Ultrasonic Reflection Research Articles

Research on the Weakening Process at the Interface of Bonded-Layer Composite Structures Using Ultrasonic Longitudinal Waves

The interface weakening process of bonded-layer composite structures is calculated, simulated, and experimentally investigated using ultrasonic longitudinal waves. Firstly, the reflection coefficients of echoes are calculated theoretically. Subsequently, a time-domain simulation model of bonded-layer composite structures is established. The propagation law of ultrasonic waves in bonded-layer composite structures is obtained. The relationship between different bonding interface states and the ultrasonic reflection characteristics are investigated through ultrasonic experiments on bonded composite structures. The theoretical calculation, simulation, and experimental results are as follows: when the bonding strength of the bonding layer changes from weak to strong, the amplitude of the first echo gradually decreases, the amplitude of the second echo progressively increases, and the amplitude of the third echo is basically unchanged; when the bonding strength of the upper interface changes from weak to strong, the amplitudes of the first and the second echoes are same as in the previous variation whereas the amplitude of the third echo slightly increases; when the bonding strength of the lower interface changes from weak to strong, the amplitudes of the first and the third echoes remain essentially unchanged, but the amplitude of the second echo progressively increases in the experiment compared with the theoretical calculation and simulation. In addition, the time of the first echo remains broadly unchanged, and the times of the second and the third echoes gradually decrease under all conditions.

Wide-area film thickness measurement method of water-lubricated polymer bearing based on ultrasonic reflection coefficient phase

Accurate identification of wide-area film thickness is crucial for detecting lubrication failure in water-lubricated bearings. Ultrasonics is an excellent non-destructive method for measuring thickness. However, due to the heterogeneity and acoustic attenuation of polymer materials, obtaining water film information with high-frequency ultrasonic sensors is challenging. There is a blind area in measurement between the resonance model and the phase matching model under low-frequency probes. Additionally, the significant acoustic impedance difference between friction pairs renders the traditional spring model inapplicable. To address these issues, the first zero-crossing method covering the blind area and the spring model-phase method for the thin films was proposed. The proposed method based on the reflection coefficient phase, in combination with existing methods, can achieve wide-area measurement of film thickness. A calibration platform using a polyetheretherketone and stainless-steel is constructed to validate the accuracy of the method. Film thickness measurement tests are conducted, and the sensitivity of various ultrasonic models is analyzed. The results demonstrate that the mean absolute error is less than 5 μm in the water film ranging from 10 μm to 360 μm. When the film thickness exceeds 30 μm, the mean relative error is less than 5 %, conversely, that is 16.61 %.

Detection of Two-Phase Slug Flow Film Thickness by Ultrasonic Reflection

Slug flow is a common phenomenon in closed pipes, occurring in two-phase flow where liquid and gas phases mix, impacting the custody transfer or the efficiency of chemical reactions. This study aims to detect and analyze slug flow film thickness in two-phase flow, providing detailed structural flow information. The ultrasonic or Doppler reflection method is employed to identify slug flow and detect detailed thickness. Additionally, electrical resistance tomography (ERT) is used to image and confirm the presence of slug flow. A high-speed camera records the slug flow's shape in real time, validating its existence. The ultrasonic reflection method offers high accuracy, with a measurement error rate of less than 1% based on experimental results. The study uses a homogeneous block calibration method to measure slug flow thickness. Graphical results reveal clear differences between the slug flow regime, inner pipe wall, and outer pipe wall, with the first echo of slug flow being easily observable. The accuracy of results is attributed to the combination of FPGA (Field-Programmable-Gate-Array) instruments and measurement methods, showcasing the study's novel approach. This research introduces a new perspective or novelty on slug flow in multiphase flow studies, highlighting an innovative method for detecting film thickness.

