Ultrasonic infrared thermal wave nondestructive evaluation for crack detection of several aerospace materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Weichao; Shen, Jingling; Zhang, Cunlin; Tao, Ning; Feng, Lichun

2008-03-01

The applications of ultrasonic infrared thermal wave nondestructive evaluation for crack detection of several materials, which often used in aviation alloy. For instance, steel and carbon fiber. It is difficult to test cracks interfacial or vertical with structure's surface by the traditional nondestructive testing methods. Ultrasonic infrared thermal wave nondestructive testing technology uses high-power and low-frequency ultrasonic as heat source to excite the sample and an infrared video camera as a detector to detect the surface temperature. The ultrasonic emitter launch pulses of ultrasonic into the skin of the sample, which causes the crack interfaces to rub and dissipate energy as heat, and then caused local increase in temperature at one of the specimen surfaces. The infrared camera images the returning thermal wave reflections from subsurface cracks. A computer collects and processes the thermal images according to different properties of samples to get the satisfied effect. In this paper, a steel plate with fatigue crack we designed and a juncture of carbon fiber composite that has been used in a space probe were tested and get satisfying results. The ultrasonic infrared thermal wave nondestructive detection is fast, sensitive for cracks, especially cracks that vertical with structure's surface. It is significative for nondestructive testing in manufacture produce and application of aviation, cosmography and optoelectronics.

Nuclear Technology. Course 32: Nondestructive Examination (NDE) Techniques II. Module 32-1, Fundamentals of Ultrasonic Testing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spaulding, Bruce

This first in a series of six modules for a course titled Nondestructive Examination (NDE) Techniques II introduces the student/trainee to the basic behavior of ultrasound, describes ultrasonic test equipment, and outlines the principal methods of ultrasonic testing. The module follows a typical format that includes the following sections: (1)…

Navy ManTech 2010 Project Book

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-01-01

31 S2253 Ultrasonic Testing as an Alternative to Radiography for the Inspection of Naval Piping, Pressure Vessel and Machinery Welds...for Inspection S2253 — Ultrasonic Testing as an Alternative to Radiography for the Inspection of Naval Piping, Pressure Vessel and Machinery Welds...Ultrasonic Testing as an Alternative to Radiography for the Inspection of Naval Piping, Pressure Vessel and Machinery Welds

Local defect resonance for sensitive non-destructive testing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adebahr, W.; Solodov, I.; Rahammer, M.; Gulnizkij, N.; Kreutzbruck, M.

2016-02-01

Ultrasonic wave-defect interaction is a background of ultrasound activated techniques for imaging and non-destructive testing (NDT) of materials and industrial components. The interaction, primarily, results in acoustic response of a defect which provides attenuation and scattering of ultrasound used as an indicator of defects in conventional ultrasonic NDT. The derivative ultrasonic-induced effects include e.g. nonlinear, thermal, acousto-optic, etc. responses also applied for NDT and defect imaging. These secondary effects are normally relatively inefficient so that the corresponding NDT techniques require an elevated acoustic power and stand out from conventional ultrasonic NDT counterparts for their specific instrumentation particularly adapted to high-power ultrasonic. In this paper, a consistent way to enhance ultrasonic, optical and thermal defect responses and thus to reduce an ultrasonic power required is suggested by using selective ultrasonic activation of defects based on the concept of local defect resonance (LDR). A strong increase in vibration amplitude at LDR enables to reliably detect and visualize the defect as soon as the driving ultrasonic frequency is matched to the LDR frequency. This also provides a high frequency selectivity of the LDR-based imaging, i.e. an opportunity of detecting a certain defect among a multitude of other defects in material. Some examples are shown how to use LDR in non-destructive testing techniques, like vibrometry, ultrasonic thermography and shearography in order to enhance the sensitivity of defect visualization.

A Method For The Verification Of Wire Crimp Compression Using Ultrasonic Inspection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cramer, K. E.; Perey, Daniel F.; Yost, William t.

2010-01-01

The development of a new ultrasonic measurement technique to assess quantitatively wire crimp terminations is discussed. The amplitude change of a compressional ultrasonic wave propagating at right angles to the wire axis and through the junction of a crimp termination is shown to correlate with the results of a destructive pull test, which is a standard for assessing crimp wire junction quality. To demonstrate the technique, the case of incomplete compression of crimped connections is ultrasonically tested, and the results are correlated with pull tests. Results show that the nondestructive ultrasonic measurement technique consistently predicts good crimps when the ultrasonic transmission is above a certain threshold amplitude level. A quantitative measure of the quality of the crimped connection based on the ultrasonic energy transmitted is shown to respond accurately to crimp quality. A wave propagation model, solved by finite element analysis, describes the compressional ultrasonic wave propagation through the junction during the crimping process. This model is in agreement within 6% of the ultrasonic measurements. A prototype instrument for applying this technique while wire crimps are installed is also presented. The instrument is based on a two-jaw type crimp tool suitable for butt-splice type connections. A comparison of the results of two different instruments is presented and shows reproducibility between instruments within a 95% confidence bound.

Additive Manufacturing of Thermoplastic Matrix Composites Using Ultrasonics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olson, Meghan

Advanced composite materials have great potential for facilitating energy efficient product design and their manufacture if improvements are made to current composite manufacturing processes. This thesis focuses on the development of a novel manufacturing process for thermoplastic composite structures entitled Laser-Ultrasonic Additive Manufacturing ('LUAM'), which is intended to combine the benefits of laser processing technology, developed by Automated Dynamics Inc., with ultrasonic bonding technology that is used commercially for unreinforced polymers. These technologies used together have the potential to significantly reduce the energy consumption and void content of thermoplastic composites made using Automated Fiber Placement (AFP). To develop LUAM in a methodical manner with minimal risk, a staged approach was devised whereby coupon-level mechanical testing and prototyping utilizing existing equipment was accomplished. Four key tasks have been identified for this effort: Benchmarking, Ultrasonic Compaction, Laser Assisted Ultrasonic Compaction, and Demonstration and Characterization of LUAM. This thesis specifically addresses Tasks 1 and 2, i.e. Benchmarking and Ultrasonic Compaction, respectively. Task 1, fabricating test specimens using two traditional processes (autoclave and thermal press) and testing structural performance and dimensional accuracy, provide results of a benchmarking study by which the performance of all future phases will be gauged. Task 2, fabricating test specimens using a non-traditional process (ultrasonic conpaction) and evaluating in a similar fashion, explores the the role of ultrasonic processing parameters using three different thermoplastic composite materials. Further development of LUAM, although beyond the scope of this thesis, will combine laser and ultrasonic technology and eventually demonstrate a working system.

Input-output characterization of an ultrasonic testing system by digital signal analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Karaguelle, H.; Lee, S. S.; Williams, J., Jr.

1984-01-01

The input/output characteristics of an ultrasonic testing system used for stress wave factor measurements were studied. The fundamentals of digital signal processing are summarized. The inputs and outputs are digitized and processed in a microcomputer using digital signal processing techniques. The entire ultrasonic test system, including transducers and all electronic components, is modeled as a discrete-time linear shift-invariant system. Then the impulse response and frequency response of the continuous time ultrasonic test system are estimated by interpolating the defining points in the unit sample response and frequency response of the discrete time system. It is found that the ultrasonic test system behaves as a linear phase bandpass filter. Good results were obtained for rectangular pulse inputs of various amplitudes and durations and for tone burst inputs whose center frequencies are within the passband of the test system and for single cycle inputs of various amplitudes. The input/output limits on the linearity of the system are determined.

Development Of Ultrasonic Testing Based On Delphi Program As A Learning Media In The Welding Material Study Of Detection And Welding Disables In The Environment Of Vocational Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dwi Cahyono, Bagus; Ainur, Chandra

2018-04-01

The development of science and technology has a direct impact on the preparation of qualified workers, including the preparation of vocational high school graduates. Law Number 20 the Year 2003 on National Education System explains that the purpose of vocational education is to prepare learners to be ready to work in certain fields. One of the learning materials in Vocational High School is welding and detecting welding defects. Introduction of welding and detecting welding defects, one way that can be done is by ultrasonic testing will be very difficult if only capitalize the book only. Therefore this study aims to adopt ultrasonic testing in a computer system. This system is called Delphi Program-based Ultrasonic Testing Expert System. This system is used to determine the classification and type of welding defects of the welded defect indicator knew. In addition to the system, there is a brief explanation of the notion of ultrasonic testing, calibration procedures and inspection procedures ultrasonic testing. In this system, ultrasonic input data testing that shows defects entered into the computer manually. This system is built using Delphi 7 software and Into Set Up Compiler as an installer. The method used in this research is Research and Development (R & D), with the following stages: (1) preliminary research; (2) manufacture of software design; (3) materials collection; (4) early product development; (5) validation of instructional media experts; (6) product analysis and revision; (8) media trials in learning; And (9) result of end product of instructional media. The result of the research shows that: (1) the result of feasibility test according to ultrasonic material testing expert that the system is feasible to be used as instructional media in welding material subject and welding defect detection in vocational education environment, because it contains an explanation about detection method of welding defect using method Ultrasonic testing in detail; (2) feasibility test results according to media experts, that this system has a very attractive visual, user friendly, compatible with windows and Linux and media size that is not too large; And (3) result of test by using data of indication of welding defect in PT PAL Surabaya, obtained classification data of welding defect in accordance with calculation of welding defect classification.

Ultrasonic Testing, Aviation Quality Control (Advanced): 9227.03.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dade County Public Schools, Miami, FL.

This unit of instruction covers the theory of ultrasonic sound, methods of applying soundwaves to test specimens and interpreting results, calibrating the ultrasonic equipment, and the use of standards. Study periods, group discussions, and extensive use of textbooks and training manuals are to be used. These are listed along with references and…

Use of Ultrasonic Energy in Assessing Microbial Contamination on Surfaces

PubMed Central

Puleo, John R.; Favero, Martin S.; Petersen, Norman J.

1967-01-01

Ultrasonic tanks were evaluated for their ability to remove viable microorganisms from various surfaces for subsequent enumeration. Test surfaces were polished stainless steel, smooth glass, frosted glass, and electronic components. The position of contaminated surfaces in relation to the ultrasonic energy source, distance of the ultrasonic source from the test surfaces, and temperature of the rinse fluid were some of the factors which influenced recovery. Experimental systems included both naturally occurring microbial contamination and artificial contamination with spores of Bacillus subtilis var. niger. The results showed that ultrasonic energy was more reliable and efficient than mechanical agitation for recovering surface contaminants. Conditions which increased the number and percentage of microorganisms recovered by ultrasonic energy were: using a cold rinse fluid, placing the sample bottle on the bottom of the ultrasonic tank, and facing the contaminated surfaces toward the energy source. It was also demonstrated that ultrasonic energy could be effectively used for eluting microorganisms from cotton swabs. PMID:16349743

Considerations for ultrasonic testing application for on-orbit NDE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koshti, Ajay M.

2015-04-01

The paper addresses some on-orbit nondestructive evaluation (NDE) needs of NASA for International Space Station (ISS). The presentation gives NDE requirements for inspecting suspect damage due to micro-meteoroids and orbital debris (MMOD) impact on the pressure wall of the ISS. This inspection is meant to be conducted from inside of the ISS module. The metallic wall of the module has a fixed wall thickness but also has integral orthogrid ribs for reinforcement. Typically, a single MMOD hit causes localized damage in a small area causing loss of material similar to pitting corrosion, but cracks may be present too. The impact may cause bulging of the wall. Results of the ultrasonic and eddy current demonstration scans on test samples are provided. The ultrasonic technique uses shear wave scans to interrogate the localized damage area from the surrounding undamaged area. The scanning protocol results in multiple scans, each with multiple "vee" paths. A superimposition and mosaic of the three-dimensional ultrasonic data from individual scans is desired to create C-scan images of the damage. This is a new data reduction process which is not currently implemented in state-of-art ultrasonic instruments. Results of ultrasonic scans on the simulated MMOD damage test plates are provided. The individual C-scans are superimposed manually creating mosaic of the inspection. The resulting image is compared with visibly detected damage boundaries, X-ray images, and localized ultrasonic and eddy current scans for locating crack tips to assess effectiveness of the ultrasonic scanning. The paper also discusses developments needed in improving ergonomics of the ultrasonic testing for on-orbit applications.

Nuclear Radiation Tolerance of Single Crystal Aluminum Nitride Ultrasonic Transducer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reinhard, Brian; Tittmann, Bernhard R.; Suprock, Andrew

Ultrasonic technologies offer the potential for high accuracy and resolution in-pile measurement of a range of parameters, including geometry changes, temperature, crack initiation and growth, gas pressure and composition, and microstructural changes. Many Department of Energy-Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE) programs are exploring the use of ultrasonic technologies to provide enhanced sensors for in-pile instrumentation during irradiation testing. For example, the ability of small diameter ultrasonic thermometers (UTs) to provide a temperature profile in candidate metallic and oxide fuel would provide much needed data for validating new fuel performance models, (Rempe et al., 2011; Kazys et al., 2005). These efforts are limited by the lack of identified ultrasonic transducer materials capable of long term performance under irradiation test conditions. To address this need, the Pennsylvania State University (PSU) was awarded an Advanced Test Reactor National Scientific User Facility (ATR NSUF) project to evaluate the performance of promising magnetostrictive and piezoelectric transducers in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Research Reactor (MITR) up to a fast fluence of at least 1021 n/cm2. The irradiation is also supported by a multi-National Laboratory collaboration funded by the Nuclear Energy Enabling Technologies Advanced Sensors and Instrumentation (NEET ASI) program. The results from this irradiation, which started in February 2014, offer the potential to enable the development of novel radiation tolerant ultrasonic sensors for use in Material Testing Reactors (MTRs). As such, this test is an instrumented lead test and real-time transducer performance data is collected along with temperature and neutron and gamma flux data. Hence, results from this irradiation offer the potential to bridge the gap between proven out-of-pile ultrasonic techniques and in-pile deployment of ultrasonic sensors by acquiring the data necessary to demonstrate the performance of ultrasonic transducers. To date, very encouraging results have been attained as several transducers have continued to operate under irradiation. The irradiation is ongoing and will continue to approximately mid-2015.

High temperature pressure coupled ultrasonic waveguide

DOEpatents

Caines, Michael J.

1983-01-01

A pressure coupled ultrasonic waveguide is provided to which one end may be attached a transducer and at the other end a high temperature material for continuous ultrasonic testing of the material. The ultrasonic signal is coupled from the waveguide into the material through a thin, dry copper foil.

High-temperature pressure-coupled ultrasonic waveguide

DOEpatents

Caines, M.J.

1981-02-11

A pressure coupled ultrasonic waveguide is provided to which one end may be attached a transducer and at the other end a high temperature material for continuous ultrasonic testing of the material. The ultrasonic signal is coupled from the waveguide into the material through a thin, dry copper foil.

Monitoring crack extension in fracture toughness tests by ultrasonics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Klima, S. J.; Fisher, D. M.; Buzzard, R. J.

1975-01-01

An ultrasonic method was used to observe the onset of crack extension and to monitor continued crack growth in fracture toughness specimens during three point bend tests. A 20 MHz transducer was used with commercially available equipment to detect average crack extension less than 0.09 mm. The material tested was a 300-grade maraging steel in the annealed condition. A crack extension resistance curve was developed to demonstrate the usefulness of the ultrasonic method for minimizing the number of tests required to generate such curves.

Ultrasonic-Based Nondestructive Evaluation Methods for Wood: A Primer and Historical Review

Treesearch

Adam C. Senalik; Greg Schueneman; Robert J. Ross

2014-01-01

The authors conducted a review of ultrasonic testing and evaluation of wood and wood products, starting with a description of basic ultrasonic inspection setups and commonly used equations. The literature review primarily covered wood research presented between 1965 and 2013 in the Proceedings of the Nondestructive Testing of Wood Symposiums. A table that lists the...

Portable apparatus with CRT display for nondestructive testing of concrete by the ultrasonic pulse method

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Manta, G.; Gurau, Y.; Nica, P.; Facacaru, I.

1974-01-01

The development of methods for the nondestructive study of concrete structures is discussed. The nondestructive test procedure is based on the method of ultrasonic pulse transmission through the material. The measurements indicate that the elastic properties of concrete or other heterogeneous materials are a function of the rate of ultrasonic propagation. Diagrams of the test equipment are provided. Mathematical models are included to support the theoretical aspects.

NEET In-Pile Ultrasonic Sensor Enablement-Final Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

J. Daw; J. Rempe; J. Palmer

2014-09-01

Ultrasonic technologies offer the potential to measure a range of parameters during irradiation of fuels and materials, including geometry changes, temperature, crack initiation and growth, gas pressure and composition, and microstructural changes under harsh irradiation test conditions. There are two primary issues that currently limit in-pile deployment of ultrasonic sensors. The first is transducer survivability. The ability of ultrasonic transducer materials to maintain their useful properties during an irradiation must be demonstrated. The second issue is signal processing. Ultrasonic testing is typically performed in a lab or field environment, where the sensor and sample are accessible. The harsh nature ofmore » in-pile testing and the variety of desired measurements demand that an enhanced signal processing capability be developed to make in-pile ultrasonic sensors viable. To address these issues, the NEET ASI program funded a three year Ultrasonic Transducer Irradiation and Signal Processing Enhancements project, which is a collaborative effort between the Idaho National Laboratory, the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, the Argonne National Laboratory, and the Pennsylvania State University. The objective of this report is to document the objectives and accomplishments from this three year project. As summarized within this document, significant work has been accomplished during this three year project.« less

Semi-continuous ultrasonic sounding and changes of ultrasonic signal characteristics as a sensitive tool for the evaluation of ongoing microstructural changes of experimental mortar bars tested for their ASR potential.

PubMed

Lokajíček, T; Kuchařová, A; Petružálek, M; Šachlová, Š; Svitek, T; Přikryl, R

2016-09-01

Semi-continuous ultrasonic sounding of experimental mortar bars used in the accelerated alkali silica reactivity laboratory test (ASTM C1260) is proposed as a supplementary measurement technique providing data that are highly sensitive to minor changes in the microstructure of hardening/deteriorating concrete mixture. A newly designed, patent pending, heating chamber was constructed allowing ultrasonic sounding of mortar bars, stored in accelerating solution without necessity to remove the test specimens from the bath during the measurement. Subsequent automatic data analysis of recorded ultrasonic signals proved their high correlation to the measured length changes (expansion) and their high sensitivity to microstructural changes. The changes of P-wave velocity, and of the energy, amplitude, and frequency of ultrasonic signal, were in the range of 10-80%, compared to 0.51% change of the length. Results presented in this study thus show that ultrasonic sounding seems to be more sensitive to microstructural changes due to ongoing deterioration of concrete microstructure by alkali-silica reaction than the dimensional changes. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Pilot-scale continuous ultrasonic cleaning equipment reduces Listeria monocytogenes levels on conveyor belts.

PubMed

Tolvanen, Riina; Lundén, Janne; Hörman, Ari; Korkeala, Hannu

2009-02-01

Ultrasonic cleaning of a conveyor belt was studied by building a pilot-scale conveyor with an ultrasonic cleaning bath. A piece of the stainless steel conveyor belt was contaminated with meat-based soil and Listeria monocytogenes strains (V1, V3, and B9) and incubated for 72 h to allow bacteria to attach to the conveyor belt surfaces. The effect of ultrasound with a potassium hydroxide-based cleaning detergent was determined by using the cleaning bath at 45 and 50 degrees C for 30 s with and without ultrasound. The detachment of L. monocytogenes from the conveyor belt caused by the ultrasonic treatment was significantly greater at 45 degrees C (independent samples t test, P < 0.001) and at 50 degrees C (independent samples t test, P = 0.04) than without ultrasound. Ultrasonic cleaning efficiency was tested with different cleaning durations (10, 15, 20, and 30 s) and temperatures (30, 45, and 50 degrees C). The differences in the log reduction between cleaning treatments were analyzed by analysis of variance with Tamhane's T2 posthoc test using SPSS (Chicago, IL). The lengthening of the treatment time from 10 to 30 s did not significantly increase the detachment of L. monocytogenes (ANOVA 0.633). At 30 degrees C and at the longest time tested (30 s), the treatment reduced L. monocytogenes counts by only 2.68 log units. However, an increase in temperature from 30 to 50 degrees C improved the effect of the ultrasonic treatment significantly (P < 0.01). Ultrasonic cleaning for 10 s at 50 degrees C reduced L. monocytogenes counts by more than 5 log units. These results indicate that ultrasonic cleaning of a conveyor belt is effective even with short treatment times.

Study of ultrasonic sensor that is effective for all direction using an electromagnetic force

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iwaya, Kazuki; Murayama, Riichi; Hirayama, Takahiro

2015-03-01

Non-destructive inspection using ultrasonic sensors is widely utilized to guarantee the safety of large structures. However, there is the problem that it will take a very long time to complete. Therefore, it was decided to develop a sensor capable of testing a wide range of structures at a high inspection speed. The ultrasonic wave that the ultrasonic sensor can generate must be equally emitted in any direction and the ultrasonic wave returned from any direction be detected. To attain this objective, an electromagnetic acoustic transducer (EMAT) consisting of a circular-shaped magnet and an electric induction coil (EM) has been developed, because it is impossible to fabricate such a special ultrasonic sensor using a commercial-type ultrasonic sensor with a piezoelectric element, and it is convenient to automatically scan over the surface of the structure. First, the detail specifications of the new ultrasonic sensor have been determined by changing many of the parameters, for example, the impedance and the size of the EM coil, the size of the magnet, etc. The performance of the new sensor was then tested under different conditions. Based on the results of the experimental tests, it was demonstrated that the new sensor could generate ultrasonic waves in any direction and detect them from any direction. However, the performance was not high enough to apply the new sensor to a real structure. The new sensor has been improved to increase the performance by adding a new concept.

Ultrasonic weld testing.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1970-12-01

The study was broken down into two phases. Phase I consisted of a laboratory investigation of test specimens to determine the reliability of the ultrasonic equipment and testing procedure. Phase II was a field study where the knowledge, skills and ab...

Apparatus and method for ultrasonic reconstruction and testing of a turbine rotor blade attachment structure

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sabourin, P.F.

1995-04-25

An apparatus and method for ultrasonic reconstruction and testing of a non-visible turbine rotor blade attachment structure is described. The method of the invention includes positioning transducers at a first location to obtain slot region scan data corresponding to a slot region of the non-visible turbine rotor blade attachment structure, and positioning transducers at a second location to obtain straddle-mount region scan data corresponding to a straddle-mount region of the non-visible turbine rotor blade attachment structure. The shape of the non-visible turbine rotor blade attachment structure is reconstructed from the slot region scan data and the straddle-mount region scan datamore » to form reconstruction data. The reconstruction data is used to select test scan positions for ultrasonic testing. Ultrasonic testing is then performed at the selected test scan positions. 11 figs.« less

Mn-Doped CaBi4Ti4O15/Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 Ultrasonic Transducers for Continuous Monitoring at Elevated Temperatures

PubMed Central

Kibe, Taiga; Nagata, Hajime

2017-01-01

Continuous ultrasonic in-situ monitoring for industrial applications is difficult owing to the high operating temperatures in industrial fields. It is expected that ultrasonic transducers consisting of a CaBi4Ti4O15(CBT)/Pb(Zr,Ti)O3(PZT) sol-gel composite could be one solution for ultrasonic nondestructive testing (NDT) above 500 °C because no couplant is required and CBT has a high Curie temperature. To verify the high temperature durability, CBT/PZT sol-gel composite films were fabricated on titanium substrates by spray coating, and the CBT/PZT samples were tested in a furnace at various temperatures. Reflected echoes with a high signal-to-noise ratio were observed up to 600 °C. A thermal cycle test was conducted from room temperature to 600 °C, and no significant deterioration was found after the second thermal cycle. To investigate the long-term high-temperature durability, a CBT/PZT ultrasonic transducer was tested in the furnace at 600 °C for 36 h. Ultrasonic responses were recorded every 3 h, and the sensitivity and signal-to-noise ratio were stable throughout the experiment. PMID:29186910

Method for Ultrasonic Imaging and Device for Performing the Method

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Madaras, Eric I. (Inventor)

1997-01-01

A method for ultrasonic imaging of interior structures and flaws in a test specimen with a smooth or irregular contact surfaces, in which an ultrasonic transducer is coupled acoustically to the contact surface via a plurality of ultrasonic wave guides with equal delay times. The wave guides are thin and bendable, so they adapt to variations in the distance between the transducer and different parts of the contact surface by bending more or less. All parts of the irregular contact surface accordingly receive sound waves that are in phase, even when the contact surface is irregular, so a coherent sound wave is infused in the test specimen. The wave guides can be arranged in the form of an ultrasonic brush, with a flat head for coupling to a flat transducer, and free bristles that can be pressed against the test specimen. By bevelling the bristle ends at a suitable angle, shear mode waves can be infused into the test specimen from a longitudinal mode transducer.

Aircraft components structural health monitoring using flexible ultrasonic transducer arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, W.-L.; Jen, C.-K.; Kobayashi, M.; Mrad, N.

2011-04-01

A damage detection capability based on a flexible ultrasonic transducer (FUT) array bonded onto a planar and a curved surface is presented. The FUT array was fabricated on a 75 μm titanium substrate using sol-gel spray technique. Room temperature curable adhesive is used as the bonding agent and ultrasonic couplant between the transducer and the test article. The bonding agent was successfully tested for aircraft environmental temperatures between -80 °C and 100 °C. For a planar test article, selected FUT arrays were able to detect fasteners damage within a planar distance of 176 mm, when used in the pulse-echo mode. Such results illustrate the effectiveness of the developed FUT transducer as compared to commercial 10MHz ultrasonic transducer (UT). These FUT arrays were further demonstrated on a curved test article. Pulse-echo measurements confirmed the reflected echoes from the specimen. Such measurement was not possible with commercial UTs due to the curved nature of the test article and its accessibility, thus demonstrating the suitability and superiority of the developed flexible ultrasonic transducer capability.

Prediction of Building Limestone Physical and Mechanical Properties by Means of Ultrasonic P-Wave Velocity

PubMed Central

Concu, Giovanna; De Nicolo, Barbara; Valdes, Monica

2014-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate ultrasonic P-wave velocity as a feature for predicting some physical and mechanical properties that describe the behavior of local building limestone. To this end, both ultrasonic testing and compressive tests were carried out on several limestone specimens and statistical correlation between ultrasonic velocity and density, compressive strength, and modulus of elasticity was studied. The effectiveness of ultrasonic velocity was evaluated by regression, with the aim of observing the coefficient of determination r 2 between ultrasonic velocity and the aforementioned parameters, and the mathematical expressions of the correlations were found and discussed. The strong relations that were established between ultrasonic velocity and limestone properties indicate that these parameters can be reasonably estimated by means of this nondestructive parameter. This may be of great value in a preliminary phase of the diagnosis and inspection of stone masonry conditions, especially when the possibility of sampling material cores is reduced. PMID:24511286

Prediction of building limestone physical and mechanical properties by means of ultrasonic P-wave velocity.

PubMed

Concu, Giovanna; De Nicolo, Barbara; Valdes, Monica

2014-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate ultrasonic P-wave velocity as a feature for predicting some physical and mechanical properties that describe the behavior of local building limestone. To this end, both ultrasonic testing and compressive tests were carried out on several limestone specimens and statistical correlation between ultrasonic velocity and density, compressive strength, and modulus of elasticity was studied. The effectiveness of ultrasonic velocity was evaluated by regression, with the aim of observing the coefficient of determination r(2) between ultrasonic velocity and the aforementioned parameters, and the mathematical expressions of the correlations were found and discussed. The strong relations that were established between ultrasonic velocity and limestone properties indicate that these parameters can be reasonably estimated by means of this nondestructive parameter. This may be of great value in a preliminary phase of the diagnosis and inspection of stone masonry conditions, especially when the possibility of sampling material cores is reduced.

Absolute calibration technique for broadband ultrasonic transducers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yost, William T. (Inventor); Cantrell, John H. (Inventor)

1994-01-01

Calibrating an ultrasonic transducer can be performed with a reduced number of calculations and testing. A wide-band pulser is connected to an ultrasonic transducer under test to generate ultrasonic waves in a liquid. A single frequency is transmitted to the electrostatic acoustic transducer (ESAT) and the voltage change produced is monitored. Then a broadband ultrasonic pulse is generated by the ultrasonic transducer and received by the ESAT. The output of the ESAT is amplified and input to a digitized oscilloscope for fast Fourier transform. The resulting plot is normalized with the monitored signal from the single frequency pulse. The plot is then corrected for characteristics of the membrane and diffraction effects. The transfer function of the final plot is determined. The transfer function gives the final sensitivity of the ultrasonic transducer as a function of frequency. The advantage of the system is the speed of calibrating the transducer by a reduced number of measurements and removal of the membrane and diffraction effects.

Distributed fiber-optic laser-ultrasound generation based on ghost-mode of tilted fiber Bragg gratings.

PubMed

Tian, Jiajun; Zhang, Qi; Han, Ming

2013-03-11

Active ultrasonic testing is widely used for medical diagnosis, material characterization and structural health monitoring. Ultrasonic transducer is a key component in active ultrasonic testing. Due to their many advantages such as small size, light weight, and immunity to electromagnetic interference, fiber-optic ultrasonic transducers are particularly attractive for permanent, embedded applications in active ultrasonic testing for structural health monitoring. However, current fiber-optic transducers only allow effective ultrasound generation at a single location of the fiber end. Here we demonstrate a fiber-optic device that can effectively generate ultrasound at multiple, selected locations along a fiber in a controllable manner based on a smart light tapping scheme that only taps out the light of a particular wavelength for laser-ultrasound generation and allow light of longer wavelengths pass by without loss. Such a scheme may also find applications in remote fiber-optic device tuning and quasi-distributed biochemical fiber-optic sensing.

Comparative testing of radiographic testing, ultrasonic testing and phased array advanced ultrasonic testing non destructive testing techniques in accordance with the AWS D1.5 bridge welding code.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-02-01

A comprehensive body of non-destructive testing data was collected from steel bridge welds under real-world conditions in a fabricators shop. Three different non-destructive testing (NDT) techniques were used on each weld inspection, these being R...

Pulse-Echo Phased Array Ultrasonic Inspection of Pultruded Rod Stitched Efficient Unitized Structure (PRSEUS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnston, Pat H.

2010-01-01

A PRSEUS test article was subjected to controlled impact on the skin face followed by static and cyclic axial compressions. Phased array ultrasonic inspection was conducted before impact, and after each of the test conditions. A linear phased array probe with a manual X-Y scanner was used for interrogation. Ultrasound showed a delamination between the skin and stringer flange adjacent to the impact. As designed, the stitching in the flange arrested the lateral flaw formation. Subsequent ultrasonic data showed no delamination growth due to continued loading. Keywords: Phased Array, Ultrasonics, Composites, Out-of-Autoclave

Non-destructive evaluation techniques, high temperature ceramic component parts for gas turbines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reiter, H.; Hirsekorn, S.; Lottermoser, J.; Goebbels, K.

1984-01-01

This report concerns studies conducted on various tests undertaken on material without destroying the material. Tests included: microradiographic techniques, vibration analysis, high-frequency ultrasonic tests with the addition of evaluation of defects and structure through analysis of ultrasonic scattering data, microwave tests and analysis of sound emission.

Scanning ultrasonic probe

DOEpatents

Kupperman, David S.; Reimann, Karl J.

1982-01-01

The invention is an ultrasonic testing device for rapid and complete examination of the test specimen, and is particularly well suited for evaluation of tubular test geometries. A variety of defect categories may be detected and analyzed at one time and their positions accurately located in a single pass down the test specimen.

Scanning ultrasonic probe

DOEpatents

Kupperman, D.S.; Reimann, K.J.

1980-12-09

The invention is an ultrasonic testing device for rapid and complete examination of the test specimen, and is particularly well suited for evaluation of tubular test geometries. A variety of defect categories may be detected and anlayzed at one time and their positions accurately located in a single pass down the test specimen.

The ultrasonic characteristics of high frequency modulated arc and its application in material processing.

PubMed

He, Longbiao; Yang, Ping; Li, Luming; Wu, Minsheng

2014-12-01

To solve the difficulty of introducing traditional ultrasonic transducers to welding molten pool, high frequency current is used to modulate plasma arc and ultrasonic wave is excited successfully. The characteristics of the excited ultrasonic field are studied. The results show that the amplitude-frequency response of the ultrasonic emission is flat. The modulating current is the main factor influencing the ultrasonic power and the sound pressure depends on the variation of arc plasma stream force. Experimental study of the welding structure indicates grain refinement by the ultrasonic emission of the modulated arc and the test results showed there should be an energy region for the arc ultrasonic to get best welding joints. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Measurement of intergranular attack in stainless steel using ultrasonic energy

DOEpatents

Mott, Gerry; Attaar, Mustan; Rishel, Rick D.

1989-08-08

Ultrasonic test methods are used to measure the depth of intergranular attack (IGA) in a stainless steel specimen. The ultrasonic test methods include a pitch-catch surface wave technique and a through-wall pulse-echo technique. When used in combination, these techniques can establish the extent of IGA on both the front and back surfaces of a stainless steel specimen from measurements made on only one surface.

Effect of ultrasonic tip designs on intraradicular post removal.

PubMed

Aguiar, Anny Carine Barros; de Meireles, Daniely Amorim; Marques, André Augusto Franco; Sponchiado Júnior, Emílio Carlos; Garrido, Angela Delfina Bitencourt; Garcia, Lucas da Fonseca Roberti

2014-11-01

To evaluate the effect of different ultrasonic tip designs on intraradicular post removal. The crowns of forty human canine teeth were removed, and after biomechanical preparation and filling, the roots were embedded in acrylic resin blocks. The post spaces were made, and root canal molding was performed with self-cured acrylic resin. After casting (Cu-Al), the posts were cemented with zinc phosphate cement. The specimens were randomly separated into 4 groups (n = 10), as follows: G1 - no ultrasonic vibration (control); G2 - ultrasonic vibration using an elongated cylindrical-shaped and active rounded tip; G3 - ultrasonic vibration with a flattened convex and linear active tip; G4 - ultrasonic vibration with active semicircular tapered tip. Ultrasonic vibration was applied for 15 seconds on each post surface and tensile test was performed in a Universal Testing Machine (Instron 4444 - 1 mm/min). G4 presented the highest mean values, however, with no statistically significant difference in comparison to G3 (P > 0.05). G2 presented the lowest mean values with statistically significant difference to G3 and G4 (P < 0.05). Ultrasonic vibration with elongated cylindrical-shaped and active rounded tip was most effective in reducing force required for intraradicular post removal.

PROCEEDINGS OF THE FIFTH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON NONDESTRUCTIVE TESTING, [HELD AT MONTREAL, CANADA, MAY 21--26, 1967].

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None

1969-07-01

The Fifth International Conference on Nondestructive Testing was held in Montreal, Canada, for the purpose of promoting international collaboration in all matters related to the development and use of nondestructive test methods. A total of 82 papers were selected for presentation. Session titles included: evaluation of material quality; ultrasonics - identification and measurements; thermal methods; testing of welds; visual aids in nondestructive testing; measurements of stress and elastic properties; magnetic and eddy-current methods; surface methods and neutron radiography; standardization - general; ultrasonics at elevated temperatures; applications; x-ray techniques; radiography; ultrasonic standardization; training and qualification; and, correlation of weld defects.

Mid-IR laser ultrasonic testing for fiber reinforced plastics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kusano, Masahiro; Hatano, Hideki; Oguchi, Kanae; Yamawaki, Hisashi; Watanabe, Makoto; Enoki, Manabu

2018-04-01

Ultrasonic testing is the most common method to detect defects in materials and evaluate their sizes and locations. Since piezo-electric transducers are manually handled from point to point, it takes more costs for huge products such as airplanes. Laser ultrasonic testing (LUT) is a breakthrough technique. A pulsed laser generates ultrasonic waves on a material surface due to thermoelastic effect or ablation. The ultrasonic waves can be detected by another laser with an interferometer. Thus, LUT can realize instantaneous inspection without contacting a sample. A pulse laser with around 3.2 μm wavelength (in the mid-IR range) is more suitable to generate ultrasonic waves for fiber reinforced plastics (FRPs) because the light is well absorbed by the polymeric matrix. On the other hand, such a laser is not available in the market. In order to emit the mid-IR laser pulse, we came up with the application of an optical parametric oscillator and developed an efficient wavelength conversion device by pumping a compact Nd:YAG solid-state laser. Our mid-IR LUT system is most suitable for inspection of FRPs. The signal-to-noise ratio of ultrasonic waves generated by the mid-IR laser is higher than that by the Nd:YAG laser. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the performance of the mid-IR LUT system in reflection mode. We investigated the effects of the material properties and the laser properties on the generated ultrasonic waves. In addition, C-scan images by the system were also presented.

Nondestructive testing of railroad wheels and rails by ultrasonics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clotfelter, W. M.; Risch, E. R.

1974-01-01

Quality control of wheels and rails can be improved by using ultrasonic technique developed for measuring stresses in metallic materials. In addition, parts already in use can be tested and replaced if they are found to be unsafe. Test equipment includes two transducers.

Ultrasonic detection technology based on joint robot on composite component with complex surface

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hao, Juan; Xu, Chunguang; Zhang, Lan

Some components have complex surface, such as the airplane wing and the shell of a pressure vessel etc. The quality of these components determines the reliability and safety of related equipment. Ultrasonic nondestructive detection is one of the main methods used for testing material defects at present. In order to improve the testing precision, the acoustic axis of the ultrasonic transducer should be consistent with the normal direction of the measured points. When we use joint robots, automatic ultrasonic scan along the component surface normal direction can be realized by motion trajectory planning and coordinate transformation etc. In order tomore » express the defects accurately and truly, the robot position and the signal of the ultrasonic transducer should be synchronized.« less

Ultrasonic detection of plate cracks in railway wheels

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1976-07-31

The results of experimental efforts established the feasibility of the detection of railway wheel plate cracks by an ultrasonic pulse echo testing technique from the tread surface. Feasibility and test sensitivities were established using artificial ...

Advanced Technologies and Methodology for Automated Ultrasonic Testing Systems Quantification

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-04-29

For automated ultrasonic testing (AUT) detection and sizing accuracy, this program developed a methodology for quantification of AUT systems, advancing and quantifying AUT systems imagecapture capabilities, quantifying the performance of multiple AUT...

Continuous long-term health monitoring using ultrasonic wave propagation.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-12-01

This report presents the findings of a research project on using ultrasonic testing to : continuously monitor reinforced concrete bridge decks for the onset of delamination. The : report first presents a review of current nondestructive testing techn...

Semi-Automated Pulse-Echo Ultrasonic System for Inspecting Tires

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1977-07-01

A nondestructive tire-testing system has been developed using the pulse-echo ultrasonic technique, which offers substantial advantages over all other physical nondestructive-testing methods and shows promise of reducing the cost of production-tire in...

Comparative testing of radiographic testing, ultrasonic testing and phased array advanced ultrasonic testing non destructive testing techniques in accordance with the AWS D1.5 bridge welding code : [summary].

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-02-01

To ensure that Florida bridges remain safe and structurally secure for their 50-year-plus service life, they are inspected regularly. For steel bridges, welds critical to the bridges integrity do not even leave the workshop unless they meet rigoro...

Nondestructive Testing Residual Stress Using Ultrasonic Critical Refracted Longitudinal Wave

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Chunguang; Song, Wentao; Pan, Qinxue; Li, Huanxin; Liu, Shuai

Residual stress has significant impacts on the performance of the mechanical components, especially on its strength, fatigue life and corrosion resistance and dimensional stability. Based on theory of acoustoelasticity, the testing principle of ultrasonic LCR wave method is analyzed. The testing system of residual stress is build. The method of calibration of stress coefficient is proposed in order to improve the detection precision. At last, through experiments and applications on residual stress testing of oil pipeline weld joint, vehicle's torsion shaft, glass and ceramics, gear tooth root, and so on, the result show that it deserved to be studied deeply on application and popularization of ultrasonic LCR wave method.

Ultrasonic ranking of toughness of tungsten carbide

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vary, A.; Hull, D. R.

1983-01-01

The feasibility of using ultrasonic attenuation measurements to rank tungsten carbide alloys according to their fracture toughness was demonstrated. Six samples of cobalt-cemented tungsten carbide (WC-Co) were examined. These varied in cobalt content from approximately 2 to 16 weight percent. The toughness generally increased with increasing cobalt content. Toughness was first determined by the Palmqvist and short rod fracture toughness tests. Subsequently, ultrasonic attenuation measurements were correlated with both these mechanical test methods. It is shown that there is a strong increase in ultrasonic attenuation corresponding to increased toughness of the WC-Co alloys. A correlation between attenuation and toughness exists for a wide range of ultrasonic frequencies. However, the best correlation for the WC-Co alloys occurs when the attenuation coefficient measured in the vicinity of 100 megahertz is compared with toughness as determined by the Palmqvist technique.

