Wave Propagation Imaging Research Articles

Shear wave propagation and elasticity imaging of soft tissues under compression

In efforts to improve detection sensitivity of shear wave elasticity imaging of target tissue lesions with relatively small mechanical contrast to the background tissues, shear wave propagation characteristics in tissues under compression loading have been studied. A finite element hyperelastic tissue model was constructed to characterize the changes of propagating shear wave subject to different mechanical loading and to guide in vitro experiments. The shear wave speed sharply increased in an inclusion from 2.4 m/s to 6.3 m/s while it increased from 2.0 m/s to 4.0 m/s in the background tissue with overall compression loading from 0% to 30%. Increased shear wave reflection at the boundary of the inclusion due to increased mechanical contrast was lowered using a directional filter. In vitro experiments were performed using a soft phantom block (0.5% agar with 5% gelatin) that contains a hard inclusion (1.5% agar with 5% gelatin) of a long cylinder (D: 8 mm). The reconstructed shear modulus of the inclusion exhibited noticeable nonlinearity, in contrast to linear increase of shear modulus in the surrounding phantom. As a result, the elastic modulus contrast of the inclusion to the surrounding phantom was increased from 0.47 to 1.41 at compression from 0% to 30%.

Visualization of Fatigue Cracks at Structural Members Using a Pulsed Laser Scanning System

In this research, a noncontact nondestructive testing (NDT) method is proposed to detect the fatigue crack and to identify the location of the damage. To achieve this goal, Lamb wave propagation of a plate-like structure, which is induced by scanning laser source actuation system, is analyzed. A ND:YAG pulsed laser system is used to generate Lamb wave exerted at the multiple points of a steel coupon, and a piezoelectric sensor is installed to measure the structural responses. Multiple time signals measured by the piezoelectric sensor are aligned along the vertical and horizontal axes corresponding to laser impinging points so that 3-dimensional data can be constructed. Then, the 3-dimensional data is sliced along the time axis to visualize the wave propagation. The scattering of Lamb wave due to the damage can be described in the wave propagation image, and hence the damage can be localized and quantified. Damage-sensitive features, which are reflected wave from the damage, are clearly extracted by wave-number filtering based on the 3-dimensional Fourier transform of the visualized data. Structural members with fatigue cracks are investigated to verify the effectiveness and the robustness of the proposed NDT approach.

Fully Noncontact Wave Propagation Imaging in an Immersed Metallic Plate with a Crack

This study presents a noncontact sensing technique with ultrasonic wave propagation imaging algorithm, for damage visualization of liquid-immersed structures. An aluminum plate specimen (400 mm × 400 mm × 3 mm) with a 12 mm slit was immersed in water and in glycerin. A 532 nm Q-switched continuous wave laser is used at an energy level of 1.2 mJ to scan an area of 100 mm × 100 mm. A laser Doppler vibrometer is used as a noncontact ultrasonic sensor, which measures guided wave displacement at a fixed point. The tests are performed with two different cases of specimen: without water and filled with water and with glycerin. Lamb wave dispersion curves for the respective cases are calculated, to investigate the velocity-frequency relationship of each wave mode. Experimental propagation velocities of Lamb waves for different cases are compared with the theoretical dispersion curves. This study shows that the dispersion and attenuation of the Lamb wave is affected by the surrounding liquid, and the comparative experimental results are presented to verify it. In addition, it is demonstrated that the developed fully noncontact ultrasonic propagation imaging system is capable of damage sizing in submerged structures.

Laser Ultrasonic System for Surface Crack Visualization in Dissimilar Welds of Control Rod Drive Mechanism Assembly of Nuclear Power Plant

In this paper, we propose a J-groove dissimilar weld crack visualization system based on ultrasonic propagation imaging (UPI) technology. A full-scale control rod drive mechanism (CRDM) assembly specimen was fabricated to verify the proposed system. An ultrasonic sensor was contacted at one point of the inner surface of the reactor vessel head part of the CRDM assembly. Q-switched laser beams were scanned to generate ultrasonic waves around the weld bead. The localization and sizing of the crack were possible by ultrasonic wave propagation imaging. Furthermore, ultrasonic spectral imaging unveiled frequency components of damage-induced waves, while wavelet-transformed ultrasonic propagation imaging enhanced damage visibility by generating a wave propagation video focused on the frequency component of the damage-induced waves. Dual-directional anomalous wave propagation imaging with adjacent wave subtraction was also developed to enhance the crack visibility regardless of crack orientation and wave propagation direction. In conclusion, the full-scale specimen test demonstrated that the multiple damage visualization tools are very effective in the visualization of J-groove dissimilar weld cracks.

