Ultrasonic Technology Research Articles

Study Progress on Inorganic Fibers from Industry Solid Wastes and the Key Factors Determining Their Characteristics.

Compared to basalt and glass fibers, the production of inorganic fiber from industry solid wastes is an effective method to not only save natural resources but also recycle waste resources. Because the preparation of the fibers requires high temperature treatment, the production process is associated with high energy consumption and high carbon emissions. How to resolve these problems is a current research challenge in this field. Herein, we reviewed the study progress on these fibers and further discussed the key factors determining their characteristics, including chemical composition, melt structure, and viscosity of melt. In production, the matching of solid waste blends containing enough total content of SiO2 and Al2O3, and a suitable amount of MgO and CaO, is beneficial to the structure control of the melt. The study found that the melt consisted of Q2 and Q3; and that Q3 content more than Q2 was more suitable for fiber production and its performance improvement. Such a melt structure can be achieved by controlling the degree of depolymerization and the temperature. New ultrasonic technology can shorten the homogenization time; its application is hoped to save energy and reduce carbon emissions. These conclusions will offer important guidance for the development of inorganic fibers from industry solid wastes in the future.

A Review On Artificial Intelligence For Thyroid Nodule Ultrasound

Ultrasound is a versatile green imaging modality that is rapidly gaining traction as a first-line imaging tool in a variety of clinical settings, thanks to the ongoing development of sophisticated ultrasonic technology and the well-established Ultrasound-based digital health system. Thyroid nodules are tumours that are mostly benign, but can can be malignant and invasive malignancies. These tumours are curable and become more common as people get older. The size and ultrasound features are used to determine whether or not an ultrasonography-guided biopsy should be performed. The American Thyroid Association's thyroid nodule recommendations count the number of benign or suspicious ultrasonography findings before recommending biopsy or observation depending on the size of the nodule.

Synthesis and polishing characteristics of a novel green GO/diamond hybrid slurry under ultrasonic technology

Ultrasonic polishing (UP), as an efficient and clean precision machining process, is increasingly applied in the hard and brittle material processing. To minimize the surface damage and polishing expenses, this paper aims to prepare novel graphene oxide/diamond hybrid slurries (GDS) by ultrasonication, and to investigate the UP mechanisms for silicon carbide (SiC) ceramics on UP and tribological experiments. Findings showed that GDS exhibited superior polishing performance compared to diamond polishing slurries. Moreover, the promotion effect of GDS was more obvious under UP. The surface roughness was improved by 31.62% after UP using GDS with a graphene oxide (GO) content of 0.1 wt%. On the one hand, the lubrication of GO reduce the wear and coefficient of friction. On the other hand, ultrasonic vibration induces stronger impact kinetic energy of abrasives to remove material and allows for a better uniform distribution of GDS to further enhance the lubrication characteristics of GO nanosheets. The application of GO in UP is a processing technology penetrating the manufacturing industry and even human life, laying the foundation for SiC nano-polishing.

Structure and allergenicity of α-lactalbumin: effects of ultrasonic prior to glycation and subsequent phosphorylation

Bovine α-lactalbumin (BLA) induced severe cow's milk allergy. In this study, a novel strategy combining ultrasonication, performed before glycation, and phosphorylation was proposed to reduce BLA allergenicity. Result showed that IgE- and IgG-binding capacities and the release rates of histamine and interleukin-6 from RBL-2H3 were reduced. Moreover, intrinsic fluorescence intensity and surface hydrophobicity were decreased, whereas glycated sites (R10, N44, K79, K108, N102 and K114) and phosphorylated sites (Y36 and S112) of BLA were increased. Minimum allergenicity was detected during BLA treatment after ultrasonic prior to glycation and subsequent phosphorylation because of considerable increase in glycated and phosphorylated sites. Therefore, the decrease in allergenicity of BLA, the effect correlated well with the shielding effect of glycated sites combined with phosphorylated sites and the conformational changes. This study provides important theoretical foundations for improving and using the ultrasonic technology combined with protein modification in allergenic protein processing.

Discovery of Discrete Stages in the Oxidation of exo-Tetrahydrodicyclopentadiene (C10H16) Droplets Doped with Titanium-Aluminum-Boron Reactive Mixed-Metal Nanopowder.