Rail flaw sizing using conventional and phased array ultrasonic testing.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-12-01

An approach to detecting and characterizing internal defects in rail through the use of phased array ultrasonic testing has shown the potential to reduce the risk of missed defects and improve transverse defect characterization. : Transportation Tech...

Ultrasonic corona sensor study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harrold, R. T.

1976-01-01

The overall objective of this program is to determine the feasibility of using ultrasonic (above 20 kHz) corona detection techniques to detect low order (non-arcing) coronas in varying degrees of vacuum within large high vacuum test chambers, and to design, fabricate, and deliver a prototype ultrasonic corona sensor.

Determination of elastic modulus of ceramics using ultrasonic testing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sasmita, Firmansyah; Wibisono, Gatot; Judawisastra, Hermawan; Priambodo, Toni Agung

2018-04-01

Elastic modulus is important material property on structural ceramics application. However, bending test as a common method for determining this property require particular specimen preparation. Furthermore, elastic modulus of ceramics could vary because it depends on porosity content. For structural ceramics industry, such as ceramic tiles, this property is very important. This drives the development of new method to improve effectivity or verification method as well. In this research, ultrasonic testing was conducted to determine elastic modulus of soda lime glass and ceramic tiles. The experiment parameter was frequency of probe (1, 2, 4 MHz). Characterization of density and porosity were also done for analysis. Results from ultrasonic testing were compared with elastic modulus resulted from bending test. Elastic modulus of soda-lime glass based on ultrasonic testing showed excellent result with error 2.69% for 2 MHz probe relative to bending test result. Testing on red and white ceramic tiles were still contained error up to 41% and 158%, respectively. The results for red ceramic tile showed trend that 1 MHz probe gave better accuracy in determining elastic modulus. However, testing on white ceramic tile showed different trend. It was due to the presence of porosity and near field effect.

Characterization of C/Enhanced SiC Composite During Creep-Rupture Tests Using an Ultrasonic Guided Wave Scan System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roth, Don J.; Verrilli, Michael J.; Martin, Richard E.; Cosgriff, Laura M.

2004-01-01

An ultrasonic guided wave scan system was used to nondestructively monitor damage over time and position in a C/enhanced SiC sample that was creep tested to failure at 1200 C in air at a stress of 69 MPa (10 ksi). The use of the guided wave scan system for mapping evolving oxidation profiles (via porosity gradients resulting from oxidation) along the sample length and predicting failure location was explored. The creep-rupture tests were interrupted for ultrasonic evaluation every two hours until failure at approx. 17.5 cumulative hours.

Development and applications of nondestructive evaluation at Marshall Space Flight Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whitaker, Ann F.

1990-01-01

A brief description of facility design and equipment, facility usage, and typical investigations are presented for the following: Surface Inspection Facility; Advanced Computer Tomography Inspection Station (ACTIS); NDE Data Evaluation Facility; Thermographic Test Development Facility; Radiographic Test Facility; Realtime Radiographic Test Facility; Eddy Current Research Facility; Acoustic Emission Monitoring System; Advanced Ultrasonic Test Station (AUTS); Ultrasonic Test Facility; and Computer Controlled Scanning (CONSCAN) System.

Noncontact Acousto-Ultrasonic Testing With Laser Beams

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Huber, Robert D.; Green, Robert E., Jr.

1994-01-01

Laser beams used to excite and detect acoustic waves in specimens. Laser/acousto-ultrasonic technique entails no mechanical contact between specimens and testing apparatus. Apparatus located at relatively large distances (meters) from specimens, making it possible to test specimens too hot for contact measurements or located in inaccessible places, vacuums, or hostile environments.

VIEW OF ULTRASONIC TESTING EQUIPMENT IN BUILDING 991. THIS EQUIPMENT ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

VIEW OF ULTRA-SONIC TESTING EQUIPMENT IN BUILDING 991. THIS EQUIPMENT NON-DESTRUCTIVELY TESTS WEAPONS COMPONENTS FOR FLAWS AND CRACKS. (9/11/85) - Rocky Flats Plant, Final Assembly & Shipping, Eastern portion of plant site, south of Spruce Avenue, east of Tenth Street & north of Central Avenue, Golden, Jefferson County, CO

A study to ascertain the viability of ultrasonic nondestructive testing to determine the mechanical characteristics of wood/agricultural hardboards with soybean based adhesives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Colen, Charles Raymond, Jr.

There have been numerous studies with ultrasonic nondestructive testing and wood fiber composites. The problem of the study was to ascertain whether ultrasonic nondestructive testing can be used in place of destructive testing to obtain the modulus of elasticity (MOE) of the wood/agricultural material with comparable results. The uniqueness of this research is that it addressed the type of content (cornstalks and switchgrass) being used with the wood fibers and the type of adhesives (soybean-based) associated with the production of these composite materials. Two research questions were addressed in the study. The major objective was to determine if one can predict the destructive test MOE value based on the nondestructive test MOE value. The population of the study was wood/agricultural fiberboards made from wood fibers, cornstalks, and switchgrass bonded together with soybean-based, urea-formaldehyde, and phenol-formaldehyde adhesives. Correlational analysis was used to determine if there was a relationship between the two tests. Regression analysis was performed to determine a prediction equation for the destructive test MOE value. Data were collected on both procedures using ultrasonic nondestructing testing and 3-point destructive testing. The results produced a simple linear regression model for this study which was adequate in the prediction of destructive MOE values if the nondestructive MOE value is known. An approximation very close to the entire error in the model equation was explained from the destructive test MOE values for the composites. The nondestructive MOE values used to produce a linear regression model explained 83% of the variability in the destructive test MOE values. The study also showed that, for the particular destructive test values obtained with the equipment used, the model associated with the study is as good as it could be due to the variability in the results from the destructive tests. In this study, an ultrasonic signal was used to determine the MOE values on nondestructive tests. Future research studies could use the same or other hardboards to examine how the resins affect the ultrasonic signal.

Quadrature demodulation based circuit implementation of pulse stream for ultrasonic signal FRI sparse sampling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shoupeng, Song; Zhou, Jiang

2017-03-01

Converting ultrasonic signal to ultrasonic pulse stream is the key step of finite rate of innovation (FRI) sparse sampling. At present, ultrasonic pulse-stream-forming techniques are mainly based on digital algorithms. No hardware circuit that can achieve it has been reported. This paper proposes a new quadrature demodulation (QD) based circuit implementation method for forming an ultrasonic pulse stream. Elaborating on FRI sparse sampling theory, the process of ultrasonic signal is explained, followed by a discussion and analysis of ultrasonic pulse-stream-forming methods. In contrast to ultrasonic signal envelope extracting techniques, a quadrature demodulation method (QDM) is proposed. Simulation experiments were performed to determine its performance at various signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs). The circuit was then designed, with mixing module, oscillator, low pass filter (LPF), and root of square sum module. Finally, application experiments were carried out on pipeline sample ultrasonic flaw testing. The experimental results indicate that the QDM can accurately convert ultrasonic signal to ultrasonic pulse stream, and reverse the original signal information, such as pulse width, amplitude, and time of arrival. This technique lays the foundation for ultrasonic signal FRI sparse sampling directly with hardware circuitry.

Ultrasonic NDE and mechanical testing of fiber placement composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Zhanjie; Fei, Dong; Hsu, David K.; Dayal, Vinay; Hale, Richard D.

2002-05-01

A fiber placed composite, especially with fiber steering, has considerably more complex internal structure than a laminate laid up from unidirectional prepreg tapes. In this work, we performed ultrasonic imaging of ply interfaces of fiber placed composite laminates, with an eye toward developing a tool for evaluating their quality. Mechanical short-beam shear tests were also conducted on both nonsteered and steered specimens to examine their failure behavior and its relationship to the structural defects indicated by ultrasonic imaging.

Advanced ultrasonic techniques for nondestructive testing of austenitic and dissimilar welds in nuclear facilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Juengert, Anne; Dugan, Sandra; Homann, Tobias; Mitzscherling, Steffen; Prager, Jens; Pudovikov, Sergey; Schwender, Thomas

2018-04-01

Austenitic stainless steel welds as well as dissimilar metal welds with nickel alloy filler material, used in safety relevant parts of nuclear power plants, still challenge the ultrasonic inspection. The weld material forms large oriented grains that lead, on the one hand, to high sound scattering and, on the other hand, to inhomogeneity and to the acoustic anisotropy of the weld structure. The ultrasonic wave fronts do not propagate linearly, as in ferritic weld joints, but along the curves, which depend on the specific grain structure of the weld. Due to the influence of these phenomena, it is difficult to analyze the inspection results and to classify the ultrasonic indications, which could be both from the weld geometry and from the material defects. A correct flaw sizing is not possible. In an ongoing research project, different techniques to improve the reliability of ultrasonic testing at these kinds of welds are investigated. In a first step (in the previous research project) two ultrasonic inspection techniques were developed and validated on plane test specimens with artificial and realistic flaws. In the ongoing project, these techniques are applied to circumferential pipe welds with longitudinal and transverse flaws. The technique developed at the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) in Germany uses a combination of ray tracing and synthetic aperture focusing technique (SAFT). To investigate the unknown grain structure, the velocity distribution of weld-transmitting ultrasound waves is measured and used to model the weld by ray tracing. The second technique, developed at the Fraunhofer Institute for Nondestructive Testing (IZFP) in Germany, uses Sampling Phased Array (Full Matrix Capture) combined with the reverse phase matching (RPM) and the gradient elastic constant descent algorithm (GECDM). This inspection method is able to estimate the elastic constants of the columnar grains in the weld and offers an improvement of the reliability of ultrasonic testing through the correction of the sound field distortion. The unknown inhomogeneity and anisotropy are investigated using a reference indication and the special optimization algorithm. Both reconstruction techniques give quantitative inspection results and allow the defect sizing. They have been compared to conventional ultrasonic testing with techniques that are state of the art for components in nuclear power plants. The improvement will be quantified by the comparison of the probability of detection (POD) of each technique.

A support vector machine approach for classification of welding defects from ultrasonic signals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Yuan; Ma, Hong-Wei; Zhang, Guang-Ming

2014-07-01

Defect classification is an important issue in ultrasonic non-destructive evaluation. A layered multi-class support vector machine (LMSVM) classification system, which combines multiple SVM classifiers through a layered architecture, is proposed in this paper. The proposed LMSVM classification system is applied to the classification of welding defects from ultrasonic test signals. The measured ultrasonic defect echo signals are first decomposed into wavelet coefficients by the wavelet packet transform. The energy of the wavelet coefficients at different frequency channels are used to construct the feature vectors. The bees algorithm (BA) is then used for feature selection and SVM parameter optimisation for the LMSVM classification system. The BA-based feature selection optimises the energy feature vectors. The optimised feature vectors are input to the LMSVM classification system for training and testing. Experimental results of classifying welding defects demonstrate that the proposed technique is highly robust, precise and reliable for ultrasonic defect classification.

Ultrasonic monitoring of the setting of silicone elastomeric impression materials.

PubMed

Kanazawa, Tomoe; Murayama, Ryosuke; Furuichi, Tetsuya; Imai, Arisa; Suda, Shunichi; Kurokawa, Hiroyasu; Takamizawa, Toshiki; Miyazaki, Masashi

2017-01-31

This study used an ultrasonic measurement device to monitor the setting behavior of silicone elastomeric impression materials, and the influence of temperature on setting behavior was determined. The ultrasonic device consisted of a pulser-receiver, transducers, and an oscilloscope. The two-way transit time through the mixing material was divided by two to account for the down-and-back travel path; then it was multiplied by the sonic velocity. Analysis of variance and the Tukey honest significant difference test were used. In the early stages of the setting process, most of the ultrasonic energy was absorbed by the elastomers and the second echoes were relatively weak. As the elastomers hardened, the sonic velocities increased until they plateaued. The changes in sonic velocities varied among the elastomers tested, and were affected by temperature conditions. The ultrasonic method used in this study has considerable potential for determining the setting processes of elastomeric impression materials.

Flowmeter evaluation for on-orbit operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baird, R. S.

1988-01-01

Various flowmetering concepts were flow tested to characterize the relative capabilities and limitations for on-orbit fluid-transfer operations. Performance results and basic operating principles of each flowmetering concept tested are summarized, and basic considerations required to select the best flowmeter(s) for fluid system application are discussed. Concepts tested were clamp-on ultrasonic, area averaging ultrasonic, offset ultrasonic, coriolis mass, vortex shedding, universal venturi tube, turbine, bearingless turbine, turbine/turbine differential-pressure hybrid, dragbody, and dragbody/turbine hybrid flowmeters. Fluid system flowmeter selection considerations discussed are flowmeter performance, fluid operating conditions, systems operating environments, flowmeter packaging, flowmeter maintenance, and flowmeter technology. No one flowmetering concept tested was shown to be best for all on-orbit fluid systems.

Nondestructive testing and characterization of residual stress field using an ultrasonic method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Wentao; Xu, Chunguang; Pan, Qinxue; Song, Jianfeng

2016-03-01

To address the difficulty in testing and calibrating the stress gradient in the depth direction of mechanical components, a new technology of nondestructive testing and characterization of the residual stress gradient field by ultrasonic method is proposed based on acoustoelasticity theory. By carrying out theoretical analysis, the sensitivity coefficients of different types of ultrasonic are obtained by taking the low carbon steel(12%C) as a research object. By fixing the interval distance between sending and receiving transducers, the mathematical expressions of the change of stress and the variation of time are established. To design one sending-one receiving and oblique incidence ultrasonic detection probes, according to Snell law, the critically refracted longitudinal wave (LCR wave) is excited at a certain depth of the fixed distance of the tested components. Then, the relationship between the depth of LCR wave detection and the center frequency of the probe in Q235 steel is obtained through experimental study. To detect the stress gradient in the depth direction, a stress gradient LCR wave detection model is established, through which the stress gradient formula is derived by the relationship between center frequency and detecting depth. A C-shaped stress specimen of Q235 steel is designed to conduct stress loading tests, and the stress is measured with the five group probes at different center frequencies. The accuracy of ultrasonic testing is verified by X-ray stress analyzer. The stress value of each specific depth is calculated using the stress gradient formula. Accordingly, the ultrasonic characterization of residual stress field is realized. Characterization results show that the stress gradient distribution is consistent with the simulation in ANSYS. The new technology can be widely applied in the detection of the residual stress gradient field caused by mechanical processing, such as welding and shot peening.

Method and apparatus for measuring surface contour on parts with elevated temperatures

DOEpatents

Horvath, Mark S.; Nance, Roy A.; Cohen, George H.; Fodor, George

1991-01-01

The invention is directed to a method and apparatus for measuring the surface contour of a test piece, such as the bow of a radioactive fuel rod, which is completely immersed in water. The invention utilizes ultrasonic technology and is capable of measuring surface contours of test pieces which are at a higher temperature than the surrounding water. The presence of a test piece at a higher temperature adversely affects the distance measurements by causing thermal variations in the water near the surface of the test piece. The contour measurements depend upon a constant temperature of the water in the path of the ultrasonic wave to provide a constant acoustical velocity (the measurement is made by the time of flight measurement for an ultrasonic wave). Therefore, any variations of water temperature near the surface will introduce errors degrading the measurement. The present invention overcomes these problems by assuring that the supply of water through which the ultrasonic waves travel is at a predetermined and constant temperature.

Ultrasonic fatigue of a high strength steel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koster, M.; Wagner, G.; Eifler, D.

2010-07-01

At the Institute of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Kaiserslautern an ultrasonic testing system for the fatigue assessment of metallic materials in the very high cycle fatigue (VHCF) regime was developed. The ultrasonic testing system allows to control the test and to measure detailed fatigue data. The achieved results can be used to describe the cyclic deformation behaviour of wheel steels at ultrasonic frequencies. In load increase tests (LIT), the critical stress amplitude can be determined, which leads to a defined change of process parameters like generator power, dissipated energy and specimen temperature. With SEM investigations it was proved that the change of the process parameters correlates with irreversible changes in the microstructure. It can be shown that the stress amplitude, leading to first irreversible changes in the microstructure, strongly depends on the depth position within the original wheel rim. New and basic results on the fatigue mechanisms of high strength steels in the VHCF-regime can be achieved.

Simulation and experiment for the inspection of stainless steel bolts in servicing using an ultrasonic phased array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Jinzhong; He, Renyang; Kang, Xiaowei; Yang, Xuyun

2015-10-01

The non-destructive testing of small-sized (M12-M20) stainless steel bolts in servicing is always a technical problem. This article focuses on the simulation and experimental research of stainless steel bolts with an artificial defect reflector using ultrasonic phased array inspection. Based on the observation of the sound field distribution of stainless steel bolts in ultrasonic phased array as well as simulation modelling and analysis of the phased array probes' detection effects with various defect sizes, different artificial defect reflectors of M16 stainless steel bolts are machined in reference to the simulation results. Next, those bolts are tested using a 10-wafer phased array probe with 5 MHz. The test results finally prove that ultrasonic phased array can detect 1-mm cracks in diameter with different depths of M16 stainless steel bolts and a metal loss of Φ1 mm of through-hole bolts, which provides technical support for future non-destructive testing of stainless steel bolts in servicing.

Ultrasonic velocity technique for monitoring property changes in fiber-reinforced ceramic matrix composites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kautz, Harold E.; Bhatt, Ramakrishna T.

1991-01-01

A technique for measuring ultrasonic velocity was used to monitor changes that occur during processing and heat treatment of a SiC/RBSM composite. Results indicated that correlations exist between the ultrasonic velocity data and elastic modulus and interfacial shear strength data determined from mechanical tests. The ultrasonic velocity data can differentiate strength. The advantages and potential of this nondestructive evaluation method for fiber reinforced ceramic matrix composite applications are discussed.

Computer automation of ultrasonic testing. [inspection of ultrasonic welding

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yee, B. G. W.; Kerlin, E. E.; Gardner, A. H.; Dunmyer, D.; Wells, T. G.; Robinson, A. R.; Kunselman, J. S.; Walker, T. C.

1974-01-01

Report describes a prototype computer-automated ultrasonic system developed for the inspection of weldments. This system can be operated in three modes: manual, automatic, and computer-controlled. In the computer-controlled mode, the system will automatically acquire, process, analyze, store, and display ultrasonic inspection data in real-time. Flaw size (in cross-section), location (depth), and type (porosity-like or crack-like) can be automatically discerned and displayed. The results and pertinent parameters are recorded.

Ultrasonic guided wave for monitoring corrosion of steel bar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Xi; Qin, Lei; Huang, Bosheng

2018-01-01

Steel corrosion of reinforced concrete structures has become a serious problem all over the word. In this paper, the work aims at monitoring steel corrosion using ultrasonic guided wave (UGW). Ultrasonic guided wave monitoring is a dynamic and non-destructive testing technology. The advantages of ultrasonic guided wave monitoring for reinforcement corrosion are real-time, online and continuous. In addition, it can judge the different stages of steel bar corrosion, which achieved non-destructive detection.

A study of space shuttle structural integrity test and assessment. Part 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, R. E.; Poe, R. G.

1972-01-01

The ultrasonics technique for assessing the structural integrity of the primary surface of the space shuttle vehicles is discussed and evaluated. Analysis was made of transducers, transducer coupling test structure fabrication, flaws, and ultrasonic testing. Graphs of microphone response curves from the initial noise tests, accelerometer response curves from the final noise tests, and microphone curves from the final noise tests are included along with a glossary, bibliography, and results.

Ultrasonic characterization of porosity using the Kramers-Kronig relations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rose, J.H.; Hsu, D.K.; Adler, L.

1985-01-01

A new algorithm is proposed to determine the volume fraction of pores in solids using the frequency dependent ultrasonic attenuation. The algorithm was developed by examining the Kramers-Kronig relation between the porosity induced ultrasonic attenuation and the change in sound velocity. The method is tested using data measured for several porous aluminum samples.

NEET In-Pile Ultrasonic Sensor Enablement-FY 2012 Status Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

JE Daw; JL Rempe; BR Tittmann

2012-09-01

Several Department Of Energy-Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE) programs, such as the Fuel Cycle Research and Development, Advanced Reactor Concepts, Light Water Reactor Sustainability, and Next Generation Nuclear Plant programs, are investigating new fuels and materials for advanced and existing reactors. A key objective of such programs is to understand the performance of these fuels and materials when irradiated. The Nuclear Energy Enabling Technology (NEET) Advanced Sensors and Instrumentation (ASI) in-pile instrumentation development activities are focused upon addressing cross-cutting needs for DOE-NE irradiation testing by providing higher fidelity, real-time data, with increased accuracy and resolution from smaller, compact sensors that are lessmore » intrusive. Ultrasonic technologies offer the potential to measure a range of parameters, including geometry changes, temperature, crack initiation and growth, gas pressure and composition, and microstructural changes, under harsh irradiation test conditions. There are two primary issues associated with in-pile deployment of ultrasonic sensors. The first is transducer survivability. The ability of ultrasonic transducer materials to maintain their useful properties during an irradiation must be demonstrated. The second issue is signal processing. Ultrasonic testing is typically performed in a lab or field environment, where the sensor and sample are accessible. Due to the harsh nature of in-pile testing, and the range of measurements that are desired, an enhanced signal processing capability is needed to make in-pile ultrasonic sensors viable. This project addresses these technology deployment issues.« less

MOSFET-based high voltage short pulse generator for ultrasonic transducer excitation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hidayat, Darmawan; Setianto, Syafei, Nendi Suhendi; Wibawa, Bambang Mukti

2018-02-01

This paper presents the generation of a high-voltage short pulse for the excitation of high frequency ultrasonic transducers. This is highly required in the purpose of various ultrasonic-based evaluations, particularly when high resolution measurement is necessary. A high voltage (+760 V) DC voltage source was pulsated by an ultrafast switching MOSFET which was driven by a pulse generator circuit consisting of an astable multivibrator, a one-shot multivibrator with Schmitt trigger input and a high current MOSFET driver. The generated pulses excited a 200-kHz and a 1-MHz ultrasonic transducers and tested in the transmission mode propagation to evaluate the performances of the generated pulse. The test results showed the generator were able to produce negative spike pulses up to -760 V voltage with the shortest time-width of 107.1 nanosecond. The transmission-received ultrasonic waves show frequency oscillation at 200 and 961 kHz and their amplitudes varied with the voltage of excitation pulse. These results conclude that the developed pulse generator is applicable to excite transducer for the generation of high frequency ultrasonic waves.

21 CFR 882.1925 - Ultrasonic scanner calibration test block.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Ultrasonic scanner calibration test block. 882.1925 Section 882.1925 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES NEUROLOGICAL DEVICES Neurological Diagnostic Devices § 882.1925...

Ultrasonic Fatigue Endurance of Thin Carbon Fiber Sheets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Domínguez Almaraz, Gonzalo M.; Ruiz Vilchez, Julio A.; Dominguez, Aymeric; Meyer, Yann

2016-04-01

Ultrasonic fatigue tests were carried out on thin carbon fiber sheets (0.3 mm of thickness) to determine the fatigue endurance under very high-frequency loading (20 kHz). This material, called the gas diffusion layer (GDL), plays a major role in the overall performances of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). The study of its physical-chemical properties is an on-going subject in the literature; nevertheless, no knowledge is available concerning the high-frequency fatigue endurance. A principal difficulty in carrying out ultrasonic fatigue tests on this material was to determine the dimensions of testing specimen to fit the resonance condition. This aspect was solved by modal numerical simulation: The testing specimen has been a combination of a low-strength steel frame (to facilitate the attachment to the ultrasonic machine and to increase the mass of the specimen), and the carbon fiber hourglass-shape profile. Under resonance condition, a stationary elastic wave is generated along the specimen that induces high stress at the neck section and high displacements at the ends. Results show that fatigue life was close to 3 × 108 cycles when the high Von Misses stress at the neck section was 170 MPa, whereas fatigue life attains the 4.5 × 109 cycles when stress decreases to 117 MPa. Crack initiation and propagation were analyzed, and conclusions were drawn concerning the fatigue endurance of these fiber carbon sheets under ultrasonic fatigue testing.

Laboratory ultrasonic pulse velocity logging for determination of elastic properties from rock core

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blacklock, Natalie Erin

During the development of deep underground excavations spalling and rockbursting have been recognized as significant mechanisms of violent brittle failure. In order to predict whether violent brittle failure will occur, it is important to identify the location of stiffness transitions that are associated with geologic structure. One approach to identify the effect of geologic structures is to apply borehole geophysical tools ahead of the tunnel advance. Stiffness transitions can be identified using mechanical property analysis surveys that combine acoustic velocity and density data to calculate acoustic estimates of elastic moduli. However, logistical concerns arise since the approach must be conducted at the advancing tunnel face. As a result, borehole mechanical property analyses are rarely used. Within this context, laboratory ultrasonic pulse velocity testing has been proposed as a potential alternative to borehole mechanical property analysis since moving the analysis to the laboratory would remove logistical constraints and improve safety for the evaluators. In addition to the traditional method of conducting velocity testing along the core axis, two new methodologies for point-focused testing were developed across the core diameter, and indirectly along intact lengths of drill core. The indirect test procedure was implemented in a continuous ultrasonic velocity test program along 573m of drill core to identify key geologic structures that generated transitions in ultrasonic elastic moduli. The test program was successful at identifying the location of geologic contacts, igneous intrusions, faults and shear structures. Ultrasonic values of Young's modulus and bulk modulus were determined at locations of significant velocity transitions to examine the potential for energy storage and energy release. Comparison of results from different ultrasonic velocity test configurations determined that the indirect test configuration provided underestimates for values of Young's modulus. This indicated that the test procedure will require modifications to improve coupling of the transducers to the core surface. In order to assess whether laboratory testing can be an alternative to borehole surveys, laboratory velocity testing must be directly assessed with results from acoustic borehole logging. There is also potential for the laboratory velocity program to be used to assess small scale stiffness changes, differences in mineral composition and the degree of fracturing of drill core.

An experimental study of ultrasonic vibration and the penetration of granular material

PubMed Central

Firstbrook, David; Worrall, Kevin; Timoney, Ryan; Suñol, Francesc; Gao, Yang

2017-01-01

This work investigates the potential use of direct ultrasonic vibration as an aid to penetration of granular material. Compared with non-ultrasonic penetration, required forces have been observed to reduce by an order of magnitude. Similarly, total consumed power can be reduced by up to 27%, depending on the substrate and ultrasonic amplitude used. Tests were also carried out in high-gravity conditions, displaying a trend that suggests these benefits could be leveraged in lower gravity regimes. PMID:28293134

Ultrasonic Surface Measurements for the investigation of superficial alteration of natural stones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meier, Thomas; Auras, Michael; Bilgili, Filiz; Christen, Sandra; Cristiano, Luigia; Krompholz, Rolf; Mosca, Ilaria; Rose, David

2013-04-01

Seismic waveform analysis is applicable also to the centimeter and decimeter scale for non-destructive testing of pavement, facades, plaster, sculptures, or load-bearing structures like pillars. Mostly transmission measurements are performed and travel-times of first arriving P-waves are considered that have limited resolution for the upper centimeters of an object. In contrast, surface measurements are well suited to quantify superficial alterations of material properties e.g. due to weathering. A number of surface measurements have been carried out in the laboratory as well as on real structures in order to study systematically the information content of ultrasonic waveforms and their variability under real conditions. As a preposition for ultrasonic waveform analysis, reproducible, broad-band measurements have to be carried out with a definite radiation pattern and an about 1 mm accuracy of the measurement geometry. We used special coupling devices for effective ultrasonic surface measurements in the laboratory as well as at real objects. Samples of concrete with varying composition and samples of natural stone - marble, tuff, and sandstone - were repeatedly weathered and tested by ultrasonic measurements. The resistance of the samples to weathering and the penetration depth of the weathering are analyzed. Furthermore, material specific calibration curves for changes in velocities of elastic waves due to weathering can be obtained by these tests. Tests on real structures have been carried out for marble (Schlossbrücke, Berlin) and sandstone (Porta Nigra, Trier). Altogether, these test measurements show clearly that despite of the internal inhomogeneity of many real objects, their surface roughness and topography especially ultrasonic Rayleigh waves are well suited to study material alterations in the upper centimeters. Dispersion of Rayleigh waves may be inverted for shear-wave velocity as a function of depth.

Use of focused ultrasonication in activity-based profiling of deubiquitinating enzymes in tissue.

PubMed

Nanduri, Bindu; Shack, Leslie A; Rai, Aswathy N; Epperson, William B; Baumgartner, Wes; Schmidt, Ty B; Edelmann, Mariola J

2016-12-15

To develop a reproducible tissue lysis method that retains enzyme function for activity-based protein profiling, we compared four different methods to obtain protein extracts from bovine lung tissue: focused ultrasonication, standard sonication, mortar & pestle method, and homogenization combined with standard sonication. Focused ultrasonication and mortar & pestle methods were sufficiently effective for activity-based profiling of deubiquitinases in tissue, and focused ultrasonication also had the fastest processing time. We used focused-ultrasonicator for subsequent activity-based proteomic analysis of deubiquitinases to test the compatibility of this method in sample preparation for activity-based chemical proteomics. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

TESTING AND ACCEPTANCE OF FUEL PLATES FOR RERTR FUEL DEVELOPMENT EXPERIMENTS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

J.M. Wight; G.A. Moore; S.C. Taylor

2008-10-01

This paper discusses how candidate fuel plates for RERTR Fuel Development experiments are examined and tested for acceptance prior to reactor insertion. These tests include destructive and nondestructive examinations (DE and NDE). The DE includes blister annealing for dispersion fuel plates, bend testing of adjacent cladding, and microscopic examination of archive fuel plates. The NDE includes Ultrasonic (UT) scanning and radiography. UT tests include an ultrasonic scan for areas of “debonds” and a high frequency ultrasonic scan to determine the "minimum cladding" over the fuel. Radiography inspections include identifying fuel outside of the maximum fuel zone and measurements and calculationsmore » for fuel density. Details of each test are provided and acceptance criteria are defined. These tests help to provide a high level of confidence the fuel plate will perform in the reactor without a breach in the cladding.« less

Effect of Ultrasonic Melt Treatment on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of 35CrMo Steel Casting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Chen; Li, Fan; Liang, Gen; Mao, Daheng

2018-01-01

Effects of different power ultrasonic on microstructure and mechanical properties of 35CrMo steel casting were investigated using optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and hardness testing. A self-developed experiment apparatus was used for the propagation of ultrasonic vibration into the 35CrMo steel melt to carry out ultrasonic treatment. The experimental results showed that compared to the traditional casting, ultrasonic treatment can obviously change the solidification microstructure of 35CrMo steel, which is changed from coarse dendrites to fined dendrites or equiaxed grains. With the increase of ultrasonic power, equiaxed crystal is remarkably refined and its area is broadened. The micro porosity percentage of ingot casting decreases significantly and the porosity defects can be suppressed under ultrasonic treatment. The mechanical properties of 35CrMo steel ingot after heat treatment were enhanced by ultrasonic treatment: the maximum tensile strength is improved by 8.4% and the maximum elongation increased by 1.5 times.

The Laparosound{trade mark, serif}-an ultrasonic morcellator for use in laparoscopic surgery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malinowski, Igor; Łobodzinski, Suave S.; Paśniczek, Roman

2012-05-01

The laparoscopic surgery has gained presence in the operating room in cases where it is feasible to spare patient trauma and minimize the hospital stay. One unique challenge in laparoscopic/endoscopic surgery is operating and removing tissue volume through keyhole - trocar. The removal of tissues by fragmentation is generally termed morcellation. We proposed a new method for soft tissue morcellation using laparoscopy. A unique ultrasonic laparoscopic surgical device, termed Laparosound{trade mark, serif}, utilizing laparoscopic high amplitude ultrasonic waveguides, operating in edge mode, has been developed that uses the principle of ultrasonic cavitation phenomenon for excision and morcellation of a variety of tissue types. The local ultrasonic acoustic intensity at the distal waveguide tip is sufficiently high that the liquefaction of moist tissue occurs. The mechanism of tissue morcellation is deemed to be cavitation based, therefore is dependant on water content in tissue, and thus its effectiveness depends on tissue type. This results in ultrasound being efficient in moist tissue and sparing dry, collagen rich blood vessels and thus minimizes bleeding. The applications of such device in particular, commonly encountered, could lay in general and ob/gyn laparoscopic surgery, whereas other applications could emerge. The design of power ultrasonic instruments for mass clinical applications poses however unique challenges, such as ability to design and build ultrasonic resonators that last in conditions of ultrasonic fatigue. These highly non-linear devices, whose behavior is hard to predict, have become the challenge of the author of the present paper. The object of work is to design and build an operating device capable of ultrasonic soft tissue morcellation in laparoscopic surgery. This includes heavy computational ultrasonics verified by testing and manufacturing feasibility using titanium biomedical alloys. The prototype Laparosound{trade mark, serif} device has been built and tested. Some of the challenges in design and development of Laparosound{trade mark, serif} ultrasonic laparoscopic morcellator have been presented.

Reducing forces during drilling brittle hard materials by using ultrasonic and variation of coolant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schopf, C.; Rascher, R.

2016-11-01

The process of ultrasonic machining is especially used for brittle hard materials as the additional ultrasonic vibration of the tool at high frequencies and low amplitudes acts like a hammer on the surface. With this technology it is possible to drill holes with lower forces, therefor the machining can be done faster and the worktime is much less than conventionally. A three-axis dynamometer was used to measure the forces, which act between the tool and the sample part. A focus is set on the sharpness of the tool. The results of a test series are based on the Sauer Ultrasonic Grinding Centre. On the same machine it is possible to drill holes in the conventional way. Additional to the ultasonic Input the type an concentration of coolant is important for the Drilling-force. In the test there were three different coolant and three different concentrations tested. The combination of ultrasonic vibration and the right coolant and concentration is the best way to reduce the Forces. Another positive effect is, that lower drilling-forces produce smaller chipping on the edge of the hole. The way to reduce the forces and chipping is the main issue of this paper.

Modelling the attenuation in the ATHENA finite elements code for the ultrasonic testing of austenitic stainless steel welds.

PubMed

Chassignole, B; Duwig, V; Ploix, M-A; Guy, P; El Guerjouma, R

2009-12-01

Multipass welds made in austenitic stainless steel, in the primary circuit of nuclear power plants with pressurized water reactors, are characterized by an anisotropic and heterogeneous structure that disturbs the ultrasonic propagation and makes ultrasonic non-destructive testing difficult. The ATHENA 2D finite element simulation code was developed to help understand the various physical phenomena at play. In this paper, we shall describe the attenuation model implemented in this code to give an account of wave scattering phenomenon through polycrystalline materials. This model is in particular based on the optimization of two tensors that characterize this material on the basis of experimental values of ultrasonic velocities attenuation coefficients. Three experimental configurations, two of which are representative of the industrial welds assessment case, are studied in view of validating the model through comparison with the simulation results. We shall thus provide a quantitative proof that taking into account the attenuation in the ATHENA code dramatically improves the results in terms of the amplitude of the echoes. The association of the code and detailed characterization of a weld's structure constitutes a remarkable breakthrough in the interpretation of the ultrasonic testing on this type of component.

High resolution, high sensitivity, dynamic distributed structural monitoring using optical frequency domain reflectometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kreger, Stephen T.; Sang, Alex K.; Garg, Naman; Michel, Julia

2013-05-01

Fiber-optic ultrasonic transducers are an important component of an active ultrasonic testing system for structural health monitoring. Fiber-optic transducers have several advantages such as small size, light weight, and immunity to electromagnetic interference that make them much more attractive than the current available piezoelectric transducers, especially as embedded and permanent transducers in active ultrasonic testing for structural health monitoring. In this paper, a distributed fiber-optic laser-ultrasound generation based on the ghost-mode of tilted fiber Bragg gratings is studied. The influences of the laser power and laser pulse duration on the laser-ultrasound generation are investigated. The results of this paper are helpful to understand the working principle of this laser-ultrasound method and improve the ultrasonic generation efficiency.

Study of distributed fiber-optic laser-ultrasound generation based on ghost-mode of tilted fiber Bragg gratings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tian, Jiajun; Zhang, Qi; Han, Ming

2013-05-01

Fiber-optic ultrasonic transducers are an important component of an active ultrasonic testing system for structural health monitoring. Fiber-optic transducers have several advantages such as small size, light weight, and immunity to electromagnetic interference that make them much more attractive than the current available piezoelectric transducers, especially as embedded and permanent transducers in active ultrasonic testing for structural health monitoring. In this paper, a distributed fiber-optic laser-ultrasound generation based on the ghost-mode of tilted fiber Bragg gratings is studied. The influences of the laser power and laser pulse duration on the laser-ultrasound generation are investigated. The results of this paper are helpful to understand the working principle of this laser-ultrasound method and improve the ultrasonic generation efficiency.

Ultrasonic Nondestructive Evaluation of PRSEUS Pressure Cube Article in Support of Load Test to Failure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnston, Patrick H.

2013-01-01

The PRSEUS Pressure Cube Test was a joint development effort between the Boeing Company and NASA Langley Research Center, sponsored in part by the Environmentally Responsible Aviation Project and Boeing internal R&D. This Technical Memorandum presents the results of ultrasonic inspections in support of the PRSEUS Pressure Cube Test, and is a companion document with the NASA test report and a report on the acoustic emission measurements made during the test.

Electronic system for floor surface type detection in robotics applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tarapata, Grzegorz; Paczesny, Daniel; Tarasiuk, Łukasz

2016-11-01

The paper reports a recognizing method base on ultrasonic transducers utilized for the surface types detection. Ultra-sonic signal is transmitted toward the examined substrate, then reflected and scattered signal goes back to another ultra-sonic receiver. Thee measuring signal is generated by a piezo-electric transducer located at specified distance from the tested substrate. The detector is a second piezo-electric transducer located next to the transmitter. Depending on thee type of substrate which is exposed by an ultrasonic wave, the signal is partially absorbed inn the material, diffused and reflected towards the receiver. To measure the level of received signal, the dedicated electronic circuit was design and implemented in the presented systems. Such system was designed too recognize two types of floor surface: solid (like concrete, ceramic stiles, wood) and soft (carpets, floor coverings). The method will be applied in electronic detection system dedicated to autonomous cleaning robots due to selection of appropriate cleaning method. This work presents the concept of ultrasonic signals utilization, the design of both the measurement system and the measuring stand and as well number of wide tests results which validates correctness of applied ultrasonic method.

The use of ultrasound for communication by the big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grilliot, Matthew E.

2007-12-01

Communication signals are important regulators of mating behavior in many animals. Various pre- and post-copulatory mechanisms have been suggested to play a role in the reproductive success and mating strategies of many mammals. Recent studies have cited sperm competition as a possible post-copulatory mechanism of selection in bats, but few studies have examined which pre-copulatory mechanisms influence mate selection. Although it is generally accepted that bats emit vocalizations that function for communication purposes as well as the more universally recognized echolocation function, there is lack of actual empirical support for this idea. In this dissertation, I test the hypothesis that ultrasonic vocalizations of big brown bats are sexually dimorphic and differ contextually in the mating season. I used playback experiments to test the response of male and female big brown bats to variations in ultrasonic vocalizations of the opposite sex and to determine if ultrasonic vocalizations are used for mate selection. My data suggest that males were likely to select ultrasonic vocalization of frequently copulating females, but females did not select ultrasonic vocalizations of frequently copulating males over infrequently copulating males. These results suggest that mate selection of male big brown bats is influenced by ultrasonic vocalizations of females.

Ultrasonic measurement of stress in 2219-T87 aluminum plate

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clotfelter, W. N.; Risch, E. R.

1976-01-01

The basic relationship of ultrasonic signal velocity to directional subsurface stress is reviewed. Inappropriateness of dependency on a single correlative value of constant for a three dimensional stress field in metallic materials is discussed. Implementation of conventional ultrasonic nondestructive testing capabilities integrated to provide a composite technique for the measurement of orthogonal stress components is described, and the procedures for performing the preparatory calibration and subsequent stress field measurements are presented. In conclusion, the prime effect of stress on ultrasonic signal velocity occurs only in the direction of material excitation or particle motion.

Muscle Strength Endurance Testing Development Based Photo Transistor with Motion Sensor Ultrasonic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rusdiana, A.