Laser ultrasonic imaging and damage detection for a rotating structure

This study presents a laser ultrasonic imaging and damage detection technique that creates images of ultrasonic waves propagating on a rotating structure and identifies damage. Laser ultrasonics is attractive for nondestructive testing mainly because of two reasons: (1) ultrasonic waves can be generated and/or measured in a noncontact manner and (2) even a small defect can be detected when laser ultrasonic scanning produces ultrasonic images with high spatial resolution. However, when it comes to a moving target, it becomes challenging to create reliable ultrasonic images. In this study, ultrasonic wave propagation images are obtained from a rotating blade using a pulse laser beam for ultrasonic generation, a galvanometer for laser scanning, and an embedded piezoelectric sensor for ultrasonic measurement. To properly estimate the laser excitation points during the scanning process rather than to precisely control the excitation points, a simple but rather effective localization technique is developed so that ultrasonic images can be constructed even from a moving target. Once the ultrasonic wave propagation images are created, damage on the target structure is visualized using a specially designed standing wave filter.

Repeat scanning technology for laser ultrasonic propagation imaging

Laser ultrasonic scanning in combination with contact or non-contact sensors provides new paradigms in structural health management (SHM) and non-destructive in-process quality control (IPQC) for large composite structures. Wave propagation imaging technology based on laser ultrasonic scanning and fixed-point sensing shows remarkable advantages, such as minimal need for embedded sensors in SHM, minimum invasive defect visualization in IPQC and general capabilities of curved and complex target inspection, and temporal reference-free inspection. However, as with other SHM methods and non-destructive evaluation based on ultrasound, the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is a prevalent issue in real structural applications, especially with non-contact thin-composite sensing or with thick and heterogeneous composites. This study proposes a high-speed repeat scanning technique for laser ultrasonic propagation imaging (UPI) technology, which is realized with the scanning speed of 1 kHz of a Q-switched continuous wave laser, and precise control of the laser beam pulses for identical point scanning. As a result, the technique enables the achievement of significant improvement in the SNR to inspect real-world composite structures. The proposed technique provides enhanced results for impact damage detection in a 2 mm thick wing box made of carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic, despite the low sensitivity of non-contact laser ultrasonic sensing. A field-applicable pure laser UPI system has been developed using a laser Doppler vibrometer as the non-contact ultrasonic sensor. The proposed technique enables the visualization of the disbond defect in a 15 mm thick wind blade specimen made of glass-fiber-reinforced plastic, despite the high dissipation of ultrasound in the thick composite.

Visualization of Structural Defects Based on Ultrasonic Wave Propagation Imaging Technique Using Pulsed Laser System

In this study, structural defects are visualized and localized based on a noncontact nondestructive testing (NDT) method which utilizes an ND: YAG pulsed laser system. The ND: YAG pulsed laser is used to generate Lamb waves of a plate-like structure and to scan specific area of the target structure for the visualization of the structure. Wave responses are measured using only single piezoelectric sensor. The measured responses are analyzed using 3 dimensional Fourier transform. The damage-sensitive features are extracted by wave-number filtering based on the 3D FT. Then, flaw imaging technique of a plate-like structure is conducted using the damage-sensitive features. Finally, the plate with a notch is investigated to verify the effectiveness and the robustness of the proposed NDT approach.

Numerical Analysis of the Effect of Mesoscale Eddies on Seismic Imaging

The influence of the mesoscale eddy on seismic wave propagation and seismic imaging in deep sea is investigated. Based on fundamental fluid equations, an appropriate partial differential equation is derived for the acoustic pressure field in water with eddies, including current effects. Seismic wavefields and synthetic seismograms in the center of the eddy are simulated. Numerical experiments demonstrate that velocity variations caused by the eddy can lead to traveltime perturbations. Further, in seismic images, the reflectors below the water layer are positioned incorrectly due to the perturbation of the eddy and this image perturbation depends linearly on the migration velocity of the layer below the corresponding reflector. The zero-offset seismic profiling throughout the affected area of the eddy shows that the maximum traveltime perturbation appears at the center of the eddy and the structure of horizontal reflectors below the water layer are distorted.