Titanium (Ti), aluminum (Al), and boron (B) reactive mixed-metal nanopowders (Ti-Al-B RMNPs) represent attractive additives to hydrocarbon fuels such as exo-tetrahydrodicyclopentadiene (C10H16; JP-10) enhancing the limited volumetric energy densities of traditional hydrocarbons, but fundamental mechanisms and combustion stages in the oxidation have been obscure. This understanding is of vital significance in the development of next-generation propulsion systems and energy-generation technologies. Here, we expose distinct oxidation stages of single droplets of JP-10 doped with Ti-Al-B-RMNP exploiting innovative ultrasonic levitator technology coupled with time-resolved spectroscopic (UV-vis) and imaging diagnostics (optical and infrared). Two spatially and temporally distinct stages of combustion define a glow flame stage in which JP-10 and nanoparticles combust via a homogeneous gas phase (Al) and heterogeneous gas-surface oxidation (Ti, B) and a slower diffusion flame stage associated with the oxidation of JP-10. These findings enable the development of next-generation RMNP fuel additives with superior payload delivery capabilities.

Ultrasound-assisted production of alcoholic beverages: From fermentation and sterilization to extraction and aging.

Ultrasound is sound waves above 20kHz that can be used as a nonthermal ''green'' technology for agri-food processing. It has a cavitation effect, causing bubbles to form and collapse rapidly as they travel through the medium during ultrasonication. Therefore, it inactivates microorganisms and enzymes through cell membrane disruption with physicochemical and sterilization effects on foods or beverages. This emerging technology has been explored in wineries to improve wine color, taste, aroma, and phenolic profile. This paper aims to comprehensively review the research on ultrasound applications in the winery and alcoholic beverages industry, discuss the impacts of this process on the physicochemical properties of liquors, the benefits involved, and the research needed in this area. Studies have shown that ultrasonic technology enhances wine maturation, improves wine fermentation, accelerates wine aging, and deactivates microbes while enhancing quality, as observed with better critical aging markers such as phenolic compounds and color intensity. Besides, ultrasound enhances phytochemical, physicochemical, biological, and organoleptic properties of alcoholic beverages. For example, this technology increased anthocyanin in red wine by 50%. It also enhanced the production rate by decreasing the aging time by more than 90%. Ultrasound can be considered an economically viable technology that may contribute to wineries' waste valorization, resource efficiency improvement, and industry profit enhancement. Despite numerous publications and successful industrial applications discussed in this paper, ultrasound up-scaling and applications for other types of liquors need further efforts.

Evaluation of left ventricular systolic function in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus using ultrasonic layer-specific strain technology and its association with cardiovascular events: a long-term follow-up study

BackgroundSystemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multisystem, autoimmune disease with potential cardiovascular involvement. Layer-specific strain (LSS) analysis is a new method that allows early detection of subtle left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction. The aim of this study was to evaluate LV systolic function in patients with SLE using conventional echocardiographic measurements and longitudinal strain (LS) and circumferential strain (CS) by LSS. Furthermore, the association between echocardiographic parameters and the occurrence of cardiovascular events was assessed.MethodsA total of 162 patients with SLE (the SLE group) who underwent a dedicated multidisciplinary assessment, including echocardiography, were analyzed at the time of their first visits. The control group consisted of 68 age- and sex-matched healthy subjects. LS and CS on endocardial, mid-myocardial, and epicardial layers at 17 cardiac segments were measured. Transmural strain gradient was calculated as the differences in systolic strain between the endocardial and epicardial layers.ResultsCompared with control subjects, patients with SLE had significantly lower LV ejection fraction, LS, and CS values in all layers (P < 0.05); LV LS and CS gradient were all lower than control subjects (P < 0.05). During a median follow-up period of 83 months (interquartile range: 64–95 months), 59 patients (36.4%) developed cardiovascular events. Using multivariate Cox regression analysis, we found that LV endocardial LS (hazard ratio, 1.014; 95% CI, 1.002–1.035; P = 0.025) and CS (hazard ratio, 1.051; 95% CI, 1.027–1.077; P < 0.001) demonstrated independent associations with cardiovascular events; whereas LV ejection fraction was not significantly associated with cardiovascular events. The Kaplan–Meier survival curves showed that patients with SLE with lower LV endocardial LS and CS (based on the cutoff values of -21.5% and -29.0%, respectively) experienced higher cumulative rates of cardiovascular events compared with those with higher LV endocardial LS and CS.ConclusionsIn patients with SLE, LV systolic function measured by LV endocardial LS and CS were significantly lower than that of the control group and were associated with cardiovascular events, potentially representing a new technology to improve risk stratification in these patients

Characterization of sonicated gluten protein and subsequent rheological properties of model dough and noodles.