2017-03-01

The endurance of upper-body muscles is one of the most important physical fitness components. As technology develops, the process of test and assessment is now getting digital; for instance, there are a sensor stuck to the shoe (Foot Pod, Polar, and Sunto), Global Positioning System (GPS) and Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS), radar, photo finish, kinematic analysis, and photocells. Those devices aim to analyze the performances and fitness of athletes particularly the endurance of arm, chest, and shoulder muscles. In relation to that, this study attempt to create a software and a hardware for pull-ups through phototransistor with ultrasonic motion sensor. Components needed to develop this device consist of microcontroller MCS-51, photo transistor, light emitting diode, buzzer, ultrasonic sensor, and infrared sensor. The infrared sensor is put under the buffer while the ultrasonic sensor is stuck on the upper pole. The components are integrated with an LED or a laptop made using Visual Basic 12 software. The results show that pull-ups test using digital device (mean; 9.4 rep) is lower than using manual calculation (mean; 11.3 rep). This is due to the fact that digital test requires the test-takers to do pull-ups perfectly.

Errors in measurements by ultrasonic thickness gauges caused by the variation in ultrasonic velocity in constructional steels and metal alloys

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kalinin, V.A.; Tarasenko, V.L.; Tselser, L.B.

1988-09-01

Numerical values of the variation in ultrasonic velocity in constructional metal alloys and the measurement errors related to them are systematized. The systematization is based on the measurement results of the group ultrasonic velocity made in the All-Union Scientific-Research Institute for Nondestructive Testing in 1983-1984 and also on the measurement results of the group velocity made by various authors. The variations in ultrasonic velocity were systematized for carbon, low-alloy, and medium-alloy constructional steels; high-alloy iron base alloys; nickel-base heat-resistant alloys; wrought aluminum constructional alloys; titanium alloys; and cast irons and copper alloys.

Design and performance testing of an ultrasonic linear motor with dual piezoelectric actuators.

PubMed

Smithmaitrie, Pruittikorn; Suybangdum, Panumas; Laoratanakul, Pitak; Muensit, Nantakan

2012-05-01

In this work, design and performance testing of an ultrasonic linear motor with dual piezoelectric actuator patches are studied. The motor system consists of a linear stator, a pre-load weight, and two piezoelectric actuator patches. The piezoelectric actuators are bonded with the linear elastic stator at specific locations. The stator generates propagating waves when the piezoelectric actuators are subjected to harmonic excitations. Vibration characteristics of the linear stator are analyzed and compared with finite element and experimental results. The analytical, finite element, and experimental results show agreement. In the experiments, performance of the ultrasonic linear motor is tested. Relationships between velocity and pre-load weight, velocity and applied voltage, driving force and applied voltage, and velocity and driving force are reported. The design of the dual piezoelectric actuators yields a simpler structure with a smaller number of actuators and lower stator stiffness compared with a conventional design of an ultrasonic linear motor with fully laminated piezoelectric actuators.

Lack of antimicrobial effect on periodontopathic bacteria by ultrasonic and sonic scalers in vitro.

PubMed

Schenk, G; Flemmig, T F; Lob, S; Ruckdeschel, G; Hickel, R

2000-02-01

The purpose of this study was to assess the antimicrobial effects of a sonic and ultrasonic scaler generally used for subgingival scaling on gram-negative and gram-positive periodontopathic bacteria. Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Campylobacter rectus, or Peptostreptococcus micros were suspended in Schaedler's broth medium and treated by a sonic or a magnetostrictive ultrasonic scaler for 30 s and 150 s in vitro. Bacterial suspensions treated by an ultrasonic cell disruptor served as a positive control and untreated bacterial suspensions served as a negative control. Following sonication, samples were serially diluted, streaked on blood agar plates and incubated for 2-5 days at 37 degrees C. Treatment by the sonic or ultrasonic scaler for up to 150 s did not reduce the viability of any of the tested periodontal pathogens. Compared to untreated controls, the viability of A. actinomycetemcomitans and P. gingivalis was significantly (p<0.05) reduced only following ultrasonication with the cell disruptor after 30 s (0.72 and 0.54 log CFU/ml, respectively) and of A. actinomycetemcomitans, P. gingivalis, C. rectus, and P. micros after 150 s (1.98, 1.34, 1.95 and 1.98 log CFU/ml, respectively). The data of the study may indicate that the assessed sonic and ultrasonic scaler used for subgingival debridement do not result in killing of the tested periodontal pathogens.

Analysis of CFRP Joints by Means of T-Pull Mechanical Test and Ultrasonic Defects Detection.

PubMed

Casavola, Caterina; Palano, Fania; De Cillis, Francesco; Tati, Angelo; Terzi, Roberto; Luprano, Vincenza

2018-04-18

Defects detection within a composite component, with the aim of understanding and predicting its mechanical behavior, is of great importance in the aeronautical field because the irregularities of the composite material could compromise functionality. The aim of this paper is to detect defects by means of non-destructive testing (NDT) on T-pull samples made by carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRP) and to evaluate their effect on the mechanical response of the material. Samples, obtained from an industrial stringer having an inclined web and realized with a polymeric filler between cap and web, were subjected to ultrasonic monitoring and then to T-pull mechanical tests. All samples were tested with the same load mode and the same test configuration. An experimental set-up consisting of a semiautomatic C-scan ultrasonic mapping system with a phased array probe was designed and developed, optimizing control parameters and implementing image processing software. The present work is carried out on real composites parts that are characterized by having their intrinsic defectiveness, as opposed to the previous similar results in the literature mainly obtained on composite parts with artificially produced defects. In fact, although samples under study were realized free from defects, ultrasonic mapping found defectiveness inside the material. Moreover, the ultrasonic inspection could be useful in detecting both the location and size of defects. Experimental data were critically analyzed and qualitatively correlated with results of T-pull mechanical tests in order to better understand and explain mechanical behavior in terms of fracture mode.

Analysis of CFRP Joints by Means of T-Pull Mechanical Test and Ultrasonic Defects Detection

PubMed Central

Casavola, Caterina; Palano, Fania; De Cillis, Francesco; Tati, Angelo; Terzi, Roberto; Luprano, Vincenza

2018-01-01

Defects detection within a composite component, with the aim of understanding and predicting its mechanical behavior, is of great importance in the aeronautical field because the irregularities of the composite material could compromise functionality. The aim of this paper is to detect defects by means of non-destructive testing (NDT) on T-pull samples made by carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRP) and to evaluate their effect on the mechanical response of the material. Samples, obtained from an industrial stringer having an inclined web and realized with a polymeric filler between cap and web, were subjected to ultrasonic monitoring and then to T-pull mechanical tests. All samples were tested with the same load mode and the same test configuration. An experimental set-up consisting of a semiautomatic C-scan ultrasonic mapping system with a phased array probe was designed and developed, optimizing control parameters and implementing image processing software. The present work is carried out on real composites parts that are characterized by having their intrinsic defectiveness, as opposed to the previous similar results in the literature mainly obtained on composite parts with artificially produced defects. In fact, although samples under study were realized free from defects, ultrasonic mapping found defectiveness inside the material. Moreover, the ultrasonic inspection could be useful in detecting both the location and size of defects. Experimental data were critically analyzed and qualitatively correlated with results of T-pull mechanical tests in order to better understand and explain mechanical behavior in terms of fracture mode. PMID:29669992

Damage detection techniques for concrete applications.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-08-01

New technological advances in nondestructive testing technology have created the opportunity to better utilize ultrasonic waves to aid in damage detection applications for concrete. This research utilizes an ultrasonic array device for nondestructive...

Ultrasonic frequency selection for aqueous fine cleaning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Becker, Joann F.

1995-01-01

A study was conducted to evaluate ultrasonic cleaning systems for precision cleaning effectiveness for oxygen service hardware. This evaluation was specific for Rocketdyne Division of Rockwell Aerospace alloys and machining soils. Machining lubricants and hydraulic fluid were applied as soils to standardized complex test specimens designed to simulate typical hardware. The study consisted of tests which included 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, and 65 kHz ultrasonic cleaning systems. Two size categories of cleaning systems were evaluated, 3- to 10-gal laboratory size tanks and 35- to 320-gal industrial size tanks. The system properties of cavitation, frequency vs. cleaning effectiveness, the two types of transducers, and the power level of the system vs. size of the cleaning tank were investigated. The data obtained from this study was used to select the ultrasonic tanks for the aqueous fine clean facility installed at Rocketdyne.

Ultrasonic frequency selection for aqueous fine cleaning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Becker, Joann F.

1994-01-01

A study was conducted to evaluate ultrasonic cleaning systems for precision cleaning effectiveness for oxygen service hardware. This evaluation was specific for Rocketdyne Div. of Rockwell Aerospace alloys and machining soils. Machining lubricants and hydraulic fluid were applied as soils to standardized complex test specimens designed to simulate typical hardware. The study consisted of tests which included 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, and 65 kHz ultrasonic cleaning systems. Two size categories of cleaning systems were evaluated, 3- to 10-gal laboratory size tanks and 35- to 320-gal industrial size tanks. The system properties of cavitation; frequency vs. cleaning effectiveness; the two types of transducers; and the power level of the system vs. size of the cleaning tank were investigated. The data obtained from this study was used to select the ultrasonic tanks for the aqueous fine clean facility installed at Rocketdyne.

Research on ultrasonic excitation for the removal of drilling fluid plug, paraffin deposition plug, polymer plug and inorganic scale plug for near-well ultrasonic processing technology.

PubMed

Wang, Zhenjun; Zeng, Jing; Song, Hao; Li, Feng

2017-05-01

Near-well ultrasonic processing technology attracts more attention due to its simple operation, high adaptability, low cost and no pollution to the formation. Although this technology has been investigated in detail through laboratory experiments and field tests, systematic and intensive researches are absent for certain major aspects, such as whether ultrasonic excitation is better than chemical agent for any plugs removal; whether ultrasound-chemical combination plug removal technology has the best plugs removal effect. In this paper, the comparison of removing drilling fluid plug, paraffin deposition plug, polymer plug and inorganic scale plug using ultrasonic excitation, chemical agent and ultrasound-chemical combination plug removal technology is investigated. Results show that the initial core permeability and ultrasonic frequency play a significant role in plug removal. Ultrasonic excitation and chemical agent have different impact on different plugs. The comparison results show that the effect of removing any plugs using ultrasound-chemicals composite plug removal technology is obviously better than that using ultrasonic excitation or chemical agent alone. Such conclusion proves that ultrasonic excitation and chemical agent can cause synergetic effects. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of ultrasonic treatment on amylose-lipid complex formation and properties of sweet potato starch-based films.

PubMed

Liu, Pengfei; Wang, Rui; Kang, Xuemin; Cui, Bo; Yu, Bin

2018-06-01

To investigate the effect of ultrasonic treatment on the properties of sweet potato starch and sweet potato starch-based films, the complexing index, thermograms and diffractograms of the sweet potato starch-lauric acid composite were tested, and light transmission, microstructure, and mechanical and moisture barrier properties of the films were measured. The results indicated that the low power density ultrasound was beneficial to the formation of an inclusion complex. In thermograms, the gelatinization enthalpies of the ultrasonically treated starches were lower than those of the untreated sample. With the ultrasonic amplitude increased from 40% to 70%, the melting enthalpy (ΔH) of the inclusion complex gradually decreased. X-ray diffraction revealed that the diffraction intensity of the untreated samples was weaker than that of the ultrasonically treated samples. When the ultrasonic amplitude was above 40%, the diffraction intensity and relative crystallinity of inclusion complex gradually decreased. The scanning electronic microscope showed that the surface of the composite films became smooth after being treated by ultrasonication. Ultrasonication led to a reduction in film surface roughness under atomic force microscopy analysis. The films with ultrasonic treatment exhibited higher light transmission, lower elongation at break, higher tensile strength and better moisture barrier property than those without ultrasonic treatment. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[Research in high frequency ultrasonic for degradation of azo dye wastewater containing MX-5B].

PubMed

Xie, Wei-Ping; Qin, Yan; Zou, Yuan; He, De-Wen; Song, Dan

2010-09-01

The degradation of azo dye wastewater, containing MX-5B, was investigated by using high frequency ultrasonic irradiation. The effect of different factors like the initial pH of solution, sonolysis parameters, air-blowing, Fe2+ concentration were studied, the synergistic action of complex frequency and the mechanism of degradation was explored primarily. The results show that MX-5B in aqueous solution can be degraded efficiently by ultrasonic irradiation, when the pH 3.5, ultrasonic frequency 418.3 kHz, ultrasonic power 69 W, color removal rate up to 100% in 180 min. Adding of Fe2+ and blowing air had some effects. The results also indicated that radical-oxidation controlled the ultrasonic decompose of MX-5B and MX-5B ultrasonic removal was observed to behave as pseudo-first-order kinetics under different experimental conditions tested in the present work. Comparison of UV-Vis absorption spectrums before and after treatment showed that all of the conjugate structure and part of aromatic structure were destroyed after being ultrasonic irradiation.

Application of laser ultrasonic method for on-line monitoring of friction stir spot welding process.

PubMed

Zhang, Kuanshuang; Zhou, Zhenggan; Zhou, Jianghua

2015-09-01

Application of a laser ultrasonic method is developed for on-line monitoring of the friction stir spot welding (FSSW) process. Based on the technology of FSSW, laser-generated ultrasonic waves in a good weld and nonweld area are simulated by a finite element method. The reflected and transmitted waves are analyzed to disclose the properties of the welded interface. The noncontact-laser ultrasonic-inspection system was established to verify the numerical results. The reflected waves in the good-weld and nonweld area can be distinguished by time-of-flight. The transmitted waves evidently attenuate in the nonweld area in contrast to signal amplitude in the good weld area because of interfacial impedance difference. Laser ultrasonic C-scan images can sufficiently evaluate the intrinsic character of the weld area in comparison with traditional water-immersion ultrasonic testing results. The research results confirm that laser ultrasonics would be an effective method to realize the characterization of FSSW defects.

Evaluation of correlation between physical properties and ultrasonic pulse velocity of fired clay samples.

PubMed

Özkan, İlker; Yayla, Zeliha

2016-03-01

The aim of this study is to establish a correlation between physical properties and ultrasonic pulse velocity of clay samples fired at elevated temperatures. Brick-making clay and pottery clay were studied for this purpose. The physical properties of clay samples were assessed after firing pressed clay samples separately at temperatures of 850, 900, 950, 1000, 1050 and 1100 °C. A commercial ultrasonic testing instrument (Proceq Pundit Lab) was used to evaluate the ultrasonic pulse velocity measurements for each fired clay sample as a function of temperature. It was observed that there became a relationship between physical properties and ultrasonic pulse velocities of the samples. The results showed that in consequence of increasing densification of the samples, the differences between the ultrasonic pulse velocities were higher with increasing temperature. These findings may facilitate the use of ultrasonic pulse velocity for the estimation of physical properties of fired clay samples. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

High Temperature Ultrasonic Probe and Pulse-Echo Probe Mounting Fixture for Testing and Blind Alignment on Steam Pipes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lih, Shyh-Shiuh (Inventor); Takano, Nobuyuki (Inventor); Lee, Hyeong Jae (Inventor); Bao, Xiaoqi (Inventor); Badescu, Mircea (Inventor); Bar-Cohen, Yoseph (Inventor); Sherrit, Stewart (Inventor); Ostlund, Patrick N. (Inventor)

2017-01-01

A high temperature ultrasonic probe and a mounting fixture for attaching and aligning the probe to a steam pipe using blind alignment. The high temperature ultrasonic probe includes a piezoelectric transducer having a high temperature. The probe provides both transmitting and receiving functionality. The mounting fixture allows the high temperature ultrasonic probe to be accurately aligned to the bottom external surface of the steam pipe so that the presence of liquid water in the steam pipe can be monitored. The mounting fixture with a mounted high temperature ultrasonic probe are used to conduct health monitoring of steam pipes and to track the height of condensed water through the wall in real-time.

Experiment and numerical simulation for laser ultrasonic measurement of residual stress.

PubMed

Zhan, Yu; Liu, Changsheng; Kong, Xiangwei; Lin, Zhongya

2017-01-01

Laser ultrasonic is a most promising method for non-destructive evaluation of residual stress. The residual stress of thin steel plate is measured by laser ultrasonic technique. The pre-stress loading device is designed which can easily realize the condition of the specimen being laser ultrasonic tested at the same time in the known stress state. By the method of pre-stress loading, the acoustoelastic constants are obtained and the effect of different test directions on the results of surface wave velocity measurement is discussed. On the basis of known acoustoelastic constants, the longitudinal and transverse welding residual stresses are measured by the laser ultrasonic technique. The finite element method is used to simulate the process of surface wave detection of welding residual stress. The pulsed laser is equivalent to the surface load and the relationship between the physical parameters of the laser and the load is established by the correction coefficient. The welding residual stress of the specimen is realized by the ABAQUS function module of predefined field. The results of finite element analysis are in good agreement with the experimental method. The simple and effective numerical and experimental methods for laser ultrasonic measurement of residual stress are demonstrated. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

An Accelerated Method for Testing Soldering Tendency of Core Pins

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Han, Qingyou; Xu, Hanbing; Ried, Paul

2010-01-01

An accelerated method for testing die soldering has been developed. High intensity ultrasonic vibrations has been used to simulate the die casting conditions such as high pressure and high impingement speed of molten metal on the pin. Soldering tendency of steels and coated pins has been examined. The results indicate that in the low carbon steel/Al system, the onset of soldering is 60 times faster with ultrasonic vibration than that without ultrasonic vibration. In the H13/A380 system, the onset of soldering reaction is accelerated to 30-60 times. Coating significantly reduces the soldering tendency of the core pins.

Temperature compensation of ultrasonic velocity during the malolactic fermentation process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amer, M. A.; Novoa-Díaz, D.; Chávez, J. A.; Turó, A.; García-Hernández, M. J.; Salazar, J.

2015-12-01

Ultrasonic properties of materials present a strong dependence on temperature and in turn the ultrasonic velocity of propagation in the material under test. It is precisely for this reason that most ultrasonic measurements are often carried out with thermostated samples by using either water tanks or climate chambers. This approach is viable in a laboratory and when the measured or characterized samples are relatively small. However, this procedure is highly improbable to be applied when in situ measurements in industrial environments must be performed. This goes for the case of, for example, ultrasonic velocity measurements in wine while it is performing malolactic fermentation inside a tank of hundreds of thousands of litres. In this paper two different practical approaches to temperature compensation are studied. Then, the two temperature compensation methods are applied to the measured ultrasonic velocity values along a whole malolactic fermentation process. The results of each method are discussed.

Ultrasonic dyeing of cellulose nanofibers.

PubMed

Khatri, Muzamil; Ahmed, Farooq; Jatoi, Abdul Wahab; Mahar, Rasool Bux; Khatri, Zeeshan; Kim, Ick Soo

2016-07-01

Textile dyeing assisted by ultrasonic energy has attained a greater interest in recent years. We report ultrasonic dyeing of nanofibers for the very first time. We chose cellulose nanofibers and dyed with two reactive dyes, CI reactive black 5 and CI reactive red 195. The cellulose nanofibers were prepared by electrospinning of cellulose acetate (CA) followed by deacetylation. The FTIR results confirmed complete conversion of CA into cellulose nanofibers. Dyeing parameters optimized were dyeing temperature, dyeing time and dye concentrations for each class of the dye used. Results revealed that the ultrasonic dyeing produced higher color yield (K/S values) than the conventional dyeing. The color fastness test results depicted good dye fixation. SEM analysis evidenced that ultrasonic energy during dyeing do not affect surface morphology of nanofibers. The results conclude successful dyeing of cellulose nanofibers using ultrasonic energy with better color yield and color fastness results than conventional dyeing. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of Ultrasonics-Assisted Face Milling on Surface Integrity and Fatigue Life of Ni-Alloy 718

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suárez, Alfredo; Veiga, Fernando; de Lacalle, Luis N. López; Polvorosa, Roberto; Lutze, Steffen; Wretland, Anders

2016-11-01

This work investigates the effects of ultrasonic vibration-assisted milling on important aspects such us material surface integrity, tool wear, cutting forces and fatigue resistance. As an alternative to natural application of ultrasonic milling in brittle materials, in this study, ultrasonics have been applied to a difficult-to-cut material, Alloy 718, very common in high-temperature applications. Results show alterations in the sub-superficial part of the material which could influence fatigue resistance of the material, as it has been observed in a fatigue test campaign of specimens obtained with the application of ultrasonic milling in comparison with another batch obtained applying conventional milling. Tool wear pattern was found to be very similar for both milling technologies, concluding the study with the analysis of cutting forces, exhibiting certain improvement in case of the application of ultrasonic milling with a more stable evolution.

Elastic-plastic cube model for ultrasonic friction reduction via Poisson's effect.

PubMed

Dong, Sheng; Dapino, Marcelo J

2014-01-01

Ultrasonic friction reduction has been studied experimentally and theoretically. This paper presents a new elastic-plastic cube model which can be applied to various ultrasonic lubrication cases. A cube is used to represent all the contacting asperities of two surfaces. Friction force is considered as the product of the tangential contact stiffness and the deformation of the cube. Ultrasonic vibrations are projected onto three orthogonal directions, separately changing contact parameters and deformations. Hence, the overall change of friction forces. Experiments are conducted to examine ultrasonic friction reduction using different materials under normal loads that vary from 40 N to 240 N. Ultrasonic vibrations are generated both in longitudinal and vertical (out-of-plane) directions by way of the Poisson effect. The tests show up to 60% friction reduction; model simulations describe the trends observed experimentally. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Risk assessment of turbine rotor failure using probabilistic ultrasonic non-destructive evaluations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guan, Xuefei; Zhang, Jingdan; Zhou, S. Kevin; Rasselkorde, El Mahjoub; Abbasi, Waheed A.

2014-02-01

The study presents a method and application of risk assessment methodology for turbine rotor fatigue failure using probabilistic ultrasonic nondestructive evaluations. A rigorous probabilistic modeling for ultrasonic flaw sizing is developed by incorporating the model-assisted probability of detection, and the probability density function (PDF) of the actual flaw size is derived. Two general scenarios, namely the ultrasonic inspection with an identified flaw indication and the ultrasonic inspection without flaw indication, are considered in the derivation. To perform estimations for fatigue reliability and remaining useful life, uncertainties from ultrasonic flaw sizing and fatigue model parameters are systematically included and quantified. The model parameter PDF is estimated using Bayesian parameter estimation and actual fatigue testing data. The overall method is demonstrated using a realistic application of steam turbine rotor, and the risk analysis under given safety criteria is provided to support maintenance planning.

Detection of defects in multi-layered aramid composites by ultrasonic IR thermography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pracht, Monika; Swiderski, Waldemar

2017-10-01

In military applications, laminates reinforced with aramid, carbon, and glass fibers are used for the construction of protection products against light ballistics. Material layers can be very different by their physical properties. Therefore, such materials represent a difficult inspection task for many traditional techniques of non-destructive testing (NDT). Defects which can appear in this type of many-layered composite materials usually are inaccuracies in gluing composite layers and stratifications or delaminations occurring under hits of fragments and bullets. IR thermographic NDT is considered as a candidate technique to detect such defects. One of the active IR thermography methods used in nondestructive testing is vibrothermography. The term vibrothermography was created in the 1990s to determine the thermal test procedures designed to assess the hidden heterogeneity of structural materials based on surface temperature fields at cyclical mechanical loads. A similar procedure can be done with sound and ultrasonic stimulation of the material, because the cause of an increase in temperature is internal friction between the wall defect and the stimulation mechanical waves. If the cyclic loading does not exceed the flexibility of the material and the rate of change is not large, the heat loss due to thermal conductivity is small, and the test object returns to its original shape and temperature. The most commonly used method is ultrasonic stimulation, and the testing technique is ultrasonic infrared thermography. Ultrasonic IR thermography is based on two basic phenomena. First, the elastic properties of defects differ from the surroundings, and acoustic damping and heating are always larger in the damaged regions than in the undamaged or homogeneous areas. Second, the heat transfer in the sample is dependent on its thermal properties. In this paper, both modelling and experimental results which illustrate the advantages and limitations of ultrasonic IR thermography in inspecting multi-layered aramide composite materials will be presented.

Monitoring of freeze-thaw cycles in concrete using embedded sensors and ultrasonic imaging.

PubMed

Ranz, Javier; Aparicio, Sofía; Romero, Héctor; Casati, María Jesús; Molero, Miguel; González, Margarita

2014-01-29

This paper deals with the study of damage produced during freeze-thaw (F-T) cycles using two non-destructive measurement approaches-the first approach devoted to continuous monitoring using embedded sensors during the cycles, and the second one, performing ultrasonic imaging before and after the cycles. Both methodologies have been tested in two different types of concrete specimens, with and without air-entraining agents. Using the first measurement approach, the size and distribution of pores were estimated using a thermoporometrical model and continuous measurements of temperature and ultrasonic velocity along cycles. These estimates have been compared with the results obtained using mercury porosimetry testing. In the second approach, the damage due to F-T cycles has been evaluated by automated ultrasonic transmission and pulse-echo inspections made before and after the cycles. With these inspections the variations in the dimensions, velocity and attenuation caused by the accelerated F-T cycles were determined.

Monitoring of Freeze-Thaw Cycles in Concrete Using Embedded Sensors and Ultrasonic Imaging

PubMed Central

Ranz, Javier; Aparicio, Sofía; Romero, Héctor; Casati, María Jesús; Molero, Miguel; González, Margarita

2014-01-01

This paper deals with the study of damage produced during freeze-thaw (F-T) cycles using two non-destructive measurement approaches—the first approach devoted to continuous monitoring using embedded sensors during the cycles, and the second one, performing ultrasonic imaging before and after the cycles. Both methodologies have been tested in two different types of concrete specimens, with and without air-entraining agents. Using the first measurement approach, the size and distribution of pores were estimated using a thermoporometrical model and continuous measurements of temperature and ultrasonic velocity along cycles. These estimates have been compared with the results obtained using mercury porosimetry testing. In the second approach, the damage due to F-T cycles has been evaluated by automated ultrasonic transmission and pulse-echo inspections made before and after the cycles. With these inspections the variations in the dimensions, velocity and attenuation caused by the accelerated F-T cycles were determined. PMID:24481231

A preliminary investigation of acousto-ultrasonic NDE of metal matrix composite test specimens

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kautz, Harold E.; Lerch, Brad A.

1991-01-01

Acousto-ultrasonic (AU) measurements were performed on a series of tensile specimens composed of 8 laminated layers of continuous, SiC fiber reinforced Ti-15-3 matrix. The following subject areas are covered: AU signal analysis; tensile behavior; AU and interrupted tensile tests; AU and thermally cycled specimens; AU and stiffness; and AU and specimen geometry.

Out-of-plane ultrasonic velocity measurement

DOEpatents

Hall, M.S.; Brodeur, P.H.; Jackson, T.G.

1998-07-14

A method for improving the accuracy of measuring the velocity and time of flight of ultrasonic signals through moving web-like materials such as paper, paperboard and the like, includes a pair of ultrasonic transducers disposed on opposing sides of a moving web-like material. In order to provide acoustical coupling between the transducers and the web-like material, the transducers are disposed in fluid-filled wheels. Errors due to variances in the wheel thicknesses about their circumference which can affect time of flight measurements and ultimately the mechanical property being tested are compensated by averaging the ultrasonic signals for a predetermined number of revolutions. The invention further includes a method for compensating for errors resulting from the digitization of the ultrasonic signals. More particularly, the invention includes a method for eliminating errors known as trigger jitter inherent with digitizing oscilloscopes used to digitize the signals for manipulation by a digital computer. In particular, rather than cross-correlate ultrasonic signals taken during different sample periods as is known in the art in order to determine the time of flight of the ultrasonic signal through the moving web, a pulse echo box is provided to enable cross-correlation of predetermined transmitted ultrasonic signals with predetermined reflected ultrasonic or echo signals during the sample period. By cross-correlating ultrasonic signals in the same sample period, the error associated with trigger jitter is eliminated. 20 figs.

Out-of-plane ultrasonic velocity measurement

DOEpatents

Hall, Maclin S.; Brodeur, Pierre H.; Jackson, Theodore G.

1998-01-01

A method for improving the accuracy of measuring the velocity and time of flight of ultrasonic signals through moving web-like materials such as paper, paperboard and the like, includes a pair of ultrasonic transducers disposed on opposing sides of a moving web-like material. In order to provide acoustical coupling between the transducers and the web-like material, the transducers are disposed in fluid-filled wheels. Errors due to variances in the wheel thicknesses about their circumference which can affect time of flight measurements and ultimately the mechanical property being tested are compensated by averaging the ultrasonic signals for a predetermined number of revolutions. The invention further includes a method for compensating for errors resulting from the digitization of the ultrasonic signals. More particularly, the invention includes a method for eliminating errors known as trigger jitter inherent with digitizing oscilloscopes used to digitize the signals for manipulation by a digital computer. In particular, rather than cross-correlate ultrasonic signals taken during different sample periods as is known in the art in order to determine the time of flight of the ultrasonic signal through the moving web, a pulse echo box is provided to enable cross-correlation of predetermined transmitted ultrasonic signals with predetermined reflected ultrasonic or echo signals during the sample period. By cross-correlating ultrasonic signals in the same sample period, the error associated with trigger jitter is eliminated.

Noncontact acousto-ultrasonics using laser generation and laser interferometric detection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Green, Robert E., Jr.; Huber, Robert D.

1991-01-01

A compact, portable fiber-optic heterodyne interferometer designed to detect out-of-plane motion on surfaces is described. The interferometer provides a linear output for displacements over a broad frequency range and can be used for ultrasonic, acoustic emission, and acousto-ultrasonic (AU) testing. The interferometer in conjunction with a compact pulsed Nd:YAG laser represents a noncontact testing system. This system was tested to determine its usefulness for the AU technique. The results obtained show that replacement of conventional piezoelectric transducers (PZT) with a laser generation/detection system make it possible to carry out noncontact AU measurements. The waveforms recorded were 5 MHZ PZT-generated ultrasound propagating through an aluminum block, detection of the acoustic emission event, and laser AU waveforms from graphite-epoxy laminates and a filament-wound composite.

Ultrasonic assessment of additive manufactured Ti-6Al-4V

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schehl, Norman; Kramb, Vicki; Dierken, Josiah; Aldrin, John; Schwalbach, Edwin; John, Reji

2018-04-01

Additive Manufacturing (AM) processes offer the potential for manufacturing cost savings and rapid insertion into service through production of near net shape components for complicated structures. Use of these parts in high reliability applications such as those in the aerospace industry will require nondestructive characterization methods to ensure post-process material quality in as-built condition. Ultrasonic methods can be used for this quality verification. Depending on the application, the service life of AM components can be sensitive to the part surface condition. The surface roughness and layered structure inherent to the electron-beam powder-bed fusion process necessitates new approaches to evaluate subsurface material integrity in its presence. Experimental methods and data analytics may improve the evaluation of as-built additively manufactured materials. This paper discusses the assessment of additively manufactured EBM Ti-6Al-4V panels using ultrasonic methods and the data analytics applied to evaluate material integrity. The assessment was done as an exploratory study as the discontinuities of interest in these test samples were not known when the measurements were performed. Water immersion ultrasonic techniques, including pulse-echo and through transmission with 10 MHz focused transducers, were used to explore the material integrity of as-built plates. Subsequent destructive mechanical tests of specimens extracted from the plates provided fracture locations indicating critical flaws. To further understand the effect of surface-roughness, an evaluation of ultrasonic response in the presence of as-built surfaces and with the surface removed was performed. The assessment of additive manufactured EBM Ti-6Al-4V panels with ultrasonic techniques indicated that ultrasonic energy was attenuated by the as-built surface roughness. In addition, feature detection was shown to be sensitive to experimental ultrasonic parameters and flaw morphology.

Development of an automated ultrasonic testing system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shuxiang, Jiao; Wong, Brian Stephen

2005-04-01

Non-Destructive Testing is necessary in areas where defects in structures emerge over time due to wear and tear and structural integrity is necessary to maintain its usability. However, manual testing results in many limitations: high training cost, long training procedure, and worse, the inconsistent test results. A prime objective of this project is to develop an automatic Non-Destructive testing system for a shaft of the wheel axle of a railway carriage. Various methods, such as the neural network, pattern recognition methods and knowledge-based system are used for the artificial intelligence problem. In this paper, a statistical pattern recognition approach, Classification Tree is applied. Before feature selection, a thorough study on the ultrasonic signals produced was carried out. Based on the analysis of the ultrasonic signals, three signal processing methods were developed to enhance the ultrasonic signals: Cross-Correlation, Zero-Phase filter and Averaging. The target of this step is to reduce the noise and make the signal character more distinguishable. Four features: 1. The Auto Regressive Model Coefficients. 2. Standard Deviation. 3. Pearson Correlation 4. Dispersion Uniformity Degree are selected. And then a Classification Tree is created and applied to recognize the peak positions and amplitudes. Searching local maximum is carried out before feature computing. This procedure reduces much computation time in the real-time testing. Based on this algorithm, a software package called SOFRA was developed to recognize the peaks, calibrate automatically and test a simulated shaft automatically. The automatic calibration procedure and the automatic shaft testing procedure are developed.

Quantitative ultrasonic testing of acoustically anisotropic materials with verification on austenitic and dissimilar weld joints

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boller, C.; Pudovikov, S.; Bulavinov, A.

2012-05-01

Austenitic stainless steel materials are widely used in a variety of industry sectors. In particular, the material is qualified to meet the design criteria of high quality in safety related applications. For example, the primary loop of the most of the nuclear power plants in the world, due to high durability and corrosion resistance, is made of this material. Certain operating conditions may cause a range of changes in the integrity of the component, and therefore require nondestructive testing at reasonable intervals. These in-service inspections are often performed using ultrasonic techniques, in particular when cracking is of specific concern. However, the coarse, dendritic grain structure of the weld material, formed during the welding process, is extreme and unpredictably anisotropic. Such structure is no longer direction-independent to the ultrasonic wave propagation; therefore, the ultrasonic beam deflects and redirects and the wave front becomes distorted. Thus, the use of conventional ultrasonic testing techniques using fixed beam angles is very limited and the application of ultrasonic Phased Array techniques becomes desirable. The "Sampling Phased Array" technique, invented and developed by Fraunhofer IZFP, allows the acquisition of time signals (A-scans) for each individual transducer element of the array along with fast image reconstruction techniques based on synthetic focusing algorithms. The reconstruction considers the sound propagation from each image pixel to the individual sensor element. For anisotropic media, where the sound beam is deflected and the sound path is not known a-priori, a novel phase adjustment technique called "Reverse Phase Matching" is implemented. By taking into account the anisotropy and inhomogeneity of the weld structure, a ray tracing algorithm for modeling the acoustic wave propagation and calculating the sound propagation time is applied. This technique can be utilized for 2D and 3D real time image reconstruction. The "Gradient Constant Descent Method" (GECDM), an iterative algorithm, is implemented, which is essential for examination of inhomogeneous anisotropic media having unknown properties (elastic constants). The Sampling Phased Array technique with Reverse Phase Matching extended by GECDM-technique determines unknown elastic constants and provides reliable and efficient quantitative flaw detection in the austenitic welds. The validation of ray-tracing algorithm and GECDM-method is performed by number of experiments on test specimens with artificial as well as natural material flaws. A mechanized system for ultrasonic testing of stainless steel and dissimilar welds is developed. The system works on both conventional and Sampling Phased Array techniques. The new frontend ultrasonic unit with optical data link allows the 3D visualization of the inspection results in real time.

A stepped-plate bi-frequency source for generating a difference frequency sound with a parametric array.

PubMed

Je, Yub; Lee, Haksue; Park, Jongkyu; Moon, Wonkyu

2010-06-01

An ultrasonic radiator is developed to generate a difference frequency sound from two frequencies of ultrasound in air with a parametric array. A design method is proposed for an ultrasonic radiator capable of generating highly directive, high-amplitude ultrasonic sound beams at two different frequencies in air based on a modification of the stepped-plate ultrasonic radiator. The stepped-plate ultrasonic radiator was introduced by Gallego-Juarez et al. [Ultrasonics 16, 267-271 (1978)] in their previous study and can effectively generate highly directive, large-amplitude ultrasonic sounds in air, but only at a single frequency. Because parametric array sources must be able to generate sounds at more than one frequency, a design modification is crucial to the application of a stepped-plate ultrasonic radiator as a parametric array source in air. The aforementioned method was employed to design a parametric radiator for use in air. A prototype of this design was constructed and tested to determine whether it could successfully generate a difference frequency sound with a parametric array. The results confirmed that the proposed single small-area transducer was suitable as a parametric radiator in air.

Fabrication and comparison of PMN-PT single crystal, PZT and PZT-based 1-3 composite ultrasonic transducers for NDE applications.

PubMed

Kim, Ki-Bok; Hsu, David K; Ahn, Bongyoung; Kim, Young-Gil; Barnard, Daniel J

2010-08-01

This paper describes fabrication and comparison of PMN-PT single crystal, PZT, and PZT-based 1-3 composite ultrasonic transducers for NDE applications. As a front matching layer between test material (Austenite stainless steel, SUS316) and piezoelectric materials, alumina ceramics was selected. The appropriate acoustic impedance of the backing materials for each transducer was determined based on the results of KLM model simulation. Prototype ultrasonic transducers with the center frequencies of approximately 2.25 and 5MHz for contact measurement were fabricated and compared to each other. The PMN-PT single crystal ultrasonic transducer shows considerably improved performance in sensitivity over the PZT and PZT-based 1-3 composite ultrasonic transducers. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

NTIAC Handbook. Revision/Supplement Number 1

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-06-01

Engi- neering, Ceramics Bldg., 22-17, 2-Chrome, Hyakunincho, Shinjiku-ku, Tokyo, Japan NTIAC-023416 4 Yamanouchi, Kazuhiko; Sachse, Wolfgang "Shear...tional Bureau of Standards, Washington, DC 20234 NTIAC-022425M Sachse, Wolfgang ; Pao, Yih-Hsing "Ultrasonic Nondestructive Testing of Materials...burg, MD, NBS SP 596, 395-406; National Bureau of Standards, Washington, DC 29234 Pao, Yih-Hsing; Sachse, Wolfgang "Ultrasonic Nondestructive Testing of

Ultrasonic detection of solid phase mass flow ratio of pneumatic conveying fly ash

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duan, Guang Bin; Pan, Hong Li; Wang, Yong; Liu, Zong Ming

2014-04-01

In this paper, ultrasonic attenuation detection and weight balance are adopted to evaluate the solid mass ratio in this paper. Fly ash is transported on the up extraction fluidization pneumatic conveying workbench. In the ultrasonic test. McClements model and Bouguer-Lambert-Beer law model were applied to formulate the ultrasonic attenuation properties of gas-solid flow, which can give the solid mass ratio. While in the method of weigh balance, the averaged mass addition per second can reveal the solids mass flow ratio. By contrast these two solid phase mass ratio detection methods, we can know, the relative error is less.

A multi points ultrasonic detection method for material flow of belt conveyor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Li; He, Rongjun

2018-03-01

For big detection error of single point ultrasonic ranging technology used in material flow detection of belt conveyor when coal distributes unevenly or is large, a material flow detection method of belt conveyor is designed based on multi points ultrasonic counter ranging technology. The method can calculate approximate sectional area of material by locating multi points on surfaces of material and belt, in order to get material flow according to running speed of belt conveyor. The test results show that the method has smaller detection error than single point ultrasonic ranging technology under the condition of big coal with uneven distribution.

Comparison of suction device with saliva ejector for aerosol and spatter reduction during ultrasonic scaling.

PubMed

Holloman, Jessica L; Mauriello, Sally M; Pimenta, Luiz; Arnold, Roland R

2015-01-01

Aerosols and spatter are concerns in health care owing to their potential adverse health effects. The Isolite illuminated isolation system (Isolite Systems) and a saliva ejector were compared for aerosol and spatter reduction during and after ultrasonic scaling. Fifty participants were randomized to control (n = 25, saliva ejector) or test (n = 25, Isolite) groups and received a prophylaxis with an ultrasonic scaler. Aerosols were collected in a petri dish containing transport media, dispersed, and plated to anaerobic blood agar to determine colony-forming units (CFUs). The authors analyzed the data using a t test. No significant difference occurred between groups in aerosol and spatter reduction (P = .25). Mean (standard deviation) of log10 CFUs per milliliter collected during ultrasonic scaling in the control and test groups were 3.61 (0.95) and 3.30 (0.88), respectively. All samples contained α-hemolytic streptococci, and many samples contained strictly oral anaerobes. A significant amount of contamination occurred during ultrasonic scaling in both groups, as indicated by high numbers of CFUs and the identification of strictly oral anaerobes in all plates. Neither device reduced aerosols and spatter effectively, and there was no significant difference in reduction between the 2 devices. Additional measures should be taken with these devices to reduce the likelihood of disease transmission. Copyright © 2015 American Dental Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Ultrasonic cleaning of conveyor belt materials using Listeria monocytogenes as a model organism.