Laser ultrasonic anomalous wave propagation imaging method with adjacent wave subtraction: Algorithm

The anomalous wave propagation imaging (AWPI) method is proposed for the laser ultrasonic propagation imaging system using a Q-switched laser and a laser mirror scanner to highlight the anomalies in complex structures. The AWPI algorithm was developed based on the observation that the waves from two adjacent scanning points are very similar, and that the propagation direction of the incident wave is different from that of the anomalous wave caused by structural anomalies including damage. The structural anomaly is highlighted by suppressing the incident waves and exaggerating the anomalous wave through adjacent waves subtraction after arrival time and amplitude matching. The variable time window amplitude mapping (VTWAM) method was also developed, based on the difference in arrival time between the residual incident wave and anomalous waves. The VTWAM method enhances anomaly visualization and sizing, notably for composite damages, by mapping the amplitudes of the confining wave within the damage. Our results showed that the AWPI increased the signal-to-noise ratio of a back-surface hole damage in a steel plate by 13.76dB, while in another inspection of a composite wing with two impact damages, the AWPI results enhanced by the VTWAM compared favorably with the results of the immersion ultrasonic C-scan. The AWPI and VTWAM adopt implicit spatial referencing wherein all necessary data can be obtained through a single-time scan, therefore circumvent the disadvantages of conventional temporal baseline referencing.

Laser ultrasonic anomalous wave propagation imaging method with adjacent wave subtraction: Application to actual damages in composite wing

Laser ultrasonic wave propagation imaging methods have great potential for integrated structural health management and non-destructive evaluation. However, application of these techniques to complex structures in the field is difficult because they give rise to complicated wave propagation patterns. We developed an anomalous wave propagation imaging method with adjacent wave subtraction using laser ultrasonic scanning to solve this problem. The proposed method is suitable for non-destructive evaluation of complex structures because it highlights the propagation of anomalous waves related to structural discontinuities, and suppresses complex incident waves without the need of pre-stored reference data. In this study, the method was applied to a real composite wing subjected to bending and impact tests. The method enhanced the visibility of the anomalous waves related to damages such as stringer tip debonding, skin-spar debonding, and invisible impact damage. Based on these anomalous waves, variable time window amplitude mapping was performed to show the damage location, size, and shape resemble to the actual damage. Comparisons showed that the methods performed better than the ultrasonic A-scan in terms of damage detection and sizing accuracy. The presence of structural elements such as spars, stringers, ribs, and surface-mounted PZT elements did not adversely affect the inspection. The proposed wing test setup with a built-in ultrasonic propagation imaging system for automatic NDE could be easily expanded throughout a hanger for maintenance inspection.

Long distance laser ultrasonic propagation imaging system for damage visualization

Wind turbine blade failure is the most prominent and common type of damage occurring in operating wind turbine systems. Conventional nondestructive testing systems are not available for in situ wind turbine blades. We propose a portable long distance ultrasonic propagation imaging (LUPI) system that uses a laser beam targeting and scanning system to excite, from a long distance, acoustic emission sensors installed in the blade. An examination of the beam collimation effect using geometric parameters of a commercial 2 MW wind turbine provided Lamb wave amplitude increases of 41.5 and 23.1 dB at a distance of 40 m for symmetrical and asymmetrical modes, respectively, in a 2 mm-thick stainless steel plate. With this improvement in signal-to-noise ratio, a feasibility study of damage detection was conducted with a 5 mm-thick composite leading edge specimen. To develop a reliable damage evaluation system, the excitation/sensing technology and the associated damage visualization algorithm are equally important. Hence, our results provide a new platform based on anomalous wave propagation imaging (AWPI) methods with adjacent wave subtraction, reference wave subtraction, reference image subtraction, and the variable time window amplitude mapping method. The advantages and disadvantages of AWPI algorithms are reported in terms of reference data requirements, signal-to-noise ratios, and damage evaluation accuracy. The compactness and portability of the proposed UPI system are also important for in-field applications at wind farms.

Delamination detection in composites through guided wave field image processing

This study explores the feasibility of using a non-contact guided wave imaging system to detect hidden delamination in multi-layer composites. The study is conducted in two phases. In the first phase, Lamb waves are excited by a lead (Pb) Zirconate Titanate transducer (PZT) mounted on the surface of a composite plate, and the out-of-plane velocity field is measured using a one-dimensional (1D) scanning laser Doppler vibrometer (LDV). From the scanned time signals, wavefield images are constructed and processed to study the interaction of Lamb waves with delamination. The paper presents additional signal and image processing techniques used to highlight the defect in the scanned area. The techniques are demonstrated using experimental data collected from a 1.8 mm thick multi-layer composite. In the second phase, a completely non-contact system is described to excite and measure guided waves. A modulated continuous wave (CW) laser source in conjunction with a photodiode is used to wirelessly excite an attached PZT and the resulting waves are again sensed using the vibrometer. The non-contact system is used to excite and measure elastic waves in a composite channel test article. The elastic wave propagation image sequences are created from the non-contact excitation system.