The present study aimed to investigate the effects of the thermo-mechanical and rheological properties of a wheat gluten-sonicated model dough and noodles, as well as the effects of ultrasonic frequency (20, 28, 40, 68 and 80 kHz) on the functional properties and structural features of gluten. Water absorption, stability and developmental time, and viscoelastic behavior of gluten-sonicated model dough were all found to be improved. Water absorption, tensile resistance and stretching distance of noodles increased markedly, whereas cooking loss decreased. Ultrasonication at different frequencies also significantly affected gluten structure, including its surface hydrophobicity, micro-network structure, and secondary and tertiary structures. These alterations then caused changes in its functional characteristics. Compared to untreated gluten, sonicated gluten exhibited significantly increased oil and water capacities (8.75-15.26% and 100.65-127.71% higher than the untreated gluten, respectively), foaming and emulsifying properties, and increased solubility (63.46-98.83% higher than control). In addition, these findings indicated that 40 kHz was the likely resonance frequency of the cavitation bubble in the gluten solution. However, sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis electropherograms revealed that such treatments did not affect the molecular weight of gluten, which was also consistent with its unchanged disulfide bond content. The present study clarified the impact of frequency on the properties of gluten and model dough. The best frequency for modification of gluten was 40 kHz. Collectively, these findings suggest that ultrasonic technology has the potential for use in modifying wheat gluten and commercial noodle processing. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Study on preparation and wear resistance of NiCrBSi-WC/Co composite coatings by pulsed magnetic field assisted supersonic plasma spraying

Magnetic field-assisted material processing not only offers excellent mechanical properties of the material but also hinders the formation of defects because of its no contiguity to the material. In this work, the effect of the integration of magnetic field with ultrasonic plasma spraying technology to deposit composite coatings was investigated. NiCrBSi coatings with reinforced WC/Co ceramic particles were deposited using a 5T pulsed magnetic field-assisted supersonic plasma spraying process. The film integrity, mechanical properties, and wear resistance outperformed the traditional plasma spraying coating. The stirring effect caused by the pulsed magnetic field reduced the thermal stress and accelerated the solidification. Nickel-based coatings with a pulsed magnetic field exhibited better wear resistance and high bonding strength. It is attributed to the refinement of grain, even distribution of hard ceramic phase, and dense internal structure. This process opens a new gateway for developing advanced material processing and practical application of high-performance coatings.

Facile Synthesis of Novel Disperse Dyes for Dyeing Polyester Fabrics: Demonstrating Their Potential Biological Activities.

Original work showed the composition of the dyes and the antimicrobial/UV protective properties of a series of dyes obtained in our laboratories over the past twelve years in an easy way using microwave technology and their comparisons with conventional methods. The results we obtained clearly indicated that by using the microwave strategy, we were able to synthesize the new disperse dyes in minutes and with a much higher productivity when compared to the traditional methods, which took a much longer time, sometimes up to hours. We also introduced ultrasonic technology in dyeing polyester fabrics at 80 °C for an environmentally friendly approach, which was an alternative to traditional dyeing methods at 100 °C; we obtained a much higher color depth than traditional dyeing methods reaching 102.9%. We presented both the biological activity of the prepared new dyes and the fastness properties and clearly indicated that these dyes possess biological activity and high fastness properties.We presented through the results that when dyeing polyester fabrics with some selected disperse dyes, the color strength of polyester fabrics dyed at high temperatures was greater than the color strength of polyester fabrics dyed at low temperatures by 144%, 186%, 265% and 309%. Finally, we presented that a ZnO or TiO2 NPs post-dyeing treatment of polyester fabrics is promising strategy for producing polyester fabrics possess multifunction like self-cleaning property, high light fastness, antimicrobial and anti-ultraviolet properties.

Development of a 16-Channel Broadband Piezoelectric Micro Ultrasonic Transducer Array Probe for Pipeline Butt-Welded Defect Detection.

Butt welding is extensively applied in long-distance oil and gas pipelines, and it is of great significance to conduct non-destructive ultrasonic testing of girth welds in order to avoid leakage and safety accidents during pipeline production and operation. In view of the limitations of large transducer size, single fixed beam angle, low detection resolution and high cost of conventional ultrasonic inspection technologies, a 16-channel piezoelectric micro ultrasonic transducer (PMUT) array probe was developed through theoretical analysis and structural optimization design. After the probe impedance characterization, the experimental results show that the theoretical model can effectively guide the design of the ultrasonic transducer array, offering the maximum operating frequency deviation of less than 5%. The ultrasonic echo performance tests indicate that the average −6 dB bandwidth of the PMUT array probe can be up to 77.9%. In addition, the fabricated PMUT array probe has been used to successfully detect five common internal defects in pipeline girth welds. Due to the multiple micro array elements, flexible handling of each element, large bandwidth and high resolution of defect detection, the designed PMUT array probe can provide a good application potential in structural health monitoring and medical ultrasound imaging fields.

