Ultrasonic Measurement Technique Research Articles

Utilizing ultrasonography to determine the minimal transverse diameter of the subglottic airway for informed selection of reinforced cuffed endotracheal tube models in children.

We explored the use of ultrasonography in determining the minimal transverse diameter of the subglottic airway (MTDSA) for the purpose of choosing an appropriate model of reinforced cuffed endotracheal tube. A total of 110 pediatric patients who received general anesthesia and tracheal intubation for selective surgeries at the hospital from February 2019 to February 2022 were chosen. They were then randomly assigned to three groups: 39 in the MTDSA group, 35 in the age formula group, and 36 in the height formula group. We assessed how accurately the appropriate endotracheal tube model was predicted in each group and compared their predictive performance. The age range of the enrolled pediatric patients was 3-6 years old. The ultrasonic measurement method demonstrated a prediction accuracy of 87.18%, while the age formula method and height formula method exhibited lower accuracy rates of 54.29% and 47.22%, respectively. Notably, the ultrasonic measurement method outperformed the other two methods significantly (P < 0.05). In the MTDSA group, 2 patients had their catheters changed during anesthesia, and the proportion of patients who changed their catheters was 5.13%. In the MTDSA group, 6 catheters were replaced, and the frequency of catheter replacement was 15.38%. In contrast, these percentages were much higher in the age formula group, at 31.43% and 45.71%, and in the height formula group, at 36.11% and 52.78%. The latter two groups had significantly higher values than the MTDSA group (P < 0.05). Regarding complications such as hoarseness, laryngeal edema, aspiration, and laryngospasm, the MTDSA group experienced a notably lower total incidence of 7.69% compared to the 37.14% in the age formula group and 41.67% in the height formula group, demonstrating statistical significance (P < 0.05). The ultrasonic measurement technique employed in MTDSA exhibits impressive precision when it comes to forecasting the specific model of a reinforced cuffed endotracheal tube for pediatric patients. This enhanced accuracy contributes significantly to minimizing the need for tube replacements during anesthesia and the associated complications. It holds immense importance in assisting clinicians in selecting the most appropriate pediatric endotracheal tube model for anesthesia induction.

Assessment of Weld Microstructure Through Sound Velocity Measurements for Power Plant Applications

This research study employed an immersion-based micro-resolution ultrasonic velocity measurement technique (MUVT) to evaluate Grade 91 (9Cr-1Mo-V) steel welds. This process utilized a 20 MHz focused ultrasonic beam with a spot size of 250 µm, a 6 µm laser vibrometer spot size for detection, and an automated 3-axis raster scanner to accurately collect ultrasonic velocity data from two Grade 91 steel welds fabricated using cold metal transfer (CMT) and flux-cored arc welding (FCAW) processes. By analyzing the MUVT data, the Poisson’s ratio (υ) and modulus of elasticity (E), which are important mechanical properties for weldments, were calculated. The correlation between mechanical properties and ultrasonic velocity was examined. The results indicated that longitudinal ultrasonic velocity could effectively identify base metal, heat-affected zone (HAZ), and weld metal areas, showing a strong correlation with hardness. In particular, the distinctive V-shaped dip in velocity and hardness data across the HAZ areas of both samples highlighted changes in the microstructure of creep strength–enhanced ferritic steel welds. Importantly, the immersion-based MUVT demonstrated high accuracy in small sections of the weld, surpassing the conventional contact ultrasonic testing method in spatial resolution detection.

Real-Time Temperature Monitoring of Lithium Batteries Based on Ultrasonic Technology.

Electrochemical energy storage stations serve as an important means of load regulation, and their proportion has been increasing year by year. The temperature monitoring of lithium batteries necessitates heightened criteria. Ultrasonic thermometry, based on its noncontact measurement characteristics, is an ideal method for monitoring the internal temperature of lithium batteries. In this study, temperature and ultrasonic time delay measurement experiments were conducted on 18650 lithium batteries and laminated and wound lithium batteries to obtain the corresponding relationship between temperature and time delay and validate the temperature measurement for the same type of battery. The experimental results show that (1) the ultrasonic temperature measurement technique exhibits a relatively large error when used for 18650 Li-ion batteries under experimental conditions; (2) in the experiments on laminated and wound soft-pack lithium batteries, the relationship between temperature and time delay exhibits a nonlinear characteristic; and (3) under the experimental conditions, the ultrasonic temperature measurement errors were ±1.1 °C for stacked Li-ion batteries and ±1.4 °C for wound Li-ion batteries.