PubMed

Tolvanén, Riina; Lunden, Janne; Korkeala, Hannu; Wirtanen, Gun

2007-03-01

Persistent Listeria monocytogenes contamination of food industry equipment is a difficult problem to solve. Ultrasonic cleaning offers new possibilities for cleaning conveyors and other equipment that are not easy to clean. Ultrasonic cleaning was tested on three conveyor belt materials: polypropylene, acetal, and stainless steel (cold-rolled, AISI 304). Cleaning efficiency was tested at two temperatures (30 and 45 degrees C) and two cleaning times (30 and 60 s) with two cleaning detergents (KOH, and NaOH combined with KOH). Conveyor belt materials were soiled with milk-based soil and L. monocytogenes strains V1, V3, and B9, and then incubated for 72 h to attach bacteria to surfaces. Ultrasonic cleaning treatments reduced L. monocytogenes counts on stainless steel 4.61 to 5.90 log units; on acetal, 3.37 to 5.55 log units; and on polypropylene, 2.31 to 4.40 log units. The logarithmic reduction differences were statistically analyzed by analysis of variance using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software. The logarithmic reduction was significantly greater in stainless steel than in plastic materials (P < 0.001 for polypropylene, P = 0.023 for acetal). Higher temperatures enhanced the cleaning efficiency in tested materials. No significant difference occurred between cleaning times. The logarithmic reduction was significantly higher (P = 0.013) in cleaning treatments with potassium hydroxide detergent. In this study, ultrasonic cleaning was efficient for cleaning conveyor belt materials.

NDE application of ultrasonic tomography to a full-scale concrete structure.

PubMed

Choi, Hajin; Popovics, John S

2015-06-01

Newly developed ultrasonic imaging technology for large concrete elements, based on tomographic reconstruction, is presented. The developed 3-D internal images (velocity tomograms) are used to detect internal defects (polystyrene foam and pre-cracked concrete prisms) that represent structural damage within a large steel reinforced concrete element. A hybrid air-coupled/contact transducer system is deployed. Electrostatic air-coupled transducers are used to generate ultrasonic energy and contact accelerometers are attached on the opposing side of the concrete element to detect the ultrasonic pulses. The developed hybrid testing setup enables collection of a large amount of high-quality, through-thickness ultrasonic data without surface preparation to the concrete. The algebraic reconstruction technique is used to reconstruct p-wave velocity tomograms from the obtained time signal data. A comparison with a one-sided ultrasonic imaging method is presented for the same specimen. Through-thickness tomography shows some benefit over one-sided imaging for highly reinforced concrete elements. The results demonstrate that the proposed through-thickness ultrasonic technique shows great potential for evaluation of full-scale concrete structures in the field.

Optimization of ultrasonication period for better dispersion and stability of TiO2-water nanofluid.

PubMed

Mahbubul, I M; Elcioglu, Elif Begum; Saidur, R; Amalina, M A

2017-07-01

Nanofluids are promising in many fields, including engineering and medicine. Stability deterioration may be a critical constraint for potential applications of nanofluids. Proper ultrasonication can improve the stability, and possibility of the safe use of nanofluids in different applications. In this study, stability properties of TiO 2 -H 2 O nanofluid for varying ultrasonication durations were tested. The nanofluids were prepared through two-step method; and electron microscopies, with particle size distribution and zeta potential analyses were conducted for the evaluation of their stability. Results showed the positive impact of ultrasonication on nanofluid dispersion properties up to some extent. Ultrasonication longer than 150min resulted in re-agglomeration of nanoparticles. Therefore, ultrasonication for 150min was the optimum period yielding highest stability. A regression analysis was also done in order to relate the average cluster size and ultrasonication time to zeta potential. It can be concluded that performing analytical imaging and colloidal property evaluation during and after the sample preparation leads to reliable insights. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Experimental and simulated ultrasonic characterization of complex damage in fused silica.

PubMed

Martin, L Peter; Chambers, David H; Thomas, Graham H

2002-02-01

The growth of a laser-induced, surface damage site in a fused silica window was monitored by the ultrasonic pulse-echo technique. The laser damage was grown using 12-ns pulses of 1.053-microm wavelength light at a fluence of approximately 27 J/cm2. The ultrasonic data were acquired after each pulse of the laser beam for 19 pulses. In addition, optical images of the surface and subsurface damage shape were recorded after each pulse of the laser. The ultrasonic signal amplitude exhibited variations with the damage size, which were attributed to the subsurface morphology of the damage site. A mechanism for the observed ultrasonic data based on the interaction of the ultrasound with cracks radiating from the damage site was tested using two-dimensional numerical simulations. The simulated results exhibit qualitatively similar characteristics to the experimental data and demonstrate the usefulness of numerical simulation as an aid for ultrasonic signal interpretation. The observed sensitivity to subsurface morphology makes the ultrasonic methodology a promising tool for monitoring laser damage in large aperture laser optics used in fusion energy research.

Light-scattering analysis of ultrasonic wave's influence on the RBC agglutination in vitro

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doubrovski, Valeri A.; Dvoretski, Costanten N.

1999-04-01

Elastic light scattering is one of the most often used optical methods to analyze the cells agglutination reaction - the base of a great number of medical diagnostic test and biomedical investigations. The increase of the resolution of methods and apparatus towards the induced cells aggregation - the foundation of the reaction of agglutination, is quite an actual problem. The solution of this problem increases the reliability of the diagnostic test and gives an opportunity to achieve the diagnostic information in the cases when the traditional approaches do not lead to the diagnostic results. The attempt to increase the resolution of the immune reaction analyzer by means of ultrasonic waves action on the reagent mixture in vitro is taken in this paper. The RBC agglutination reaction which is usually used for the blood group type examination is chosen as an example of an object of the investigation. Different laser optical trains of the devices based on the turbidimetric and nephelometric methods and their combination are analyzed here. The influence of the ultrasonic wave time interval action and of the features of the sample preparation procedure on the resolution towards the agglutination process was investigated in this work. It is shown that the ultrasonic wave action on the reagent mixture leads to a large gain in the resolution of the device towards the RBC agglutination process. The experiments showed that the resolution of the device was enough to register the agglutination process even for the erythrocytes with weak agglutination ability when the reaction was invisible without ultrasonic action. It occurred that the diagnostic test time was more than by an order shortened due to the ultrasonic wave action. The optimal ultrasonic time interval action, the sample preparation technology and experimental technique were defined. The principle of the ultrasonic wave action on the cells agglutination process suggested here can be spread out on the immune molecular media. The results may be useful to develop new apparatus and methods for the aims of medical laboratory diagnostics.

Gel-Filled Holders For Ultrasonic Transducers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Companion, John A.

1992-01-01

In new technique, ultrasonic transducer embedded in rubbery, castable, low-loss gel to enable transducer to "look" into surface of test object or human body at any desired angle. Composed of solution of water and ethylene glycol in collagen matrix. Provides total contact of water bath, also used on bodies or objects too large for water baths, even if moving. Also provides look angles of poly(methyl methacrylate) angle block with potential of reduced acoustic impedance and refraction. Custom-tailored to task at hand, and gel sufficiently inexpensive to be discarded upon completion. Easy to couple ultrasound in and out of gel, minimizing losses and artifacts of other types of standoffs employed in ultrasonic testing.

Non-destructive evaluation method employing dielectric electrostatic ultrasonic transducers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yost, William T. (Inventor); Cantrell, Jr., John H. (Inventor)

2003-01-01

An acoustic nonlinearity parameter (.beta.) measurement method and system for Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDE) of materials and structural members novelly employs a loosely mounted dielectric electrostatic ultrasonic transducer (DEUT) to receive and convert ultrasonic energy into an electrical signal which can be analyzed to determine the .beta. of the test material. The dielectric material is ferroelectric with a high dielectric constant .di-elect cons.. A computer-controlled measurement system coupled to the DEUT contains an excitation signal generator section and a measurement and analysis section. As a result, the DEUT measures the absolute particle displacement amplitudes in test material, leading to derivation of the nonlinearity parameter (.beta.) without the costly, low field reliability methods of the prior art.

Stress-dependent elastic properties of shales—laboratory experiments at seismic and ultrasonic frequencies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Szewczyk, Dawid; Bauer, Andreas; Holt, Rune M.

2018-01-01

Knowledge about the stress sensitivity of elastic properties and velocities of shales is important for the interpretation of seismic time-lapse data taken as part of reservoir and caprock surveillance of both unconventional and conventional oil and gas fields (e.g. during 4-D monitoring of CO2 storage). Rock physics models are often developed based on laboratory measurements at ultrasonic frequencies. However, as shown previously, shales exhibit large seismic dispersion, and it is possible that stress sensitivities of velocities are also frequency dependent. In this work, we report on a series of seismic and ultrasonic laboratory tests in which the stress sensitivity of elastic properties of Mancos shale and Pierre shale I were investigated. The shales were tested at different water saturations. Dynamic rock engineering parameters and elastic wave velocities were examined on core plugs exposed to isotropic loading. Experiments were carried out in an apparatus allowing for static-compaction and dynamic measurements at seismic and ultrasonic frequencies within single test. For both shale types, we present and discuss experimental results that demonstrate dispersion and stress sensitivity of the rock stiffness, as well as P- and S-wave velocities, and stiffness anisotropy. Our experimental results show that the stress-sensitivity of shales is different at seismic and ultrasonic frequencies, which can be linked with simultaneously occurring changes in the dispersion with applied stress. Measured stress sensitivity of elastic properties for relatively dry samples was higher at seismic frequencies however, the increasing saturation of shales decreases the difference between seismic and ultrasonic stress-sensitivities, and for moist samples stress-sensitivity is higher at ultrasonic frequencies. Simultaneously, the increased saturation highly increases the dispersion in shales. We have also found that the stress-sensitivity is highly anisotropic in both shales and that in some of the cases higher stress-sensitivity of elastic properties can be seen in the direction parallel to the bedding plane.

A computerized self-compensating system for ultrasonic inspection of airplane structures

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Komsky, I.N.; Achenbach, J.D.; Hagemaier, D.

1993-12-31

Application of a self-compensating technique for ultrasonic inspection of airplane structures makes it possible not only to detect cracks in the different layers of joints but also to obtain information on crack sizes. A prototype computerized ultrasonic system, which utilizes the self-compensating method, has been developed for non-destructive inspection of multilayered airplane structures with in-between sealants, such as bolted joints in tail connections. Industrial applications of the system would require deployment of commercially available portable modules for data acquisition and processing. A portable ultrasonic flaw detector EPOCH II manual scanners and HandiScan, and SQL and FCS software modules form themore » PC-based TestPro system have been selected for initial tests. A pair of contact angle-beam transducers were used to generate shear waves in the material. Both hardware and software components of the system have been modified for the application in conjunction with the self-compensating technique. The system has bene tested on two calibration specimens with artificial flaws of different sizes in internal layers of multilayered structures. Ultrasonic signals transmitted through and reflected from the artificial flaws have bene discriminated and characterized using multiple time domain amplitude gates. Then the ratios of the reflection and transmission coefficients, R/T, were calculated for several positions of the transducers. Inspection of measured R/T curves shows it is difficult to visually associate curve shapes with corresponding flaw sizes and orientation. Hence for online classification of these curve shapes, application of an adaptive signal classifier was considered. Several different types and configurations of the classifiers, including a neural network, have been tested. Test results showed that improved performance of the classifier can be achieved by combination of a back-propagation neural network with a signal pre-processing module.« less

Analysis of Global Ultrasonic Sensor Data from a Full Scale Wing Panel Test

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michaels, Jennifer E.; Michaels, Thomas E.; Martin, Ramaldo S.

2009-03-01

A full scale wing panel fatigue test was undertaken in 2007 as a part of the DARPA Structural Integrity Prognosis System (SIPS) program. Both local and global ultrasonic sensors were installed on the wing panel and data were recorded periodically over a period of about seven weeks. The local ultrasonic sensors interrogated a small number of selected fastener holes, and the global ultrasonic sensors were arranged in a spatially distributed array surrounding an area encompassing multiple fastener holes of interest. The global ultrasonic sensor data is the focus of the work reported here. Waveforms were recorded from all pitch-catch sensor pairs as a function of static load while fatiguing was paused. The time windows over which the waveforms were recorded were long enough to include most of the reverberating energy. Partway through the test simulated defects were temporarily introduced by gluing masses onto the surface of the wing panel, and waveforms were recorded immediately before their attachment and after their removal. The overall fatigue test was terminated while cracks originating from the fastener holes were still relatively small and before they reached the surface of the wing panel. Both detection and localization results are shown for the artificial damage, and the overall repeatability and stability of the signals are analyzed. Also shown is an analysis of how the reverberating signals change as a function of applied load. The fastener hole fatigue cracks were not detected by the global transducer array, which is not surprising given the final sizes of the cracks as determined by later destructive analysis. However, signals were stable throughout the entire fatigue test, and effects of load on the received signals were significant, both in the short-time and long-time signal regimes.

Multiple-frequency continuous wave ultrasonic system for accurate distance measurement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, C. F.; Young, M. S.; Li, Y. C.

1999-02-01

A highly accurate multiple-frequency continuous wave ultrasonic range-measuring system for use in air is described. The proposed system uses a method heretofore applied to radio frequency distance measurement but not to air-based ultrasonic systems. The method presented here is based upon the comparative phase shifts generated by three continuous ultrasonic waves of different but closely spaced frequencies. In the test embodiment to confirm concept feasibility, two low cost 40 kHz ultrasonic transducers are set face to face and used to transmit and receive ultrasound. Individual frequencies are transmitted serially, each generating its own phase shift. For any given frequency, the transmitter/receiver distance modulates the phase shift between the transmitted and received signals. Comparison of the phase shifts allows a highly accurate evaluation of target distance. A single-chip microcomputer-based multiple-frequency continuous wave generator and phase detector was designed to record and compute the phase shift information and the resulting distance, which is then sent to either a LCD or a PC. The PC is necessary only for calibration of the system, which can be run independently after calibration. Experiments were conducted to test the performance of the whole system. Experimentally, ranging accuracy was found to be within ±0.05 mm, with a range of over 1.5 m. The main advantages of this ultrasonic range measurement system are high resolution, low cost, narrow bandwidth requirements, and ease of implementation.

A new approach to correct yaw misalignment in the spinning ultrasonic anemometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghaemi-Nasab, M.; Davari, Ali R.; Franchini, S.

2018-01-01

Single-axis ultrasonic anemometers are the modern instruments for accurate wind speed measurements. Despite their widespread and ever increasing applications, little attention has been paid up to now to spinning ultrasonic anemometers that can accurately measure both the wind speed and its direction in a single and robust apparatus. In this study, intensive wind-tunnel tests were conducted on a spinning single-axis ultrasonic anemometer to investigate the yaw misalignment in ultrasonic wind speed measurements during the yaw rotation. The anemometer was rotating inside the test section with various angular velocities, and the experiments were performed at several combinations of wind speed and anemometer angular velocity. The instantaneous angular position of the ultrasonic signal path with wind direction was measured using an angular position sensor. For a spinning anemometer, the circulatory wake and the associated flow distortion, along with the Doppler effect, impart a phase shift in the signals measured by the anemometer, which should be added to the position data for correcting the yaw misalignment. In this paper, the experimental data are used to construct a theoretical model, based on a response surface method, to correct the phase shift for various wind speeds and anemometer rotational velocities. This model is shown to successfully correct the velocity indicated by the spinning anemometer for the phase shift due to the rotation, and can easily be used in the calibration process for such anemometers.

Patients' perception of pain during ultrasonic debridement: a comparison between piezoelectric and magnetostrictive scalers.

PubMed

Muhney, Kelly A; Dechow, Paul C

2010-01-01

To compare patients' perception of discomfort, vibration and noise levels between piezoelectric and the magnetostrictive ultrasonic units during periodontal debridement. Periodontal debridement was performed on 75 subjects using a split-mouth design. Two quadrants on the same side were instrumented with a piezoelectric ultrasonic device (EMS Swiss Mini Master® Piezon) and the remaining 2 quadrants were instrumented with a magnetostrictive ultrasonic device (Dentsply Cavitron® SPS™). Subjects marked between 0 and 100 along a visual analog scale (VAS) for each of the 3 variables immediately after treatment of each half of the dentition. Scores of the VAS were compared using a nonparametric test for paired data, the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank test. The level of significance was set at p<0.05. Descriptive statistics included the median and the first and third quartiles as a measure of variation. Mean scores for patient discomfort and vibration were greater for the magnetostrictive device at p=0.007 and p=0.032, respectively. The scores for noise level between the 2 ultrasonic types were almost equal. The results show that, on average, patients in this study prefer instrumentation with the piezoelectric as it relates to awareness of associated discomfort and vibration. The results of this study may assist the clinician in the decision over which ultrasonic device may prove more beneficial in decreasing patient discomfort and increasing patient compliance.

Synergistic effect of microbubble emulsion and sonic or ultrasonic agitation on endodontic biofilm in vitro.

PubMed

Halford, Andrew; Ohl, Claus-Dieter; Azarpazhooh, Amir; Basrani, Bettina; Friedman, Shimon; Kishen, Anil

2012-11-01

Irrigation dynamics and antibacterial activity determine the efficacy of root canal disinfection. Sonic or ultrasonic agitation of irrigants is expected to improve irrigation dynamics. This study examined the effects of microbubble emulsion (ME) combined with sonic or ultrasonic agitation on irrigation dynamics and reduction of biofilm bacteria within root canal models. Two experiments were conducted. First, high-speed imaging was used to characterize the bubble dynamics generated in ME by sonic or ultrasonic agitation within canals of polymer tooth models. Second, 5.25% NaOCl irrigation or ME was sonically or ultrasonically agitated in canals of extracted teeth with 7-day-grown Enterococcus faecalis biofilms. Dentinal shavings from canal walls were sampled at 1 mm and 3 mm from the apical terminus, and colony-forming units (CFUs) were enumerated. Mean log CFU/mL values were analyzed with analysis of variance and post hoc tests. High-speed imaging demonstrated strongly oscillating and vaporizing bubbles generated within ME during ultrasonic but not sonic agitation. Compared with CFU counts in controls, NaOCl-sonic and NaOCl-ultrasonic yielded significantly lower counts (P < .05) at both measurement levels. ME-sonic yielded significantly lower counts (P = .002) at 3 mm, whereas ME-ultrasonic yielded highly significantly lower counts (P = .000) at both measurement levels. At 3 mm, ME-ultrasonic yielded significantly lower CFU counts (P = .000) than ME-sonic, NaOCl-sonic, and NaOCl-ultrasonic. Enhanced bubble dynamics and reduced E. faecalis biofilm bacteria beyond the level achieved by sonic or ultrasonic agitation of NaOCl suggested a synergistic effect of ME combined with ultrasonic agitation. Copyright © 2012 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Relation between hardness and ultrasonic velocity on pipeline steel welded joints

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carreón, H.; Barrera, G.; Natividad, C.; Salazar, M.; Contreras, A.

2016-04-01

In general, the ultrasonic techniques have been used to determine the mechanical properties of materials based on their relationship with metallurgical characteristics. In this research work, the relationship between ultrasonic wave velocity, hardness and the microstructure of steel pipeline welded joints is investigated. Measurements of ultrasonic wave velocity were made as a function of the location across the weld. Hardness measurements were performed in an attempt to correlate with ultrasonic response. In addition, the coarse and dendritic grain structure of the weld material is extreme and unpredictably anisotropic. Thus, due to the acoustic anisotropy of the crystal, weld material of studied joints is anisotropic too. Such structure is no longer direction-independent to the ultrasonic wave propagation; therefore, the ultrasonic beam deflects and redirects and the wave front becomes distorted. Thus, the use of conventional ultrasonic testing techniques using fixed beam angles is very limited and the application of conventional ultrasonic phased array techniques becomes desirable. This technique is proposed to assist pipeline operators in estimating the hardness through ultrasonic measures to evaluate the susceptibility to stress sulphide cracking and hydrogen-induced cracking due to hard spots in steel pipeline welded joints in service. Sound wave velocity and hardness measurements have been carried out on a steel welded joint. For each section of the welding, weld bead, fusion zone, heat affected zone and base metal were found to correspond particular values of the ultrasound velocity. These results were correlated with electron microscopy observations of the microstructure and sectorial scan view of welded joints by ultrasonic phased array.

Evaluation of Die-Attach Bonding Using High-Frequency Ultrasonic Energy for High-Temperature Application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Jong-Bum; Aw, Jie-Li; Rhee, Min-Woo

2014-09-01

Room-temperature die-attach bonding using ultrasonic energy was evaluated on Cu/In and Cu/Sn-3Ag metal stacks. The In and Sn-3Ag layers have much lower melting temperatures than the base material (Cu) and can be melted through the heat generated during ultrasonic bonding, forming intermetallic compounds (IMCs). Samples were bonded using different ultrasonic powers, bonding times, and forces and subsequently aged at 300°C for 500 h. After aging, die shear testing was performed and the fracture surfaces were inspected by scanning electron microscopy. Results showed that the shear strength of Cu/In joints reached an upper plateau after 100 h of thermal aging and remained stable with aging time, whereas that of the Cu/Sn-3Ag joints decreased with increasing aging time. η-Cu7In4 and (Cu,Au)11In9 IMCs were observed at the Cu/In joint, while Cu3Sn and (Ag,Cu)3Sn IMCs were found at the Cu/Sn-3Ag joint after reliability testing. As Cu-based IMCs have high melting temperatures, they are highly suitable for use in high-temperature electronics, but can be formed at room temperature using an ultrasonic approach.

Effect of Plastic Strain Range on Prediction of the Onset of Crack Growth for Low-Cycle Fatigue of SUS316NG Studied using Ultrasonic Back-Reflection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nurul, Islam Md.; Arai, Yoshio; Araki, Wakako

Strain range controlled low-cycle fatigue tests were conducted using ultrasonic method in order to investigate the effect of plastic strain range on the remaining life of austenitic stainless steel SUS316NG before the onset of crack growth in its early stages of fatigue. It was found that the decrease in ultrasonic back-reflection intensity from the surface of the material, caused by the increase in average dislocation density with localized plastic deformation at persistent slip bands (PSBs), starts earlier with increase in the plastic strain range. The amount of decrease in ultrasonic back-reflection before the onset of crack growth increases for larger plastic strain range. The difference in the cumulative plastic strains at the onset of crack growth and at the onset of decrease in the ultrasonic back-reflection remained constant over the range of tested plastic strain. This result can be used to predict the remaining life before the onset of crack growth within the plastic strain range used in this study. In addition, we present and evaluate another method to predict damage evolution involving ultrasound attenuation caused by PSBs.

Wood Bond Testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1989-01-01

A joint development program between Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection Technologies and The Weyerhaeuser Company resulted in an internal bond analyzer (IBA), a device which combines ultrasonics with acoustic emission testing techniques. It is actually a spinoff from a spinoff, stemming from a NASA Lewis invented acousto-ultrasonic technique that became a system for testing bond strength of composite materials. Hartford's parent company, Acoustic Emission Technology Corporation (AET) refined and commercialized the technology. The IBA builds on the original system and incorporates on-line process control systems. The IBA determines bond strength by measuring changes in pulsar ultrasonic waves injected into a board. Analysis of the wave determines the average internal bond strength for the panel. Results are displayed immediately. Using the system, a mill operator can adjust resin/wood proportion, reduce setup time and waste, produce internal bonds of a consistent quality and automatically mark deficient products.

The evolution of microstructures, corrosion resistance and mechanical properties of AZ80 joints using ultrasonic vibration assisted welding process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Hui; Zhang, Jiansheng

2017-12-01

The evolution of microstructures, corrosion resistance and mechanical properties of AZ80 joints using an ultrasonic vibration assisted welding process is investigated. The results show that, with ultrasonic vibration treatment, a reliable AZ80 joint without defects is obtained. The coarsening α-Mg grains are refined to about 83.5  ±  3.3 µm and the continuous β-Mg17Al12 phases are broken to granular morphology, owing to the acoustic streaming effect and the cavitation effect evoked by ultrasonic vibration. Both immersion and electrochemical test results indicate that the corrosion resistance of the AZ80 joint welded with ultrasonic vibration is improved, attributed to microstructure evolution. With ultrasonic power of 900 W, the maximum tensile strength of an AZ80 specimen is 261  ±  7.5 MPa and fracture occurs near the heat affected zone of the joint.

Study of New Method Combined Ultra-High Frequency (UHF) Method and Ultrasonic Method on PD Detection for GIS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yanran; Chen, Duo; Zhang, Jiwei; Chen, Ning; Li, Xiaoqi; Gong, Xiaojing

2017-09-01

GIS (gas insulated switchgear), is an important equipment in power system. Partial discharge plays an important role in detecting the insulation performance of GIS. UHF method and ultrasonic method frequently used in partial discharge (PD) detection for GIS. It is necessary to investigate UHF method and ultrasonic method for partial discharge in GIS. However, very few studies have been conducted on the method combined this two methods. From the view point of safety, a new method based on UHF method and ultrasonic method of PD detection for GIS is proposed in order to greatly enhance the ability of anti-interference of signal detection and the accuracy of fault localization. This paper presents study aimed at clarifying the effect of the new method combined UHF method and ultrasonic method. Partial discharge tests were performed in laboratory simulated environment. Obtained results show the ability of anti-interference of signal detection and the accuracy of fault localization for this new method combined UHF method and ultrasonic method.

Study of comparison between Ultra-high Frequency (UHF) method and ultrasonic method on PD detection for GIS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yanran; Chen, Duo; Li, Li; Zhang, Jiwei; Li, Guang; Liu, Hongxia

2017-11-01

GIS (gas insulated switchgear), is an important equipment in power system. Partial discharge plays an important role in detecting the insulation performance of GIS. UHF method and ultrasonic method frequently used in partial discharge (PD) detection for GIS. However, few studies have been conducted on comparison of this two methods. From the view point of safety, it is necessary to investigate UHF method and ultrasonic method for partial discharge in GIS. This paper presents study aimed at clarifying the effect of UHF method and ultrasonic method for partial discharge caused by free metal particles in GIS. Partial discharge tests were performed in laboratory simulated environment. Obtained results show the ability of anti-interference of signal detection and the accuracy of fault localization for UHF method and ultrasonic method. A new method based on UHF method and ultrasonic method of PD detection for GIS is proposed in order to greatly enhance the ability of anti-interference of signal detection and the accuracy of detection localization.

Tumour cell dispersion by the ultrasonic aspirator during brain tumour resection.

PubMed

Preston, J K; Masciopinto, J; Salamat, M S; Badie, B

1999-10-01

Ultrasonic aspirators are commonly used to resect brain tumours because they allow safe, rapid and accurate removal of diseased tissue. Since ultrasonic aspirators generate a spray of aerosolized irrigating fluid around the instrument tip, we questioned whether this spray might contain viable tumours cells that could contribute to intraoperative spread of tumour fragments. To test this hypothesis, we collected the spray produced during the resection of nine brain tumours with an ultrasonic aspirator and semi-quantitatively analysed it for tumour presence. The aerosolized irrigation fluid was found to contain intact tumour cells or clumps of tumour cells in all nine instances, and there was a trend of increasing tumour cell dispersion with increasing ultrasonic aspiration times. Further examination is required to determine if this intraoperative dispersion of apparently viable tumour fragments contributes to local neoplasm recurrence.

Non Destructive Test Dye Penetrant and Ultrasonic on Welding SMAW Butt Joint with Acceptance Criteria ASME Standard

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Endramawan, T.; Sifa, A.

2018-02-01

The purpose of this research is to know the type of discontinuity of SMAW welding result and to determine acceptance criteria based on American Society of Mechanical Engineer (ASME) standard. Material used is mild steel 98,71% Fe and 0,212% C with hardness 230 VHN with specimen diameter 20 cm and thickness 1.2 cm which is welded use SMAW butt joint with electrode for rooting LB 52U diameter 2.6 mm, current 70 Ampere and voltage 380 volt, filler used LB 5218 electrode diameter 3.2 mm with current 80 Ampere and 380 volt. The method used to analyze the welded with non destructive test dye penetrant (PT) method to see indication on the surface of the object and Ultrasonic (UT) to see indication on the sub and inner the surface of the object, the result is discontinuity recorded and analyzed and then the discontinuity is determine acceptance criteria based on the American Society of Mechanical Engineer (ASME) standards. The result show the discontinuity of porosity on the surface of the welded and inclusion on sub material used ultrasonic test, all indication on dye penetrant or ultrasonic test if there were rejected of result of welded that there must be gouging on part which rejected and then re-welding.

Ultrasonic Bat Deterrent Technology

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kinzie, Kevin; Rominger, Kathryn M.

The project objective was to advance the development and testing of an Near commercial bat-deterrent system with a goal to increase the current GE deterrent system effectiveness to over 50% with broad species applicability. Additionally, the research supported by this program has provided insights into bat behavior and ultrasonic deterrent design that had not previously been explored. Prior research and development had demonstrated the effectiveness of a commercial-grade, air-powered, ultrasonic bat deterrent to be between 30-50% depending upon the species of bat. However, the previous research provided limited insight into the behavioral responses of bats in the presence of ultrasonicmore » deterrent sound fields that could be utilized to improve effectiveness. A unique bat flight room was utilized to observe the behavioral characteristics of bats in the presence of ultrasonic sound fields. Behavioral testing in the bat flight facility demonstrated that ultrasonic sounds similar to those produced by the GE deterrent influenced the activities and behaviors, primarily those associated with foraging, of the species exposed. The study also indicated that continuous and pulsing ultrasonic signals had a similar effect on the bats, and confirmed that as ultrasonic sounds attenuate, their influence on the bats’ activities and behavior decreases. Ground testing at Wolf Ridge Wind, LLC and Shawnee National Forest assessed both continuous and pulsing deterrent signals emitted from the GE deterrent system and further enhanced the behavioral understanding of bats in the presence of the deterrent. With these data and observations, the existing 4-nozzle continuous, or steady, emission ultrasonic system was redesigned to a 6-nozzle system that could emit a pulsing signal covering a larger air space around a turbine. Twelve GE 1.6-100 turbines were outfitted with the deterrent system and a formal three-month field study was performed using daily carcass searches beneath the 12 turbines. Additionally, a unique 3D bat flight path visualization system was utilized to monitor for and identify any changes in bat activity caused by the operation of the deterrent system. Both the carcass search and flight path visualization data indicated that the pulsed deterrent system was effective, but not more effective, than the steady system tested in prior years. The pulsed deterrent system was effective at reducing bat fatalities by 38% for all species and 54% effective at reducing fatalities if Eastern Red bats were excluded from the data. However, an unanticipated byproduct of the pulsing system was the emission of intermittent water vapor from the deterrent devices due to the air compression process that powered the devices. This water vapor may have altered the ultrasonic signal and obscured the results in an unknown way. While a qualitative analysis of the effect of the water vapor on the deterrent signal had indicated there was not dramatic change in the expected ultrasonic signal, it was not possible to conclusively determine if the pulse signal would have been more effective in the absence of the water vapor.« less

Development of a beam builder for automatic fabrication of large composite space structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bodle, J. G.

1979-01-01

The composite material beam builder which will produce triangular beams from pre-consolidated graphite/glass/thermoplastic composite material through automated mechanical processes is presented, side member storage, feed and positioning, ultrasonic welding, and beam cutoff are formed. Each process lends itself to modular subsystem development. Initial development is concentrated on the key processes for roll forming and ultrasonic welding composite thermoplastic materials. The construction and test of an experimental roll forming machine and ultrasonic welding process control techniques are described.

Ultrasonic imaging of textured alumina

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stang, David B.; Salem, Jonathan A.; Generazio, Edward R.

1989-01-01

Ultrasonic images representing the bulk attenuation and velocity of a set of alumina samples were obtained by a pulse-echo contact scanning technique. The samples were taken from larger bodies that were chemically similar but were processed by extrusion or isostatic processing. The crack growth resistance and fracture toughness of the larger bodies were found to vary with processing method and test orientation. The results presented here demonstrate that differences in texture that contribute to variations in structural performance can be revealed by analytic ultrasonic techniques.

Preparation and functional evaluation of antihypertensive polypeptides from rice based on ultrasonic pretreatment

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Enzymolysis was used for preparation of antihypertensive peptide from rice. Following studies were conducted:ultrasonic pretreatment of substrate protein, ultrafilter of hydrolysate and test of anti-digestive enzyme degradation and one-time feeding of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) of antihyp...

Note: Piezoelectric polymers as transducers for the ultrasonic-reflection method and the application in mechanical property-screening of coatings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wegener, Michael; Oehler, Harald; Lellinger, Dirk; Alig, Ingo

2012-01-01

In the last years, non-destructive ultrasonic testing methods are more and more frequently employed in order to investigate the drying and curing processes of different coatings. Among them an ultrasonic reflection method was developed allowing the simultaneous measurement with longitudinal and transversal waves. In order to generate the ultrasonic pulse, piezoelectric ceramics or oxides are usually used as transducer materials which are connected to a delay line. Here, we demonstrate a similar approach for the ultrasonic reflection method installing piezoelectric polymers as ultrasonic transducer materials. In detail, poly(vinylidene fluoride and trifluoroethylene) [P(VDF-TrFE)] copolymers were prepared as piezoelectric transducer layers directly onto the metallization of glass delay lines avoiding additional bonding processes. The film preparation was carried out by solvent casting the polymer onto an area with a diameter of 12 mm and is optimized so that relatively homogeneous polymer layers with thicknesses between 14 and 35 μm are adjusted by the deposited amount of the polymer. Electrical poling renders the polymer piezoelectric. The ultrasonic properties of the P(VDF-TrFE) transducer and their usability for the ultrasonic reflection method are described also in comparison to previous measurements using LiNbO3 transducer.

Ultrasonic analysis to discriminate bread dough of different types of flour

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

García-Álvarez, J.; Rosell, C. M.; García-Hernández, M. J.; Chávez, J. A.; Turó, A.; Salazar, J.

2012-12-01

Many varieties of bread are prepared using flour coming from wheat. However, there are other types of flours milled from rice, legumes and some fruits and vegetables that are also suitable for baking purposes, used alone or in combination with wheat flour. The type of flour employed strongly influences the dough consistency, which is a relevant property for determining the dough potential for breadmaking purposes. Traditional methods for dough testing are relatively expensive, time-consuming, off-line and often require skilled operators. In this work, ultrasonic analysis are performed in order to obtain acoustic properties of bread dough samples prepared using two different types of flour, wheat flour and rice flour. The dough acoustic properties can be related to its viscoelastic characteristics, which in turn determine the dough feasibility for baking. The main advantages of the ultrasonic dough testing can be, among others, its low cost, fast, hygienic and on-line performance. The obtained results point out the potential of the ultrasonic analysis to discriminate doughs of different types of flour.

Relation between ultrasonic properties, rheology and baking quality for bread doughs of widely differing formulation.

PubMed

Peressini, Donatella; Braunstein, Dobrila; Page, John H; Strybulevych, Anatoliy; Lagazio, Corrado; Scanlon, Martin G

2017-06-01

The objective was to evaluate whether an ultrasonic reflectance technique has predictive capacity for breadmaking performance of doughs made under a wide range of formulation conditions. Two flours of contrasting dough strength augmented with different levels of ingredients (inulin, oil, emulsifier or salt) were used to produce different bread doughs with a wide range of properties. Breadmaking performance was evaluated by conventional large-strain rheological tests on the dough and by assessment of loaf quality. The ultrasound tests were performed with a broadband reflectance technique in the frequency range of 0.3-6 MHz. Principal component analysis showed that ultrasonic attenuation and phase velocity at frequencies between 0.3 and 3 MHz are good predictors for rheological and bread scoring characteristics. Ultrasonic parameters had predictive capacity for breadmaking performance for a wide range of dough formulations. Lower frequency attenuation coefficients correlated well with conventional quality indices of both the dough and the bread. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Improved near-field characteristics of phased arrays for assessing concrete and cementitious materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wooh, Shi-Chang; Azar, Lawrence

1999-01-01

The degradation of civil infrastructure has placed a focus on effective nondestructive evaluation techniques to correctly assess the condition of existing concrete structures. Conventional high frequency ultrasonic response are severely affected by scattering and material attenuation, resulting in weak and confusing signal returns. Therefore, low frequency ultrasonic transducers, which avoid this problem of wave attenuation, are commonly used for concrete with limited capabilities. The focus of this research is to ascertain some benefits and limitations of a low frequency ultrasonic phased array transducer. In this paper, we investigate a novel low-frequency ultrasonic phased array and the results of experimental feasibility test for practical condition assessment of concrete structures are reported.

Improved ultrasonic standard reference blocks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eitzen, D. G.

1975-01-01

A program to improve the quality, reproducibility and reliability of nondestructive testing through the development of improved ASTM-type ultrasonic reference standards is described. Reference blocks of aluminum, steel, and titanium alloys were considered. Equipment representing the state-of-the-art in laboratory and field ultrasonic equipment was obtained and evaluated. Some RF and spectral data on ten sets of ultrasonic reference blocks were taken as part of a task to quantify the variability in response from nominally identical blocks. Techniques for residual stress, preferred orientation, and microstructural measurements were refined and are applied to a reference block rejected by the manufacturer during fabrication in order to evaluate the effect of metallurgical condition on block response.

Improving Non-Destructive Concrete Strength Tests Using Support Vector Machines

PubMed Central

Shih, Yi-Fan; Wang, Yu-Ren; Lin, Kuo-Liang; Chen, Chin-Wen

2015-01-01

Non-destructive testing (NDT) methods are important alternatives when destructive tests are not feasible to examine the in situ concrete properties without damaging the structure. The rebound hammer test and the ultrasonic pulse velocity test are two popular NDT methods to examine the properties of concrete. The rebound of the hammer depends on the hardness of the test specimen and ultrasonic pulse travelling speed is related to density, uniformity, and homogeneity of the specimen. Both of these two methods have been adopted to estimate the concrete compressive strength. Statistical analysis has been implemented to establish the relationship between hammer rebound values/ultrasonic pulse velocities and concrete compressive strength. However, the estimated results can be unreliable. As a result, this research proposes an Artificial Intelligence model using support vector machines (SVMs) for the estimation. Data from 95 cylinder concrete samples are collected to develop and validate the model. The results show that combined NDT methods (also known as SonReb method) yield better estimations than single NDT methods. The results also show that the SVMs model is more accurate than the statistical regression model. PMID:28793627

Effect of ultrasonication on anaerobic degradability of solid waste digestate.

PubMed

Boni, M R; D'Amato, E; Polettini, A; Pomi, R; Rossi, A

2016-02-01

This paper evaluates the effect of ultrasonication on anaerobic biodegradability of lignocellulosic residues. While ultrasonication has been commonly applied as a pre-treatment of the feed substrate, in the present study a non-conventional process configuration based on recirculation of sonicated digestate to the biological reactor was evaluated at the lab-scale. Sonication tests were carried out at different applied energies ranging between 500 and 50,000kJ/kg TS. Batch anaerobic digestion tests were performed on samples prepared by mixing sonicated and untreated substrate at two different ratios (25:75 and 75:25 w/w). The results showed that when applied as a post-treatment of digestate, ultrasonication can positively affect the yield of anaerobic digestion, mainly due to the dissolution effect of complex organic molecules that have not been hydrolyzed by biological degradation. A good correlation was found between the CH4 production yield and the amount of soluble organic matter at the start of digestion tests. The maximum gain in biogas production was 30% compared to that attained with the unsonicated substrate, which was tentatively related to the type and concentration of the metabolic products. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

High-speed scanning of critical structures in aviation using coordinate measurement machine and the laser ultrasonic.

PubMed

Swornowski, Pawel J

2012-01-01

Aviation is one of the know-how spheres containing a great deal of responsible sub-assemblies, in this case landing gear. The necessity for reducing production cycle times while achieving better quality compels metrologists to look for new and improved ways to perform inspection of critical structures. This article describes the ability to determine the shape deviation and location of defects in landing gear using coordinate measuring machines and laser ultrasonic with high-speed scanning. A nondestructive test is the basis for monitoring microcrack and corrosion propagation in the context of a damage-tolerant design approach. This article presents an overview of the basics and of the various metrological aspects of coordinate measurement and a nondestructive testing method in terms of high-speed scanning. The new test method (laser ultrasonic) promises to produce the necessary increase in inspection quality, but this is limited by the wide range of materials, geometries, and structure aeronautic parts used. A technique combining laser ultrasonic and F-SAFT (Fourier-Synthetic Aperture Focusing Technique) processing has been proposed for the detection of small defects buried in landing gear. The experimental results of landing gear inspection are also presented. © Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Phononic Crystal Waveguide Transducers for Nonlinear Elastic Wave Sensing.