Triaxial tests on high ductile concrete under different environmental conditions

AbstractTriaxial compression tests were conducted on high ductile concrete (HDC) under three curing conditions to study its triaxial mechanical properties under different curing environments. The three different curing conditions are as follows: standard curing (temperature 20 ± 2°C, humidity ≥95%), water curing (temperature 15 ± 2°C, humidity ≥95%), and −20°C (−20 ± 2°C, humidity ≥85%). The variation laws of stress–strain response, peak stress, peak strain, and volume strain were analyzed for HDC under different environmental conditions. The mechanism of the effect of HDC mesostructure on strength under different curing conditions was revealed using ultrasonic and nuclear magnetic resonance detection technology. The relationship between HDC uniaxial compressive strength and ultrasonic speed was obtained by fitting the test data, and the relationship between the shear strength and temperature was provided. Results show that the peak stress of HDC under the same confining pressure increases with the rise in the curing temperature. The peak strain also decreases, and the HDC exhibits better ductility under −20°C curing. The peak stress and peak strain of HDC under the same curing conditions increase with the rise in confining pressure. HDC specimen fracture is in the composite failure mode of shear and splitting, and it cracks but does not disintegrate. The pore size is larger and the strength is lower when the pores are more harmful.

Measurement of spot welding nugget diameter using power spectral density variation of laser ultrasonic Lamb wave

In applications of spot welding, the nugget determines reliability of the material joining, which is characterized by nugget diameter. However, the conventional methods are complex and rough to measure the diameter of the nugget. This paper aims to propose a novel convenient method for measuring the diameter of spot welding nugget. The characteristic curve of laser ultrasonic Lamb waves in nugget area are obtained by laser ultrasonic detection technology under completely non-contact conditions. The variation characteristics of power spectral density in nugget area are analyzed by Fast Fourier Transform, to determine the geometric relationship between the scanning area and the nugget diameter, and the nugget diameter are obtained by further calculation. Experiments show that the accuracy of the proposed method is within 0.2 mm, and the relative errors of experimental data are within 3%. This paper provides an alternative method for the measurement of spot welding nugget diameter, and has great significance for the application of laser ultrasonic detection in spot welding.

Buried Defect Detection Method for a Blowout Preventer Seal Ring Groove Based on an Ultrasonic Phased Array.

This study aims to investigate an accurate detection method to detect defects in the gasket ring groove of the blowout preventer (BOP) using the ultrasonic phased array technology. Traditionally, it is difficult to accurately determine the type and size of defects in the gasket ring groove due to the complexity of the BOP configuration and the interference between the defect echo and the structural echo when using the ultrasonic phased array detection technology. In this study, firstly, the appropriate detection process parameters are determined by using simulation software for simulating and analyzing the defects of different sizes and types in the gasket ring groove of a BOP. Thereafter, according to the detection process parameters determined by the simulation analysis, we carry out a corresponding actual detection test. Simulation analysis and detection test results show that the relative amplitude of the test results and the simulation results differ within 1 dB, and the simulation results have a guiding role for the actual detection. The defect echo and structure echo can be clearly distinguished by selecting appropriate detection process parameters, such as probe frequency 5 MHz, array elements 36, and probe aperture 16 mm. The research results can provide theoretical reference for the detection of blowout preventer.

Use of Ultrasonic Cleaning Technology in the Whole Process of Fruit and Vegetable Processing

In an era of rapid technological development, ultrasound technology is being used in a wide range of industries. The use of ultrasound technology in fruit and vegetable processing to improve production efficiency and product quality has been an important research topic. The cleaning of whole fresh fruits and vegetables is an important part of fruit and vegetable processing. This paper discusses the development process of components of the ultrasonic equipment, the application of ultrasonic technology in fruit and vegetable cleaning, and the research advances in ultrasonic cleaning technology. Moreover, the feasibility of ultrasonication of fruits and vegetables for cleaning from the perspectives of microbial inactivation, commodity storage, and sensory analysis were discussed. Finally, the paper identified the inevitable disadvantages of cavitation noise, erosion, and tissue damage in fruit and vegetable processing and points out the future directions of ultrasonic fruit and vegetable cleaning technology.