Curing monitoring of adhesive layers between metal adherends by ultrasonic resonance technique

Abstract Layer resonance induced by ultrasonic wave incidence is applied to monitor the viscoelastic properties of a curing adhesive layer between metal plates. The theoretical analysis shows that when the adhesive layer is modeled as a linear viscoelastic material, the ultrasonic reflection spectrum takes local minima at the layer resonance frequencies depending on the wave velocity of the adhesive. On the other hand, the local minima of the reflection spectrum can be expressed as a function of the loss factor of the adhesive. Based on these results, a characterization technique for the wave velocity and the loss factor of a curing adhesive layer is proposed. This technique enables the evaluation of the viscoelastic properties even if the reflected waves from both faces of a bond layer cannot be separated. The proposed method is employed to investigate the curing behavior of bi-component epoxy adhesives. As a result, it is shown that the bonding condition affects the variation of the wave velocity and loss factor. The estimated wave velocity increases as the curing proceeds, while the loss factor sometimes takes a local maximum depending on the bonding condition and the frequency range. When the mixing ratio of the main and curing agents is imbalanced, the variation of the wave velocity becomes gradual. Furthermore, the increase in the curing temperature leads to fast changes in the wave velocity and loss factor. The proposed technique has the potential to provide insight into the curing behavior of the adhesive layer by incorporating it into other measurement methods and theories.

Interface stiffness identification of rough and weak bonded interface using developed ultrasonic reflection phase derivative spectrum

The thickness and interface roughness of coatings both affect the interface bonded quality. Existed ultrasonic testing methods based on traditional phase screen approximation or spring model assumption are difficult to simultaneously identify the interface roughness and stiffness of coating. This paper, a new method for integrated identifying coating thickness, interface roughness, and interface stiffness using developed ultrasonic reflection phase derivative spectrum (URPDS) is proposed. A phase-screen-approximated spring-model (PSASM) for ultrasound vertically propagating into rough and weak bonded interface is constructed. On basis of PSASM, a URPDS of coating/substrate structure is developed for identifying the interface stiffness and other parameters of coated parts. Cross-correlation analysis is used to eliminate the phase deviation of URPDS introduced by reference signal and initial phase of tested signal. Sensitivity analysis is used to determine the high-sensitivity regions of URPDS to interface roughness and interface stiffness. Genetic algorithm optimization is used to achieve integrated identification of coating thickness, interface roughness, and interface stiffness. The rationality of PSASM is verified through numerical simulation using a series of coating/substrate models with rough and weak bonded interface, and the relationship between the high-sensitivity regions and the high-precision measurement ranges of interface roughness Rq and interface stiffness Kn is clarified. Ultrasonic experiments are implemented on Nickel-coating samples and coated parts using plane wave probe. The coating thickness, interface roughness, and interface stiffness could be identified accurately, which shows that the proposed URPDS method can identify the interface stiffness of rough contacted dissimilar media or coated parts with rough interface.

Computed tomography-based radial endobronchial ultrasound image simulation of peripheral pulmonary lesions using deep learning.

Radial endobronchial ultrasound (R-EBUS) plays an important role during transbronchial sampling of peripheral pulmonary lesions (PPLs). However, existing navigational bronchoscopy systems provide no guidance for R-EBUS. To guide intraoperative R-EBUS probe manipulation, we aimed to simulate R-EBUS images of PPLs from preoperative computed tomography (CT) data using deep learning. Preoperative CT and intraoperative ultrasound data of PPLs in 250 patients who underwent R-EBUS-guided transbronchial lung biopsy were retrospectively collected. Two-dimensional CT sections perpendicular to the biopsy path were transformed into ultrasonic reflection and transmission images using an ultrasound propagation model to obtain the initial simulated R-EBUS images. A cycle generative adversarial network was trained to improve the realism of initial simulated images. Objective and subjective indicators were used to evaluate the similarity between real and simulated images. Wasserstein distances showed that utilizing the cycle generative adversarial network significantly improved the similarity between real and simulated R-EBUS images. There was no statistically significant difference in the long axis, short axis, and area between real and simulated lesions (all P > 0.05). Based on the experts' evaluation, a median similarity score of ≥4 on a 5-point scale was obtained for lesion size, shape, margin, internal echoes, and overall similarity. Simulated R-EBUS images of PPLs generated by our method can closely mimic the corresponding real images, demonstrating the potential of our method to provide guidance for intraoperative R-EBUS probe manipulation.

