Fbs, Inc.

The Penn State Research Foundation

Electric Power Research Institute Incorporated

The B. F. Goodrich Company

Siemens Energy, Inc.

Krautkramer Branson, Inc.

Koch Heat Transfer Company, LP

Other

Government of the United States of America, As Represented by the Secretary of Commerce

Fsb Inc.

Joseph L Rose

Steven E Owens

Cody J Borigo

Jason K Van Velsor

Roger L Royer, Jr

Jason Philtron

Li Zhang

Paul John Zombo

Philip O Readio

Michael T Peterson

James F Landy

Jeffrey Mark Hammer

Aleksander Boleslaw Pilarski, Deceased

Fei Yan

Michael J Avioli

Gurvinder P Singh

Charles L Thomas

Ehsan Khajeh

Anthony J Bur

Ludwig Niklas

Francis W Wang

Andrew E Zeger

Jose Luis Palacios

Burton S Abrams

Robert B Hay

Luke Justin Breon

Russell Love

Edward C Smith

Akhlesh Lakhtakia

Jack C Spanner

John J Ditri

Udo Schlengermann

Borja Lopez

Alex Reese

Thomas R Hay

John C McLaughlin

Michael J Quarry

Dale Jiao

Frank T Carr

Non-destructive inspection systems () and methods for inspecting structural flaws that may be in a structure () based on guided wave thermography. The method may include sweeping a frequency-phase space to maximize ultrasonic energy distribution across the structure while minimizing input energy, e.g., via a plurality of actuators. The system may include transducer elements () configured to predominantly generate shear horizontal-type guided waves in the structure to maximize thermal response from any flaws.

Enhanced guided wave thermography inspection systems and methods of using the same

Methods and systems of altering optical reflection via dynamic control of an ultrasonic/acoustic guided wave field in an acousto-optical wave conductor are described. Ultrasonic/acoustic waves transmitted by an acousto-optical wave conductor are used to modify the ability of the acousto-optical wave conductor to propagate light waves via the acousto-optical wave conductor when a light beam impinges onto one surface of the acousto-optical wave conductor. A one-way optical device may be produced by using a dynamic tuning approach to modify the sound field via mode and frequency choice (and possibly beam focusing and steering as well) in order to produce special light reflection and transmission effects. Oscillations in stress (and mass density) along the acousto-optical wave conductor and possibly across the thickness of the acousto-optical wave conductor may serve as a special acousto-optic Bragg diffraction grating that alters the nonspecular reflection of light.

Ultrasonic/acoustic control of light waves for left-right optical reflection asymmetry

A system includes at least one optical fiber having at least one FBG and a detection system. The optical fiber is configured to be coupled to a structure in at least one location. The location at which the optical fiber is to be coupled to the structure is different from a location at which the FBG is disposed. The detection system includes a light source configured to inject light into the optical fiber, a photodetector configured to detect a shift in a wavelength spectrum of light reflected by the FBG as a result of a time-varying strain induced at the at least one FBG, and a processor configured to detect a shear-horizontal guided stress wave propagating in said structure based on the shift in the wavelength spectrum detected by the photodetector induced by a longitudinal-type guided stress wave that is propagated along the optical fiber.

Omnidirectional optical fiber Bragg gratings for ultrasonic guided wave sensing and associate source location methods

A system for non-destructive inspection of a structure includes at least one magnetostrictive strip, a plurality of coil circuits, a jacket having at least one component layer, and a tensioner. The at least one magnetostrictive strip is configured to be induced with a bias magnetic field and be wrapped at least partially around an outer surface of the structure. The plurality of coil circuits are configured to be disposed adjacent to the at least one magnetostrictive strip, and the jacket is configured to be disposed adjacent to at least one of the plurality of coil circuits. The tensioner is configured to provide a mechanical pressure coupling between said at least one magnetostrictive strip and said structure. At least one of the plurality of coil circuits is individually controllable by a number of channels to at least one of excite or detect guided waves in said structure.

High-temperature magnetostrictive guided wave pipe inspection system

A magnetostrictive transducer assembly for generating a longitudinal elastic guided wave of a selected frequency and mode and for guiding the wave into an open end of a heat exchanger tube for testing the tube. The transducer assembly comprises a current-carrying coil of wire, a magnetostrictive material wrapped around the coil of wire, a mechanism for pressing the magnetostrictive material against an inner surface of the tube, and one or more biasing magnets placed in the vicinity of the current-carrying coil of wire and the magnetostrictive material.

System and method for testing shell and tube heat exchangers for defects

An inspection system includes a magnetostrictive scanner probe, a ferromagnetic strip, at least one magnet, and a processor. The magnetostrictive scanner probe includes a probe body for supporting at least one flexible sensor coil and a position encoder. The ferromagnetic strip is configured to be coupled to a structure, and the at least one magnet is configured to apply a biasing magnetization to the ferromagnetic strip. The processor is configured to cause a time-varying current to be generated in the at least one flexible sensor coil to induce a time-varying magnetization in said ferromagnetic strip perpendicular to said biasing magnetization to generate shear horizontal-type guided wave energy into said structure, and process reflected shear horizontal-type guided wave energy received by the at least one flexible sensor coil as the probe is moved relative to said structure to generate at least one two-dimensional image of a region of said structure.