Highly-accurate and non-invasive flowrate monitoring for miniature pipelines using piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducers

Noninvasive and real-time flowrate measurement for small pipes is crucial in medical diagnostics and aviation hydraulic system health monitoring. However, current bulk PZT-based ultrasonic flowmeters are unsuitable for these scenarios due to their large size, high power consumption, and poor integration with ICs. This paper proposes a highly accurate and universal ultrasonic flowrate measurement technique for pipes with small diameters (≤ 15 mm) using piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducers (PMUTs) by taking advantage of their miniaturized size, low power consumption, and superior integration capability. A clamp-on testing method is proposed for ultrasound transmitting and receiving. The inside liquid flowrate is measured based on the propagation time difference between the upstream and downstream ultrasound waves. To enhance accuracy, a unique PMUTs chip with a center circular element and an outer annular element is developed to improve acoustic pressure. Additionally, the incident angle and working frequency of ultrasound waves are optimized to reduce the interference caused by ultrasound wave superposition at the PMUTs and pipe wall interface. This optimization also improves acoustic energy transmission and response. The flowrate of water in a steel pipe is successfully measured, demonstrating excellent linearity (99.69%) between flowrate and time difference, with a high accuracy of 2%. Furthermore, flowrate testing for pipes with different diameters and pipe wall materials is experimentally demonstrated, showing widespread usability. The developed PMUTs-based flowmeter is versatile and compatible with common pipes, allowing compact integration in tight spaces, making it highly promising for practical applications.

A method to determine the uncertainties of solid particle erosion measurements utilizing machine learning techniques

The ability to predict solid particle erosion is a vital task for the integrity management of pipelines carrying solid particles in many industries. Usually, the accuracy of predicted values is assessed by comparing them with the measured erosion of some cases where data is available. Thus, defining the uncertainties of the experimental data of erosion is crucial to evaluate the reliability of the predictions of solid particle erosion and consequently, the decisions made based on these predictions. The databases gathered by many investigators that include erosion data of various test cases have been considered for this uncertainty investigation. These cases include erosion rate data collected using the ultrasonic thickness measurement technique for gas-sand flows in 0.0508, 0.0762, and 0.1016-m elbow geometries with various particle sizes (75,150,300,550 μm) and air velocities vary in the range between 11 up to 202 m per seconds. This study aims to develop a framework for defining the uncertainties of erosion experiments. For this purpose, first, the uncertainties of repeated experiments were estimated and then analytical analysis was used to generalize these results to cases where repeated results were unavailable. Based on this idea, a correlation between erosion and the most effective parameters was developed. Then, machine learning algorithms were used to determine a correlation between the erosion rate and chosen parameters including material hardness, pipe size, particle size, and flow velocity. The framework of the current model/method is based on the combined results of analytical analysis and machine learning procedure, and the estimated uncertainties are presented by lower and upper bounds curves of erosion data.

Mechanical and thermophysical characterization of gypsum composites reinforced by different wastes for green building applications

This paper presents three types of gypsum reinforced with different waste materials, such as paper, polystyrene, and polyester. Several investigations were performed through a set of multiphysics tests, including mechanical (flexural and compression strengths), physical (density and water absorption coefficient), microscopic (SEM), thermophysical, and ultrasonic measurement techniques. The results revealed that the gypsum elaborated with the use of the three wastes generates a good balance for the optimization of mechanical and physical properties, with a good interaction between residues and the gypsum matrix. In comparison with the neat gypsum sample, the results show a clear increase in flexural strength (up to 5.75 MPa) and water absorption coefficient (up to 96%). The drop in density to 0.718 g/cm3 makes this new material both light and insulating, with a reduction of thermal conductivity and sound propagation velocity of 40.5% and 34%, respectively. This paper provides a solution to recycle waste materials and transform them into useful interior insulation materials for building applications.

Development of Ultrasonic Measurement Techniques under Ultra-high Pressure and High Temperature using the New Tungsten Carbide Anvils

Development of Ultrasonic Measurement Techniques under Ultra-high Pressure and High Temperature using the New Tungsten Carbide Anvils

OsciCheck: A Novel Fluidic Transducer for Air-Coupled Ultrasonic Measurements

Ultrasonic measurement technology has become indispensable in NDT-CE. Air-coupled ultrasonic (ACU) measurement techniques promise to reduce measurement time. However, the signal quality suffers from large specific impedance mismatch at the transducer-air and air-specimen interface. Additionally, large pressure amplitudes are necessary for the penetration depth required in NDT-CE applications. To address the specific requirements of ultrasonic testing in NDT-CE, a robust ACU transducer was developed, that generates ultrasound by quickly switching a pressurized air flow. The simple design of the fluidic transducer makes the device maintenance free and resilient against harsh environmental conditions. Since the signal is generated by aeroacoustics, there is no specific impedance mismatch between the transducer and the surrounding air. The ultrasonic signal exhibits frequencies in the 30-60 kHz range and is therefore well suited to penetrate heterogenous materials such as concrete. This contribution gives an introduction in the working principle and signal characteristics of the fluidic transducer. Its application on different materials is validated. A detailed outlook is given to discuss the future potential of fluidic ultrasonic actuators.

