble inversion in marine sediments

The acoustic properties of marine sediments can dramatically change because of the presence of gas-bubbles. Many applications require the detailed information of gas-bubbles, such as gas void fraction and gas-bubble size distribution. It is possible to relate the acoustic transmission measurements with bubble sizes. This study aims toward the development of an acoustic method able to both detect and quantify the gas present in marine sediments. This acoustic method adapts the effective density fluid model corrected by gas-bubble pulsations as a forward model and expands the unknown gas-bubble size distribution by a finite sum of cubit B-splines. The inverse problem can be transformed into solving the equation groups involving the coefficients of cubit B-splines. This method can be verified by testing analytical results and then applied to measurement sound speed and attenuation data which were acquired via transmission experiments.The acoustic properties of marine sediments can dramatically change because of the presence of gas-bubbles. Many applications require the detailed information of gas-bubbles, such as gas void fraction and gas-bubble size distribution. It is possible to relate the acoustic transmission measurements with bubble sizes. This study aims toward the development of an acoustic method able to both detect and quantify the gas present in marine sediments. This acoustic method adapts the effective density fluid model corrected by gas-bubble pulsations as a forward model and expands the unknown gas-bubble size distribution by a finite sum of cubit B-splines. The inverse problem can be transformed into solving the equation groups involving the coefficients of cubit B-splines. This method can be verified by testing analytical results and then applied to measurement sound speed and attenuation data which were acquired via transmission experiments.

Laboratory system for studying cryogenic thermal rock fracturing for well stimulation

The concept of cryogenic fracturing is that a sharp thermal gradient developed by applying a cryogenic fluid on a rock surface causes a strong local tensile stress that initiates fractures. Prior field tests suggest that field application with special equipment rated for cryogenic temperatures may deliver potential benefits. The tests did not, however, identify the fracture mechanisms at work in downhole conditions. In this study, we present our laboratory designs and procedures developed for studying cryogenic fracturing mechanisms in a well environment, and examine typical data indicative of the performance of the system. The experimental apparatus and procedures were specifically designed to conduct cryogenic fracturing tests in specimens under confining stress, with integrated cryogen transport, measurements, and fracture characterization. A true-triaxial loading system was built to simulate reservoir stress levels and anisotropic stress application, and was designed to avoid thermal stresses in tests involving cryogen by arranging discrete components in an open chamber. To maximize thermal shock on the wellbore surface, tubing and wellhead are configured so that liquid nitrogen enters the borehole and flow out after contributing to thermal shock. The temperature at boreholes and along flow lines, borehole pressure, and liquid nitrogen consumption are monitored throughout treatments. Acoustic transmission and pressure-decay measurements are used to characterize fractures before and after the experiments. Breakdown tests performed on un-stimulated specimens and stimulated specimens compare breakdown pressures of the two groups and thus evaluate the performance of thermal fracturing. The laboratory design was able to effectively apply cryogenic stimulations to laboratory rock specimens. The characterization methods were able to capture fracture creation and rock property changes due to cryogenic fracturing.

Uncertainty estimation for linearised inverse problems comparing Bayesian inference and a pseudoinverse approach for acoustic transmission measurements

Abstract The determination of acoustic material parameters using ultrasonic transmission measurements can mathematically be described as an inverse problem. The question concerning the influence of uncertainties on the problem's solution can be answered using a statistical approach. Therefore, the sources of uncertainty have to be identified statistically. A method for linearising the model function using the Guide to the expression of uncertainty in measurement is introduced for inverse problems. The statistical inversion of the model is executed by means of two different approaches, that are compared and interpreted exemplarily.

Sequential geoacoustic inversion for mobile and compact source–receiver configuration

The development of light instrumentation for geoacoustic characterization requires higher-frequency transmissions and inversion methods suitable for mobile configurations that efficiently combine any a priori knowledge about the environment or the time-varying source–receiver geometry and the acoustic transmission measurements. Sequential filtering methods provide a framework to achieve these objectives. In this paper, repeated short-range acoustic transmissions (between 750 and 1500 m) acquired on a drifting 4-hydrophone array that spans a small part of the water column, are sequentially inverted in nonlinear Kalman filters. The sequential filtering approach is demonstrated on actual data from the MREA/BP07 sea trial, with a space-coherent processing of multitone signals and a phase-coherent processing of linearly frequency modulated signals, in low (250–800 Hz) and medium (800–1600 Hz) frequency bands. The sequential inversion of repeated acoustic transmissions shows a good agreement with hydrographic and geophysical data with more stable estimates than conventional metaheuristic inversion results and a reduced computational cost. The effect of filter covariance tuning is also examined and monitored with statistical tests. For large propagation modeling uncertainty, extended Kalman filter and ensemble Kalman filter are of comparable accuracy in parameter tracking, but the ensemble method should be preferred to get reliable associated uncertainty estimates.