Aircraft Wing Inspection Based on Anomalous Wave Propagation Imaging

Non-destructive evaluation (NDE) and structural health management (SHM) with the ability to evaluate the severity of a damage are important to ensure the reliability of a structure. We propose a local non-destructive evaluation (NDE) system based on Anomalous Wave Propagation Imaging (AWPI) method. When possible damage is flagged during the lifecycle of the structure, the proposed system will be launched for automatic damage evaluation. This technology was demonstrated on a CFRP skin-spar-stringers wingbox integrated with an AE sensor. 17 mm diameter impact damage was made between the stringers using hammer strike from outer surface of the skin. Based on the impact location determined by other global structural health monitoring system, the AWPI automatically inspects an area 400×400 mm2 with the impacted location enclosed. Anomalous Wave Propagation Movie (AWPM) was generated as inspection result. As contrast to its predecessor, the AWPM shows only the damage induced ultrasonic wave (anomalous wave), making the damage detection an intuitive decision making process. Precise damage localization was performed by identifying the location of area with anomalous wave propagation in the AWPM. Besides, the size of the area with anomalous wave agreed well with the size of impact damage, which demonstrated that damage size quantification is possible using the proposed system. Being sensitive only to anomalous wave, it is expected that this NDE system is exceptionally suitable not only for aircraft structures such as wingbox with stiffeners, but also for other complex engineering structures.

Application of ultrasonic wave propagation imaging method to automatic damage visualization of nuclear power plant pipeline

Hundreds of kilometers of pipeline, especially the elbows and welded joints in nuclear power plants (NPPs), are susceptible to aging and other types of damage. Therefore, the condition of a piping system requires regular inspection. We propose an automatic damage visualization technique using a laser ultrasonic scanning system and an ultrasonic wave propagation imaging (UWPI) method for the regular inspection process. Ultrasonic wave propagation movies (UWPMs) in thick and complex NPP pipes could be successfully visualized in a straight pipe with a crack, a welded pipe with multiple open and inner cracks at the welds, and an elbow pipe with wall thinning. A UWPM with ultrasonic time information could enable the discrimination of damage-induced wavefields from the wavefield not related to damage by providing the appearance time, source location, wavefront curvature, and propagation direction of the damage-induced wavefield. For the specimens tested, a 1 mm long crack in a 9 mm thick pipe could be localized regardless of the relative orientation of a sensor to the crack direction; 4 mm long 1.5 mm deep inner crack in a 4 mm thick welding bead could be detected despite the presence of the welding bead; wall thinning with gradual property variations could also be detected. In addition, since this method did not require laser focusing or reference data from the undamaged condition, and allows a large laser beam incident angle, it was very advantageous for the automatic scanning of the curved pipe surfaces. This study demonstrated that the proposed laser ultrasonic system equipped with the UWPI method is a useful inspection tool for NPP piping system management.

Hot target inspection using a welded fibre acoustic wave piezoelectric sensor and a laser-ultrasonic mirror scanner

The direct attachment of piezoelectric transducers onto hot targets raises formidable challenges as piezoelectric transducers lose their piezoelectric characteristics at elevated temperatures or debond due to thermal expansion coefficient mismatches. We developed a welded fibre acoustic-wave PZT (FAWPZT) sensor to alleviate these temperature limitations. One end of the FAWPZT sensor, made from a stainless steel fibre, was welded onto a stainless steel target plate and the other end was bonded to a PZT sensor. An ultrasonic wave propagation imaging (UWPI) system consists of a laser mirror scanner and a Q-switched pulsed laser (QPL) acting as a non-contact ultrasonic generator was then used to scan a hot target surface with an artificial 2 mm-sized open crack. The result was presented in the form of an ultrasonic wave propagation movie. The damage was detected as a wavefield scattering from the damaged location and its size was evaluated from the plot of amplitude distribution along the propagating wavefront. Sensor performance was briefly discussed and the results confirmed that a FAWPZT sensor combined with a UWPI system has good potential for implementation in hot target integrated structural health management.