Millimeter-Precision Ultrasonic DSSS Positioning Technique With Geometric Triangle Constraint

In this paper, we present a 3-D ultrasonic measurement technique that uses direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) with simultaneous multiple code-division multiple access (CDMA) signals. This technique can be applied in precise indoor locating systems. By placing three microphones close to one another separated by distances on the order of the ultrasound wavelength and imposing the constraint that one transducer and two from the three microphones form three triangles in the space (i.e., the triangle constraint) for 3-D ultrasonic DSSS trilateration measurement, millimeter 3-D positioning precision is achieved. The experimental results for a positioning system comprising a set of three microphones and four ultrasound transducers, each of them transmitting its respective 256-bit DSSS code, demonstrate that the proposed system can measure the spatial 3-D location of the receiver with a standard deviation of less than 1.21 mm. The proposed technique is suitable for potential future indoor positioning system (IPS) applications that require sub-centimeter 3-D positioning.

Study on ultrasonic wave propagation in equine leg bone for screening bucked shin.

For simple, safe, portable, and inexpensive evaluation suitable for leg bone diseases of racehorses in the field, an ultrasonic measurement technique was applied to evaluate wave velocities. A digital model of the third metacarpal bone with the bucked shin was fabricated using high-resolution peripheral quantitative computerized tomography data of a racehorse. This model was anisotropic and heterogeneous, and was constructed using the measured ultrasonic wave velocities in the bone. With this model, ultrasonic wave propagation along the bone axis was simulated using the elastic finite-difference time-domain method. We found two main waves with different propagation velocities. The fast-waves showed a wave velocity close to the longitudinal wave in the axial direction. However, the apparent velocities changed dramatically owing to bone surface irregularities (changes of the shape) in the area of bucked shin. The slow-waves showed a wave velocity close to the shear wave, which was unaffected by the bone surface irregularities. The simple comparison of different wave behaviors may be a suitable parameter for the initial in vivo screening of bucked shin in the legs of racehorses, which can be performed in the field.

Ultrasonic Monitoring of Part’s Height and Layer Thickness in Powder Bed Fusion

This paper presents a preliminary study on an in-situ ultrasonic measurement technique applied to monitoring part’s height and defect occurrence during the Laser Powder Bed Fusion process. Firstly the ultrasonic wave speed is determined for LPBF manufactured 100Cr6 samples with a pulse echo configuration and a 10Mhz ultrasonic wave. A measured propagation speed value, of 5660 ±100m/s in every direction confirms the isotropy of the obtained LPBF samples. Secondly, the ultrasonic pulse echo technique is used to monitor the part’s height evolution during the process based on the measured propagation velocity. This new method provides in-situ measurements showing that the actual remelted layer thickness value oscillates in the range of ± 30% of the theoretical layer thickness.

Feasibility of using ultrasonic-based prediction for hydrogen embrittlement susceptibility of high-strength heat-resistant steel 2.25Cr-1Mo-0.25V

Nondestructive evaluation for the mechanical properties loss of equipment materials serviced in the hydrogen environment is particularly vital for monitoring the equipment operating conditions. In this study, the quantitative relationship between the introduced hydrogen content and the mechanical property degradation of 2.25Cr-1Mo-0.25V steel was investigated using electrochemical hydrogen charging technique and tensile testing, and a nondestructive testing method based on pulse-echo ultrasonic measurement technique, combined with the results of mechanical assessment for hydrogen embrittlement (HE) susceptibility, was proposed to indirectly estimate the degree of hydrogen-induced plasticity loss of the steel. Moreover, signal reconstruction technique was also used to improve the measurement accuracy of ultrasonic echo signal. The results of the study showed that hydrogen present in the metal lattice intensifies the energy attenuation of ultrasonic echo, verifying the feasibility and validity of the measurement method in the effective online prediction of HE susceptibility of the tested steel.