Medium-range magnetostrictive ultrasonic guided wave scanner systems and methods

A system for detecting ice accretion includes a probe body, at least one magnetostrictive guided wave sensor for generating and receiving shear horizontal-type guided waves supported by said probe body, and a controller. The magnetostrictive guided wave sensor includes a ferromagnetic strip, at least one sensor coil disposed adjacent to said ferromagnetic strip, and at least one biasing magnet configured to induce a biasing magnetic field in said ferromagnetic strip. The controller includes a processor in signal communication with the at least one magnetostrictive guided wave sensor. The processor configured to cause the at least one magnetostrictive guided wave sensor to generate guided waves in the body, extract at least one signal feature from a guided wave signal received by the at least one magnetostrictive guided wave sensor, and determine at least one characteristic of ice accreted on an outer surface of said probe body.

Magnetostrictive multi-frequency guided wave ice sensing probe

A system for non-destructive inspection of a structure includes a magnetostrictive pulser coil and a ferromagnetic strip. The ferromagnetic strip is coupled to the structure adjacent to the pulser coil. A scanner receiver probe is located adjacent to the ferromagnetic strip. The probe includes a probe body, a position encoder, and a magnetostrictive partial loading receiver coil. A magnet applies a biasing magnetic field to the ferromagnetic strip. A pulser system generates a time-varying current in the pulser coil to induce a time-varying magnetization in the ferromagnetic strip to generate guided wave energy in the structure. The probe detects reflected guided wave energy as the probe is moved around the circumference of the structure. A processor controls the pulser system, records guided wave reflections, and process the guided wave and probe position data to generate a one-dimensional image or a two-dimensional image of anomalies in said structure.

Long-range magnetostrictive ultrasonic guided wave scanner system and method

An ultrasonic guided wave system for defect detection in a plate-like structure, includes at least one first circumferentially-polarized piezoelectric dshear ring element configured to be coupled to a structure. The controller includes a machine readable storage medium and a processor in signal communication with the machine readable storage medium. The processor is configured to cause a pulse generator to pulse the at least first circumferentially-polarized piezoelectric dshear ring element such that shear horizontal-type guided wave energy is transmitted in all directions in the plate-like structure, process at least one guided wave signal to identify the presence and location of at least one possible defect in the plate-like structure, and store the guided wave signal and defect detection data in the machine readable storage medium.

Piezoelectric shear rings for omnidirectional shear horizontal guided wave excitation and sensing

A non-destructive testing system includes directing guided wave energy to regions of interest in waveguides. Knowing the propagation paths taken by guided wave energy in complex waveguides can be used to intentionally insonify regions of interest. Additionally, knowledge of the propagation direction and location of an energy mode in a waveguide allows the calculation of the path previously taken by the energy mode. This information can be used for signal processing of guided wave inspection systems. The test system can have various sensor configurations including: a single transducer configured to direct or receive guided wave energy along a particular direction, a one-dimensional array or a two dimensional array of transducers. The transducers can operate independently to provide mutual phasing and amplitude adjusting to steer guided wave energy in a waveguide or determine the directionality of guided wave energy received by the sensors.

System and method for directing guided waves through structures

A method for ultrasonic guided wave defect detection in a structure is disclosed. The method includes driving a plurality of transducers to cause guided waves to be transmitted in the structure in a predetermined direction or focused at a predetermined focal point, receiving at least one reflected guided wave signal, and generating image data of the structure based on the at least one reflected guided wave signal. Processed image data are generated by performing at least one of baseline image subtraction or image suppression on the image data, and a location of at least one possible defect in the structure is identified based on the processed image data.

Systems and methods for damage detection in structures using guided wave phased arrays

A method of inspecting a structure is disclosed. The method generally comprises selecting a search region of a dispersion curve of the structure corresponding to one or more inspection parameters. The search region comprises at least one guided wave mode activation point not located on the dispersion curve. The method further comprises activating, using an inspection system comprising at least one transducer, a plurality of activation points located within the search region of the dispersion curve and identifying an optimal activation point for the one or more inspection parameters. The optimal activation point comprises at least one of the plurality of activation points producing an optimal response for the one or more inspection parameters.

Guided wave mode sweep technique for optimal mode and frequency excitation

Methods and systems () based on guided wave thermography for non-destructively inspecting structural flaws that may be present in a structure (). For example, such systems and methods may provide the ability to selectively deliver sonic or ultrasonic energy to provide focusing and/or beam steering throughout the structure from a fixed transducer location (). Moreover, such systems and methods may provide the ability to selectively apply sonic or ultrasonic energy having excitation characteristics (FIGS.and) which may be uniquely tailored to enhance the thermal response (FIGS.and) of a particular flaw geometry and/or flaw location.

Guided wave thermography methods and systems for inspecting a structure

A system includes at least one strip of ferromagnetic material and a plurality of pulsing/receiving coil circuits. The at least one strip of ferromagnetic material is induced with a bias magnetic field and is coupled to a surface of a structure under test. The plurality of pulsing/receiving coil circuits are aligned with a surface of the at least one strip of the ferromagnetic material. The plurality of pulsing/receiving coil circuits are individually controllable by a number of channels to excite guided waves in the structure under test using at least one of active phased-array focusing or synthetic phased-array focusing of the guided waves.

Magnetostrictive sensor array for active or synthetic phased-array focusing of guided waves

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State College, PA, United States of America

Joseph L Rose