PubMed

Ciampa, Francesco; Mankar, Akash; Marini, Andrea

2017-11-07

Second harmonic generation is one of the most sensitive and reliable nonlinear elastic signatures for micro-damage assessment. However, its detection requires powerful amplification systems generating fictitious harmonics that are difficult to discern from pure nonlinear elastic effects. Current state-of-the-art nonlinear ultrasonic methods still involve impractical solutions such as cumbersome signal calibration processes and substantial modifications of the test component in order to create material-based tunable harmonic filters. Here we propose and demonstrate a valid and sensible alternative strategy involving the development of an ultrasonic phononic crystal waveguide transducer that exhibits both single and multiple frequency stop-bands filtering out fictitious second harmonic frequencies. Remarkably, such a sensing device can be easily fabricated and integrated on the surface of the test structure without altering its mechanical and geometrical properties. The design of the phononic crystal structure is supported by a perturbative theoretical model predicting the frequency band-gaps of periodic plates with sinusoidal corrugation. We find our theoretical findings in excellent agreement with experimental testing revealing that the proposed phononic crystal waveguide transducer successfully attenuates second harmonics caused by the ultrasonic equipment, thus demonstrating its wide range of potential applications for acousto/ultrasonic material damage inspection.

NDE of structural ceramics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Klima, S. J.; Vary, A.

1986-01-01

Radiographic, ultrasonic, scanning laser acoustic microscopy (SLAM), and thermo-acoustic microscopy techniques were used to characterize silicon nitride and silicon carbide modulus-of-rupture test specimens in various stages of fabrication. Conventional and microfocus X-ray techniques were found capable of detecting minute high density inclusions in as-received powders, green compacts, and fully densified specimens. Significant density gradients in sintered bars were observed by radiography, ultrasonic velocity, and SLAM. Ultrasonic attenuation was found sensitive to microstructural variations due to grain and void morphology and distribution. SLAM was also capable of detecting voids, inclusions and cracks in finished test bars. Consideration is given to the potential for applying thermo-acoustic microscopy techniques to green and densified ceramics. The detection probability statistics and some limitations of radiography and SLAM also are discussed.

An Accelerated Method for Soldering Testing

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Han, Qingyou; Xu, Hanbing; Ried, Paul

2007-01-01

An accelerated method for testing die soldering has been developed. High intensity ultrasonic vibrations have been applied to simulate the die casting conditions such as high pressure and high molten metal velocity on the pin. The soldering tendency of steels and coated pins has been examined. The results suggest that in the low carbon steel/Al system, the onset of soldering is 60 times faster with ultrasonic vibration than that without ultrasonic vibration. In the H13/A380 system, the onset of soldering reaction is accelerated to between 30-60 times. Coatings significantly reduce the soldering tendency. For purposes of this study, several commercialmore » coatings from Balzers demonstrated the potential for increasing the service life of core pins between 15 and 180 times.« less

Characterization of mechanical properties of leather with airborne ultrasonics

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A nondestructive method to accurately evaluate the quality of hides and leather is urgently needed by leather and hide industries. We previously reported the research results for airborne ultrasonic (AU) testing using non-contact transducers to evaluate the quality of hides and leather. The abilit...

Rolling dry-coupled transducers for ultrasonic inspections of aging aircraft structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Komsky, Igor N.

2004-07-01

Some advanced aircraft materials or coatings are porous or otherwise sensitive to the application of water, gel, or some other ultrasonic couplants. To overcome the problems associated with the liquid coupling medium, dry-coupled rolling modules were developed at Northwestern University for the transmission of both longitudinal and transverse ultrasonic waves at frequencies up to 10 MHz. Dry-coupled ultrasonic modules contain solid core internal stators and solid or flexible external rotors with the flexible polymer substrates. Two types of the dry-coupled modules are under development. Cylindrical base transducer modules include solid core cylindrical rotors with flexible polymer substrates that rotate around the stators with ultrasonic elements. Dry-coupled modules with elongated bases contain solid core stators and flexible track-like polymer substrates that rotate around the stators as rotors of the modules. The elongated base modules have larger contact interfaces with the inspection surface in comparison with the cylindrical base modules. Some designs of the dry-coupled rolling modules contain several ultrasonic elements with different incident angles or a variable angle unit for rapid adjustments of incident angles. The prototype dry-coupled rolling modules were integrated with the portable ultrasonic inspection systems and tested on a number of Boeing aircraft structures.

Characterization of Heat Treated Titanium-Based Implants by Nondestructive Eddy Current and Ultrasonic Tests

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mutlu, Ilven; Ekinci, Sinasi; Oktay, Enver

2014-06-01

This study presents nondestructive characterization of microstructure and mechanical properties of heat treated Ti, Ti-Cu, and Ti-6Al-4V titanium-based alloys and 17-4 PH stainless steel alloy for biomedical implant applications. Ti, Ti-Cu, and 17-4 PH stainless steel based implants were produced by powder metallurgy. Ti-6Al-4V alloy was investigated as bulk wrought specimens. Effects of sintering temperature, aging, and grain size on mechanical properties were investigated by nondestructive and destructive tests comparatively. Ultrasonic velocity in specimens was measured by using pulse-echo and transmission methods. Electrical conductivity of specimens was determined by eddy current tests. Determination of Young's modulus and strength is important in biomedical implants. Young's modulus of specimens was calculated by using ultrasonic velocities. Calculated Young's modulus values were compared and correlated with experimental values.

A feasiblity study of an ultrasonic test phantom arm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schneider, Philip

This thesis is a feasibility study for the creation of a test phantom that replicates the physiological features, from an acoustic and mechanical standpoint, of that of a human arm. Physiological feature set includes; Heart, Arteries, Veins, Bone, Muscle, Fat, Skin, and Dermotographic Features (finger prints). Mechanical Aspects include, vascular compression and distention, elasticity of tissue layers, mechanics of human heart. The end goal of which to have a working understanding of each component in order to create a controllable, real time, physiologically accurate, test phantom for a wide range of ultrasonic based applications. These applications can range from devices like wearable technologies to medical training, to biometric "Liveness" detection methods. The proposed phantom would allow for a number of natural bodily functions to be measured including but not limited to vascular mapping, blood pressure, heart rate, subdermal imaging, and general ultrasonic imaging.

Ultrasonic fatigue of SiC particle reinforced aluminum in the VHCF-regime

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wolf, M.; Wagner, G.; Eifler, D.

At the WKK ultrasonic testing facilities (UTF) are used to perform fatigue experiments in the VHCF regime with a frequency of 20 kHz. These systems allow an on-line characterization of the actual fatigue state by changes of different process parameters such as generator power, displacement, temperature or frequency-response characteristic. Moreover the experiments can be interrupted at user defined events in order to investigate variations of the surface microstructure or changes in the electrical resistance of the specimens. The fatigue tests were realized as load increase tests as well as constant amplitude tests.

An ultrasonic technique for measuring stress in fasteners

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stevens, K. J.; Day, P.; Byron, D.

1999-12-02

High temperature bolting alloys are extensively used in the thermal power generation industry as for example, reheat ESV and Governor valve studs. Remnant life assessment methodologies and plant maintenance procedures require the monitoring of the operational stress levels in these fasteners. Some conventional ultrasonic techniques require longitudinal wave measurements to be undertaken when the nut on the bolt is loosened and then re-tightened. Other techniques use a combination of shear waves and longitudinal waves. In this paper, the problems and pitfalls associated with various ultrasonic techniques for measuring stress in bolts, is discussed. An ultrasonic technique developed for measuring themore » stress in Durehete 1055 bolts is presented. Material from a textured rolled bar has been used as a test bed in the development work. The technique uses shear wave birefringence and compression waves at several frequencies to measure texture, fastener length and the average stress. The technique was developed by making ultrasonic measurements on bolts tensioned in universal testing machines and a hydraulic nut. The ultrasonic measurements of residual stress have been checked against strain gauge measurements. The Durehete bolts have a hollow cylinder geometry of restricted dimensions, which significantly alters compression and shear wave velocities from bulk values and introduces hoop stresses which can be measured by rotating the polarization of the shear wave probe. Modelling of the experimental results has been undertaken using theories for the elastic wave propagation through waveguides. The dispersion equations allow the velocity and length of the fastener to be measured ultrasonically in some situations where the length of the fastener can not be measured directly with a vernier caliper or micrometer and/or where it is undesirable to loosen nuts to take calibration readings of the shear and compression wave velocities.« less

High repetition ration solid state switched CO2 TEA laser employed in industrial ultrasonic testing of aircraft parts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

von Bergmann, Hubertus; Morkel, Francois; Stehmann, Timo

2015-02-01

Laser Ultrasonic Testing (UT) is an important technique for the non-destructive inspection of composite parts in the aerospace industry. In laser UT a high power, short pulse probe laser is scanned across the material surface, generating ultrasound waves which can be detected by a second low power laser system and are used to draw a defect map of the part. We report on the design and testing of a transversely excited atmospheric pressure (TEA) CO2 laser system specifically optimised for laser UT. The laser is excited by a novel solid-state switched pulsing system and utilises either spark or corona preionisation. It provides short output pulses of less than 100 ns at repetition rates of up to 1 kHz, optimised for efficient ultrasonic wave generation. The system has been designed for highly reliable operation under industrial conditions and a long term test with total pulse counts in excess of 5 billion laser pulses is reported.

Principles and Applications of Ultrasonic-Based Nondestructive Methods for Self-Healing in Cementitious Materials

PubMed Central

Ahn, Eunjong; Kim, Hyunjun; Sim, Sung-Han; Shin, Sung Woo; Shin, Myoungsu

2017-01-01

Recently, self-healing technologies have emerged as a promising approach to extend the service life of social infrastructure in the field of concrete construction. However, current evaluations of the self-healing technologies developed for cementitious materials are mostly limited to lab-scale experiments to inspect changes in surface crack width (by optical microscopy) and permeability. Furthermore, there is a universal lack of unified test methods to assess the effectiveness of self-healing technologies. Particularly, with respect to the self-healing of concrete applied in actual construction, nondestructive test methods are required to avoid interrupting the use of the structures under evaluation. This paper presents a review of all existing research on the principles of ultrasonic test methods and case studies pertaining to self-healing concrete. The main objective of the study is to examine the applicability and limitation of various ultrasonic test methods in assessing the self-healing performance. Finally, future directions on the development of reliable assessment methods for self-healing cementitious materials are suggested. PMID:28772640

[Evaluation of the cavity cleaning of ultrasonic instruments and slow-speed handpiece in posterior teeth root-end preparation].

PubMed

Zhang, Ping-juan; Chen, Wen-xia; Zeng, Qi-xin; Xie, Fang-fang

2013-04-01

To compare the cleanliness of root end preparations by using ultrasonic instrumentation and slow-speed handpiece. Thirty-two mesial roots of the first mandibular molars with two canals and mature root apices were assigned randomly to 2 groups, each group had 16 teeth. The root-end preparations were made respectively using ultrasonic diamond tip Berutti and NiTi tip RE2 and slow-speed handpiece with No.2 round bur. Root end cavities were examined under scanning electron microscope for further evaluation of the superficial debris and smear layer of the root end preparations. SPSS 13.0 software package was used for Kruskal Wallis test. Ultrasonic preparation had significantly less superficial debris and smear layer than slow-speed handpiece preparation (P<0.05). Ultrasonic instrument creates cleaner surfaces for root end cavities than slow-speed handpiece preparation in posterior teeth root end preparation.

Multipoint fiber-optic laser-ultrasonic actuator based on fiber core-opened tapers.

PubMed

Tian, Jiajun; Dong, Xiaolong; Gao, Shimin; Yao, Yong

2017-11-27

In this study, a novel fiber-optic, multipoint, laser-ultrasonic actuator based on fiber core-opened tapers (COTs) is proposed and demonstrated. The COTs were fabricated by splicing single-mode fibers using a standard fiber splicer. A COT can effectively couple part of a core mode into cladding modes, and the coupling ratio can be controlled by adjusting the taper length. Such characteristics are used to obtain a multipoint, laser-ultrasonic actuator with balanced signal strength by reasonably controlling the taper lengths of the COTs. As a prototype, we constructed an actuator that generated ultrasound at four points with a balanced ultrasonic strength by connecting four COTs with coupling ratios of 24.5%, 33.01%, 49.51%, and 87.8% in a fiber link. This simple-to-fabricate, multipoint, laser-ultrasonic actuator with balanced ultrasound signal strength has potential applications in fiber-optic ultrasound testing technology.

Numerical analysis of bubble-cluster formation in an ultrasonic field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Donghyun; Son, Gihun

2016-11-01

Bubble-cluster formation in an ultrasonic field is investigated numerically solving the conservation equations of mass, momentum and energy. The liquid-gas interface is calculated using the volume-of-fluid method with variable gas density to consider the bubble compressibility. The effect of liquid-gas phase change is also included as the interface source terms of the mass and energy equations. The numerical approach is tested through the simulation of the expansion and contraction motion of a compressed bubble adjacent to a wall. When the bubble is placed in an ultrasonic field, it oscillates radially and then collapses violently. Numerical simulation is also performed for bubble-cluster formation induced by an ultrasonic generator, where the generated bubbles are merged into a macrostructure along the acoustic flow field. The effects of ultrasonic power and frequency, liquid properties and pool temperature on the bubble-cluster formation are investigated. This work was supported by the Korea Institute of Energy Research.

Intraosseous heat generation during sonic, ultrasonic and conventional osteotomy.

PubMed

Rashad, Ashkan; Sadr-Eshkevari, Pooyan; Heiland, Max; Smeets, Ralf; Hanken, Henning; Gröbe, Alexander; Assaf, Alexandre T; Köhnke, Robert H; Mehryar, Pouyan; Riecke, Björn; Wikner, Johannes

2015-09-01

To assess heat generation in osteotomies during application of sonic and ultrasonic saws compared to conventional bur. Two glass-fiber isolated nickel-chromium thermocouples, connected to a recording device, were inserted into fresh bovine rib bone blocks and kept in 20 ± 0.5 °C water at determined depths of 1.5 mm (cortical layer) and 7 mm (cancellous layer) and 1.0 mm away from the planned osteotomy site. Handpieces, angulated 24-32°, were mounted in a vertical drill stand, and standardized weights were attached to their tops to exert loads of 5, 8, 15 and 20 N. Irrigation volumes of 20, 50 and 80 ml/min were used for each load. Ten repetitions were conducted using new tips each time for each test condition. The Mann-Whitney-U test was used for statistical analysis (p < 0.05). Both ultrasonic and sonic osteotomies were associated with significantly lower heat generation than conventional osteotomy (p < 0.01). Sonic osteotomy showed non-significantly lower heat generation than ultrasonic osteotomy. Generated heat never exceeded the critical limit of 47 °C in any system. Variation of load had no effect on heat generation in both bone layers for all tested systems. An increased irrigation volume resulted in lower temperatures in both cortical and cancellous bone layers during all tested osteotomies. Although none of the systems under the conditions of the present study resulted in critical heat generation, the application of ultrasonic and sonic osteotomy systems was associated with lower heat generation compared to the conventional saw osteotomy. Copious irrigation seems to play a critical role in preventing heat generation in the osteotomy site. Copyright © 2015 European Association for Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ultrasonic Welding of Graphite/Thermoplastic Composite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hardy, S. S.; Page, D. B.

1982-01-01

Ultrasonic welding of graphite/thermoplastic composite materials eliminates need for fasteners (which require drilling or punching, add weight, and degrade stiffness) and can be totally automated in beam fabrication and assembly jigs. Feasibility of technique has been demonstrated in laboratory tests which show that neither angular orientation nor vacuum affect weld quality.

Computational modeling and experimental studies of the dynamic performance of ultrasonic horn profiles used in plastic welding.

PubMed

Roopa Rani, M; Rudramoorthy, R

2013-03-01

Ultrasonic horns are tuned components designed to vibrate in a longitudinal mode at ultrasonic frequencies. Reliable performance of such horns is normally decided by the uniformity of vibration amplitude at the working surface and the stress developed during loading condition. The horn design engineer must pay particular attention to designing a tool that will produce the desired amplitude without fracturing. The present work discusses horn configurations which satisfy these criteria and investigates the design requirements of horns in ultrasonic system. Different horn profiles for ultrasonic welding of thermoplastics have been characterized in terms of displacement amplitude and von-Mises stresses using modal and harmonic analysis. To validate the simulated results, five different horns are fabricated from Aluminum, tested and tuned to the operating frequency. Standard ABS plastic parts are welded using these horns. Temperature developed during the welding of ABS test parts using different horns is recorded using sensors and National Instruments (NIs) data acquisition system. The recorded values are compared with the predicted values. Experimental results show that welding using a Bezier horn has a high interface temperature and the welded joints had higher strength as compared to the other horn profiles. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ultrasonic Welding of Thermoplastic Composite Coupons for Mechanical Characterization of Welded Joints through Single Lap Shear Testing.

PubMed

Villegas, Irene F; Palardy, Genevieve

2016-02-11

This paper presents a novel straightforward method for ultrasonic welding of thermoplastic-composite coupons in optimum processing conditions. The ultrasonic welding process described in this paper is based on three main pillars. Firstly, flat energy directors are used for preferential heat generation at the joining interface during the welding process. A flat energy director is a neat thermoplastic resin film that is placed between the parts to be joined prior to the welding process and heats up preferentially owing to its lower compressive stiffness relative to the composite substrates. Consequently, flat energy directors provide a simple solution that does not require molding of resin protrusions on the surfaces of the composite substrates, as opposed to ultrasonic welding of unreinforced plastics. Secondly, the process data provided by the ultrasonic welder is used to rapidly define the optimum welding parameters for any thermoplastic composite material combination. Thirdly, displacement control is used in the welding process to ensure consistent quality of the welded joints. According to this method, thermoplastic-composite flat coupons are individually welded in a single lap configuration. Mechanical testing of the welded coupons allows determining the apparent lap shear strength of the joints, which is one of the properties most commonly used to quantify the strength of thermoplastic composite welded joints.

Ultrasonic Welding of Thermoplastic Composite Coupons for Mechanical Characterization of Welded Joints through Single Lap Shear Testing

PubMed Central

Villegas, Irene F.; Palardy, Genevieve

2016-01-01

This paper presents a novel straightforward method for ultrasonic welding of thermoplastic-composite coupons in optimum processing conditions. The ultrasonic welding process described in this paper is based on three main pillars. Firstly, flat energy directors are used for preferential heat generation at the joining interface during the welding process. A flat energy director is a neat thermoplastic resin film that is placed between the parts to be joined prior to the welding process and heats up preferentially owing to its lower compressive stiffness relative to the composite substrates. Consequently, flat energy directors provide a simple solution that does not require molding of resin protrusions on the surfaces of the composite substrates, as opposed to ultrasonic welding of unreinforced plastics. Secondly, the process data provided by the ultrasonic welder is used to rapidly define the optimum welding parameters for any thermoplastic composite material combination. Thirdly, displacement control is used in the welding process to ensure consistent quality of the welded joints. According to this method, thermoplastic-composite flat coupons are individually welded in a single lap configuration. Mechanical testing of the welded coupons allows determining the apparent lap shear strength of the joints, which is one of the properties most commonly used to quantify the strength of thermoplastic composite welded joints. PMID:26890931

High-frequency ultrasonic methods for determining corrosion layer thickness of hollow metallic components.

PubMed

Liu, Hongwei; Zhang, Lei; Liu, Hong Fei; Chen, Shuting; Wang, Shihua; Wong, Zheng Zheng; Yao, Kui

2018-05-16

Corrosion in internal cavity is one of the most common problems occurs in many hollow metallic components, such as pipes containing corrosive fluids and high temperature turbines in aircraft. It is highly demanded to non-destructively detect the corrosion inside hollow components and determine the corrosion extent from the external side. In this work, we present two high-frequency ultrasonic non-destructive testing (NDT) technologies, including piezoelectric pulse-echo and laser-ultrasonic methods, for detecting corrosion of Ni superalloy from the opposite side. The determination of corrosion layer thickness below ∼100 µm has been demonstrated by both methods, in comparison with X-CT and SEM. With electron microscopic examination, it is found that with multilayer corrosion structure formed over a prolonged corrosion time, the ultrasonic NDT methods can only reliably reveal outer corrosion layer thickness because of the resulting acoustic contrast among the multiple layers due to their respective different mechanical parameters. A time-frequency signal analysis algorithm is employed to effectively enhance the high frequency ultrasonic signal contrast for the piezoelectric pulse-echo method. Finally, a blind test on a Ni superalloy turbine blade with internal corrosion is conducted with the high frequency piezoelectric pulser-receiver method. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Numerical and Experimental Characterization of a Composite Secondary Bonded Adhesive Lap Joint Using the Ultrasonics method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, M. R.; Ghosh, A.; Karuppannan, D.

2018-05-01

The construction of aircraft using advanced composites have become very popular during the past two decades, in which many innovative manufacturing processes, such as cocuring, cobonding, and secondary bonding processes, have been adopted. The secondary bonding process has become less popular than the other two ones because of nonavailability of process database and certification issues. In this article, an attempt is made to classify the quality of bonding using nondestructive ultrasonic inspection methods. Specimens were prepared and tested using the nondestructive ultrasonic Through Transmission (TT), Pulse Echo (PE), and air coupled guided wave techniques. It is concluded that the ultrasonic pulse echo technique is the best one for inspecting composite secondary bonded adhesive joints.

Ultrasound-intensified laccase production from Trametes versicolor.

PubMed

Wang, Feng; Ma, An-Zhou; Guo, Chen; Zhuang, Guo-Qiang; Liu, Chun-Zhao

2013-01-01

An efficient intermittent ultrasonic treatment strategy was developed to improve laccase production from Trametes versicolor mycelia cultures. The optimized strategy consisted of exposing 2-day-old mycelia cultures to 5-min ultrasonic treatments for two times with a 12-h interval at the fixed ultrasonic power and frequency (120 W, 40 kHz). After 5 days of culture, this strategy produced the highest extracellular laccase activity of 588.9 U/L among all treatments tested which was 1.8-fold greater than the control without ultrasound treatment. The ultrasonic treatment resulted in a higher pellet porosity that facilitated the mass transfer of nutrients and metabolites from the pellets to the surrounding liquid. Furthermore, the ultrasonic treatment induced the expression of the laccase gene (lcc), which correlated with a sharp increase in both extracellular and intracellular laccase activity. This is the first study to find positive effects of ultrasound on gene expression in fungal cells. These results provide a basis for understanding the stimulation of metabolite production and process intensification by ultrasonic treatment in filamentous fungal culture. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of ultrasonic treatment on the polyphenol content and antioxidant capacity of extract from defatted hemp, flax and canola seed cakes.

PubMed

Teh, Sue-Siang; Birch, Edward John

2014-01-01

The effectiveness of ultrasonic extraction of phenolics and flavonoids from defatted hemp, flax and canola seed cakes was compared to the conventional extraction method. Ultrasonic treatment at room temperature showed increased polyphenol extraction yield and antioxidant capacity by two-fold over the conventional extraction method. Different combinations of ultrasonic treatment parameters consisting of solvent volume (25, 50, 75 and 100 mL), extraction time (20, 30 and 40 min) and temperature (40, 50, 60 and 70 °C) were selected for polyphenol extractions from the seed cakes. The chosen parameters had a significant effect (p<0.05) on the polyphenol extraction yield and subsequent antioxidant capacity from the seed cakes. Application of heat during ultrasonic extraction yielded higher polyphenol content in extracts compared to the non-heated extraction. From an orthogonal design test, the best combination of parameters was 50 mL of solvent volume, 20 min of extraction time and 70 °C of ultrasonic temperature. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Infrared Thermal Imaging During Ultrasonic Aspiration of Bone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cotter, D. J.; Woodworth, G.; Gupta, S. V.; Manandhar, P.; Schwartz, T. H.

Ultrasonic surgical aspirator tips target removal of bone in approaches to tumors or aneurysms. Low profile angled tips provide increased visualization and safety in many high risk surgical situations that commonly were approached using a high speed rotary drill. Utilization of the ultrasonic aspirator for bone removal raised questions about relative amount of local and transmitted heat energy. In the sphenoid wing of a cadaver section, ultrasonic bone aspiration yielded lower thermal rise in precision bone removal than rotary mechanical drills, with maximum temperature of 31 °C versus 69 °C for fluted and 79 °C for diamond drill bits. Mean ultrasonic fragmentation power was about 8 Watts. Statistical studies using tenacious porcine cranium yielded mean power levels of about 4.5 Watts to 11 Watts and mean temperature of less than 41.1 °C. Excessively loading the tip yielded momentary higher power; however, mean thermal rise was less than 8 °C with bone removal starting at near body temperature of about 37 °C. Precision bone removal and thermal management were possible with conditions tested for ultrasonic bone aspiration.

Desensitizing Agent Reduces Dentin Hypersensitivity During Ultrasonic Scaling: A Pilot Study

PubMed Central

Suda, Tomonari; Akiyama, Toshiharu; Takano, Takuya; Gokyu, Misa; Sudo, Takeaki; Khemwong, Thatawee; Izumi, Yuichi

2015-01-01

Background Dentin hypersensitivity can interfere with optimal periodontal care by dentists and patients. The pain associated with dentin hypersensitivity during ultrasonic scaling is intolerable for patient and interferes with the procedure, particularly during supportive periodontal therapy (SPT) for patients with gingival recession. Aim This study proposed to evaluate the desensitizing effect of the oxalic acid agent on pain caused by dentin hypersensitivity during ultrasonic scaling. Materials and Methods This study involved 12 patients who were incorporated in SPT program and complained of dentin hypersensitivity during ultrasonic scaling. We examined the availability of the oxalic acid agent to compare the degree of pain during ultrasonic scaling with or without the application of the dentin hypersensitivity agent. Evaluation of effects on dentin hypersensitivity was determined by a questionnaire and visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores after ultrasonic scaling. The statistical analysis was performed using the paired Student t-test and Spearman rank correlation coefficient. Results The desensitizing agent reduced the mean VAS pain score from 69.33 ± 16.02 at baseline to 26.08 ± 27.99 after application. The questionnaire revealed that >80% patients were satisfied and requested the application of the desensitizing agent for future ultrasonic scaling sessions. Conclusion This study shows that the application of the oxalic acid agent considerably reduces pain associated with dentin hypersensitivity experienced during ultrasonic scaling. This pain control treatment may improve patient participation and treatment efficiency. PMID:26501012

Ultrasonic nebulization platforms for pulmonary drug delivery.

PubMed

Yeo, Leslie Y; Friend, James R; McIntosh, Michelle P; Meeusen, Els N T; Morton, David A V

2010-06-01

Since the 1950s, ultrasonic nebulizers have played an important role in pulmonary drug delivery. As the process in which aerosol droplets are generated is independent and does not require breath-actuation, ultrasonic nebulizers, in principle, offer the potential for instantaneously fine-tuning the dose administered to the specific requirements of a patient, taking into account the patient's breathing pattern, physiological profile and disease state. Nevertheless, owing to the difficulties and limitations associated with conventional designs and technologies, ultrasonic nebulizers have never been widely adopted, and have in recent years been in a state of decline. An overview is provided on the advances in new miniature ultrasonic nebulization platforms in which large increases in lung dose efficiency have been reported. In addition to a discussion of the underlying mechanisms governing ultrasonic nebulization, in which there appears to be widely differing views, the advantages and shortcomings of conventional ultrasonic nebulization technology are reviewed and advanced state-of-the-art technologies that have been developed recently are discussed. Recent advances in ultrasonic nebulization technology demonstrate significant potential for the development of smart, portable inhalation therapy platforms for the future. Nevertheless, there remain considerable challenges that need to be addressed before such personalized delivery systems can be realized. These have to be addressed across the spectrum from fundamental physics through to in vivo device testing and dealing with the relevant regulatory framework.

Desensitizing Agent Reduces Dentin Hypersensitivity During Ultrasonic Scaling: A Pilot Study.

PubMed

Suda, Tomonari; Kobayashi, Hiroaki; Akiyama, Toshiharu; Takano, Takuya; Gokyu, Misa; Sudo, Takeaki; Khemwong, Thatawee; Izumi, Yuichi

2015-09-01

Dentin hypersensitivity can interfere with optimal periodontal care by dentists and patients. The pain associated with dentin hypersensitivity during ultrasonic scaling is intolerable for patient and interferes with the procedure, particularly during supportive periodontal therapy (SPT) for patients with gingival recession. This study proposed to evaluate the desensitizing effect of the oxalic acid agent on pain caused by dentin hypersensitivity during ultrasonic scaling. This study involved 12 patients who were incorporated in SPT program and complained of dentin hypersensitivity during ultrasonic scaling. We examined the availability of the oxalic acid agent to compare the degree of pain during ultrasonic scaling with or without the application of the dentin hypersensitivity agent. Evaluation of effects on dentin hypersensitivity was determined by a questionnaire and visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores after ultrasonic scaling. The statistical analysis was performed using the paired Student t-test and Spearman rank correlation coefficient. The desensitizing agent reduced the mean VAS pain score from 69.33 ± 16.02 at baseline to 26.08 ± 27.99 after application. The questionnaire revealed that >80% patients were satisfied and requested the application of the desensitizing agent for future ultrasonic scaling sessions. This study shows that the application of the oxalic acid agent considerably reduces pain associated with dentin hypersensitivity experienced during ultrasonic scaling. This pain control treatment may improve patient participation and treatment efficiency.

Prototype ultrasonic instrument for quantitative testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lynnworth, L. C.; Dubois, J. L.; Kranz, P. R.

1972-01-01

A prototype ultrasonic instrument has been designed and developed for quantitative testing. The complete delivered instrument consists of a pulser/receiver which plugs into a standard oscilloscope, an rf power amplifier, a standard decade oscillator, and a set of broadband transducers for typical use at 1, 2, 5 and 10 MHz. The system provides for its own calibration, and on the oscilloscope, presents a quantitative (digital) indication of time base and sensitivity scale factors and some measurement data.

Electric reaction arising in bone subjected to mechanical loadings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murasawa, Go; Cho, Hideo; Ogawa, Kazuma

2006-03-01

The aim of present study is the investigation of the electric reaction arising in bone subjected to mechanical loadings. Firstly, specimen was fabricated from femur of cow, and ultrasonic propagation in bone was measured by ultrasonic technique. Secondary, 4-point bending test was conducted up to fracture, and electric reaction arising in bone was measured during loading. Thirdly, cyclic 4-point bending test was conducted to investigate the effect of applied displacement speed on electric reaction.

Ultrasonic shear wave couplant

DOEpatents

Kupperman, David S.; Lanham, Ronald N.

1985-01-01

Ultrasonically testing of an article at high temperatures is accomplished by the use of a compact layer of a dry ceramic powder as a couplant in a method which involves providing an ultrasonic transducer as a probe capable of transmitting shear waves, coupling the probe to the article through a thin compact layer of a dry ceramic powder, propagating a shear wave from the probe through the ceramic powder and into the article to develop echo signals, and analyzing the echo signals to determine at least one physical characteristic of the article.

Radiographic and ultrasonic characterization of sintered silicon carbide

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baaklini, G. Y.; Abel, P. B.

1988-01-01

The capabilities were investigated of projection microfocus X-radiography, ultrasonic velocity and attenuation, and reflection scanning acoustic microscopy for characterizing silicon carbide specimens. Silicon carbide batches covered a range of densities and different microstructural characteristics. Room temperature, four point flexural strength tests were conducted. Fractography was used to identify types, sizes, and locations of fracture origins. Fracture toughness values were calculated from fracture strength and flaw characterization data. Detection capabilities of radiography and acoustic microscopy for fracture-causing flaws were evaluated. Applicability of ultrasonics for verifying material strength and toughness was examined.

Flaw imaging and ultrasonic techniques for characterizing sintered silicon carbide

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baaklini, George Y.; Abel, Phillip B.

1987-01-01

The capabilities were investigated of projection microfocus x-radiography, ultrasonic velocity and attenuation, and reflection scanning acoustic microscopy for characterizing silicon carbide specimens. Silicon carbide batches covered a range of densities and different microstructural characteristics. Room temperature, four point flexural strength tests were conducted. Fractography was used to identify types, sizes, and locations of fracture origins. Fracture toughness values were calculated from fracture strength and flaw characterization data. Detection capabilities of radiography and acoustic microscopy for fracture-causing flaws were evaluated. Applicability of ultrasonics for verifying material strength and toughness was examined.

Ultrasonic shear wave couplant

DOEpatents

Kupperman, D.S.; Lanham, R.N.

1984-04-11

Ultrasonically testing of an article at high temperatures is accomplished by the use of a compact layer of a dry ceramic powder as a couplant in a method which involves providing an ultrasonic transducer as a probe capable of transmitting shear waves, coupling the probe to the article through a thin compact layer of a dry ceramic powder, propagating a shear wave from the probe through the ceramic powder and into the article to develop echo signals, and analyzing the echo signals to determine at least one physical characteristic of the article.

The Quantitative Significance of Nondestructive Evaluation of Graphite and Ceramic Materials.

DTIC Science & Technology

NONDESTRUCTIVE TESTING), (* GRAPHITE , (*BORIDES, NONDESTRUCTIVE TESTING), (*REFRACTORY MATERIALS, NONDESTRUCTIVE TESTING), DEFECTS(MATERIALS), TENSILE PROPERTIES, RADIOGRAPHY, ULTRASONIC PROPERTIES, DENSITY.

Social communication in mice--are there optimal cage conditions?

PubMed

Ferhat, Allain-Thibeault; Le Sourd, Anne-Marie; de Chaumont, Fabrice; Olivo-Marin, Jean-Christophe; Bourgeron, Thomas; Ey, Elodie

2015-01-01

Social communication is heavily affected in patients with neuropsychiatric disorders. Accordingly, mouse models designed to study the mechanisms leading to these disorders are tested for this phenotypic trait. Test conditions vary between different models, and the effect of these test conditions on the quantity and quality of social interactions and ultrasonic communication is unknown. The present study examines to which extent the habituation time to the test cage as well as the shape/size of the cage influence social communication in freely interacting mice. We tested 8 pairs of male mice in free dyadic social interactions, with two habituation times (20 min and 30 min) and three cage formats (rectangle, round, square). We tested the effect of these conditions on the different types of social contacts, approach-escape sequences, follow behavior, and the time each animal spent in the vision field of the other one, as well as on the emission of ultrasonic vocalizations and their contexts of emission. We provide for the first time an integrated analysis of the social interaction behavior and ultrasonic vocalizations. Surprisingly, we did not highlight any significant effect of habituation time and cage shape/size on the behavioral events examined. There was only a slight increase of social interactions with the longer habituation time in the round cage. Remarkably, we also showed that vocalizations were emitted during specific behavioral sequences especially during close contact or approach behaviors. The present study provides a protocol reliably eliciting social contacts and ultrasonic vocalizations in adult male mice. This protocol is therefore well adapted for standardized investigation of social interactions in mouse models of neuropsychiatric disorders.

Carbon nanotube composites prepared by ultrasonically assisted twin screw extrusion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lewis, Todd

Two ultrasonic twin screw extrusion systems were designed and manufactured for the ultrasonic dispersion of multi-walled carbon nanotubes in viscous polymer matrices at residence times of the order of seconds in the ultrasonic treatment zones. The first design consisted of an ultrasonic slit die attachment in which nanocomposites were treated. A second design incorporated an ultrasonic treatment section into the barrel of the extruder to utilize the shearing of the polymer during extrusion while simultaneously applying treatment. High performance, high temperature thermoset phenylethynyl terminate imide oligomer (PETI-330) and two different polyetherether ketones (PEEK) were evaluated at CNT loadings up to 10 wt%. The effects of CNT loading and ultrasonic amplitude on the processing characteristics and rheological, mechanical, electrical, thermal and morphological properties of nanocomposites were investigated. PETI and PEEK nanocomposites showed a decrease in resistivity, an increase in modulus and strength and a decrease in strain at break and toughness with increased CNT loading. Ultrasonically treated samples showed a decrease in die pressure and extruder torque with increasing ultrasonic treatment and an increase in complex viscosity and storage modulus at certain ultrasonic treatment levels. Optical microscopy showed enhanced dispersion of the CNT bundles in ultrasonically treated samples. However, no significant improvement of mechanical properties was observed with ultrasonic treatment due to lack of adhesion between the CNT and matrix in the solid state. A curing model for PETI-330 was proposed that includes the induction and curing stages to predict the degree of cure of PETI-330 under non-isothermal conditions. Induction time parameters, rate constant and reaction order of the model were obtained based on differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) data. The model correctly predicted experimentally measured degrees of cure of compression molded plaques cured to various degrees. An apparatus for high temperature resin transfer molding (HT-RTM) was designed and built to produce PETI-8 and PETI-330/carbon fabric composite panels. Performance of the panels was tested at various temperatures. The produced panels exhibited low void content in wetted areas and had higher short beam shear properties in comparison with vacuum assisted resin transfer moldings. To investigate the environmental aspects of nanomaterials, a testing apparatus was designed and manufactured to study the effectiveness of particulate respirators at filtering CNTs. Three different grades of respirators were evaluated for their effectiveness to prevent the inhalation of CNTs. Dust masks, commonly used in a processing environment, were found to be highly ineffective at preventing the inhalation of CNTs. However, respirators with a National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) rating of P95 or greater were shown to prevent the inhalation of CNTs under normal breathing conditions.

Noncontact measurement of vibration using airborne ultrasound.

PubMed

Mater, O B; Remenieras, J P; Bruneel, C; Roncin, A; Patat, F

1998-01-01

A noncontact ultrasonic method for measuring the surface normal vibration of objects was studied. The instrument consists of a pair of 420 kHz ultrasonic air transducers. One is used to emit ultrasounds toward the moving surface, and the other receives the ultrasound reflected from the object under test. Two effects induce a phase modulation on the received signal. The first effect results from the variation of the round trip time interval tau required for the wavefront to go from the emitter to the moving surface and back to the receiver. This is the Doppler effect directly proportional to the surface displacement. The second effect results from the nonlinear parametric interactions of the ultrasonic beams (forward and backward) with the low frequency sound field emitted in the air by the vibrating surface. This latter phenomenon, which is a volume effect, is proportional to the velocity of the vibrating surface and increases with the distance between the transducers and the surface under test. The relative contribution of the Doppler and parametric effects are evaluated, and both have to be taken into account for ultrasonic interferometry in air.

Metal composite as backing for ultrasonic transducers dedicated to non-destructive measurements in hostile

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boubenia, R.; Rosenkrantz, E.; Despetis, F.; P, P.; Ferrandis, J.-Y.

2016-03-01

Our team is specialized in ultrasonic measurements in hostile environment especially under high temperatures. There is a need for acoustic transducers capable of continuous measurement at temperatures up to 700°C. To improve the performances of acoustic sensors we focus our works on the realisation and characterisation of transducer backings able to operate under very high temperature. Commercially, they are produced by the incorporation of tungsten powder in a plastic matrix, which limits the working temperature. The realisation of ultrasonic transducers for non-destructive measures at high temperatures requires adequate materials, manufacturing and assembly processes. To produce the backings, composites were made using very ductile metals such as tin and tungsten. These composites are manufactured by uniaxial hot pressing. First, we studied the influence of temperature and pressure on the densification of tin pellets. Then, several specimens made of tin/W were made and characterised by measuring the specific weight, speed and attenuation of sound. The acoustic measures were realised by ultrasonic spectroscopy. This test-bench was designed and tested on control samples of PMMA and on standard backings (epoxy / tungsten).

Underwater detection by using ultrasonic sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bakar, S. A. A.; Ong, N. R.; Aziz, M. H. A.; Alcain, J. B.; Haimi, W. M. W. N.; Sauli, Z.

2017-09-01

This paper described the low cost implementation of hardware and software in developing the system of ultrasonic which can visualize the feedback of sound in the form of measured distance through mobile phone and monitoring the frequency of detection by using real time graph of Java application. A single waterproof transducer of JSN-SR04T had been used to determine the distance of an object based on operation of the classic pulse echo detection method underwater. In this experiment, the system was tested by placing the housing which consisted of Arduino UNO, Bluetooth module of HC-06, ultrasonic sensor and LEDs at the top of the box and the transducer was immersed in the water. The system which had been tested for detection in vertical form was found to be capable of reporting through the use of colored LEDs as indicator to the relative proximity of object distance underwater form the sensor. As a conclusion, the system can detect the presence of an object underwater within the range of ultrasonic sensor and display the measured distance onto the mobile phone and the real time graph had been successfully generated.