Oil–Water Two-Phase Flow Volume Fraction Measurement Based on Nonlinear Ultrasound Technique

Ultrasonic techniques have been widely used to determine the volume fractions of liquid components in oil&#x2013;water two-phase flow. The two major ultrasonic interactions amenable to volume fraction estimation are the sound speed and attenuation. Instead of using these two linear ultrasound parameters, this study explores the use of ultrasound nonlinear parameter to measure the volume fraction of oil&#x2013;water two-phase flow. Based on the theoretical modeling of ultrasound nonlinear propagation and nonlinearity measurement principle using finite amplitude insertion substitution (FAIS), we established a relationship between volume fraction and the amplitude of the second harmonic components in the received ultrasound waveform. With the use of high-intensity ultrasonic excitation, two-end calibration, and second harmonic amplitude extraction, the volume fraction of water can be calculated. The performance of the proposed method is validated by the numerical simulations and experimental studies in a lab-scale flow loop. Good qualitative agreement between the model and results shows that the nonlinear ultrasonic measurement technique has good quantitative accuracy and high measurement sensitivity, which make it well suited for industrial applications.

Comparison of ultrasonic attenuation models for small droplets measurement based on numerical simulation and experiment

Ultrasonic method has developed rapidly in particle measurement. Suitable ultrasonic attenuation theoretical models are very important for measuring different kinds of particles. In this paper, the ultrasonic measurement technique for small droplets in air is studied based on simulation and experiment, and the applicability of some theoretical models is discussed. In simulation method, both pressure acoustic module and thermoviscous acoustic module are compared, and a method of randomly placing small droplets is proposed. Based on the thermoviscous acoustic module, four ultrasonic attenuation theoretical models including ECAH model, McClements model, Hemar model and Qian model are compared. The mechanism of ultrasonic attenuation under different ultrasonic frequency, droplet radius and concentration is analyzed. And the results show that ECAH model and McClements model are closer to the simulation results, but ECAH model is the most consistent with the simulation data. Furthermore, the flowing experiment is carried out to measure the ultrasonic attenuation coefficient of small droplets in air. The experimental results are inverted using above four theoretical models and hybrid particle swarm optimization algorithm to obtain the droplet radius and concentration. Compared with the results of optical photographing method, the error of ECAH model and McClements model is the smallest within ± 10%. Based on the simulation results and experimental results, ECAH model is the most suitable theoretical model for ultrasonic attenuation method to inverse droplet radius and concentration for small droplets in air measurement at low concentrations, and McClements model has a very close performance to ECAH model.

Ultrasonic technique for measurement of oil-film thickness in metal cold rolling

ABSTRACT Lubrication is essential in metal cold rolling operation to regulate friction at the metal–roll interface, reduce energy loss and improve the product surface finish. A novel non-intrusive pitch-catch technique, based on the reflection of ultrasound, was employed on a pilot mill to evaluate oil-film thickness at the metal–roll interface during the metal cold rolling operation. During the metal rolling process, oil-film thickness was measured under varying rolling load and rolling speed. The oil-film thickness increases as the roll speed increases and reduces as the rolling load increases. The values of oil-film thickness obtained from this non-intrusive ultrasonic technique agree with theoretical values. This study is a proof of concept and has shown promising results. If further developed, the technique could be employed for in situ monitoring of lubricant during rolling operation in metal rolling industries.

Investigation of frequency-dependent attenuation coefficients for multiple solids using a reliable pulse-echo ultrasonic measurement technique

A well-established narrowband pulse-echo technique is employed and improved further to investigate the frequency-dependent ultrasonic wave attenuation in various solids. During attenuation coefficient measurement, the diffraction correction is introduced to minimize wave beam-spreading loss, and frequency domain signals are used to minimize both the effects of downward shift of frequency and the error in determining the amplitude of time-domain signals. The frequency-dependent attenuation curves for 19 frequently-used solid materials are obtained using this method in the frequency range 1–25 MHz. It is observed from the measurement results of these materials that the attenuation can vary linearly or nonlinearly with the signal frequency, and the potential impact factors of the attenuation-frequency relationship are discussed. The experimental results presented in this paper is expected to provide a good reference for researchers interested in developing and using frequency-dependent attenuation coefficients of materials that are currently missing in the literature.