Anomalous waveforms observed in laboratory-formed gas hydrate-bearing and ice-bearing sediments

Acoustic transmission measurements of compressional, P, and shear, S, wave velocities rely on correctly identifying the P- and S-body wave arrivals in the measured waveform. In cylindrical samples for which the sample is much longer than the acoustic wavelength, these body waves can be obscured by high-amplitude waveform features arriving just after the relatively small-amplitude P-body wave. In this study, a normal mode approach is used to analyze this type of waveform, observed in sediment containing gas hydrate or ice. This analysis extends an existing normal-mode waveform propagation theory by including the effects of the confining medium surrounding the sample, and provides guidelines for estimating S-wave velocities from waveforms containing multiple large-amplitude arrivals.

Material Damage Modeling and Detection in a Homogeneous Thin Metallic Sheet and Sandwich Panel using Passive Acoustic Transmission

A passive acoustic method is developed for material damage detection and location in homogeneous thin metallic sheets and sandwich panels using non-contact acoustic transmission measurements. Theoretical models of a flat sheet and sandwich panel are developed to describe the effects of global material damage due to density, modulus, or thickness changes on backplane radiated sound pressure level distributions. To describe the effects of local material damage, a two-dimensional, three-segment stepped beam model is developed. It is shown that increases in transmitted sound energy at high frequencies occur behind a damaged material component that exhibits changes in thickness or other geometric or material property. Experiments on a baffled homogeneous sheet subjected to broadband acoustic energy show that transmitted intensity measurements with non-contact probes can be used to identify and locate material defects in the sheet. Material damage is most readily identified where transmitted sound intensity is highest in the resonant frequency range of the panel.

Deduction of tortuosity and porosity from acoustic reflection and transmission measurements on thick samples of rigid-porous materials

An acoustic method for obtaining the tortuosity, and porosity of thick samples of rigid porous materials consisting of large (>1 mm) grains or fibres is proposed. The method uses pulses with central frequencies close to 12 kHz and an approximate bandwidth of between 3 and 20 kHz. In this frequency range, inertial rather than viscous or scattering effects dominate sound propagation in large pores. This allows application of the high frequency limit of the “equivalent fluid” model. Both reflected and transmitted signals are used in the measurements. Tortuosity is deduced from the high frequency limit of the phase speed (obtained from transmission data) and porosity is obtained from the high frequency limit of the reflection coefficient once the tortuosity is known. The method is shown to give good results in the cases where significant scattering does not occur until frequencies much higher than the upper limit of the pulse bandwidth. Apart from its applicability to samples with several centimetres thickness, the method needs only one set of measurements with the sample to deduce both tortuosity and porosity. In principle the method can be used also to estimate characteristic lengths. However, the errors are found to be larger and the results less consistent than for tortuosity.

Picosecond acoustic transmission measurements. I. Transient grating generation and detection of acoustic responses in thin metal films

The technique of impulsive stimulated thermal scattering is extended to backside measurement of acoustic wave packets that have propagated through thin metal films following their generation by pulsed optical excitation, heating, and thermal expansion at the front side. The acoustic transmission measurement at the backside substantially isolates the acoustic responses from thermal and electronic responses of the metal film that often dominate acoustic reflection signals measured from the front side, and permits straightforward measurement of the acoustic response generated by optical excitation at a substrate-thin film interface. It can thus better distinguish among different factors that limit the bandwidth of the acoustic wave packet, an issue of concern in the measurement of high frequency responses. The paper that follows demonstrates the application of the backside measurement to a study of high frequency structural relaxation in the glass-forming liquid glycerol.

Picosecond acoustic transmission measurements. II. Probing high frequency structural relaxation in supercooled glycerol.