Enhancing Crop Harvesting with Ultrasonic Stubble Height Sensing Technology

Crop stubble refers to the residual plant material, primarily stems and leaves, that remains in the field after the harvest of the primary crop. In modern farming practices, considering the customer requirement, knowing the crop stubble height is a critical variable in agricultural management to plan for uniform crop cuts by adjusting the header’s cutter height of the harvester. The potential outcome of this research includes an accurate and non-contact stubble height measurement system utilizing ultrasonic sensing technology. The study involves the design and development of an algorithm to calculate short-range and long-range distances using ultrasonic sensors by processing the raw ultrasonic reflections. The proposed algorithm has different signal processing options to convert the raw ultrasonic signal to the distance. These distances are then mapped to the distance from the ground, distance from the cut end of the stubble and resulting stubble height. Setup with the sensor mount is created to mimic the actual field environment and the height detection algorithm is evaluated on corn and wheat crop stubbles. Multiple trials are carried out using the static and dynamic setup for different heights of the stubble. For these trials, the calculated stubble height closely matches with the actual stubble height. Keywords: Combine harvester, stubble height sensing, ultrasonic sensing, Non-Contact Sensing, uniform crop cut, Stubble Management, Agricultural Sensors, Harvest Residue Detection.

Ultrasonic Non-Destructive Testing and Evaluation of Stainless-Steel Resistance Spot Welding Based on Spiral C-Scan Technique.

In order to achieve the non-destructive testing and quality evaluation of stainless-steel resistance spot welding (RSW) joints, a portable ultrasonic spiral C-scan testing instrument was developed based on the principle of ultrasonic pulse reflection. A mathematical model for the quality evaluation of RSW joints was established, and the centroid of the ultrasonic C-scan image in the nugget zone of the RSW was determined based on the principle of static moment. The longest and shortest axes passing through the centroid in the image were extracted, and the ratio of the longest axis to the shortest axis (RLS) factor and the average of axis (AOA) factor were calculated, respectively, to evaluate the quality of the joint. To study the effectiveness of the detection results, tensile tests, and stereo analysis were conducted on the solder joints after sampling. The results indicate that this detection method can realize online detection and significantly improve the detection efficiency; the detection value of internal defect size is close to the true value with an error of 0.1 mm; the combination of RLS and AOA factors can be used to evaluate the mechanical properties of RSW joints. This technology can be used to solve the NDT, evaluate problems of RSW joints, and realize engineering applications.

Edge blurring suppression of ultrasonic reflection coefficients in contact state measurement

Ultrasonic reflection coefficient is the key to contact state evaluation of mechanical devices. Edge blurring can lead to contact state (such as stress concentrations) measurement errors. This reduces the reliability of performance evaluations and introduces potential security risks. In this study, an edge blurring suppression method based on matching pursuit algorithm was proposed. Firstly, the interference signal prediction model is built based on the Nakagami model. Then, a blurred signal separation algorithm based on matching pursuit is proposed to obtain the effective signal. Finally, the reflection coefficient with and without edge blurring effect were obtained. The simulation results show that the maximum relative error of the reflection coefficient is reduced from 219 % to 15 %. The effectiveness of the proposed method is also verified by experiments. The experimental results show that the relative error of the reflection coefficient after edge blurring suppression is reduced from 64 % to 16 %. This indicates that the proposed method can effectively suppress edge blurring, which provides an effective method for edge blurring suppression in various application fields of ultrasonic measurement and improve the reliability of product quality evaluation.

