Holosonics, Inc.

Other

Bp Corporation North America Inc.

Gary Norris Langlois

John James Nyholt

This invention relates to permanent, ultrasonic, flexible, dry-coupled, linear arrays for the inspection of pipelines, process equipment, and the like. The permanent, ultrasonic, flexible, dry-coupled, linear arrays detect and/or measure corrosion wall loss, stress corrosion cracking, and/or internal initiated pipeline cracking. The apparatus for ultrasonically testing materials includes a linear array of ultrasonic sensors, and a flexible, acoustically transmissive, dry-coupling surrounding at least a portion of each of the ultrasonic sensors.

Dry-coupled permanently installed ultrasonic sensor linear array

Measurement of the relative and actual value of acoustic characteristic impedances of an unknown substance, location of the interfaces of vertically-layered materials, and the determination of the concentration of a first material mixed in a second material. A highly damped ultrasonic pulse is transmitted into one side of a reference plate, such as a tank wall, where the other side of the reference plate is in physical contact with the medium to be measured. The amplitude of a return signal, which is the reflection of the transmitted pulse from the interface between the other side of the reference plate and the medium, is measured. The amplitude value indicates the acoustic characteristic impedance of the substance relative to that of the reference plate or relative to that of other tested materials. Discontinuities in amplitude with repeated measurements for various heights indicate the location of interfaces in vertically-layered materials. Standardization techniques permit the relative acoustic characteristic impedance of a substance to be converted to an actual value. Calibration techniques for mixtures permit the amplitude to be converted to the concentration of a first material mixed in a second material.

Locating interfaces in vertically-layered materials and determining

An improved detector having a reflective surface which is substantially insensitive to vibration. The detection surface comprises a thin layer of liquid metal which is disposed over a substantially rigid, wettable substrate. In a presently preferred embodiment, the detector comprises a receptacle having disposed therein a rigid brass plate covered by a thin layer of mercury. The detector is submersed in a suitable fluid, such as water, to which an acidic substance has been added to reduce the pH of the fluid to the range of 5 to 6.

Detector for use in acoustic holography

An improved system for ensonifying an object, which comprises upper and lower fluid-filled chambers. The chambers are separated by a partition including a lens; a further, movable lens may be disposed within the upper chamber. A reflective-type detector is disposed in the floor of the bottom chamber, and ports provided at opposite sides of the chamber for light impinging upon, and reflected from, the detector surface. A resilient closure at the upper end of the upper chamber conformably receives the surface of an object to be ensonified. A transducer producing the object, or ensonifying, acoustic beam is disposed within another fluid-filled enclosure one wall of which comprises a flexible membrane. The latter membrane is disposed against the upper side of the object to be ensonified and conforms thereto so that a relatively continuous fluid path is presented between the transducer and the object, and from the object to the detector. In a preferred embodiment, a reference acoustic beam is produced by another transducer disposed within the lower chamber, the angle between the object and reference beams which impinge upon the detector advantageously being at least 60.degree. to 75.degree..

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Richland, WA, United States of America

Gary Norris Langlois