Thermal Conductivity Enhancement of Silica Nanofluids for Ultrafast Cooling Applications: Statistical Modeling and Economic Analysis

Effectively dispersed spherical metallic or non-metallic nanoparticles at low mass concentrations in water, oil, or ethylene glycol may enhance the thermal conductivity of the mixture over the basefluid values. Focusing on the dilute suspensions of effectively dispersed SiO2 nanoparticles in water, the thermal conductivity of nanofluids was measured and statistical and economic analysis was performed. Stable nanofluids were prepared by dispersing dry SiO2 particles directly in water using sonication. The thermal conductivity of nanofluid with mass concentrations of 0.01 % to 1 % was estimated using a unique ultrasonic velocity measurement technique at various temperatures over 25 °C to 65 °C for every 10 °C rise. Impacts of concentration, temperature, and component materials on thermal conductivity enhancement were obtained. Experimental data are analyzed through statistical method and a simple linear regression model (with R2 > 0.99) of thermal conductivity is presented. Further, pricewise performance of nanofluids is performed to obtain the economic feasibility of SiO2–water nanofluids in heat transfer applications.

Ultrasonic Sensors Enabling Early Detection of Emergency Trends and Analysis of Structure Inclination and Stability by Means of Highly Accurate Level Measurements.

Building inclinations can be measured through the use of ultrasonic hydrostatic levelers. These are used to measure long-term relative displacements of vertical parts of structures and utilize the principle of communicating vessels (similar to the classic water scales). The presented ultrasonic displacement measurement technique was developed by Ultrasystem in the 1990s and was applied to several objects in Poland. Long-term measurements enabled the development of a model of object behavior under the influence of various factors. Among these are the annual cycle of temperature changes, fluctuating water levels, turbine chamber emptying, etc. Such a model can facilitate the prediction of failure based on the appearance of changes deviating from typical behavior (e.g., a much stronger dependence of the inclination as a function of the water level). The results obtained with the help of ultrasonic sensors enable the observation of subtle deformations of the object, which is valuable when developing and calibrating new models of the object (e.g., by means of the finite element method).

Laboratory assessment on factors controlling the acoustic properties of carbonates: A case study from Bombay offshore

Carbonates are known to have a heterogeneous, complicated pore structure, characterized by textural variations. This complex nature of carbonates makes it challenging to establish correlations to interpret petrophysical properties from acoustic properties. The present study focuses on investigating various parameters that influence carbonates by integrating parameters estimated from laboratory based measurements along with digital image analysis (DIA) technique, to capture the heterogeneity in pore architecture. A generalized rock physics model for carbonates of Bombay offshore basin has been developed based on compressional wave velocity (Vp) measured at laboratory conditions using ultrasonic measurement techniques. Our study maximizes the use of information obtained from the laboratory analysis that is usually constrained by accurate geological details. For this purpose, we measured Vp of carbonate core plugs using transducers of 54 kHz frequency by utilizing the through transmission technique. The parameters investigated at the laboratory include bulk density, porosity, permeability, mineral content, pore size and pore aspect ratio. Statistical analysis was performed using single as well as multiple parameter function. Mineral content was correlated with Vp and porosity. Bulk Density and porosity showed greater correlation with Vp as single parameter function while pore size showed poor correlation. A combination of bulk density, porosity and mode pore size was able to explain more than 83% of the deviation of Vp. It was observed that the predictability of Vp increases when it is modeled as a multi-parameter function of bulk density, porosity and pore size. The effectiveness of the velocity model improved when Vp was modeled as a function of these investigated parameters collectively rather than in isolation. Thus, an integrated study such as multi-regression analysis would help to present a more realistic picture that affect the relations between petrophysical, mineralogical and acoustic properties. Furthermore, while considering different saturation conditions, our study suggest that porosity and mineral composition have an effect on Vp, while effect of porosity is more prominent. We observed approximate 50% decrease in Vp values when porosity varied from 2 to 40% for different saturation conditions. Hence, the results potentially allow the interpretation of different petrophysical properties from acoustic data and thereby help in connecting geology and seismology.

Non-destructive inspection and analysis of hardened steel plates by ultrasonic test with backscatter technique

In this paper, we use the ultrasonic backscatter technique for measurement of the thickness of the hardened layer (case depth) on inductions-hardened VCN 100 steel plates. The experiment includes an immersion ultrasonic test where both the sample and the ultrasonic probe are immersed in a water tank. The measurement technique is based on the backscattering of ultrasonic waves from the transition zone which lies between the hardened layer and the soft inner core. The backscattered ultrasonic signals are measured and processed by a number of signal processing schemes to extract the thickness of the hardened layer. A scanning system measures the case depth on the surface of the plate samples and produces C-scan images showing the profile of the hardened layer. This technique could be used for nondestructive testing and quality control of hardened specimens.