Development of an Optical System for Simultaneous Ultrasonic Wave Propagation Imaging at Multi-points

This paper introduces the development of an optical system for simultaneous ultrasonic propagation imaging at multi-points. For the system, fiber acoustic wave grating sensors (FAWGSs) and a Q-switched pulsed laser (QPL) mirror scanner are utilized for simultaneous multipoint sensing and remote scanning ultrasonic generation, respectively. The structural strain-free FAWGS based on a fiber Bragg grating allows simultaneous multipoint acoustic emission (AE) sensing. A structure in which the FAWGSs are deployed can sense external ultrasonic stimulus. Consequently, the structure with the integrated FAWGSs cannot only detect damage event under the passive AE technique, but can also evaluate the damage under the active scheme of ultrasonic transmission and reception. The feasibility of the simultaneous multipoint ultrasonic sensing system based on the FAWGSs as built-in sensors is studied with ultrasound transmitted by a piezoelectric transducer and a QPL. Then the QPL ultrasonic generator is modified into a QPL mirror scanner for laser beam scanning and finally an optical UPI system is integrated. The ultrasonic wave propagation movie (UWPM) obtained by the optical UPI system visualizes impact damage on a carbon-fiber reinforced composite.

IMPORTANCE OF USING A REDUCED CONTRAST COUPLING MEDIUM IN 2D MICROWAVE BREAST IMAGING

Microwave imaging of the breast presents unique opportunities for tumor detection when compared with imaging of other anatomical sites. Because of the low permittivity of the breast relative to malignant tumors which are generally believed to be closer to that of biological saline due to rapid metabolism of the cancerous cells and associated angiogenesis, the contrast between normal and malignant breast tissue is considerably higher than that for other anatomical sites. However, the very same low permittivity of the breast presents significant challenges in terms of imaging. A lossy, permittivity—compatible liquid coupling medium is generally needed for medical microwave imaging, with saline being the most convenient for many sites—electrically because of its low contrast with the predominantly high water-content of the body, and economically because of its low cost and suitability for human contact. For breast imaging, a much lower permittivity liquid is required which must be environmentally safe and low in cost. We have been studying organic compounds and the degree to which their electrical properties can be controlled by dilution with varying fractions of saline. Initial 2D simulation and phantom experiments with reduced permittivity coupling mixtures have demonstrated significant improvements where previous limitations had been identified, including: (a) reduction of 3D wave propagation image artifacts, (b) reduction of the effective imaging slice thickness, (c) improvement in property characterization for large, low permittivity scatterers, and (d) enhancement of inclusion detection and artifact reduction. Results illustrating these improvements are presented here including a set of actual patient images and represent important milestones for clinical system development.

Electromagnetic and elastic wave scattering and inverse scattering applied to concrete

Electromagnetic and elastodynamic scattering and inverse scattering techniques are combined to provide a better understanding of wave propagation and obstacle imaging in concrete. In particular we propose an electromagnetic inversion algorithm for ground probing radar data to include information about the dipole moment of the antenna; a new elastodynamic inversion scheme is even capable of processing the complete pressure and shear wave information as contained in the components of the displacement vector simultaneously, where we compute the necessary synthetic data with the numerical EFIT code (Elastodynamic Finite Integration Technique) as extended to statistically inhomogeneous media in order to validate the inversion algorithm.

Ocean‐ice interaction in the marginal ice zone using synthetic aperture radar imagery

Ocean‐ice interaction processes in the marginal ice zone (MIZ) by wind, waves, and mesoscale features, such as up/downwelling and eddies are studied using ERS 1 synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images and an ocean‐ice interaction model. A sequence of seven SAR images of the MIZ in the Chukchi Sea with 3 or 6 days interval are investigated for ice edge advance/retreat. Simultaneous current measurements from the northeast Chukchi Sea, as well as the Barrow wind record, are used to interpret the MIZ dynamics. SAR spectra of waves in ice and ocean waves in the Bering and Chukchi Sea are compared for the study of wave propagation and dominant SAR imaging mechanism. By using the SAR‐observed ice edge configuration and wind and wave field in the Chukchi Sea as inputs, a numerical simulation has been performed with the ocean‐ice interaction model. After 3 days of wind and wave forcing the resulting ice edge configuration, eddy formation, and flow velocity field are shown to be consistent with SAR observations.