Ultrasonic Non-destructive Prediction of Spot Welding Shear Strength

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Himawan, R.; Haryanto, M.; Subekti, R. M.; Sunaryo, G. R.

2018-02-01

To enhance a corrosion resistant of ferritic steel in reactor pressure vessel, stainless steel was used as a cladding. Bonding process between these two steels may result a inhomogenity either sub-clad crack or un-joined part. To ensure the integrity, effective inspection method is needed for this purpose. Therefore, in this study, an experiment of ultrasonic test for inspection of two bonding plate was performed. The objective of this study is to develop an effective method in predicting the shear fracture load of the join. For simplicity, these joined was modelled with two plate of stainless steel with spot welding. Ultrasonic tests were performed using contact method with 5 MHz in frequency and 10 mm in diameter of transducer. Amplitude of reflected wave from intermediate layer was used as a quantitative parameter. A set of experiment results show that shear fracture load has a linear correlation with amplitude of reflected wave. Besides, amplitude of reflected wave also has relation with nugget diameter. It could be concluded that ultrasonic contact method could be applied in predicting a shear fracture load.

Computerized Ultrasonic Testing System (CUTS) for in-process thickness determination

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frankel, J.; Doxbeck, M.; Schroeder, S. C.; Abbate, A.

1994-01-01

A Computerized Ultrasonic Testing System (CUTS) was developed to measure, in real-time, the rate of deposition and thickness of chromium plated on the inside of thick steel tubes. The measurements are made from the outside of the tubes with the ultrasonic pulse-echo technique. The resolution of the system is 2.5 micron. (0.0001 in.) and the accuracy is better than 10 micron (0.0004 in.). The thickness is measured using six transducers mounted at different locations on the tube. In addition, two transducers are mounted on two reference standards, thereby allowing the system to be continuously calibrated. The tube temperature varies during the process, thus the input from eight thermocouples, located at the measurement sites, is used to calculate and compensate for the change in return time of the ultrasonic echo due to the temperature dependence of the sound velocity. CUTS is applicable to any commercial process where real-time change of thickness of a sample has to be known, with the advantage of facilitating increased efficiency and of improving process control.

A review of nondestructive examination technology for polyethylene pipe in nuclear power plant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Jinyang; Zhang, Yue; Hou, Dongsheng; Qin, Yinkang; Guo, Weican; Zhang, Chuck; Shi, Jianfeng

2018-05-01

Polyethylene (PE) pipe, particularly high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe, has been successfully utilized to transport cooling water for both non-safety- and safety-related applications in nuclear power plant (NPP). Though ASME Code Case N755, which is the first code case related to NPP HDPE pipe, requires a thorough nondestructive examination (NDE) of HDPE joints. However, no executable regulations presently exist because of the lack of a feasible NDE technique for HDPE pipe in NPP. This work presents a review of current developments in NDE technology for both HDPE pipe in NPP with a diameter of less than 400 mm and that of a larger size. For the former category, phased array ultrasonic technique is proven effective for inspecting typical defects in HDPE pipe, and is thus used in Chinese national standards GB/T 29460 and GB/T 29461. A defect-recognition technique is developed based on pattern recognition, and a safety assessment principle is summarized from the database of destructive testing. On the other hand, recent research and practical studies reveal that in current ultrasonic-inspection technology, the absence of effective ultrasonic inspection for large size was lack of consideration of the viscoelasticity effect of PE on acoustic wave propagation in current ultrasonic inspection technology. Furthermore, main technical problems were analyzed in the paper to achieve an effective ultrasonic test method in accordance to the safety and efficiency requirements of related regulations and standards. Finally, the development trend and challenges of NDE test technology for HDPE in NPP are discussed.

Quasi-static elastography comparison of hyaline cartilage structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCredie, A. J.; Stride, E.; Saffari, N.

2009-11-01

Joint cartilage, a load bearing structure in mammals, has only limited ability for regeneration after damage. For tissue engineers to design functional constructs, better understanding of the properties of healthy tissue is required. Joint cartilage is a specialised structure of hyaline cartilage; a poroviscoelastic solid containing fibril matrix reinforcements. Healthy joint cartilage is layered, which is thought to be important for correct tissue function. However, the behaviour of each layer during loading is poorly understood. Ultrasound elastography provides access to depth-dependent information in real-time for a sample during loading. A 15 MHz focussed transducer provided details from scatterers within a small fixed region in each sample. Quasi-static loading was applied to cartilage samples while ultrasonic signals before and during compressions were recorded. Ultrasonic signals were processed to provide time-shift profiles using a sum-squared difference method and cross-correlation. Two structures of hyaline cartilage have been tested ultrasonically and mechanically to determine method suitability for monitoring internal deformation differences under load and the effect of the layers on the global mechanical material behaviour. Results show differences in both the global mechanical properties and the ultrasonically tested strain distributions between the two structures tested. It was concluded that these differences are caused primarily by the fibril orientations.

On Limitations of the Ultrasonic Characterization of Pieces Manufactured with Highly Attenuating Materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramos, A.; Moreno, E.; Rubio, B.; Calas, H.; Galarza, N.; Rubio, J.; Diez, L.; Castellanos, L.; Gómez, T.

Some technical aspects of two Spanish cooperation projects, funded by DPI and Innpacto Programs of the R&D National Plan, are discussed. The objective is to analyze the common belief about than the ultrasonic testing in MHz range is not a tool utilizable to detect internal flaws in highly attenuating pieces made of coarse-grained steel. In fact high-strength steels, used in some safe industrial infrastructures of energy & transport sectors, are difficult to be inspected using the conventional "state of the art" in ultrasonic technology, due to their internal microstructures are very attenuating and coarse-grained. It is studied if this inspection difficulty could be overcome by finding intense interrogating pulses and advanced signal processing of the acquired echoes. A possible solution would depend on drastically improving signal-to-noise-ratios, by applying new advances on: ultrasonic transduction, HV electronics for intense pulsed driving of the testing probes, and an "ad-hoc" digital processing or focusing of the received noisy signals, in function of each material to be inspected. To attain this challenging aim on robust steel pieces would open the possibility of obtaining improvements in inspecting critical industrial components made of highly attenuating & dispersive materials, as new composites in aeronautic and motorway bridges, or new metallic alloys in nuclear area, where additional testing limitations often appear.

Ultrasonic friction power during Al wire wedge-wedge bonding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shah, A.; Gaul, H.; Schneider-Ramelow, M.; Reichl, H.; Mayer, M.; Zhou, Y.

2009-07-01

Al wire bonding, also called ultrasonic wedge-wedge bonding, is a microwelding process used extensively in the microelectronics industry for interconnections to integrated circuits. The bonding wire used is a 25μm diameter AlSi1 wire. A friction power model is used to derive the ultrasonic friction power during Al wire bonding. Auxiliary measurements include the current delivered to the ultrasonic transducer, the vibration amplitude of the bonding tool tip in free air, and the ultrasonic force acting on the bonding pad during the bond process. The ultrasonic force measurement is like a signature of the bond as it allows for a detailed insight into mechanisms during various phases of the process. It is measured using piezoresistive force microsensors integrated close to the Al bonding pad (Al-Al process) on a custom made test chip. A clear break-off in the force signal is observed, which is followed by a relatively constant force for a short duration. A large second harmonic content is observed, describing a nonsymmetric deviation of the signal wave form from the sinusoidal shape. This deviation might be due to the reduced geometrical symmetry of the wedge tool. For bonds made with typical process parameters, several characteristic values used in the friction power model are determined. The ultrasonic compliance of the bonding system is 2.66μm/N. A typical maximum value of the relative interfacial amplitude of ultrasonic friction is at least 222nm. The maximum interfacial friction power is at least 11.5mW, which is only about 4.8% of the total electrical power delivered to the ultrasonic generator.

Comparative Efficacy of Platelet Rich Plasma Injection, Corticosteroid Injection and Ultrasonic Therapy in the Treatment of Periarthritis Shoulder.

PubMed

Kothari, Shashank Yeshwant; Srikumar, Venkataraman; Singh, Neha

2017-05-01

Periarthritis (PA) shoulder characterised by pain and restricted range of motion has a plethora of treatment options with inconclusive evidence. Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) is an emerging treatment option and its efficacy needs to be examined and compared with other routine interventions. To assess the efficacy of PRP injection and compare it with corticosteroid injection and ultrasonic therapy in the treatment of PA shoulder. Patients with PA shoulder (n=195) were randomised to receive single injection of PRP (2 ml) or corticosteroid (80 mg of methylprednisolone) or ultrasonic therapy (seven sittings in two weeks; 1.5 W/cm 2 , 1 MHz, continuous mode). All participants were also advised to perform a home based 10 minute exercise therapy. The primary outcome measure was active range of motion of the shoulder. Secondary outcome measures used were Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for pain and a shortened version of Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (QuickDASH) for function. Participants were evaluated at 0, 3, 6 and 12 weeks. Chi-square test, one way and repeated measures of ANOVA tests were used to determine significant differences. PRP treatment resulted in statistically significant improvements over corticosteroid and ultrasonic therapy in active as well as passive range of motion of shoulder, VAS and QuickDASH at 12 weeks. At six weeks, PRP treatment resulted in statistically significant improvements over ultrasonic therapy in VAS and QuickDASH. No major adverse effects were observed. This study demonstrates that single injection of PRP is effective and better than corticosteroid injection or ultrasonic therapy in treatment of PA shoulder.

Acoustic and sonochemical methods for altering the viscosity of oil during recovery and pipeline transportation.

PubMed

Abramov, Vladimir O; Abramova, Anna V; Bayazitov, Vadim M; Mullakaev, Marat S; Marnosov, Alexandr V; Ildiyakov, Alexandr V

2017-03-01

Reduction of oil viscosity is of great importance for the petroleum industry since it contributes a lot to the facilitation of pipeline transportation of oil. This study analyzes the capability of acoustic waves to decrease the viscosity of oil during its commercial production. Three types of equipment were tested: an ultrasonic emitter that is located directly in the well and affects oil during its production and two types of acoustic machines to be located at the wellhead and perform acoustic treatment after oil extraction: a setup for ultrasonic hydrodynamic treatment and a flow-through ultrasonic reactor. In our case, the two acoustic machines were rebuilt and tested in the laboratory. The viscosity of oil was measured before and after both types of acoustic treatment; and 2, 24 and 48h after ultrasonic treatment and 1 and 4h after hydrodynamic treatment in order to estimate the constancy of viscosity reduction. The viscosity reduction achieved by acoustic waves was compared to the viscosity reduction achieved by acoustic waves jointly with solvents. It was shown, that regardless of the form of powerful acoustic impact, a long lasting decrease in viscosity can be obtained only if sonochemical treatment is used. Using sonochemical treatment based on ultrasonic hydrodynamic treatment a viscosity reduction by 72,46% was achieved. However, the reduction in viscosity by 16%, which was demonstrated using the ultrasonic downhole tool in the well without addition of chemicals, is high enough to facilitate the production of viscous hydrocarbons. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Compact sensitive instrument for direct ultrasonic visualization of defects.

PubMed

Bar-Cohen, Y; Ben-Joseph, B; Harnik, E

1978-12-01

A simple ultrasonic imaging cell based on the confocal combination of a plano-concave lens and a concave spherical mirror is described. When used in conjunction with a stroboscopic schlieren visualization system, it has the main attributes of a practical nondestructive testing instrument: it is compact, relatively inexpensive, and simple to operate; its sensitivity is fair, resolution and fidelity are good; it has a fairly large field of view and a test piece can be readily scanned. The scope of its applicability is described and discussed.

Helium Bottle Pressure Measurement by Portable Ultrasonic Technique

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-02-07

revision extends the study to include EMI testing, and -develorynent of g Rrotgtype tester . The Contractor shall: 1. Perform EMI test of ultrasonic eq...amp/1 watt power ap- plied to the bridgerires. The tester pulse of 250 volts for 100 ns at 1500 pps has an average value of 250v x 100ns x 1500pps...34 connector. Mount transducer in fixture and connect transducer to cable microdot connector. 5. Pulse-Echo transit time measurement: Assure that the

Plastic Foam Porosity Characterization by Air-Borne Ultrasound

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoffrén, H.; Karppinen, T.; Hæggström, E.

2006-03-01

We continue to develop an ultrasonic burst-reflection method for estimating porosity and tortuosity of solid materials. As a first step we report on method design considerations and measurements on polyurethane foams (Sylomer® vibration dampener) with well-defined porosity. The ultrasonic method is experimentally tested by measuring 235 kHz and 600 kHz air-borne ultrasound reflection from a foam surface at two incidence angles. The reflected sound wave from different foam samples (32% - 64% porosity) was compared to a wave that had traveled from the transmitter to the detector without reflection. The ultrasonically estimated sample porosities coincided within 8% with the porosity estimates obtained by a gravimetric reference method. This parallels the uncertainty of the gravimetric method, 8%. The repeatability of the ultrasonic porosity measurements was better than 5%.

Improved ultrasonic standard reference blocks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eitzen, D. G.; Sushinsky, G. F.; Chwirut, D. J.; Bechtoldt, C. J.; Ruff, A. W.

1976-01-01

A program to improve the quality, reproducibility and reliability of nondestructive testing through the development of improved ASTM-type ultrasonic reference standards is described. Reference blocks of aluminum, steel, and titanium alloys are to be considered. Equipment representing the state-of-the-art in laboratory and field ultrasonic equipment was obtained and evaluated. RF and spectral data on ten sets of ultrasonic reference blocks have been taken as part of a task to quantify the variability in response from nominally identical blocks. Techniques for residual stress, preferred orientation, and micro-structural measurements were refined and are applied to a reference block rejected by the manufacturer during fabrication in order to evaluate the effect of metallurgical condition on block response. New fabrication techniques for reference blocks are discussed and ASTM activities are summarized.

A study on laser-based ultrasonic technique by the use of guided wave tomographic imaging

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Park, Junpil, E-mail: jpp@pusan.ac.kr; Lim, Juyoung, E-mail: jpp@pusan.ac.kr; Cho, Younho

2015-03-31

Guided wave tests are impractical for investigating specimens with limited accessibility and coarse surfaces or geometrically complicated features. A non-contact setup with a laser ultrasonic transmitter and receiver is the classic attractive for guided wave inspection. The present work was done to develop a non-contact guided-wave tomography technique by laser ultrasonic technique in a plate-like structure. A method for Lam wave generation and detection in an aluminum plate with a pulse laser ultrasonic transmitter and a Michelson interferometer receiver has been developed. In the images obtained by laser scanning, the defect shape and area showed good agreement with the actualmore » defect. The proposed approach can be used as a non-contact-based online inspection and monitoring technique.« less

Glioma tissue obtained by modern ultrasonic aspiration with a simple sterile suction trap for primary cell culture and pathological evaluation.

PubMed

Schroeteler, Juliane; Reeker, Ralf; Suero Molina, Eric; Brokinkel, Benjamin; Holling, Markus; Grauer, Oliver M; Senner, Volker; Stummer, Walter; Ewelt, Christian

2014-01-01

Ultrasonic aspiration is widely used in the resection of brain tumors. Nevertheless, tumor tissue fragments obtained by ultrasonic aspiration are usually discarded. In this study, we demonstrate that these fragments are possible sources of material for histopathological study and tissue culture and compare their microscopic features and viability in tissue culture of cavitron ultrasonic surgical aspirator tissue fragments. Brain tumor tissue collected by ultrasonic aspiration (CUSA EXcel®; Integra Radionics Inc.) in a simple sterile suction trap during resection was processed for primary cell culture. Cell viability and immunohistological markers were measured by the WST-1 test, microscopy and immunofluorescent evaluation. Six gliomas are presented to demonstrate that these tissue fragments show good preservation of histological detail and tissue viability in culture. Utilization of this material may facilitate pathological interpretation by providing a more representative sample of tumor histology as well as an adequate and sterile biosource of material for tissue culture studies.

Ultrasonic Low-Friction Containment Plate for Thermal and Ultrasonic Stir Weld Processes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Graff, Karl; Short, Matt

2013-01-01

The thermal stir welding (TSW) process is finding applications in fabrication of space vehicles. In this process, workpieces to be joined by TSW are drawn, by heavy forces, between "containment plates," past the TSW tool that then causes joining of the separate plates. It is believed that the TSW process would be significantly improved by reducing the draw force, and that this could be achieved by reducing the friction forces between the workpieces and containment plates. Based on use of high-power ultrasonics in metal forming processes, where friction reduction in drawing dies has been achieved, it is believed that ultrasonic vibrations of the containment plates could achieve similar friction reduction in the TSW process. By applying ultrasonic vibrations to the containment plates in a longitudinal vibration mode, as well as by mounting and holding the containment plates in a specific manner such as to permit the plates to acoustically float, friction between the metal parts and the containment plates is greatly reduced, and so is the drawing force. The concept was to bring in the ultrasonics from the sides of the plates, permitting the ultrasonic hardware to be placed to the side, away from the equipment that contains the thermal stir tooling and that applies clamping forces to the plates. Tests demonstrated that one of the major objectives of applying ultrasonics to the thermal stir system, that of reducing draw force friction, should be achievable on a scaled-up system.

The effect of cleaning on blood contamination in the dental surgery following periodontal procedures.

PubMed

Edmunds, L M; Rawlinson, A

1998-10-01

Blood contamination of 16 surfaces in the dental surgery was investigated using the Kastle-Meyer test for haemoglobin, after three types of periodontal procedures had been performed on a total of 30 patients. The effect of cleaning surfaces contaminated by blood was investigated using the same test. Cleaning materials used in the dental surgery were tested to rule out the possibility of false positive outcomes and the sensitivity of the test was determined prior to the study. The results show a marked variation in the degree of contamination and efficacy of cleaning following treatment. Overall, root planing was associated with the most widespread and frequent blood contamination and gingival surgery the least. The surgery work surface, edge of the spittoon, aspirator tube and ultrasonic scaler handpiece into which the ultrasonic insert fits, were the most frequently contaminated surfaces. The work surface, dentist's pen, light switch and handle were cleaned most effectively. The least effectively cleaned surfaces were the water dispenser switch, aspirator tube, bracket table and ultrasonic scaler handpiece. Methods for reducing this potential source of cross-infection are discussed.

A case study of application of guided waves for detecting corrosion in pipelines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rostami, Javad; Safizadeh, Mir Saeed

2012-05-01

Every year noticeable amount of money is spent on fixing and replacing the damaged pipes which carry gas and fuel. Since there is a possibility for a catastrophic failure, knowing the proper time of this repair is of great importance. Because significant proportion of failures is due to wall thinning of pipes because of the corrosion, detecting the wall thinning has been a main part of nondestructive testing of pipes. There are wide variety of NDT techniques to detect this kind of defect such as conventional ultrasonic, eddy current, radiography etc. but some of these techniques, for example conventional ultrasonic needs the insulation of pipes removed and in some other cases such as radiography the test is not done at a reasonable speed. A new method of nondestructive testing of pipes which has the potential to test a long distance in a short period of time and does not need the whole insulation removed, has drawn a lot of attention. In this paper, the ability of ultrasonic guided waves for detecting corrosion in gas pipelines is experimentally investigated.

Ultrasonic Technique for Predicting Grittiness of Salted Duck Egg

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Erawan, S.; Budiastra, I. W.; Subrata, I. D. M.

2018-05-01

Grittiness of egg yolk is a major factor in consumer acceptance of salted duck egg product. Commonly, the grittiness level is determined by the destructive method. Salted egg industries need a grading system that can judge the grittiness accurately and nondestructively. The purpose of this study was to develop a method for determining grittiness of salted duck eggs nondestructively based on ultrasonic method. This study used 100 samples of salted duck eggs with 7,10,14 and 21 days of salting age. Velocity and attenuation were measured by an ultrasonic system at frequency 50 kHz, followed by physicochemical properties measurement (hardness of egg yolks and salt content), and organoleptic test. Ultrasonic wave velocity in salted duck eggs ranged from 620.6 m/s to 1334.6 m/s, while the coefficient of attenuation value ranged from – 0.76 dB/m to -0.51 dB/m. Yolk hardness was 2.68 N at 7 days to 5.54 N at 21 days of salting age. Salt content was 1.81 % at 7 days to 5.71 % at 21 days of salting age. Highest scores of organoleptic tests on salted duck eggs were 4.23 and 4.18 for 10 and 14 days of salting age, respectively. Discriminant function using ultrasonic velocity variables in minor and major diameter could predict grittiness with 95 % accuracy.

Hermetic edge sealing of photovoltaic modules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nowlan, M. J.

1983-07-01

The feasibility of using an electrostatic bonding (ESB) and ultrasonic welding process to produce hermetic edge seals on terrestrial solar cell modules was investigated. The fabrication sequence is to attach an aluminum foil "gasket' to the perimeter of a glass sheet. A cell circuit is next encapsulated inside the gasket, and its aluminum foil back cover is seam welded ultrasonically to the gasket. An ESB process for sealing aluminum to glass was developed in an ambient air atmosphere, which eliminates the requirement for a vacuum or pressure vessel. An ultrasonic seam welding process was also developed which did not degrade the quality of the ESB seal. Good quality welds with minimal deformation were produced. The effectiveness of the above described sealing techniques was tested by constructing 400 sq cm (8 x 8 s64 sq in) sample modules, and then subjecting them to nondestructive fine and gross leak tests. The gross leak tests identified several different causes of leaks which were then eliminated by modifying the assembly process.

Hermetic edge sealing of photovoltaic modules

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nowlan, M. J.

1983-01-01

The feasibility of using an electrostatic bonding (ESB) and ultrasonic welding process to produce hermetic edge seals on terrestrial solar cell modules was investigated. The fabrication sequence is to attach an aluminum foil "gasket' to the perimeter of a glass sheet. A cell circuit is next encapsulated inside the gasket, and its aluminum foil back cover is seam welded ultrasonically to the gasket. An ESB process for sealing aluminum to glass was developed in an ambient air atmosphere, which eliminates the requirement for a vacuum or pressure vessel. An ultrasonic seam welding process was also developed which did not degrade the quality of the ESB seal. Good quality welds with minimal deformation were produced. The effectiveness of the above described sealing techniques was tested by constructing 400 sq cm (8 x 8 s64 sq in) sample modules, and then subjecting them to nondestructive fine and gross leak tests. The gross leak tests identified several different causes of leaks which were then eliminated by modifying the assembly process.

Rapid recovery of high content phytosterols from corn silk.

PubMed

Zhang, Haiyan; Cao, Xiaowan; Liu, Yong; Shang, Fude

2017-10-18

Phytosterols have important physiological and officinal function. An efficient ultrasonic assisted extraction, purification and crystallization procedure of phytosterols was established from corn silk for the first time. The orthogonal test was applied to optimize the process parameters and a maximum phytosterols recovery as high as 10.5886 mg/g was achieved by ultrasonic treatment for 55 min with liquid-solid ratio of 12:1 at 35 °C, 220 w. The ultrasonic extraction temperature (T, °C) has the most significant effect on extraction yield of phytosterols. An orthogonal crystallization test was performed and the optimal conditions [crystallization temperature of 8 °C, time of 12 h and solid-liquid ratio of 1:1 (g/ml)] afforded maximum phytosterols purity of 92.76 ± 0.43%. An efficient extraction and crystallization procedure was established.

Development and Certification of Ultrasonic Background Noise Test (UBNT) System for use on the International Space Station (ISS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prosser, William H.; Madaras, Eric I.

2011-01-01

As a next step in the development and implementation of an on-board leak detection and localization system on the International Space Station (ISS), there is a documented need to obtain measurements of the ultrasonic background noise levels that exist within the ISS. This need is documented in the ISS Integrated Risk Management System (IRMA), Watch Item #4669. To address this, scientists and engineers from the Langley Research Center (LaRC) and the Johnson Space Center (JSC), proposed to the NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) and the ISS Vehicle Office a joint assessment to develop a flight package as a Station Development Test Objective (SDTO) that would perform ultrasonic background noise measurements within the United States (US) controlled ISS structure. This document contains the results of the assessment

Evaluation of bending rigidity behaviour of ultrasonic seaming on woven fabrics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Şevkan Macit, Ayşe; Tiber, Bahar

2017-10-01

In recent years ultrasonic seaming that is shown as an alternative method to conventional seaming has been investigated by many researchers. In our study, bending behaviour of this alternative method is examined by changing various parameters such as fabric type, seam type, roller type and seaming velocity. For this purpose fifteen types of sewn fabrics were tested according to bending rigidity test standard before and after washing processes and results were evaluated through SPSS statistical analyze programme. Consequently, bending length values of the ultrasonically sewn fabrics are found to be higher than the bending length values of conventionally sewn fabrics and the effects of seam type on bending length are seen statistically significant. Also it is observed that bending length values are in relationship with the rest of the parameters excluding roller type.

Elastic Moduli of Pyrolytic Boron Nitride Measured Using 3-Point Bending and Ultrasonic Testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kaforey, M. L.; Deeb, C. W.; Matthiesen, D. H.; Roth, D. J.

1999-01-01

Three-point bending and ultrasonic testing were performed on a flat plate of PBN. In the bending experiment, the deformation mechanism was believed to be shear between the pyrolytic layers, which yielded a shear modulus, c (sub 44), of 2.60 plus or minus .31 GPa. Calculations based on the longitudinal and shear wave velocity measurements yielded values of 0.341 plus or minus 0.006 for Poisson's ratio, 10.34 plus or minus .30 GPa for the elastic modulus (c (sub 33)), and 3.85 plus or minus 0.02 GPa for the shear modulus (c (sub 44)). Since free basal dislocations have been reported to affect the value of c (sub 44) found using ultrasonic methods, the value from the bending experiment was assumed to be the more accurate value.

Calculating inspector probability of detection using performance demonstration program pass rates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cumblidge, Stephen; D'Agostino, Amy

2016-02-01

The United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff has been working since the 1970's to ensure that nondestructive testing performed on nuclear power plants in the United States will provide reasonable assurance of structural integrity of the nuclear power plant components. One tool used by the NRC has been the development and implementation of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code Section XI Appendix VIII[1] (Appendix VIII) blind testing requirements for ultrasonic procedures, equipment, and personnel. Some concerns have been raised, over the years, by the relatively low pass rates for the Appendix VIII qualification testing. The NRC staff has applied statistical tools and simulations to determine the expected probability of detection (POD) for ultrasonic examinations under ideal conditions based on the pass rates for the Appendix VIII qualification tests for the ultrasonic testing personnel. This work was primarily performed to answer three questions. First, given a test design and pass rate, what is the expected overall POD for inspectors? Second, can we calculate the probability of detection for flaws of different sizes using this information? Finally, if a previously qualified inspector fails a requalification test, does this call their earlier inspections into question? The calculations have shown that one can expect good performance from inspectors who have passed appendix VIII testing in a laboratory-like environment, and the requalification pass rates show that the inspectors have maintained their skills between tests. While these calculations showed that the PODs for the ultrasonic inspections are very good under laboratory conditions, the field inspections are conducted in a very different environment. The NRC staff has initiated a project to systematically analyze the human factors differences between qualification testing and field examinations. This work will be used to evaluate and prioritize potential human factors issues that may degrade performance in the field.

Structural integrity test and assessment.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Suggs, F.; Poe, R.; Sannicandro, R.

1972-01-01

The feasibility of using an ultrasonic system on board the Space Shuttle Orbiter to facilitate structural evaluation and assessment was studied. Two factors are considered that could limit the capability of an ultrasonic system: (1) the effect of structure configuration and (2) the noise generated during vehicle launch. Results of the study indicate that although the structural configuration has direct bearing on sound propagation, strategic location of transducers will still permit flaw detection. The ultrasonic response data show that a severe acoustic environment does not interfere significantly with either propagation and reflection of surface waves or detection of crack-like flaws in the structure.

Ultrasonic propulsion of kidney stones.

PubMed

May, Philip C; Bailey, Michael R; Harper, Jonathan D

2016-05-01

Ultrasonic propulsion is a novel technique that uses short bursts of focused ultrasonic pulses to reposition stones transcutaneously within the renal collecting system and ureter. The purpose of this review is to discuss the initial testing of effectiveness and safety, directions for refinement of technique and technology, and opinions on clinical application. Preclinical studies with a range of probes, interfaces, and outputs have demonstrated feasibility and consistent safety of ultrasonic propulsion with room for increased outputs and refinement toward specific applications. Ultrasonic propulsion was used painlessly and without adverse events to reposition stones in 14 of 15 human study participants without restrictions on patient size, stone size, or stone location. The initial feasibility study showed applicability in a range of clinically relevant situations, including facilitating passage of residual fragments following ureteroscopy or shock wave lithotripsy, moving a large stone at the ureteropelvic junction with relief of pain, and differentiating large stones from a collection of small fragments. Ultrasonic propulsion shows promise as an office-based system for transcutaneously repositioning kidney stones. Potential applications include facilitating expulsion of residual fragments following ureteroscopy or shock wave lithotripsy, repositioning stones prior to treatment, and repositioning obstructing ureteropelvic junction stones into the kidney to alleviate acute renal colic.

Ultrasonic propulsion of kidney stones

PubMed Central

May, Philip C.; Bailey, Michael R.; Harper, Jonathan D.

2016-01-01

Purpose of review Ultrasonic propulsion is a novel technique that uses short bursts of focused ultrasonic pulses to reposition stones transcutaneously within the renal collecting system and ureter. The purpose of this review is to discuss the initial testing of effectiveness and safety, directions for refinement of technique and technology, and opinions on clinical application. Recent findings Preclinical studies with a range of probes, interfaces, and outputs have demonstrated feasibility and consistent safety of ultrasonic propulsion with room for increased outputs and refinement toward specific applications. Ultrasonic propulsion was used painlessly and without adverse events to reposition stones in 14 of 15 human study participants without restrictions on patient size, stone size, or stone location. The initial feasibility study showed applicability in a range of clinically relevant situations, including facilitating passage of residual fragments following ureteroscopy or shock wave lithotripsy, moving a large stone at the UPJ with relief of pain, and differentiating large stones from a collection of small fragments. Summary Ultrasonic propulsion shows promise as an office-based system for transcutaneously repositioning kidney stones. Potential applications include facilitating expulsion of residual fragments following ureteroscopy or shock wave lithotripsy, repositioning stones prior to treatment, and repositioning obstructing UPJ stones into the kidney to alleviate acute renal colic. PMID:26845428

Acoustic imaging with time reversal methods: From medicine to NDT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fink, Mathias

2015-03-01

This talk will present an overview of the research conducted on ultrasonic time-reversal methods applied to biomedical imaging and to non-destructive testing. We will first describe iterative time-reversal techniques that allow both focusing ultrasonic waves on reflectors in tissues (kidney stones, micro-calcifications, contrast agents) or on flaws in solid materials. We will also show that time-reversal focusing does not need the presence of bright reflectors but it can be achieved only from the speckle noise generated by random distributions of non-resolved scatterers. We will describe the applications of this concept to correct distortions and aberrations in ultrasonic imaging and in NDT. In the second part of the talk we will describe the concept of time-reversal processors to get ultrafast ultrasonic images with typical frame rates of order of 10.000 F/s. It is the field of ultrafast ultrasonic imaging that has plenty medical applications and can be of great interest in NDT. We will describe some applications in the biomedical domain: Quantitative Elasticity imaging of tissues by following shear wave propagation to improve cancer detection and Ultrafast Doppler imaging that allows ultrasonic functional imaging.

Ultrasonic characterization of damage in a simulated CF-18 composite structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McRae, K. I.; Finlayson, R. D.; Sturrock, W. R.; Liesch, D. S.

1993-02-01

A simulated CF-18 aircraft door component was constructed and subjected to treatment during manufacturing with the object of inducing damage in the composite material in a known and well-defined manner. The simulated component was then sent to participants in a nondestructive evaluation study. Results are reported for tests conducted with a scanning apparatus and data acquisition system which consisted of three components: ultrasonic transducer and scanner comprising a two-axis scanning frame to which a modified commercial transducer was attached; an acquisition system for ultrasonic data known as Signal Processing Ultrasonic Device (SPUD); and a data analysis and display system (DETECT/NDE) specifically designed to manipulate large three dimensional ultrasonic data sets. A series of five large-area scans was performed, each scan about 52 cm square. A total of eight regions of interest were identified for a more detailed analysis of the delamination damage, seven detailed scans covering a 13-cm square and one covering a 20.8-cm square. It was often possible to identify the probable source of the damage as that resulting from impact or caused by overloading of fasteners. Flaws of all significant dimensions were located and fully characterized using the ultrasonic procedure.

Production of ultrasonic vocalizations by Peromyscus mice in the wild

PubMed Central

Kalcounis-Rueppell, Matina C; Metheny, Jackie D; Vonhof, Maarten J

2006-01-01

Background There has been considerable research on rodent ultrasound in the laboratory and these sounds have been well quantified and characterized. Despite the value of research on ultrasound produced by mice in the lab, it is unclear if, and when, these sounds are produced in the wild, and how they function in natural habitats. Results We have made the first recordings of ultrasonic vocalizations produced by two free-living species of mice in the genus Peromyscus (P. californicus and P. boylii) on long term study grids in California. Over 6 nights, we recorded 65 unique ultrasonic vocalization phrases from Peromyscus. The ultrasonic vocalizations we recorded represent 7 different motifs. Within each motif, there was considerable variation in the acoustic characteristics suggesting individual and contextual variation in the production of ultrasound by these species. Conclusion The discovery of the production of ultrasonic vocalizations by Peromyscus in the wild highlights an underappreciated component in the behavior of these model organisms. The ability to examine the production of ultrasonic vocalizations in the wild offers excellent opportunities to test hypotheses regarding the function of ultrasound produced by rodents in a natural context. PMID:16507093

Ultrasonic Characterization of Fatigue Cracks in Composite Materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Workman, Gary L.; Watson, Jason; Johnson, Devin; Walker, James; Russell, Sam; Thom, Robert (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Microcracking in composite structures due to combined fatigue and cryogenic loading can cause leakage and failure of the structure and can be difficult to detect in-service. In aerospace systems, these leaks may lead to loss of pressure/propellant, increased risk of explosion and possible cryo-pumping. The success of nondestructive evaluation to detect intra-ply microcracking in unlined pressure vessels fabricated from composite materials is critical to the use of composite structures in future space systems. The work presented herein characterizes measurements of intraply fatigue cracking through the thickness of laminated composite material by means of correlation with ultrasonic resonance. Resonant ultrasound spectroscopy provides measurements which are sensitive to both the microscopic and macroscopic properties of the test article. Elastic moduli, acoustic attenuation, and geometry can all be probed. The approach is based on the premise of half-wavelength resonance. The method injects a broadband ultrasonic wave into the test structure using a swept frequency technique. This method provides dramatically increased energy input into the test article, as compared to conventional pulsed ultrasonics. This relative energy increase improves the ability to measure finer details in the materials characterization, such as microcracking and porosity. As the microcrack density increases, more interactions occur with the higher frequency (small wavelength) components of the signal train causing the spectrum to shift toward lower frequencies. Several methods are under investigation to correlate the degree of microcracking from resonance ultrasound measurements on composite test articles including self organizing neural networks, chemometric techniques used in optical spectroscopy and other clustering algorithms.

Research on Automatic Positioning System of Ultrasonic Testing of Wind Turbine Blade Flaws

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Q. X.; Wang, Z. H.; Long, S. G.; Cai, M.; Cai, M.; Wang, X.; Chen, X. Y.; Bu, J. L.

2017-11-01

Ultrasonic testing technology has been used essentially in non-destructive testing of wind turbine blades. However, it is fact that the ultrasonic flaw detection method has inefficiently employed in recent years. This is because the testing result will illustrate a small deviation due to the artificial, environmental and technical factors. Therefore, it is an urgent technical demand for engineers to test the various flaws efficiently and quickly. An automatic positioning system has been designed in this paper to record the moving coordinates and the target distance in real time. Simultaneously, it could launch and acquire the sonic wave automatically. The ADNS-3080 optoelectronic chip is manufactured by Agilent Technologies Inc, which is also utilized in the system. With the combination of the chip, the power conversion module and the USB transmission module, the collected data can be transmitted from the upper monitor to the hardware that could process and control the data through software programming. An experiment has been designed to prove the reliability of automotive positioning system. The result has been validated by comparing the result collected form LABVIEW and actual plots on Perspex plane, it concludes that the system possesses high accuracy and magnificent meanings in practical engineering.

Non Destructive Analysis of Fsw Welds using Ultrasonic Signal Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pavan Kumar, T.; Prabhakar Reddy, P.

2017-08-01

Friction Stir Welding is an evolving metal joining technique and is mostly used in joining materials which cannot be easily joined by other available welding techniques. It is a technique which can be used for welding dissimilar materials also. The strength of the weld joint is determined by the way in which these material are mixing with each other, since we are not using any filler material for the welding process the intermixing has a significant importance. The complication with the friction stir welding process is that there are many process parameters which effect this intermixing process such as tool geometry, rotating speed of the tool, transverse speed etc., In this study an attempt is made to compare the material flow and weld quality of various weldments by changing the parameters. Ultrasonic signal Analysis is used to characterize the microstructure of the weldments. use of ultrasonic waves is a non destructive, accurate and fast way of characterization of microstructure. In this method the relationship between the ultrasonic measured parameters and microstructures are evaluated using background echo and backscattered signal process techniques. The ultrasonic velocity and attenuation measurements are dependent on the elastic modulus and any change in the microstructure is reflected in the ultrasonic velocity. An insight into material flow is essential to determine the quality of the weld. Hence an attempt is made in this study to know the relationship between tool geometry and the pattern of material flow and resulting weld quality the experiments are conducted to weld dissimilar aluminum alloys and the weldments are characterized using and ultra Sonic signal processing. Characterization is also done using Scanning Electron Microscopy. It is observed that there is a good correlation between the ultrasonic signal processing results and Scanning Electron Microscopy on the observed precipitates. Tensile tests and hardness tests are conducted on the weldments and compared for determining the weld quality.

Innovative Instrumentation and Analysis of the Temperature Measurement for High Temperature Gasification

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Seong W. Lee

The project entitled, ''Innovative Instrumentation and Analysis of the Temperature Measurement for High Temperature Gasification'', was successfully completed by the Principal Investigator, Dr. S. Lee and his research team in the Center for Advanced Energy Systems and Environmental Control Technologies at Morgan State University. The major results and outcomes were presented in semi-annual progress reports and annual project review meetings/presentations. Specifically, the literature survey including the gasifier temperature measurement, the ultrasonic application in cleaning application, and spray coating process and the gasifier simulator (cold model) testing has been successfully conducted during the first year. The results show that four factorsmore » (blower voltage, ultrasonic application, injection time intervals, particle weight) were considered as significant factors that affect the temperature measurement. Then the gasifier simulator (hot model) design and the fabrication as well as the systematic tests on hot model were completed to test the significant factors on temperature measurement in the second year. The advanced Industrial analytic methods such as statistics-based experimental design, analysis of variance (ANOVA) and regression methods were applied in the hot model tests. The results show that operational parameters (i.e. air flow rate, water flow rate, fine dust particle amount, ammonia addition) presented significant impact on the temperature measurement inside the gasifier simulator. The experimental design and ANOVA are very efficient way to design and analyze the experiments. The results show that the air flow rate and fine dust particle amount are statistically significant to the temperature measurement. The regression model provided the functional relation between the temperature and these factors with substantial accuracy. In the last year of the project period, the ultrasonic and subsonic cleaning methods and coating materials were tested/applied on the thermocouple cleaning according to the proposed approach. Different frequency, application time and power of the ultrasonic/subsonic output were tested. The results show that the ultrasonic approach is one of the best methods to clean the thermocouple tips during the routine operation of the gasifier. In addition, the real time data acquisition system was also designed and applied in the experiments. This advanced instrumentation provided the efficient and accurate data acquisition for this project. In summary, the accomplishment of the project provided useful information of the ultrasonic cleaning method applied in thermocouple tip cleaning. The temperature measurement could be much improved both in accuracy and duration provided that the proposed approach is widely used in the gasification facilities.« less

Recognizing defects in carbon-fiber reinforced plastics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schuetze, R.; Hillger, W.

1982-01-01

The damage tolerance of structures made of carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic is tested under various loads. Test laminate (73/1/1, 24/9/1, 1465 A) specimens of thickness 1.5-3.2 mm with various defects were subjected to static and dynamic loads. Special attention was given to delamination, and ultrasonic C-scans were made on the specimens. It was shown that cracks from even small defects are detected with great accuracy. The same probes were also X rayed; defects that could not be detected under ordinary X rays were bored and studied under vacuum by a contrast technique. The nondestructive ultrasonic and X ray tests were controlled by partially destructive tests, and good agreement was observed.