Build-up and consolidation of an attractive network of particles in cement-based pastes

The very early age flocculation of a cement based paste, in which cement is partially substituted by a calcined clay, metakaolin, is studied. We use rheological and ultrasonic reflection to monitor the evolution of the elastic properties of the paste with time, and light scattering to follow the change of its relaxation modes at small scales. We show that, at very early ages, of the order of hundreds of seconds after the paste preparation, a network of flocculated particles establishes, which manifests by a slow down of the dynamics of the relaxation modes of the paste at small scale. Then, this network consolidates and the macroscopic elastic modulus of the paste progressively increases with time, leading eventually to the setting of the paste. These observations show that, whatever the degree of replacement of clinker by metakaolin, a connected network establishes at very early times after the paste preparation, although the kinetics of flocculation slows down with clinker replacement.

Air-coupled ultrasonic inspection of resin materials using single-probe vertical reflection method

Air-coupled ultrasonic inspection is a noncontact and convenient nondestructive testing method. However, its vertical reflection method using a single probe (i.e., pulse-echo mode) is known to be difficult to achieve, even though it is frequently used inspection mode in conventional contact or water immersion ultrasonic testing. This is because the reflectivity of ultrasonic waves at the boundary between air and the surface of inspection object is enormous, and faint signals received after transmitting into the object are difficult to detect. In this study, in order to achieve the air-coupled ultrasonic single-probe reflection method, transmitting chirp signals (waves with a linearly frequency modulation) with an appropriate window function and applying a pulse compression technique (a cross-correlation process between the received signal and a reference chirp signal) was examined, and its effectiveness was investigated through experiments for polystyrene specimens. Experimental results showed that the proposed method was effective in detecting faint reflection signals after propagating through the specimens, and that the difference in plate thickness could be detected by observing the change of the signal-receiving period of multiple reflection signals between the top and bottom surfaces of the specimens. These results demonstrate the feasibility of nondestructive testing using the air-coupled ultrasonic vertical reflection method and could show an important step toward its future practical applications.

Utilizing phased array ultrasound technique to examine seal surface contact status in premium connections

Premium connections are commonly employed in wells subjected to high temperature and high pressure (HTHP) conditions. The key parameter in evaluating the sealing capability of premium connections is the contact condition between the sealing surface. This paper presents a method based on phased array ultrasound testing (PAUT) technique to examine the metal-to-metal contact states of the seal surface in premium conditions, and presents experimental work on contact status of the seal surface in premium tubing connections using PAUT, testing impacts of torque, seal surface defects and thread compounds dosage. The experimental findings demonstrate an inverse relationship between the observed ultrasonic reflection amplitude and the applied torque on the premium. Additionally, there is a robust exponential correlation manifested between the ultrasonic reflection amplitude and the torque exerted on the premium. The ultrasonic reflection amplitude at the defect of the seal surface increases. Under equivalent make-up torque conditions, the ultrasonic reflection amplitude on the sealing surface of premium connections escalates as the dosage of thread compounds diminishes, and the importance of precise control of the amount of thread compound used was confirmed. These data demonstrate that PAUT provides a reliable detection technique for performance assessment on premium connections, both in quality control and field inspection.

An ultrasound approach to characterize mixtures of vegetable oils with the same type of dominant chemical compositions

The non-destructive characterization of ultrasonic properties in mixtures of vegetable oils with similar dominant chemical compositions is becoming increasingly important for various applications. The combination of ultrasonic wave reflection as an experimental method and the partial least squares statistical method has been employed to establish reference graphs and models for detecting adulterated oils. This experimental study focuses precisely on measuring the attenuation and ultrasonic velocity of mixtures of organic argan oil with volumetric fractions of sesame oil, peanut oil or argan oil extracted from kernels depulped by goats. The measurements exhibit distinct behaviors manifested by electrical signals for the mixture obtained after the addition of each volumetric fraction, reflecting the capability of the adopted method to detect this difference. A notable decrease in ultrasonic velocity is observed in the mixtures as the quantity of added oil increases, with a maximum variation of 11 m/s for the argan/peanut oil mixture. Conversely, The attenuation of ultrasonic waves increases proportionally with the added volumetric fractions, with the argan/peanut oil mixture exhibiting an attenuation variation range of 3.57 Np/m. Prediction models for the added volumetric fractions to organic argan oil based on attenuation and ultrasonic velocity, showed a weak correlation between the predicted quantity of added oil and the actual quantity added to organic argan oil, with determination coefficients (r2) not exceeding 65%. The weak correlation is due to the similar chemical compositions of the oils. These results underscore the value of ultrasonic-statistical analysis for authenticating and ensuring the quality of vegetable oils. However, the limitations highlight the need to refine models for better accuracy. This method can verify oil authenticity in the food industry, ensuring consumer protection and quality standards. Additionally, it offers a quick and simple alternative to traditional methods, reducing costs and improving efficiency in quality control processes.