The high frequency acoustic response of liquids is measured in a manner directly analogous to conventional ultrasonic measurements. Two thin metal films act as acoustic transducer and receiver for a liquid layer between them. Pulsed optical excitation generates high bandwidth wave packets in the transducer, and these are detected in the receiver after damping and dispersion by the liquid. This initial measurement probes structural relaxation dynamics of glycerol in the frequency range 2-20 GHz, for temperatures between 235 and 291 K. The analysis presented here demonstrates the presence of excess relaxation, not accounted for by either the alpha or beta relaxation of the mode-coupling theory, and suggests the presence of constant loss in the susceptibility spectrum of supercooled glycerol.

Pneumothorax detection using pulmonary acoustic transmission measurements.

Pneumothorax is a common clinical condition that can be life threatening. The current standard of diagnosis includes radiographic procedures that can be costly and may not always be readily available or reliable. The objective of this study was to investigate the hypothesis that pneumothorax causes detectable pathognomonic changes in pulmonary acoustic transmission. An animal model was developed whereby 15 mongrel dogs were anaesthetised, intubated and mechanically ventilated. A thoracoscopic trocar was placed into the pleural space for the introduction of air and confirmation of a approximately 30% pneumothorax by direct visualisation. Broadband acoustic signals were introduced into the endotracheal tube, while transmitted waves were measured at the chest surface. Pneumothorax was found consistently to lower the pulmonary acoustic transmission in the 200-1200 Hz frequency band, whereas smaller transmission changes occurred at lower frequencies (p< 0.0001, sign test). The ratio of acoustic energy between low-(< 220 Hz) and high-(550-770 Hz) frequency bands was significantly different in the control and pneumothorax states (p < 0.0001, sign test). This implies that pneumothoraces can be reliably detected using pulmonary acoustic transmission measurements in the current animal model. Further studies are needed to investigate the feasibility of using this technique in humans.

Sound transmission in the nose of the sperm whale Physeter catodon . A post mortem study

During a sperm whale stranding at Rømø, the Wadden Sea, Denmark, on 4 December 1997, we were notified in time to start acoustic transmission measurements in the spermaceti complex 1 h after the specimen was seen alive. Frequency-modulated sound pulses, sweeping from 30 kHz to 10 kHz in 25 ms, were injected at the frontal surface at two positions: at the distal sac, and at the center of the junk (a compartmentalized structure below the spermaceti organ). A hydrophone next to the projector served as receiver. The analyses of the recordings show a repetitive, decaying reflection pattern at both projection sites, reminiscent of the multi-pulse click peculiar to sperm whales, although with minor differences in the duration of the intra-click intervals. This experimental evidence supports the Norris and Harvey (1972) theory of click generation in the spermaceti organ. Accordingly, the click is composed of a primary event, followed by a train of reflected pulses, spaced by the time required for the event to travel back and forth between air sacs (reflectors) at each end of the organ. The results also show that the junk readily transmits sound and probably is in acoustic contact with the spermaceti organ.

Experimental study of the acoustical properties of polymers utilized to construct PVDF ultrasonic transducers and the acousto-electric properties of PVDF and P(VDF/TrFE) films

Several acoustic transmission and reflection technique measurements were carried out to determine mechanical properties (acoustic attenuation and velocity) versus frequency of polyvinylidene-fluoride (PVDF) and six other polymers. Acoustic measurements (0.5 to 12 MHz) included time-delay spectrometry (TDS; in which separate transmitting and receiving transducers utilize a swept frequency signal) and two pulse-echo methods (short tone burst echoes utilizing transducers with different center frequencies and Fourier analysis of echoes sent and received by damped transducers operating in the broadband pulse mode). Electrical impedance measurements of piezoelectric thin films of PVDF and P(VDF/TrFE) yielded comparable high frequency mechanical parameters. Of the seven acoustically examined polymers, PVDF had the greatest acoustic impedance, lowest acoustic velocity, and greatest mechanical loss (13.4 dB/cm per MHz). Polymethyl-methacrylate (PMMA; lucite) and polydimethyl-pentane (TPX) had the lowest loss. PMMA had the highest acoustic velocity, and TPX had the lowest acoustic impedance and a velocity almost identical to that of PVDF. These data are useful in the design of backing, matching, and lens materials to be used in association with PVDF transducers.