Advanced DPSM approach for modeling ultrasonic wave scattering in an arbitrary geometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yadav, Susheel K.; Banerjee, Sourav; Kundu, Tribikram

2011-04-01

Several techniques are used to diagnose structural damages. In the ultrasonic technique structures are tested by analyzing ultrasonic signals scattered by damages. The interpretation of these signals requires a good understanding of the interaction between ultrasonic waves and structures. Therefore, researchers need analytical or numerical techniques to have a clear understanding of the interaction between ultrasonic waves and structural damage. However, modeling of wave scattering phenomenon by conventional numerical techniques such as finite element method requires very fine mesh at high frequencies necessitating heavy computational power. Distributed point source method (DPSM) is a newly developed robust mesh free technique to simulate ultrasonic, electrostatic and electromagnetic fields. In most of the previous studies the DPSM technique has been applied to model two dimensional surface geometries and simple three dimensional scatterer geometries. It was difficult to perform the analysis for complex three dimensional geometries. This technique has been extended to model wave scattering in an arbitrary geometry. In this paper a channel section idealized as a thin solid plate with several rivet holes is formulated. The simulation has been carried out with and without cracks near the rivet holes. Further, a comparison study has been also carried out to characterize the crack. A computer code has been developed in C for modeling the ultrasonic field in a solid plate with and without cracks near the rivet holes.

Measurement of total ultrasonic power using thermal expansion and change in buoyancy of an absorbing target

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dubey, P. K., E-mail: premkdubey@gmail.com; Kumar, Yudhisther; Gupta, Reeta

2014-05-15

The Radiation Force Balance (RFB) technique is well established and most widely used for the measurement of total ultrasonic power radiated by ultrasonic transducer. The technique is used as a primary standard for calibration of ultrasonic transducers with relatively fair uncertainty in the low power (below 1 W) regime. In this technique, uncertainty comparatively increases in the range of few watts wherein the effects such as thermal heating of the target, cavitations, and acoustic streaming dominate. In addition, error in the measurement of ultrasonic power is also caused due to movement of absorber at relatively high radiated force which occursmore » at high power level. In this article a new technique is proposed which does not measure the balance output during transducer energized state as done in RFB. It utilizes the change in buoyancy of the absorbing target due to local thermal heating. The linear thermal expansion of the target changes the apparent mass in water due to buoyancy change. This forms the basis for the measurement of ultrasonic power particularly in watts range. The proposed method comparatively reduces uncertainty caused by various ultrasonic effects that occur at high power such as overshoot due to momentum of target at higher radiated force. The functionality of the technique has been tested and compared with the existing internationally recommended RFB technique.« less

Measurement of total ultrasonic power using thermal expansion and change in buoyancy of an absorbing target

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dubey, P. K.; Kumar, Yudhisther; Gupta, Reeta; Jain, Anshul; Gohiya, Chandrashekhar

2014-05-01

The Radiation Force Balance (RFB) technique is well established and most widely used for the measurement of total ultrasonic power radiated by ultrasonic transducer. The technique is used as a primary standard for calibration of ultrasonic transducers with relatively fair uncertainty in the low power (below 1 W) regime. In this technique, uncertainty comparatively increases in the range of few watts wherein the effects such as thermal heating of the target, cavitations, and acoustic streaming dominate. In addition, error in the measurement of ultrasonic power is also caused due to movement of absorber at relatively high radiated force which occurs at high power level. In this article a new technique is proposed which does not measure the balance output during transducer energized state as done in RFB. It utilizes the change in buoyancy of the absorbing target due to local thermal heating. The linear thermal expansion of the target changes the apparent mass in water due to buoyancy change. This forms the basis for the measurement of ultrasonic power particularly in watts range. The proposed method comparatively reduces uncertainty caused by various ultrasonic effects that occur at high power such as overshoot due to momentum of target at higher radiated force. The functionality of the technique has been tested and compared with the existing internationally recommended RFB technique.

Stress measurement in thick plates using nonlinear ultrasonics

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Abbasi, Zeynab, E-mail: zabbas5@uic.edu, E-mail: dozevin@uic.edu; Ozevin, Didem, E-mail: zabbas5@uic.edu, E-mail: dozevin@uic.edu

2015-03-31

In this paper the interaction between nonlinear ultrasonic characteristics and stress state of complex loaded thick steel plates using fundamental theory of nonlinear ultrasonics is investigated in order to measure the stress state at a given cross section. The measurement concept is based on phased array placement of ultrasonic transmitter-receiver to scan three angles of a given cross section using Rayleigh waves. The change in the ultrasonic data in thick steel plates is influenced by normal and shear stresses; therefore, three measurements are needed to solve the equations simultaneously. Different thickness plates are studied in order to understand the interactionmore » of Rayleigh wave penetration depth and shear stress. The purpose is that as the thickness becomes smaller, the shear stress becomes negligible at the angled measurement. For thicker cross section, shear stress becomes influential if the depth of penetration of Rayleigh wave is greater than the half of the thickness. The influences of plate thickness and ultrasonic frequency on the identification of stress tensor are numerically studied in 3D structural geometry and Murnaghan material model. The experimental component of this study includes uniaxial loading of the plate while measuring ultrasonic wave at three directions (perpendicular, parallel and angled to the loading direction). Instead of rotating transmitter-receiver pair for each test, a device capable of measuring the three angles is designed.« less

Human amygdala activation by the sound produced during dental treatment: A fMRI study.

PubMed

Yu, Jen-Fang; Lee, Kun-Che; Hong, Hsiang-Hsi; Kuo, Song-Bor; Wu, Chung-De; Wai, Yau-Yau; Chen, Yi-Fen; Peng, Ying-Chin

2015-01-01

During dental treatments, patients may experience negative emotions associated with the procedure. This study was conducted with the aim of using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to visualize cerebral cortical stimulation among dental patients in response to auditory stimuli produced by ultrasonic scaling and power suction equipment. Subjects (n = 7) aged 23-35 years were recruited for this study. All were right-handed and underwent clinical pure-tone audiometry testing to reveal a normal hearing threshold below 20 dB hearing level (HL). As part of the study, subjects initially underwent a dental calculus removal treatment. During the treatment, subjects were exposed to ultrasonic auditory stimuli originating from the scaling handpiece and salivary suction instruments. After dental treatment, subjects were imaged with fMRI while being exposed to recordings of the noise from the same dental instrument so that cerebral cortical stimulation in response to aversive auditory stimulation could be observed. The independent sample confirmatory t-test was used. Subjects also showed stimulation in the amygdala and prefrontal cortex, indicating that the ultrasonic auditory stimuli elicited an unpleasant response in the subjects. Patients experienced unpleasant sensations caused by contact stimuli in the treatment procedure. In addition, this study has demonstrated that aversive auditory stimuli such as sounds from the ultrasonic scaling handpiece also cause aversive emotions. This study was indicated by observed stimulation of the auditory cortex as well as the amygdala, indicating that noise from the ultrasonic scaling handpiece was perceived as an aversive auditory stimulus by the subjects. Subjects can experience unpleasant sensations caused by the sounds from the ultrasonic scaling handpiece based on their auditory stimuli.

Human amygdala activation by the sound produced during dental treatment: A fMRI study

PubMed Central

Yu, Jen-Fang; Lee, Kun-Che; Hong, Hsiang-Hsi; Kuo, Song-Bor; Wu, Chung-De; Wai, Yau-Yau; Chen, Yi-Fen; Peng, Ying-Chin

2015-01-01

During dental treatments, patients may experience negative emotions associated with the procedure. This study was conducted with the aim of using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to visualize cerebral cortical stimulation among dental patients in response to auditory stimuli produced by ultrasonic scaling and power suction equipment. Subjects (n = 7) aged 23-35 years were recruited for this study. All were right-handed and underwent clinical pure-tone audiometry testing to reveal a normal hearing threshold below 20 dB hearing level (HL). As part of the study, subjects initially underwent a dental calculus removal treatment. During the treatment, subjects were exposed to ultrasonic auditory stimuli originating from the scaling handpiece and salivary suction instruments. After dental treatment, subjects were imaged with fMRI while being exposed to recordings of the noise from the same dental instrument so that cerebral cortical stimulation in response to aversive auditory stimulation could be observed. The independent sample confirmatory t-test was used. Subjects also showed stimulation in the amygdala and prefrontal cortex, indicating that the ultrasonic auditory stimuli elicited an unpleasant response in the subjects. Patients experienced unpleasant sensations caused by contact stimuli in the treatment procedure. In addition, this study has demonstrated that aversive auditory stimuli such as sounds from the ultrasonic scaling handpiece also cause aversive emotions. This study was indicated by observed stimulation of the auditory cortex as well as the amygdala, indicating that noise from the ultrasonic scaling handpiece was perceived as an aversive auditory stimulus by the subjects. Subjects can experience unpleasant sensations caused by the sounds from the ultrasonic scaling handpiece based on their auditory stimuli. PMID:26356376

Comparative Efficacy of Platelet Rich Plasma Injection, Corticosteroid Injection and Ultrasonic Therapy in the Treatment of Periarthritis Shoulder

PubMed Central

Srikumar, Venkataraman; Singh, Neha

2017-01-01

Introduction Periarthritis (PA) shoulder characterised by pain and restricted range of motion has a plethora of treatment options with inconclusive evidence. Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) is an emerging treatment option and its efficacy needs to be examined and compared with other routine interventions. Aim To assess the efficacy of PRP injection and compare it with corticosteroid injection and ultrasonic therapy in the treatment of PA shoulder. Materials and Methods Patients with PA shoulder (n=195) were randomised to receive single injection of PRP (2 ml) or corticosteroid (80 mg of methylprednisolone) or ultrasonic therapy (seven sittings in two weeks; 1.5 W/cm2, 1 MHz, continuous mode). All participants were also advised to perform a home based 10 minute exercise therapy. The primary outcome measure was active range of motion of the shoulder. Secondary outcome measures used were Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for pain and a shortened version of Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (QuickDASH) for function. Participants were evaluated at 0, 3, 6 and 12 weeks. Chi-square test, one way and repeated measures of ANOVA tests were used to determine significant differences. Results PRP treatment resulted in statistically significant improvements over corticosteroid and ultrasonic therapy in active as well as passive range of motion of shoulder, VAS and QuickDASH at 12 weeks. At six weeks, PRP treatment resulted in statistically significant improvements over ultrasonic therapy in VAS and QuickDASH. No major adverse effects were observed. Conclusion This study demonstrates that single injection of PRP is effective and better than corticosteroid injection or ultrasonic therapy in treatment of PA shoulder. PMID:28658861

Geometric Limitations Of Ultrasonic Measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

von Nicolai, C.; Schilling, F.

2006-12-01

Laboratory experiments are a key for interpreting seismic field observations. Due to their potential in many experimental set-ups, the determination of elastic properties of minerals and rocks by ultrasonic measurements is common in Geosciences. The quality and thus use of ultrasonic data, however, strongly depends on the sample geometry and wavelength of the sound wave. Two factors, the diameter-to-wavelength- ratio and the diameter-to-length-ratio, are believed to be the essential parameters to affect ultrasonic signal quality. In this study, we determined under well defined conditions the restricting dimensional parameters to test the validity of published assumptions. By the use of commercial ultrasonic transducers a number of experiments were conducted on aluminium, alumina, and acrylic glass rods of varying diameter (30-10 mm) and constant length. At each diameter compressional wave travel times were measured by pulse- transmission method. From the observed travel times ultrasonic wave velocities were calculated. One additional experiment was performed with a series of square-shaped aluminium blocks in order to investigate the effect of the geometry of the samples cross-sectional area. The experimental results show that the simple diameter-to-wavelength ratios are not valid even under idealized experimental conditions and more complex relation has to be talen into account. As diameter decreases the P-waves direct phase is increasingly interfered and weakened by sidewall reflections. At very small diameters compressional waves are replaced by bar waves and P-wave signals become non resolvable. Considering the suppression of both effects, a critical D/ë-ratio was determined and compared to experimental set-ups from various publications. These tests indicate that some published and cited data derived from small diameter set-ups are out off the range of physical possibility.

A Micro Ultrasonic Scalpel with Modified Stepped Horn

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurosawa, Minoru; Umehara, Yuji

A transducer for a micro ultrasonic scalpel has been fabricated. The micro ultrasonic scalpel can be used with an endoscope for a non-abdominal operation or micro surgery, for example, through a microscope. The ultrasonic transducer was 9.8 mm long and 2.7 mm wide and has stepped horn to amplify vibration velocity; tip of the horn is 0.6 mm wide. The scalpel operated at the resonance frequency in longitudinal mode of 278 kHz. The piezoelectric material was lead zirconate titanate (PZT) that was deposited by the hydrothermal method. The vibration velocity at the tip of the horn in longitudinal direction was 4.0 m/s with 40Vp-p driving voltage in both side electrodes. To demonstrate a beneficial effect of the scalpel, a cutting test that the transducer was stuck into pork fat was carried out.

Damage assessment and residual compression strength of thick composite plates with through-the-thickness reinforcements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Barry T.

1990-01-01

Damage in composite materials was studied with through-the-thickness reinforcements. As a first step it was necessary to develop new ultrasonic imaging technology to better assess internal damage of the composite. A useful ultrasonic imaging technique was successfully developed to assess the internal damage of composite panels. The ultrasonic technique accurately determines the size of the internal damage. It was found that the ultrasonic imaging technique was better able to assess the damage in a composite panel with through-the-thickness reinforcements than by destructively sectioning the specimen and visual inspection under a microscope. Five composite compression-after-impact panels were tested. The compression-after-impact strength of the panels with the through-the-thickness reinforcements was almost twice that of the comparable panel without through-the-thickness reinforcement.

A Monte Carlo approach applied to ultrasonic non-destructive testing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mosca, I.; Bilgili, F.; Meier, T.; Sigloch, K.

2012-04-01

Non-destructive testing based on ultrasound allows us to detect, characterize and size discrete flaws in geotechnical and architectural structures and materials. This information is needed to determine whether such flaws can be tolerated in future service. In typical ultrasonic experiments, only the first-arriving P-wave is interpreted, and the remainder of the recorded waveform is neglected. Our work aims at understanding surface waves, which are strong signals in the later wave train, with the ultimate goal of full waveform tomography. At present, even the structural estimation of layered media is still challenging because material properties of the samples can vary widely, and good initial models for inversion do not often exist. The aim of the present study is to combine non-destructive testing with a theoretical data analysis and hence to contribute to conservation strategies of archaeological and architectural structures. We analyze ultrasonic waveforms measured at the surface of a variety of samples, and define the behaviour of surface waves in structures of increasing complexity. The tremendous potential of ultrasonic surface waves becomes an advantage only if numerical forward modelling tools are available to describe the waveforms accurately. We compute synthetic full seismograms as well as group and phase velocities for the data. We invert them for the elastic properties of the sample via a global search of the parameter space, using the Neighbourhood Algorithm. Such a Monte Carlo approach allows us to perform a complete uncertainty and resolution analysis, but the computational cost is high and increases quickly with the number of model parameters. Therefore it is practical only for defining the seismic properties of media with a limited number of degrees of freedom, such as layered structures. We have applied this approach to both synthetic layered structures and real samples. The former contributed to benchmark the propagation of ultrasonic surface waves in typical materials tested with a non-destructive technique (e.g., marble, unweathered and weathered concrete and natural stone).

[Application of adaptive canceling methods in temperature control in ultrasonic therapeutical treatment].

PubMed

Deng, Jun; Liu, Du-ren

2002-12-01

Objective. To improve the quality of ultrasonic therapeutical treatment by improving the accuracy of temperature control. Method. Adaptive canceling methods were used to reduce the noise of temperature signal gained, and enhance signal-to-noise ratio. Result. The test's result corresponds basically to the theoretical curve. Conclusion. Adaptive canceling methods can be applied to clinic treatment.

Ultrasonic absorption characteristics of porous carbon-carbon ceramics with random microstructure for passive hypersonic boundary layer transition control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wagner, Alexander; Hannemann, Klaus; Kuhn, Markus

2014-06-01

Preceding studies in the high enthalpy shock tunnel Göttingen of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) revealed that carbon fibre reinforced carbon ceramic (C/C) surfaces can be utilized to damp hypersonic boundary layer instabilities leading to a delay of boundary layer transition onset. To assess the ultrasonic absorption properties of the material, a test rig was set up to measure the reflection coefficient at ambient pressures ranging from 0.1 × 105 to 1 × 105 Pa. For the first time, broadband ultrasonic sound transducers with resonance frequencies of up to 370 kHz were applied to directly cover the frequency range of interest with respect to the second-mode instabilities observed in previous experiments. The reflection of ultrasonic waves from three flat plate test samples with a porous layer thickness between 5 and 30 mm was investigated and compared to an ideally reflecting surface. C/C was found to absorb up to 19 % of the acoustic power transmitted towards the material. The absorption characteristics were investigated theoretically by means of the quasi-homogeneous absorber theory. The experimental results were found to be in good agreement with the theory.

Comparison of an Ultrasonic Phased Array Evaluation with Destructive Analysis of a Documented Leak Path in a Nozzle Removed from Service

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cinson, Anthony D.; Crawford, Susan L.; MacFarlan, Paul J.

2012-09-24

Non-destructive and destructive testing methods were employed to evaluate a documented boric acid leakage path through an Alloy 600 control rod drive mechanism (CRDM) penetration from the North Anna Unit 2 reactor pressure vessel head that was removed from service in 2002. A previous ultrasonic in-service-inspection (ISI) conducted by industry prior to the head removal, identified a probable leakage path in Nozzle 63 located in the interference fit between the penetration tube and the vessel head. In this current examination, Nozzle 63 was examined using phased array (PA) ultrasonic testing with a 5.0-MHz, eight-element annular array; immersion data were acquiredmore » from the nozzle inner diameter (ID) surface. A variety of focal laws were employed to evaluate the signal responses from the interference fit region. These responses were compared to responses obtained from a mockup specimen that was used to determine detection limits and characterization capabilities for wastage and boric acid presence in the interference fit region. Nozzle 63 was destructively examined after the completion of the ultrasonic nondestructive evaluation (NDE) to visually assess the leak paths. These destructive and nondestructive results compared favorably« less

Application of temporal moments and other signal processing algorithms to analysis of ultrasonic signals through melting wax

DOE PAGES

Lau, Sarah J.; Moore, David G.; Stair, Sarah L.; ...

2016-01-01

Ultrasonic analysis is being explored as a way to capture events during melting of highly dispersive wax. Typical events include temperature changes in the material, phase transition of the material, surface flows and reformations, and void filling as the material melts. Melt tests are performed with wax to evaluate the usefulness of different signal processing algorithms in capturing event data. Several algorithm paths are being pursued. The first looks at changes in the velocity of the signal through the material. This is only appropriate when the changes from one ultrasonic signal to the next can be represented by a linearmore » relationship, which is not always the case. The second tracks changes in the frequency content of the signal. The third algorithm tracks changes in the temporal moments of a signal over a full test. This method does not require that the changes in the signal be represented by a linear relationship, but attaching changes in the temporal moments to physical events can be difficult. This study describes the algorithm paths applied to experimental data from ultrasonic signals as wax melts and explores different ways to display the results.« less

Two-Dimensional Automatic Measurement for Nozzle Flow Distribution Using Improved Ultrasonic Sensor

PubMed Central

Zhai, Changyuan; Zhao, Chunjiang; Wang, Xiu; Wang, Ning; Zou, Wei; Li, Wei

2015-01-01

Spray deposition and distribution are affected by many factors, one of which is nozzle flow distribution. A two-dimensional automatic measurement system, which consisted of a conveying unit, a system control unit, an ultrasonic sensor, and a deposition collecting dish, was designed and developed. The system could precisely move an ultrasonic sensor above a pesticide deposition collecting dish to measure the nozzle flow distribution. A sensor sleeve with a PVC tube was designed for the ultrasonic sensor to limit its beam angle in order to measure the liquid level in the small troughs. System performance tests were conducted to verify the designed functions and measurement accuracy. A commercial spray nozzle was also used to measure its flow distribution. The test results showed that the relative error on volume measurement was less than 7.27% when the liquid volume was 2 mL in trough, while the error was less than 4.52% when the liquid volume was 4 mL or more. The developed system was also used to evaluate the flow distribution of a commercial nozzle. It was able to provide the shape and the spraying width of the flow distribution accurately. PMID:26501288

Portable Ultrasonic Guided Wave Inspection with MACRO Fiber Composite Actuators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haig, A.; Mudge, P.; Catton, P.; Balachandran, W.

2010-02-01

The development of portable ultrasonic guided wave transducer arrays that utilize Macro Fiber Composite actuators (MFCs) is described. Portable inspection equipment can make use of ultrasonic guided waves to rapidly screen large areas of many types of engineering structures for defects. The defect finding performance combined with the difficulty of application determines how much the engineering industry makes use of this non-destructive, non-disruptive technology. The developments with MFCs have the potential to make considerable improvements in both these aspects. MFCs are highly efficient because they use interdigital electrodes to facilitate the extensional, d33 displacement mode. Their fiber composite design allows them to be thin, lightweight, flexible and durable. The flexibility affords them conformance with curved surfaces, which can facilitate good mechanical coupling. The suitability of a given transducer for Long Range Ultrasonic Testing is governed by the nature and amplitude of the displacement that it excites/senses in the contact area of the target structure. This nature is explored for MFCs through directional sensitivity analysis and empirical testing. Housing methods that facilitate non-permanent coupling techniques are discussed. Finally, arrangements of arrays of MFCs for the guided wave inspection of plates and pipes are considered and some broad design criteria are given.

System Model for MEMS based Laser Ultrasonic Receiver

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, William C.

2002-01-01

A need has been identified for more advanced nondestructive Evaluation technologies for assuring the integrity of airframe structures, wiring, etc. Laser ultrasonic inspection instruments have been shown to detect flaws in structures. However, these instruments are generally too bulky to be used in the confined spaces that are typical of aerospace vehicles. Microsystems technology is one key to reducing the size of current instruments and enabling increased inspection coverage in areas that were previously inaccessible due to instrument size and weight. This paper investigates the system modeling of a Micro OptoElectroMechanical System (MOEMS) based laser ultrasonic receiver. The system model is constructed in software using MATLAB s dynamical simulator, Simulink. The optical components are modeled using geometrical matrix methods and include some image processing. The system model includes a test bench which simulates input stimuli and models the behavior of the material under test.

Acousto-ultrasonic evaluation of ceramic matrix composite materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dosreis, Henrique L. M.

1991-01-01

Acousto-ultrasonic nondestructive evaluation of ceramic composite specimens with a lithium-alumino-silicate glass matrix reinforced with unidirectional silicon carbide (NICALON) fibers was conducted to evaluate their reserve of strength. Ceramic composite specimens with different amount of damage were prepared by four-point cyclic fatigue loading of the specimens at 500 C for a different number of cycles. The reserve of strength of the specimens was measured as the maximum bending stress recorded during four-pointed bending test with the load monotonically increased until failure occurs. It was observed that the reserve of strength did not correlate with the number of fatigue cycles. However, it was also observed that higher values of the stress wave factor measurements correspond to higher values of the reserve of strength test data. Therefore, these results show that the acousto-ultrasonic approach has the potential of being used to monitor damage and to estimate the reserve of strength of ceramic composites.

Nonlinear ultrasonic fatigue crack detection using a single piezoelectric transducer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

An, Yun-Kyu; Lee, Dong Jun

2016-04-01

This paper proposes a new nonlinear ultrasonic technique for fatigue crack detection using a single piezoelectric transducer (PZT). The proposed technique identifies a fatigue crack using linear (α) and nonlinear (β) parameters obtained from only a single PZT mounted on a target structure. Based on the different physical characteristics of α and β, a fatigue crack-induced feature is able to be effectively isolated from the inherent nonlinearity of a target structure and data acquisition system. The proposed technique requires much simpler test setup and less processing costs than the existing nonlinear ultrasonic techniques, but fast and powerful. To validate the proposed technique, a real fatigue crack is created in an aluminum plate, and then false positive and negative tests are carried out under varying temperature conditions. The experimental results reveal that the fatigue crack is successfully detected, and no positive false alarm is indicated.

Vehicle tracking for an evasive manoeuvres assistant using low-cost ultrasonic sensors.

PubMed

Jiménez, Felipe; Naranjo, José E; Gómez, Oscar; Anaya, José J

2014-11-28

Many driver assistance systems require knowledge of the vehicle environment. As these systems are increasing in complexity and performance, this knowledge of the environment needs to be more complete and reliable, so sensor fusion combining long, medium and short range sensors is now being used. This paper analyzes the feasibility of using ultrasonic sensors for low cost vehicle-positioning and tracking in the lane adjacent to the host vehicle in order to identify free areas around the vehicle and provide information to an automatic avoidance collision system that can perform autonomous braking and lane change manoeuvres. A laser scanner is used for the early detection of obstacles in the direction of travel while two ultrasonic sensors monitor the blind spot of the host vehicle. The results of tests on a test track demonstrate the ability of these sensors to accurately determine the kinematic variables of the obstacles encountered, despite a clear limitation in range.

High Temperatures Health Monitoring of the Condensed Water Height in Steam Pipe Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lih, Shyh-Shiuh; Bar-Cohen, Yoseph; Lee, Hyeong Jae; Badescu, Mircea; Bao, Xiaoqi; Sherrit, Stewart; Takano, Nobuyuki; Ostlund, Patrick; Blosiu, Julian

2013-01-01

Ultrasonic probes were designed, fabricated and tested for high temperature health monitoring system. The goal of this work was to develop the health monitoring system that can determine the height level of the condensed water through the pipe wall at high temperature up to 250 deg while accounting for the effects of surface perturbation. Among different ultrasonic probe designs, 2.25 MHz probes with air backed configuration provide satisfactory results in terms of sensitivity, receiving reflections from the target through the pipe wall. A series of tests were performed using the air-backed probes under irregular conditions, such as surface perturbation and surface disturbance at elevated temperature, to qualify the developed ultrasonic system. The results demonstrate that the fabricated air-backed probes combined with advanced signal processing techniques offer the capability of health monitoring of steam pipe under various operating conditions.

Assessment of damage in ceramics and ceramic matrix composites using ultrasonic techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chu, Y. C.; Baaklini, G. Y.; Rokhlin, S.I.

1993-01-01

This paper addresses the application of ultrasonic sensing to damage assessment in ceramics and ceramic matrix composites. It focuses on damage caused by thermal shock or oxidation at elevated temperatures, which often results in elastic anisotropy. This damaged-induced anisotropy is determined by measuring the velocities of ultrasonic waves in different propagation directions. Thermal shock damage is assessed in ceramic samples of reaction bonded silicon nitride (RBSN). Thermal shock treatment from different temperatures up to 1000 C is applied to produce the microcracks. Results indicate that most microcracks produced by thermal shock are located near sample surfaces. Ultrasonic measurements using the surface wave method are found to correlate well with measurements of degradation of mechanical properties obtained independently by other authors using destructive methods. Oxidation damage is assessed in silicon carbide fiber/reaction bonded silicon nitride matrix (SCS-6/RBSN) composites. The oxidation is done by exposing the samples in a flowing oxygen environment at elevated temperatures, up to 1400 C, for 100 hr. The Youngs' modulus in the fiber direction as obtained from ultrasonic measurements decreases significantly at 600 C but retains its original value at temperatures above 1200 C. This agrees well with the results of destructive tests by other authors. On the other hand, the transverse moduli obtained from ultrasonic measurements decrease continually until 1200 C. Measurements on the shear stiffnesses show behavior similar to the transverse moduli. The results of this work show that the damage-induced anisotropy in both ceramics and ceramic matrix composites can be determined successfully by ultrasonic methods. This suggests the possibility of assessing damage severity using ultrasonic techniques.

The assessment of ultrasonic tests as a tool for qualification and diagnostic study of traditional highly porous and soft stone materials used in the built heritage of the past.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Calia, A.; Sileo, M.; Leucci, G.

2012-04-01

Ultrasonic tests are performing tools for the quality assessment and selection of stone as building materials, as well as for the detection of faults within architectural and structural elements. The use of the non destructive and non invasive diagnostic techniques has always advantages in the activities on pre-existing buildings, in terms of sustainability; moreover, it is a need with respect to the conservation constraints when we act on the historical-architectural heritage. Ultrasonic technique is widely and successfully performed in the diagnosis and control of the restoration works on concrete and compact stone artefacts. Specific problems arise from its use with reference to highly porous and soft stones, in particular bi-component materials with grains-cement binder structure, such as calcarenites. Low ultrasonic propagation velocity, typically associated to the soft and porous materials can be easily affected by disturbing factors, in primis water (in vapour or liquid state), that can easily and frequently penetrates inside them and in significant amounts, due to their high open porosity. The analysis and interpretation of the data acquired by in situ investigations have to take into account this additional contribution. In the same way, on site structures and materials can be easily interested by salt presence and deposition within the pores, that can furtherly interfere on the data significance, as well as it is important to know the variability of data due to the different state of conservation of the stones. The influence of all these factors on the response to the ultrasonic tests needs to be investigated by laboratory controlled conditions, preliminarily to the in situ application. The present work refers to the experimental activity devoted to investigate the critical aspects that have been mentioned above and the results obtained. It is a part of a larger activity with the final aim to set up non invasive diagnostic procedures for the analysis and qualification of ancient masonries, realised with traditional soft stones, used as building materials in the Southern Italy. This activity is carried out within the AITECH network (Applied Innovation Technologies for Diagnosis and Conservation of Built Heritage), a regional research laboratory infrastructure (Apulian region, Southern Italy) funded within the FSE and FESR programs and realised by the contribution of the Italian CNR and Salento University. In particular, ultrasonic velocity propagation have been measured on different petrographic kinds of calcarenitic materials. The influence of the sample size -the scale effect- has also been investigated. Velocity data have been recorded on the samples in the following conditions: a) dry, wet and different rates of the humidity content b) salt saturation c) after ageing by salt crystallisation cycles. Finally, ultrasonic tests have been performed on some samples treated by inorganic silica consolidant. This experimental laboratory investigation is the preliminary activity to assess the performance potential of the ultrasonic tests as effective tool for the qualification and diagnosis before and after treatments, with reference to the specific critical aspects related to highly porous and soft stone materials, traditionally used in the built heritage of the past.

Transducer Modules for Dry-Coupled Ultrasonic Inspection of Aircraft Structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Komsky, Igor N.

2004-02-01

Several types of transducer modules have been developed at Northwestern University to overcome the problems that are associated with the application of liquid or gel couplants. The modules deploy polymer films to transmit the ultrasound through a dry interface. These films are very flexible, so even with a low pressure they can be adapted to the irregular inspection surfaces. The dry-coupled transducer modules may be used for transmission and reception of both longitudinal and transverse ultrasonic waves in the MHz frequency range. The prototype modules have been integrated with the portable ultrasonic inspection units and tested on a number of aircraft structures.

A Low-Wear Driving Method of Ultrasonic Motors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ishii, Takaaki; Takahashi, Hisanori; KentaroNakamura, KentaroNakamura; Ueha, Sadayuki

1999-05-01

The life of ultrasonic motors is limited by the wear of friction materials used for the contact surfaces. In order to reduce the wear of the friction material, we have to reduce the sliding speed between the sliding surfaces of the motor. In this report, we propose a new driving method to reduce the sliding speed of the motor by shaping the vibration speed waveform. The sliding loss was calculated and wear reduction effect was confirmed. A wear test was carried out under no-load condition. This method prolongs the life of an ultrasonic motor by about 3.4-fold. The results and wear reduction effects are also described.

Analysis of Size Correlations for Microdroplets Produced by Ultrasonic Atomization

PubMed Central

Barba, Anna Angela; d'Amore, Matteo

2013-01-01

Microencapsulation techniques are widely applied in the field of pharmaceutical production to control drugs release in time and in physiological environments. Ultrasonic-assisted atomization is a new technique to produce microencapsulated systems by a mechanical approach. Interest in this technique is due to the advantages evidenceable (low level of mechanical stress in materials, reduced energy request, reduced apparatuses size) when comparing it to more conventional techniques. In this paper, the groundwork of atomization is introduced, the role of relevant parameters in ultrasonic atomization mechanism is discussed, and correlations to predict droplets size starting from process parameters and material properties are presented and tested. PMID:24501580

Ultrasonic scanning system for imaging flaw growth in composites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kiraly, L. J.; Meyn, E. H.

1982-01-01

A system for measuring and visually representing damage in composite specimens while they are being loaded was demonstrated. It uses a hobbiest grade microcomputer system to control data taking and image processing. The system scans operator selected regions of the specimen while it is under load in a tensile test machine and measures internal damage by the attenuation of a 2.5 MHz ultrasonic beam passed through the specimen. The microcomputer dynamically controls the position of ultrasonic transducers mounted on a two axis motor driven carriage. As many as 65,536 samples can be taken and filed on a floppy disk system in less than four minutes.

Effect of combination ultrasonic and ball milling techniques of commercial fillers dispersion on mechanical properties of natural rubber (NR) latex films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamran, Noramirah; Rashid, Azura A.

2017-07-01

Commercial fillers such as silica and carbon black generally impart the reinforcing effects in dry rubber compound, but have an adverse effect on Natural rubber (NR) latex compounds. The addition of commercial fillers in NR latex has reduced the mechanical properties of NR latex films due to the destabilization effect in the NR latex compounds which govern by the dispersion quality, particle size and also the pH of the dispersion itself. The ball milling process is the conventional meth od of preparation of dispersions and ultrasonic has successfully used in preparation of nano fillers such as carbon nanotube (CNT). In this study the combination between the conventional methods; ball milling together the ultrasonic method were used to prepare the silica and carbon black dispersions. The different duration of ball milling (24, 48 and 72 hours) was compared with the ultrasonic method (30, 60, 90 and 120 minutes). The combination of ball milling and ultrasonic from the optimum individual technique was used to investigate the reduction of particle size of the fillers. The particle size analyzer, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) test were carried out to investigate the obtained particle size and the tensile and tear test were carried out to investigate the mechanical properties of the NR latex films. The reduction of filler particle size is expected to impart the properties of NR latex films.

Effectiveness of adjunctive subgingival administration of amino acids and sodium hyaluronate gel on clinical and immunological parameters in the treatment of chronic periodontitis

PubMed Central

Bevilacqua, Lorenzo; Eriani, Jessica; Serroni, Ilde; Liani, Giuliana; Borelli, Violetta; Castronovo, Gaetano; Di Lenarda, Roberto

2012-01-01

Summary Aims The aim of this clinical trial was to compare clinical and biochemical healing outcomes following ultrasonic mechanical instrumentation versus ultrasonic mechanical instrumentation associated with topical subgingival application of amino acids and sodium hyaluronate gel. Methods Eleven systemically healthy subjects with moderate-severe chronic periodontitis, who had four sites with pocket probing depth and clinical attachment level greater than or equal to 5 mm were randomly assigned to two different types of treatment: two pockets were treated with ultrasonic debridement (Control Group) and two pockets with ultrasonic mechanical instrumentation associated with 0,5 ml of amino acids and sodium hyaluronate gel (Test Group). Probing depth, clinical attachment level, plaque index and bleeding on probing were recorded at baseline, 45 and 90 days. Levels of calprotectin and myeloperoxidase activity in gingival crevicular fluid were assessed at baseline and on day 7 and 45. Results Statistical significance was found between baseline and day 45 in relation to probing depth reduction and bleeding on probing between groups for both of the tested treatments. Significant reductions in μg/sample of calprotectin and myeloperoxidase were found after 1-week and an increase at 45 days in both groups. There were no statistically significant differences between other variables evaluated in this study. Conclusions These data suggest that subgingival application of hyaluronic acid following ultrasonic mechanical instrumentation is beneficial for improving periodontal parameters. PMID:23087790

An Ultrasonic Compactor for Oil and Gas Exploration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feeney, Andrew; Sikaneta, Sakalima; Harkness, Patrick; Lucas, Margaret

The Badger Explorer is a rig-less oil and gas exploration tool which drills into the subsea environment to collect geological data. Drill spoil is transported from the front end of the system to the rear, where the material is compacted. Motivated by the need to develop a highly efficient compaction system, an ultrasonic compactor for application with granular geological materials encountered in subsea environments is designed and fabricated as part of this study. The finite element method is used to design a compactor configuration suitable for subsea exploration, consisting of a vibrating ultrasonic horn called a resonant compactor head, which operates in a longitudinal mode at 20 kHz, driven by a Langevin piezoelectric transducer. A simplified version of the compactor is also designed, due to its ease of incorporating in a lab-based experimental rig, in order to demonstrate enhanced compaction using ultrasonics. Numerical analysis of this simplified compactor system is supported with experimental characterisation using laser Doppler vibrometry. Compaction testing is then conducted on granular geological material, showing that compaction can be enhanced through the use of an ultrasonic compactor.

Direct laser writing of polymer micro-ring resonator ultrasonic sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Heming; Krishnaswamy, Sridhar

2017-04-01

With the development of photoacoustic technology in recent years, ultrasound-related sensors play a vital role in a number of areas ranging from scientific research to nondestructive testing. Compared with the traditional PZT transducer as ultrasonic sensors, novel ultrasonic sensors based on optical methods such as micro-ring resonators have gained increasing attention. The total internal reflection of the light along the cavity results in light propagating in microcavities as whispering gallery modes (WGMs), which are extremely sensitive to change in the radius and refractive index of the cavity induced by ultrasound strain field. In this work, we present a polymer optical micro-ring resonator based ultrasonic sensor fabricated by direct laser writing optical lithography. The design consists of a single micro-ring and a straight tapered waveguide that can be directly coupled by single mode fibers (SMFs). The design and fabrication of the printed polymer resonator have been optimized to provide broad bandwidth and high optical quality factor to ensure high detection sensitivity. The experiments demonstrate the potential of the polymer micro-ring resonator to works as a high-performance ultrasonic sensor.

The Design of Artificial Intelligence Robot Based on Fuzzy Logic Controller Algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zuhrie, M. S.; Munoto; Hariadi, E.; Muslim, S.

2018-04-01

Artificial Intelligence Robot is a wheeled robot driven by a DC motor that moves along the wall using an ultrasonic sensor as a detector of obstacles. This study uses ultrasonic sensors HC-SR04 to measure the distance between the robot with the wall based ultrasonic wave. This robot uses Fuzzy Logic Controller to adjust the speed of DC motor. When the ultrasonic sensor detects a certain distance, sensor data is processed on ATmega8 then the data goes to ATmega16. From ATmega16, sensor data is calculated based on Fuzzy rules to drive DC motor speed. The program used to adjust the speed of a DC motor is CVAVR program (Code Vision AVR). The readable distance of ultrasonic sensor is 3 cm to 250 cm with response time 0.5 s. Testing of robots on walls with a setpoint value of 9 cm to 10 cm produce an average error value of -12% on the wall of L, -8% on T walls, -8% on U wall, and -1% in square wall.

Effect of ultrasonic and ozone pre-treatments on pharmaceutical waste activated sludge's solubilisation, reduction, anaerobic biodegradability and acute biological toxicity.

PubMed

Pei, Jin; Yao, Hong; Wang, Hui; Shan, Dan; Jiang, Yichen; Ma, Lanqianya; Yu, Xiaohua

2015-09-01

Ultrasonic and ozone pre-treatment technologies were employed in this study to improve the anaerobic digestion efficiency of pharmaceutical waste activated sludge. The sludge solubilisation achieved 30.01% (150,000 kJ/kg TS) and 28.10% (0.1g O3/g TS) after ultrasonic treatment and ozone treatment. The anaerobic biodegradability after ultrasonic treatment was higher compared to ozonation due to the higher cumulative methane volume observed after 6 days (249 ml vs 190 ml). The ozonated sludge released the highest concentration of Cu(2+) into the liquid phase (6.640 mg L(-1)) compared to 0.530 mg/L for untreated sludge and 0.991 mg/L for sonicated sludge. The acute toxicity test measured by luminescent bacteria showed that anaerobic digestion could degrade toxic compounds and result in a reduction in toxicity. The main mechanism of action led to some differences in the treated sludge exhibiting higher potential for methane production from pharmaceutical waste sludge with ultrasonic treatment. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Clinical tests of an ultrasonic periodontal probe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hinders, Mark K.; Lynch, John E.; McCombs, Gayle B.