Study on Ultrasonic Characteristics and Prediction of Rock with Different Pore Sizes

The internal defects of rocks are the main cause of instability and failure in underground engineering. Therefore, using ultrasonic monitoring technology to study the defect characteristics of rocks containing voids is of great significance. The research results indicate that with the increase in the pore size, the longitudinal wave velocity and first wave amplitude of rocks containing voids decrease, the attenuation coefficient increases, and the difference in ultrasonic parameters between rocks containing voids and intact rocks increases, resulting in a significant decrease in the rock integrity. The propagation of ultrasonic waves in porous rocks can be divided into three stages, where obvious ultrasonic reflection, diffraction, and scattering occur. The attenuation of sound pressure is significant, and the ultrasonic sound pressure is negatively linearly correlated with the pore size. Based on the amplitude, velocity, and pressure of ultrasonic waves, an ANN-based method for predicting the pore size of rocks is proposed, which inverts and predicts the pore size of rock masses with high prediction accuracy.

An accurate measurement method for center oil film thickness in high-speed roller bearing using ultrasound

A multicycle focal spot mapping method is proposed to design the specific pulse emission frequency and the recorded pulse number. A great number of successive ultrasonic pulses with a specific emission frequency are utilized to examine the lubricant film in the roller bearing so that at least one ultrasonic pulse will interrogate the center of the contact region. Subsequently, the center oil film thickness is calculated by the selected minimum ultrasonic reflection coefficient amplitude. A statistical test analysis and an experimental analysis are performed to validate the proposed method. The results show that the proposed method can be used to accurately measure the center oil film thickness in high-speed roller bearings, which overcomes the speed limitation of the existing method.

Two-dimensional imaging of elastic properties of rock core samples from measurements of angle-dependent ultrasonic reflection coefficients

Laboratory and field measurements often fail to identify small-scale variations in rock elastic properties. Due to limited spatial resolution, conventional laboratory methods cannot properly describe rock formations exhibiting a high degree of heterogeneity, thereby masking differences between stiff and compliant layers. Continuous sample measurements can mitigate this problem but are not widely used by the industry. We build upon our previous work and apply laboratory angle-dependent ultrasonic reflection coefficient (ADURC) measurements to achieve detailed two-dimensional descriptions of the elastic properties of complex rock samples. This method successfully yields high-resolution information on P- and S-wave velocities, as well as bulk density, across the surface of rock samples. Elastic properties are estimated using a nonlinear inversion algorithm that matches laboratory measurements with numerical simulations. ADURC data acquired at various sample locations enable detailed rock descriptions, where the effective measurement area is determined by the size of the receiver, measurement frequency, and incidence angle. Consequently, the sampling area is smaller compared with triaxial loading and acoustic transmission tests, for which the resolution is controlled by sample size. Measurements conducted on samples exhibiting different levels of spatial complexity validate the capability of the ADURC method to identify small-scale heterogeneities. For the reported experiments, variations in angle-dependent reflectivity give rise to corresponding variations in the estimated P- and S-wave velocities and density, which can exceed 60%. These small-scale variations across heterogeneous rock samples often are overlooked by conventional laboratory methods.