Application of Ultrasonic Nondestructive Testing Technology of Hydraulic Structure Concrete

Application of Ultrasonic Nondestructive Testing Technology of Hydraulic Structure Concrete

Research and Development of Digital Assembly Process System for Ultrasonic Transducers

In order to solve the problem of design efficiency of the digital assembly process, the author proposes a research using ultrasonic transducer technology. The main content of this research is to study the ultrasonic transducer elements according to the basic structure of the ultrasonic transducer.Through the study of equivalent circuit of ultrasonic transducer, the model of impedance matching design is constructed. Finally, the feasibility of ultrasonic transducer technology is obtained through experiments. Experimental results show that the transducer multichip structure of the ultrasonic transducer system and the LC matching network circuit can make the AOTF system achieve better results, and the diffraction efficiency is up to more than 70%, which is of great significance to the research and development of the current digital assembly process system. Conclusion. It is proven that the research of ultrasonic transducer technology can meet the needs of digital assembly process design efficiency.

Exploring the influence of air resistance on the hollow fiber membrane process in water treatment based on ultrasonic phased array technology

In water treatment with membrane filtration process, a lot of factors such as process design, operation, and fouling affect membrane flux. But it is often neglected the flux decline which attribute to air resistance. In this study, it has been observed that air resistance caused by air trapped initially at startup as well as the release of air from the permeating liquid has an adverse effect on the membrane filtration and backwash process in water treatment. In the study, a new in-situ monitoring method, ultrasonic phased array (UPA), was used to investigate the distribution of released air in the hollow fiber membrane module. The operation parameters such as backwash interval, duration and strength were investigated. A strategy was also proposed to mitigate the adverse effects of air resistance. The results showed that UPA can successfully monitor the distribution of released air, which has a good positive correlation with air sound pressure reflection R¯air. The released air is mainly distributed far away from the outlet, while as the backwash interval and strength increase, the range of released air distribution gradually expands. We also found the optimal operating parameters for the minimum released air volume that the backwash interval is 90 min and the backwash duration is 60 s. Besides, the air resistance has a good positive correlation with released air. Moreover, the released air migration results show that air dispersion and redissolution are beneficial to reduce the air resistance in the backwash process. In summary, the optimal operation can mitigate the air resistance in the variable membrane filtration mode in water treatment.

A Fast Signal-Processing Method for Electromagnetic Ultrasonic Thickness Measurement of Pipelines Based on UKF and SMO

Electromagnetic ultrasonic testing technology has advantages in measuring the thickness of pipelines in service. However, the ultrasonic signal is susceptible to corrosions on the internal and external surfaces of the pipeline. Since the electromagnetic ultrasonic signal is nonlinear, and a dynamic model is difficult to establish accurately, in this paper, a new unscented Kalman filter (UKF) method based on a sliding mode observer (SMO) is proposed. The experiments, conducted on five different testing samples, validate that the proposed method can effectively process the signals drowned in noise and accurately measure the wall thickness. Compared with FFT and UKF, the signal-to-noise ratio of the signals processed by SMO–UKF shows a maximum increase of 155% and 171%. Meanwhile, a random assignment method is proposed for the self-regulation of hyper parameters in the process of Kalman filtering. Experimental results show that the automatic adjustment of hyper parameters can be accomplished in finite cycle numbers and greatly shortens the overall filtering time.

Magnetic cross-linked lipase aggregates coupled with ultrasonic pretreatment for efficient synthesis of phytosterol oleate

In this study, coupling with substrate ultrasonic pretreatment technology, magnetic cross-linked enzyme aggregates (CRL-FIL-CLEAs@Fe3O4) was used as novel biocatalyst for efficient preparation of phytosterol oleate in solvent-free reaction system. The CRL loading was 0.16 mg protein/mg CRL-FIL- CLEAs@Fe3O4. The effects of ultrasonic parameters, catalyst dosage, substrate molar ratio, and reaction temperature on the synthesis of phytosterol esters were studied. The results showed that the catalytical properties of CRL-FIL-CLEAs@Fe3O4 (7.09±0.11 µmol phytosterol/mg protein. hour) was significantly improved compared with natural lipase from Candida rugosa (CRL, 5.13±0.21 µmol phytosterol/mg protein. hour). Simultaneously, ultrasonic pretreatment greatly enhanced substrate mass transfer, further reducing the esterification time. The max conversion rate 94.72% of phytosterol was obtained after 9 h reaction under optimum condition (the molar ratio of oleic acid to phytosterol was 6:1, the concentration of CRL-FIL-CLEAs@Fe3O4 was 10 wt% of the phytosterol mass). After five recycles, the activity of CRL-FIL-CLEAs@Fe3O4 (80.02%) was still 2.68 times higher than that of natural lipase system (29.91%). Meanwhile, the novel immobilized lipase (CRL-FIL-CLEAs@Fe3O4) before and after reaction was characterized by SEM, AFM, VSM, TEM, and TGA. The results showed that CRL-FIL-CLEAs@Fe3O4 was a robust and recyclable biocatalyst for phytosterol esterification.