Measurement of coating–substrate interface stiffness using a constructed ultrasonic echo phase derivative spectrum

Measurement of coating–substrate interface stiffness can indirectly characterize interface bonding quality. This paper proposes a noval quantitative inversion coating–substrate interface stiffness method based on the multi-resonance frequencies of a constructed ultrasonic echo phase derivative spectrum (UEPDS). The theoretical relationship between UEPDS resonance frequencies and interface stiffness is derived. The detection frequency and high-sensitivity interface stiffness range are optimized based on the sensitivity analyzed. Numerical simulation and experiment are implemented on a 0.48 mm aluminum layer/carbon steel substrate specimen to prove the validity of the proposed ultrasonic method. The simulation results show that the maximal relative error between the inversion and the preset interface stiffnesses is reduced from 23% to 8% compared with the traditional ultrasonic reflection coefficient amplitude spectrum-based (URCAS-based) method. The experiment results indicate that the UEPDS-based inversion interface stiffnesses have the same trend as the nominal contact pressures between the coating–substrate interface.

Calibration of Oil Film Thickness Acoustic Reflection Coefficient of Bearing under Multiple Temperature Conditions

Rolling mill bearings are prone to wear, erosion, and other damage characteristics due to prolonged exposure to rolling forces. Therefore, regular inspection of rolling mill bearings is necessary. Ultrasonic technology, due to its non-destructive nature, allows for measuring the oil film thickness distribution within the bearing during disassembly. However, during the process of using ultrasonic reflection coefficients to determine the oil film thickness and distribution state of rolling mill bearings, changes in bearing temperature due to prolonged operation can occur. Ultrasonic waves are susceptible to temperature variations, and different temperatures of the measured structure can lead to changes in measurement results, ultimately distorting the results. This paper proposes using density and sound speed compensation methods to address this issue. It simulates and analyzes the oil film reflection coefficients at different temperatures, ultimately confirming the feasibility and effectiveness of this approach. The paper establishes a functional relationship between bearing pressure and reflection coefficients, oil film thickness, and reflection coefficients. This allows for the compensation of reflection coefficients under any pressure conditions, enhancing the accuracy of oil film thickness detection. The proposed method provides technical support for the maintenance of plate rolling processes in the steel industry.

Applicability of an Hertzian-type contact model for wheel-rail pairings as seen by an improved post-processing scheme for ultrasonic data

The contact between wheel and rail crucially affects the management of railways, since the vehicle dynamics, safety, and performance, for example, are all dependent on this. Therefore, in this contribution the load-dependence of nominal contact area – a broadly not considered aspect of the wheel-rail contacts within the literature – is addressed. We are applying an ultrasonic technique for the detection of the contact zone and an improved post-processing scheme for the measured ultrasonic reflection data. Accordingly, we found that the nominal contact area shows a power-law dependence on load which only on average is predicted by the elliptical Hertzian contact theory.

A PZT active sensing method for monitoring prestressing force based on the ultrasonic reflection coefficient

Prestress monitoring is key to ensuring the safety and longevity of post-tensioned prestressed structures. A new method of prestress monitoring, based on piezoceramic transducers, is proposed. Compared to traditional ultrasonic detection, we utilize piezoelectric (PZT) active sensing monitoring, eliminating the need for a specialized ultrasonic probe. First, a relationship model between the signal received energy and loading force is established based on the principle of ultrasonic reflection coefficient at the contact interface. On this basis, we overcome the low signal-to-noise ratio issue associated with the traditional method by employing the time reversal (TR) method. Next, the model parameters were fitted using experimental data. The values of the fitting evaluation metrics, SSE and RMSE, tend to be close to 0, while the R-squared value tends to be close to 1. This indicates the reliability of the model. Finally, the prestressing force validation tests are conducted through unloading tests. The average relative error between the measured and actual values across different paths ranges from 6.85% at the minimum to 15.61% at the maximum. Since the method is related to the proximity of the interface contact, it can be applied in other areas of civil engineering, such as assessing the adhesive strength of composite structures, crack development, and detecting axial stress.