2002-05-01

A new ultrasonic periodontal probe has been developed that offers the potential for earlier detection of periodontal disease activity, non-invasive diagnosis, and greater reliability of measurement. A comparison study of the ultrasonic probe to both a manual probe, and a controlled-force probe was conducted to evaluate its clinical effectiveness. Twelve patients enrolled into this study. Two half-month examinations were conducted on each patient, scheduled one hour apart. A one-way analysis of variance was performed to compare the results for the three sets of probing depth measurements, followed by a repeated measures analysis to assess the reproducibility of the different probing techniques. These preliminary findings indicate that manual and ultrasonic probing measure different features of the pocket. Therefore, it is not obvious how the two depth measurements correspond to each other. However, both methods exhibited a similar tendency toward increasing pocket depths as Gingival Index scores increased. Based on the small sample size, further studies need to be conducted using a larger population of patients exhibiting a wider range of disease activity. In addition, studies that allow histological examination of the pocket after probing will help further evaluate the clinical effectiveness the ultrasonic probe. Future studies will also aid in the development of more effective automated feature recognition algorithms that convert the ultrasonic echoes into pocket depth readings.

Ultrasonic imaging of material flaws exploiting multipath information

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Xizhong; Zhang, Yimin D.; Demirli, Ramazan; Amin, Moeness G.

2011-05-01

In this paper, we consider ultrasonic imaging for the visualization of flaws in a material. Ultrasonic imaging is a powerful nondestructive testing (NDT) tool which assesses material conditions via the detection, localization, and classification of flaws inside a structure. Multipath exploitations provide extended virtual array apertures and, in turn, enhance imaging capability beyond the limitation of traditional multisensor approaches. We utilize reflections of ultrasonic signals which occur when encountering different media and interior discontinuities. The waveforms observed at the physical as well as virtual sensors yield additional measurements corresponding to different aspect angles. Exploitation of multipath information addresses unique issues observed in ultrasonic imaging. (1) Utilization of physical and virtual sensors significantly extends the array aperture for image enhancement. (2) Multipath signals extend the angle of view of the narrow beamwidth of the ultrasound transducers, allowing improved visibility and array design flexibility. (3) Ultrasonic signals experience difficulty in penetrating a flaw, thus the aspect angle of the observation is limited unless access to other sides is available. The significant extension of the aperture makes it possible to yield flaw observation from multiple aspect angles. We show that data fusion of physical and virtual sensor data significantly improves the detection and localization performance. The effectiveness of the proposed multipath exploitation approach is demonstrated through experimental studies.

Ultrasonic Resonance Spectroscopy of Composite Rims for Flywheel Rotors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harmon, Laura M.; Baaklini, George Y.

2002-01-01

Flywheel energy storage devices comprising multilayered composite rotor systems are being studied extensively for utilization in the International Space Station. These composite material systems were investigated with a recently developed ultrasonic resonance spectroscopy technique. The ultrasonic system employs a continuous swept-sine waveform and performs a fast Fourier transform (FFT) on the frequency response spectrum. In addition, the system is capable of equalizing the amount of energy at each frequency. Equalization of the frequency spectrum, along with interpretation of the second FFT, aids in the evaluation of the fundamental frequency. The frequency responses from multilayered material samples, with and without known defects, were analyzed to assess the capabilities and limitations of this nondestructive evaluation technique for material characterization and defect detection. Amplitude and frequency changes were studied from ultrasonic responses of thick composite rings and a multiring composite rim. A composite ring varying in thickness was evaluated to investigate the full thickness resonance. The frequency response characteristics from naturally occurring voids in a composite ring were investigated. Ultrasonic responses were compared from regions with and without machined voids in a composite ring and a multiring composite rim. Finally, ultrasonic responses from the multiring composite rim were compared before and after proof spin testing to 63,000 rpm.

A study of blood contamination of Siqveland matrix bands.

PubMed

Lowe, A H; Bagg, J; Burke, F J T; MacKenzie, D; McHugh, S

2002-01-12

AIMS To use a sensitive forensic test to measure blood contamination of used Siqveland matrix bands following routine cleaning and sterilisation procedures in general dental practice. Sixteen general dental practices in the West of Scotland participated. Details of instrument cleaning procedures were recorded for each practice. A total of 133 Siqveland matrix bands were recovered following cleaning and sterilisation and were examined for residual blood contamination by the Kastle-Meyer test, a well-recognised forensic technique. Ultrasonic baths were used for the cleaning of 62 (47%) bands and retainers and the remainder (53%) were hand scrubbed prior to autoclaving. Overall, 21% of the matrix bands and 19% of the retainers gave a positive Kastle-Meyer test, indicative of residual blood contamination, following cleaning and sterilisation. In relation to cleaning method, 34% of hand-scrubbed bands and 32% of hand-scrubbed retainers were positive for residual blood by the Kastle-Meyer test compared with 6% and 3% respectively of ultrasonically cleaned bands and retainers (P < 0.001). If Siqveland matrix bands are re-processed in the assembled state, then adequate pre-sterilisation cleaning cannot be achieved reliably. Ultrasonic baths are significantly more effective than hand cleaning for these items of equipment.

Non-Destructive Evaluation of Depth of Surface Cracks Using Ultrasonic Frequency Analysis

PubMed Central

Her, Shiuh-Chuan; Lin, Sheng-Tung

2014-01-01

Ultrasonic is one of the most common uses of a non-destructive evaluation method for crack detection and characterization. The effectiveness of the acoustic-ultrasound Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) technique for the determination of the depth of the surface crack was presented. A method for ultrasonic sizing of surface cracks combined with the time domain and frequency spectrum was adopted. The ultrasonic frequency spectrum was obtained by Fourier transform technique. A series of test specimens with various depths of surface crack ranging from 1 mm to 8 mm was fabricated. The depth of the surface crack was evaluated using the pulse-echo technique. In this work, three different longitudinal waves with frequencies of 2.25 MHz, 5 MHz and 10 MHz were employed to investigate the effect of frequency on the sizing detection of surface cracks. Reasonable accuracies were achieved with measurement errors less than 7%. PMID:25225875

High precision, fast ultrasonic thermometer based on measurement of the speed of sound in air

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, K. N.; Huang, C. F.; Li, Y. C.; Young, M. S.

2002-11-01

This study presents a microcomputer-based ultrasonic system which measures air temperature by detecting variations in the speed of sound in the air. Changes in the speed of sound are detected by phase shift variations of a 40 kHz continuous ultrasonic wave. In a test embodiment, two 40 kHz ultrasonic transducers are set face to face at a constant distance. Phase angle differences between transmitted and received signals are determined by a FPGA digital phase detector and then analyzed in an 89C51 single-chip microcomputer. Temperature is calculated and then sent to a LCD display and, optionally, to a PC. Accuracy of measurement is within 0.05 degC at an inter-transducer distance of 10 cm. Temperature variations are displayed within 10 ms. The main advantages of the proposed system are high resolution, rapid temperature measurement, noncontact measurement and easy implementation.

A measurement system of high-temperature oxidation environment with ultrasonic Ir0.6Rth0.4 alloy thermometry.

PubMed

Wei, Yanlong; Wang, Gao; Gao, Yubin; Liu, Zhengguang; Xu, Lin; Tian, Miao; Yuan, Dongfang; Ren, Haiping; Zhou, Hanchang; Yang, Lu; Shi, Xueshun; Xiao, Zhaoqian

2018-04-03

Iridium-rhodium is generally applied as a thermocouple material, with max operating temperature about 2150 °C. In this study, a ultrasonic temperature measurement system was designed by using Iridium-rhodium (60%Ir-40%Rh) alloy as an acoustic waveguide sensor material, and the system was preliminarily tested in a high-temperature oxidation environment. The result of ultrasonic temperature measurement shows that this system can indeed work stably in high-temperature oxidation environments. The relationship between temperature and delay time of ultrasonic thermometry up to 2200 °C was illustrated. Iridium-rhodium materials were also investigated in order to fully elucidate the proposed waveguide sensor's performance in a high-temperature oxidation environment. This system lays a foundation for further application of high-temperature measurement. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Achieving Real-Time Tracking Mobile Wireless Sensors Using SE-KFA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kadhim Hoomod, Haider, Dr.; Al-Chalabi, Sadeem Marouf M.

2018-05-01

Nowadays, Real-Time Achievement is very important in different fields, like: Auto transport control, some medical applications, celestial body tracking, controlling agent movements, detections and monitoring, etc. This can be tested by different kinds of detection devices, which named "sensors" as such as: infrared sensors, ultrasonic sensor, radars in general, laser light sensor, and so like. Ultrasonic Sensor is the most fundamental one and it has great impact and challenges comparing with others especially when navigating (as an agent). In this paper, concerning to the ultrasonic sensor, sensor(s) detecting and delimitation by themselves then navigate inside a limited area to estimating Real-Time using Speed Equation with Kalman Filter Algorithm as an intelligent estimation algorithm. Then trying to calculate the error comparing to the factual rate of tracking. This paper used Ultrasonic Sensor HC-SR04 with Arduino-UNO as Microcontroller.

High temperature ultrasonic immersion measurements using a BS-PT based piezoelectric transducer without a delay line

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bilgunde, Prathamesh N.; Bond, Leonard J.

2018-04-01

Ultrasonic imaging is a key enabling technology required for in-service inspection of advanced sodium fast reactors at the hot stand-by operating mode (˜250C). Current work presents development of a single element, 2.4MHz, planar, ultrasonic immersion transducer for a potential application in ranging, inspection and imaging of the reactor components. The prototype immersion transducer is first tested in water for three thermal cycles up to 92C. The transducer is further evaluated for four thermal cycles in silicone oil, with total seven thermal cycles that exceeded operation period of 21 hours. Moreover, the preliminary data acquired for speed of sound in silicone oil indicates 24% reduction from 22C to 142C. Sensitivity of the ultrasonic transducer is also measured as a function of temperature and demonstrates the effect of multiple thermal cycles on the transducer components.

High-Performance Scanning Acousto-Ultrasonic System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roth, Don; Martin, Richard; Kautz, Harold; Cosgriff, Laura; Gyekenyesi, Andrew

2006-01-01

A high-performance scanning acousto-ultrasonic system, now undergoing development, is designed to afford enhanced capabilities for imaging microstructural features, including flaws, inside plate specimens of materials. The system is expected to be especially helpful in analyzing defects that contribute to failures in polymer- and ceramic-matrix composite materials, which are difficult to characterize by conventional scanning ultrasonic techniques and other conventional nondestructive testing techniques. Selected aspects of the acousto-ultrasonic method have been described in several NASA Tech Briefs articles in recent years. Summarizing briefly: The acousto-ultrasonic method involves the use of an apparatus like the one depicted in the figure (or an apparatus of similar functionality). Pulses are excited at one location on a surface of a plate specimen by use of a broadband transmitting ultrasonic transducer. The stress waves associated with these pulses propagate along the specimen to a receiving transducer at a different location on the same surface. Along the way, the stress waves interact with the microstructure and flaws present between the transducers. The received signal is analyzed to evaluate the microstructure and flaws. The specific variant of the acousto-ultrasonic method implemented in the present developmental system goes beyond the basic principle described above to include the following major additional features: Computer-controlled motorized translation stages are used to automatically position the transducers at specified locations. Scanning is performed in the sense that the measurement, data-acquisition, and data-analysis processes are repeated at different specified transducer locations in an array that spans the specimen surface (or a specified portion of the surface). A pneumatic actuator with a load cell is used to apply a controlled contact force. In analyzing the measurement data for each pair of transducer locations in the scan, the total (multimode) acousto-ultrasonic response of the specimen is utilized. The analysis is performed by custom software that extracts parameters of signals in the time and frequency domains. The computer hardware and software provide both real-time and postscan processing and display options. For example, oscilloscope displays of waveforms and power spectral densities are available in real time. Images can be computed while scanning continues. Signals can be digitally preprocessed and/or post-processed by filtering, windowing, time-segmenting, and running-waveform-averaging algorithms. In addition, the software affords options for off-line simulation of the waveform-data-acquisition and scanning processes. In tests, the system has been shown to be capable of characterizing microstructural changes and defects in SiC/SiC and C/SiC ceramic-matrix composites. Delaminations, variations in density, microstructural changes attributable to infiltration by silicon, and crack-space indications (defined in the next sentence) have been revealed in images formed from several time- and frequency-domain parameters of scanning acousto-ultrasonic signals. The crack-space indications were image features that were not revealed by other nondestructive testing methods and are so named because they turned out to mark locations where cracking eventually occurred.

Single crystal metal wedges for surface acoustic wave propagation

DOEpatents

Fisher, E.S.

1980-05-09

An ultrasonic testing device has been developed to evaluate flaws and inhomogeneities in the near-surface region of a test material. A metal single crystal wedge is used to generate high frequency Rayleigh surface waves in the test material surface by conversion of a slow velocity, bulk acoustic mode in the wedge into a Rayleigh wave at the metal-wedge test material interface. Particular classes of metals have been found to provide the bulk acoustic modes necessary for production of a surface wave with extremely high frequency and angular collimation. The high frequency allows flaws and inhomogeneities to be examined with greater resolution. The high degree of angular collimation for the outgoing ultrasonic beam permits precision angular location of flaws and inhomogeneities in the test material surface.

Single crystal metal wedges for surface acoustic wave propagation

DOEpatents

Fisher, Edward S.

1982-01-01

An ultrasonic testing device has been developed to evaluate flaws and inhomogeneities in the near-surface region of a test material. A metal single crystal wedge is used to generate high frequency Rayleigh surface waves in the test material surface by conversion of a slow velocity, bulk acoustic mode in the wedge into a Rayleigh wave at the metal-wedge test material interface. Particular classes of metals have been found to provide the bulk acoustic modes necessary for production of a surface wave with extremely high frequency and angular collimation. The high frequency allows flaws and inhomogeneities to be examined with greater resolution. The high degree of angular collimation for the outgoing ultrasonic beam permits precision angular location of flaws and inhomogeneities in the test material surface.

Ultrasonic interface level analyzer shop test procedure

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

STAEHR, T.W.

1999-05-24

The Royce Instrument Corporation Model 2511 Interface Level Analyzer (URSILLA) system uses an ultrasonic ranging technique (SONAR) to measure sludge depths in holding tanks. Three URSILLA instrument assemblies provided by the W-151 project are planned to be used during mixer pump testing to provide data for determining sludge mobilization effectiveness of the mixer pumps and sludge settling rates. The purpose of this test is to provide a documented means of verifying that the functional components of the three URSILLA instruments operate properly. Successful completion of this Shop Test Procedure (STP) is a prerequisite for installation in the AZ-101 tank. Themore » objective of the test is to verify the operation of the URSILLA instruments and to verify data collection using a stand alone software program.« less

Individual recognition between mother and infant bats (Myotis)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Turner, D.; Shaughnessy, A.; Gould, E.

1972-01-01

The recognition process and the basis for that recognition, in brown bats, between mother and infant are analyzed. Two parameters, ultrasonic communication and olfactory stimuli, are investigated. The test animals were not allowed any visual contact. It was concluded that individual recognition between mother and infant occurred. However, it could not be determined if the recognition was based on ultrasonic signals or olfactory stimuli.

Ultrasonic technique for inspection of GPHS capsule girth weld integrity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Placr, Arnost

1993-05-01

An innovative nondestructive examination (NDE) technique for the inspection of integrity of General Purpose Heat Source (GPHS) capsule girth welds was developed employing a Lamb wave as the mode of the sound propagation. Reliability of the Lamb wave technique was tested on GPHS capsules using plutonium pallet simulators. All ten capsules, which were previously rejected, passed ultrasonic (UT) inspection using the Lamb wave technique.

Precision Cleaning Verification of Nonvolatile Residues by Using Water, Ultrasonics, and Turbidity Analyses

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Skinner, S. Ballou

1991-01-01

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC's) in the atmosphere are believed to present a major environmental problem because they are able to interact with and deplete the ozone layer. NASA has been mandated to replace chlorinated solvents in precision cleaning, cleanliness verification, and degreasing of aerospace fluid systems hardware and ground support equipment. KSC has a CFC phase-out plan which provides for the elimination of over 90 percent of the CFC and halon use by 1995. The Materials Science Laboratory and KSC is evaluating four analytical methods for the determination of nonvolatile residues removal by water: (1) infrared analyses using an attenuated total reflectance; (2) surface tension analyses, (3) total organic content analyses, and (4) turbidity analyses. This research project examined the ultrasonic-turbidity responses for 22 hydrocarbons in an effect to determine: (1) if ultrasonics in heated water (70 C) will clean hydrocarbons (oils, greases, gels, and fluids) from aerospace hardware; (2) if the cleaning process by ultrasonics will simultaneously emulsify the removed hydrocarbons in the water; and (3) if a turbidimeter can be used successfully as an analytical instrument for quantifying the removal of hydrocarbons. Sixteen of the 22 hydrocarbons tested showed that ultrasonics would remove it at least 90 percent of the contaminated hydrocarbon from the hardware in 10 minutes or less giving a good ultrasonic-turbidity response. Six hydrocarbons had a lower percentage removal, a slower removal rate, and a marginal ultrasonic-turbidity response.

Concurrent Ultrasonic Tomography and Acoustic Emission in Solid Materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chow, Thomas M.

A series of experiments were performed to detect stress induced changes in the elastic properties of various solid materials. A technique was developed where these changes were monitored concurrently by two methods, ultrasonic tomography and acoustic emission monitoring. This thesis discusses some experiments in which acoustic emission (AE) and ultrasonic tomography were performed on various samples of solid materials including rocks, concrete, metals, and fibre reinforced composites. Three separate techniques were used to induce stress in these samples. Disk shaped samples were subject to stress via diametral loading using an indirect tensile test geometry. Cylindrical samples of rocks and concrete were subject to hydraulic fracture tests, and rectangular samples of fibre reinforced composite were subject to direct tensile loading. The majority of the samples were elastically anisotropic. Full waveform acoustic emission and tomographic data were collected while these samples were under load to give information concerning changes in the structure of the material as it was undergoing stress change and/or failure. Analysis of this data indicates that AE and tomographic techniques mutually compliment each other to give a view of the stress induced elastic changes in the tested samples.

[Influence of different ultrasonic irrigation solutions after root canal preparation with ProTaper by machine on micro-hardness of root canal dentin].

PubMed

Guo, Jiang-li; Zhang, Yan; Zhen, Lei

2015-08-01

To develope the influence of different ultrasonic irrigations after root canal preparation with nickel titanium ProTaper on micro-hardness of root canal dentin. Sixty of maxillary anterior teeth with single-canal were collected and randomly divided into 6 groups. Group A was control group, group B was prepared to F3 with nickel titanium ProTaper by machine, group C was ultrasonic irrigated with 3% hydrogen peroxide solution for 1 minute after preparation, group D was ultrasonic irrigated with koutai mouthwash for 1 minute after preparation, group E was ultrasonic irrigated with 17% EDTA solution for 1 minute after preparation, group F was ultrasonic irrigated with distilled water for 1 minute after preparation. The roots were then sectioned horizontally into 3 parts, split longitudinally into halves and examined under a micro Vickers hardness test machine. The data was analyzed by one-way ANOVA and t test with SPSS 17.0 software package. The micro-hardness of group A was (52.66 ± 1.64) HV,(52.08 ± 1.53) HV and (51.47 ± 2.53) HV. There was no significant difference in all parts of the root canal in group A (P>0.05). The micro-hardness of the apical third of root canal was lower than that of the cervical and middle of root canal in the other groups (P<0.05). In the cervical and middle third of the root canals, the micro-hardness of group E was (44.65 ± 1.33) HV and(42.55 ± 1.12) HV, and there were statistical significances between group E and the other groups (P<0.05). In the apical third of root canal,the micro-hardness of group E was (37.82 ± 1.60) HV, and group C was (44.14±1.73) HV, both of the comparative differences with other groups were statistically significant (P<0.05). There was no significant difference among group B, group D and group F (P>0.05). Root canal preparation to F3 with nickel titanium ProTaper by machine can make the micro-hardness of the apical third of root canal decrease. Ultrasonic irrigation with 17% EDTA solution for 1 minute can make the micro-hardness of the root canal decrease ultrasonic irrigation with. Ultrasonic irrigation with 3% hydrogen peroxide can make the micro-hardness of the apical third of root canal decrease. Ultrasonic irrigation with Koutai mouthwash and distilled water for 1 minute have no influence on the micro-hardness of root canal.

Design, fabrication, and testing of an ultrasonic de-icing system for helicopter rotor blades

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Palacios, Jose Luis

A low-power, non-thermal ultrasonic de-icing system is introduced as a possible substitute for current electro-thermal systems. The system generates delaminating ultrasonic transverse shear stresses at the interface of accreted ice. A PZT-4 disk driven at 28.5 KHz (radial resonance of the disk) instantaneously de-bonds 2 mm thick freezer ice layers. The ice layers are accreted to a 0.7 mm thick, 30.4 cm x 30.4 cm steel plate at an environment temperature of -20°C. A power input of 50 Watts is applied to the actuator (50 V, 19.6 KV/m), which translates to a de-icing power of 0.07 W/cm2. A finite element model of the actuator bonded to the isotropic plate is used to guide the design of the system, and predicts the transverse shear stresses at the ice interface. Wind tunnel icing tests were conducted to demonstrate the potential use of the proposed system under impact icing conditions. Both glaze ice and rime ice were generated on steel and composite plates by changing the cloud conditions of the wind tunnel. Continuous ultrasonic vibration prevented impact ice formation around the actuator location at an input power not exceeding 0.18 W/cm 2 (1.2 W/in2). As ice thickness reached a critical thickness of approximately 1.2 mm, shedding occurred on those locations where ultrasonic transverse shear stresses exceeded the shear adhesion strength of the ice. Finite element transverse shear stress predictions correlate with observed experimental impact ice de-bonding behavior. To increase the traveling distance of propagating ultrasonic waves, ultrasonic shear horizontal wave modes are studied. Wave modes providing large modal interface transverse shear stress concentration coefficients (ISCC) between the host structure (0.7 mm thick steel plate) and accreted ice (2.5 mm thick ice layer) are identified and investigated for a potential increase in the wave propagation distance. Ultrasonic actuators able to trigger these optimum wave modes are designed and fabricated. Despite exciting wave modes with high ISCC values, instantaneous ice de-bonding is not observed at input powers under 100 Watts. The two triggered ultrasonic wave modes of the structure occur at high excitation frequencies, 202 KHz and 500 KHz respectively. At these frequencies, the ultrasonic actuators do not provide large enough transverse shear stresses to exceed the shear adhesion strength of the ice layer. Neither the actuator exciting the SH1 mode (202 KHz), nor the actuator triggering the SH2 mode (500 KHz) instantaneously de-bonds ice layers with an input power under 100 Watts.

Non-destructive testing of concrete.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1979-11-01

This research project was initiated to evaluate the performance of an ultrasonic testing device device in predicting compressive strengths from tests performed on samples of fresh concrete. : The initial phase of this study involved laboratory perora...

Experimental investigation by laser ultrasonics for high speed train axle diagnostics.

PubMed

Cavuto, A; Martarelli, M; Pandarese, G; Revel, G M; Tomasini, E P

2015-01-01

The present paper demonstrates the applicability of a laser-ultrasonic procedure to improve the performances of train axle ultrasonic inspection. The method exploits an air-coupled ultrasonic probe that detects the ultrasonic waves generated by a high-power pulsed laser. As a result, the measurement chain is completely non-contact, from generation to detection, this making it possible to considerably speed up inspection time and make the set-up more flexible. The main advantage of the technique developed is that it works in thermo-elastic regime and it therefore can be considered as a non-destructive method. The laser-ultrasonic procedure investigated has been applied for the inspection of a real high speed train axle provided by the Italian railway company (Trenitalia), on which typical fatigue defects have been expressly created according to standard specifications. A dedicated test bench has been developed so as to rotate the axle with the angle control and to speed up the inspection of the axle surface. The laser-ultrasonic procedure proposed can be automated and is potentially suitable for regular inspection of train axles. The main achievements of the activity described in this paper are: – the study of the effective applicability of laser-ultrasonics for the diagnostic of train hollow axles with variable sections by means of a numerical FE model, – the carrying out of an automated experiment on a real train axle, – the analysis of the sensitivity to experimental parameters, like laser source – receiving probe distance and receiving probe angular position, – the demonstration that the technique is suitable for the detection of surface defects purposely created on the train axle. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Effect of Nano Loading and Ultrasonic Compounding of EVA/LDPE/Nano-magnesium Hydroxide on Mechanical Properties and Distribution of Nano Particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azman, I. A.; Salleh, R. M.; Alauddin, S. M.; Shueb, M. I.

2018-05-01

Blends of Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA) and Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE) are promising composite which have good mechanical properties to environmental stress cracking. However, they lack fire resistant properties, which limits it usage in wire and cable industry. In order to improve flame retardancy ability, a range of nano-magnesium hydroxide (nano-MH) loading which is from 0 phr to maximum of 20 phr with ultrasonic extrusion 0-100 kHz frequencies have been introduced. Ultrasonic extrusion was used to improve the distribution of nano-MH. It was found that, 10 phr of nano loading with 100 kHz ultrasonic assisted has greater tensile strength compared to the nanocomposite without ultrasonication. Further increase of nano MH loading, will decrease the tensile properties. Better elongation at break was observed at10 phr nano-MH with the frequency of 50 kHz. The sample of 20 phr of nanoMH assisted with 50 kHz ultrasonic exhibits good flexural properties while 10 phr of nano-MH without the ultrasonic assisted demonstrates good in izod impact properties. From the evaluation of mechanical properties studied, it was found that 10 phr of nano-MH has shown the best performance among all the samples tested for EVA/LDPE/nano-MH composites. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) has been conducted on 10 phr sample with different frequencies in order to observe the distribution of nano-MH particles. The sample with 100 kHz frequency shows more uniform dispersion of nano-MH in EVA/LDPE composites. This investigation indicates that the ultrasonic technology can enhance the mechanical properties studied as well as the dispersion of nano particles in the composite.

Ultrasonic Al₂O₃ Ceramic Thermometry in High-Temperature Oxidation Environment.

PubMed

Wei, Yanlong; Gao, Yubin; Xiao, Zhaoqian; Wang, Gao; Tian, Miao; Liang, Haijian

2016-11-11

In this study, an ultrasonic temperature measurement system was designed with Al₂O₃ high-temperature ceramic as an acoustic waveguide sensor and preliminarily tested in a high-temperature oxidation environment. The test results indicated that the system can indeed work stably in high-temperature environments. The relationship between the temperature and delay time of 26 °C-1600 °C ceramic materials was also determined in order to fully elucidate the high-temperature oxidation of the proposed waveguide sensor and to lay a foundation for the further application of this system in temperatures as high as 2000 °C.

Optical Production and Detection of Ultrasonic Waves in Metals for Nondestructive Testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morrison, R. A.

1972-01-01

Ultrasonic waves were produced by striking the surface of a metal with the focused one-joule pulse of a Q-switched ruby laser. Rayleigh (surface) waves and longitudinal waves were detected with conventional transducers. Optical methods of detection were tested and developed. Rayleigh waves were produced with an oscillator and transducer. They were optically detected on curved polished surfaces, and on unpolished surfaces. The technique uses a knife edge to detect small angle changes of the surface as the wave pulse passes the illuminated spot. Optical flaw detection using pulse echo and attenuation is demonstrated.

Reliability improvement of wire bonds subjected to fatigue stresses.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ravi, K. V.; Philofsky, E. M.

1972-01-01

The failure of wire bonds due to repeated flexure when semiconductor devices are operated in an on-off mode has been investigated. An accelerated fatigue testing apparatus was constructed and the major fatigue variables, aluminum alloy composition, and bonding mechanism, were tested. The data showed Al-1% Mg wires to exhibit superior fatigue characteristics compared to Al-1% Cu or Al-1% Si and ultrasonic bonding to be better than thermocompression bonding for fatigue resistance. Based on these results highly reliable devices were fabricated using Al-1% Mg wire with ultrasonic bonding which withstood 120,000 power cycles with no failures.

The effect of box preparation on the strength of glass fiber-reinforced composite inlay-retained fixed partial dentures.

PubMed

Ozcan, Mutlu; Breuklander, Marijn H; Vallittu, Pekka K

2005-04-01

Nonstandardized box dimensions for inlay-retained fixed partial dentures (FPDs) may result in uneven distribution of the forces on the connector region of such restorations. The objective of this in vitro study was to evaluate the effect of box dimensions on the initial and final failure strength of inlay-retained fiber-reinforced composite (FRC) FPDs. Twenty-one inlay-retained FPDs were prepared using FRC (everStick) frameworks with unidirectional fiber reinforcement between mandibular first premolars and first molars. Boxes were prepared using conventional inlay burs (Cerinlay), and small and large ultrasonic tips (SONICSYS approx). Box dimensions were measured after preparation with a digital micrometer. All restorations were subjected to thermal cycling (6000 cycles, 5 degrees C-55 degrees C). Fracture testing was performed in a universal testing machine (1 mm/min). Acoustic emission signals were monitored during loading of the specimens. Initial and final fracture strength values (2-way ANOVA, Bonferroni post hoc tests, alpha =.05) and failure types (Fisher exact test) were statistically compared for each group. Significant differences (P =.0146 and P =.0086) were observed between the groups in the dimensions of the boxes prepared using conventional burs buccolingually (2.8-3.0 mm in molars, 3.1-4.3 mm in premolars) and the small size (2.5-2.9, 2.9-3.8 mm) or large size (2.6-3.8, 3.2-4.9 mm) ultrasonic tips for the premolars and the molars, respectively. No significant differences were found at the initial and final failures between the conventionally prepared group (842 +/- 267 N, 1161 +/- 428 N) and those prepared with either small (1088 +/- 381 N, 1320 +/- 380 N) or large ultrasonic tips (1070 +/- 280 N, 1557 +/- 321 N), respectively. The failure analysis demonstrated no significant difference in failure types but predominant delamination of the veneering resin (85%) in all experimental groups. According to acoustic emission tests, a higher energy level was required for final failure of the FRC FPDs with boxes finished using small ultrasonic tips. Standardized box dimensions showed no significant effect on fracture strength at either initial or final failure of the fiber-reinforced FPDs. The FRC FPDs with boxes refined with small ultrasonic burs required a greater energy level before failure. The type of failure observed after the fracture tests was primarily delamination of the veneering resin.

Assessment of weld quality of aerospace grade metals by using ultrasonic matrix phased array technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Na, Jeong K.; Gleeson, Sean T.

2014-03-01

Advantages of two dimensional electronic ultrasonic beam focusing, steering and scanning with the matrix phased array (MPA) technology has been used to visualize the conditions of resistance spot welds in auto vehicle grade advanced high strength steel carbon steels nondestructively. Two of the commonly used joining techniques, resistance spot welding and resistance seam welding, for thin aerospace grade plates made of aluminum, titanium, and stainless steels have also been inspected with the same MPA NDE system. In this study, a detailed discussions of the current MPA based ultrasonic real time imaging methodology has been made followed by some of the NDT results obtained with various welded test coupons.

Determination of the Order of Passes of AN Austenitic Weld by Optimization of AN Inversion Process of Ultrasound Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gueudré, C.; Marrec, L. Le; Chekroun, M.; Moysan, J.; Chassignole, B.; Corneloup, G.

2011-06-01

Multipass welds made in austenitic stainless steel, in the primary circuit of nuclear power plants with pressurized water reactors, are characterized by an anisotropic and heterogeneous structure that disturbs the ultrasonic propagation and challenge the ultrasonic non-destructive testing. The simulation in this type of structure is now possible thanks to the MINA code which allows the grain orientation modeling taking into account the welding process, and the ATHENA code to exactly simulate the ultrasonic propagation. We propose studying the case where the order of the passes is unknown to estimate the possibility of reconstructing this important parameter by ultrasound measures. The first results are presented.

An energy-dispersive X-ray analysis and SEM study of debris remaining on endodontic instruments after ultrasonic cleaning and autoclave sterilization.

PubMed

Parirokh, Masoud; Asgary, Saeed; Eghbal, Mohammad Jafar

2005-08-01

This study was carried out to investigate metallic and non-metallic debris remaining on endodontic files after ultrasonic cleaning and autoclave processing. Forty-eight unused rotary and hand endodontic files, including eight different brands, were tested. Instruments were cleaned with ultrasound, autoclaved and before and after each step were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Adherent debris was analysed by energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDXA). All of the instruments before ultrasound cleaning were contaminated with metallic and non-metallic debris. Although most non-metallic debris was removed by ultrasonic cleaning, most of the metallic debris remained even after the final step of sterilization.

Design and numerical simulation of novel giant magnetostrictive ultrasonic transducer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Pengyang; Liu, Qiang; Li, Shujuan; Wang, Quandai; Zhang, Dongya; Li, Yan

This paper provides a design method of a novel giant magnetostrictive ultrasonic transducer utilized in incremental sheet metal forming. The frequency equations of the ultrasonic vibrator were deduced and the corresponding correctness verified by the modal and harmonic response characteristic through the finite element method (FEM) and ANSYS software. In addition, the magnetic field of the vibrator system was designed and verified by the ANSYS. Finally, the frequency tests based on the impedance response analysis and the amplitude measurements based on the laser displacement sensor were performed on the prototype. The results confirmed the appropriate design of this transducer, setting the foundation for a low mechanical quality factor and satisfying amplitude.

Ultrasonic technique for detection of liquids in copper tubing process lines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dudley, W. A.

1980-10-01

An ultrasonic pulse-echo method developed for semiquantitative measurement of liquid levels in copper tubing is described. This ultrasonic approach is of particular value when used as a pre-maintenance diagnostic tool in repairing process lines containing hazardous liquids. Performance tests show that water and similar liquids can be directly detected to fill levels as low as 1/16 in. For water fills below 1/16 in., direct level detection is impractical because of signal resolution limitations. However, this fill condition is indirectly measurable and is detected by the effect of observed degradation of the adjacent wall echo pattern. Fill conditions for liquids associated with high sound attenuation such as oil can be indirectly determined.

Ultrasonic Doppler measurement of renal artery blood flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1974-01-01

Implantable pulsed Doppler ultrasonic flowmeter development has resulted in designs for application to the aortas of dogs and humans, and to human renal and coronary arteries. A figure of merit was derived for each design, indicating the degree of its precision. An H-array design for transcutaneous observation of blood flow was developed and tested in vitro. Two other simplified designs for the same purpose obviate the need to determine vessel orientation. One of these will be developed in the next time period. Techniques for intraoperative use and for implantation have had mixed success. While satisfactory on large vessels, higher ultrasonic frequencies and alteration of transducer design are required for satisfactory operation of pulsed Doppler flowmeters with small vessels.

Study of Contactless Power Supply for Spindle Ultrasonic Vibrator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, T. R.; Lee, Y. L.; Liu, H. T.; Chen, S. M.; Chang, H. Z.

2017-11-01

In this study, a contactless power supply for the ultrasonic motor on the spindle is proposed. The proposed power supply is composed of a series-parallel resonant circuit and a cylindrical contactless transformer. Based on the study and rotation experiments, it can be seen that the proposed power supply can both provide a stable ac power with 25 kHz / 70 V to the ultrasonic motor. When the output power is 250 W, the efficiency of the proposed supply is 89.8 % in respectively rotation tests. When the output power is more than 150 W, the efficiency of the proposed supply is higher than 80 % within the rated output power range.

Enhanced NDE systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1993-01-01

The goal of this contractual effort was to evaluate the Langley narrow-band ultrasonic debond detection method for a factory use configuration. Successful accomplishment requires establishing the robustness of the method, and enhancing it if necessary. It is also desirable to strive for simplicity of implementation, such as attachment to in-place scanning devices planned for nondestructive evaluation (NDE) measurements. The contract was established with three phases for the ultrasonic work: (1) establish the method and robustness of the ultrasonic method; (2) follow up on any questions which arise with respect to the method or its implementation and produce a Phase A design; and (3) fabricate and test the Phase A design. This is a report on Phase 1.

The application of water coupled nonlinear ultrasonics to quantify the dislocation density in aluminum 1100

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mostavi, Amir; Tehrani, N.; Kamali, N.; Ozevin, D.; Chi, S. W.; Indacochea, J. E.

2017-02-01

This article investigates water coupled nonlinear ultrasonic method to measure the dislocation density in aluminum 1100 specimens. The different levels of dislocation densities are introduced to the samples by applying different levels of plastic strains by tensile loading. The ultrasonic testing includes 2.25 MHz transducer as transmitter and 5.0 MHz transducer as receiver in an immersion tank. The results of immersion experiments are compared with oil-coupled experiments. While water has significant nonlinearity within itself, the immersion ultrasound results agree with the literature of oil coupled ultrasound results of the specimens that the nonlinearity coefficient increases with the increase of dislocation density in aluminum.

Identification of the Quality Spot Welding used Non Destructive Test-Ultrasonic Testing: (Effect of Welding Time)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sifa, A.; Endramawan, T.; Badruzzaman

2017-03-01

Resistance Spot Welding (RSW) is frequently used as one way of welding is used in the manufacturing process, especially in the automotive industry [4][5][6][7]. Several parameters influence the process of welding points. To determine the quality of a welding job needs to be tested, either by damaging or testing without damage, in this study conducted experimental testing the quality of welding or identify quality of the nugget by using Non-Destructive Test (NDT) -Ultrasonic Testing (UT), in which the identification of the quality of the welding is done with parameter thickness of worksheet after welding using NDT-UT with use same material worksheet and have more thickness of worksheet, the thickness of the worksheet single plate 1mm, with the capability of propagation Ultrasonic Testing (UT) standard limited> 3 mm [1], welding process parameters such as the time difference between 1-10s and the welding current of 8 KV, visually Heat Affected Zone ( HAZ ) have different results due to the length of time of welding. UT uses a probe that is used with a frequency of 4 MHz, diameter 10 mm, range 100 and the couplant used is oil. Identification techniques using drop 6dB, with sound velocity 2267 m / s of Fe, with the result that the effect of the Welding time affect the size of the HAZ, identification with the lowest time 1s show results capable identified joined through NDT - UT.

Engineering Task Plan for the Ultrasonic Inspection of Hanford Double Shell Tanks (DST) FY2000

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

JENSEN, C.E.

2000-01-10

This document facilitates the ultrasonic examination of Hanford double-shell tanks. Included are a plan for engineering activities (individual responsibilities), plan for performance demonstration testing, and a plan for field activities (tank inspection). Also included are a Statement of Work for contractor performance of the work and a protocol to be followed should tank flaws that exceed the acceptance criteria be discovered.

Efficacy of laser-driven irrigation versus ultrasonic in removing an airlock from the apical third of a narrow root canal.

PubMed

Peeters, Harry Huiz; Gutknecht, Norbert

2014-08-01

The purpose of the study was to test the hypothesis that air entrapment occurs in the apical third of a root canal during irrigation. A second objective was to test the null hypothesis that there is no difference between laser-driven irrigation (an erbium, chromium:yttrium-scandium-gallium-garnet laser) and passive ultrasonic irrigation in removing an airlock from the apical third. One hundred twenty extracted human teeth with single narrow root canals were randomised into two experimental groups (n = 40) and two control groups (n = 20). The specimens were shaped using hand instruments up to a size 30/0.02 file. The teeth were irrigated with a mixture of saline, radiopaque contrast and ink in solution. In the passive ultrasonic irrigation group, the irrigant was activated with an ultrasonic device for 60 s. In the laser group, the irrigant was activated with a laser for 60 s. It was concluded that if the insertion of irrigation needle is shorter than the working length, air entrapment may develop in the apical third, but the use of laser-driven irrigation is completely effective in removing it. © 2013 The Authors. Australian Endodontic Journal © 2013 Australian Society of Endodontology.

NDE of hybrid armor structures using acoustography

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sandhu, Jaswinder S.; Pergantis, Charles G.

2011-06-23

The US Army is investigating the use of composite materials to deliver lightweight and more effective armor protection systems to soldiers and other army assets. However, widespread use of such hybrid armor will require a reliable but fast NDE methodology to ensure integrity of these components during manufacturing and while in service. Traditional ultrasonic inspection of such hybrid armor structures may prove to be very effective, but point-by-point ultrasonic scanning is inherently time-consuming and manufacturing slowdowns could develop in high-volume production of such armor systems. In this paper, we report on the application of acoustography for the NDE of hybridmore » armor structures. Acoustography differs from conventional ultrasonic testing in that test objects are inspected in full field, analogously to real time x-ray imaging. The approach uses a novel, super high resolution large area acousto-optic (AO) sensor, which allows image formation through simple ultrasound shadow casting, analogous to x-ray image formation. This NDE approach offers significant inspection speed advantage over conventional point-by-point ultrasonic scanning procedures and is well-suited for high volume production. We will report initial results on a number of hybrid armor plate specimens employing composite materials that are being investigated by the US Army. Acoustography NDE results will also be verified using other complimentary NDE methods.« less

Simulation of ultrasonic NCF composites testing using 3D finite element model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Z.; Saffari, N.; Fromme, P.

2012-04-01

Composite materials offer many advantages for aerospace applications, e.g., good strength to weight ratio. Different types of composites, such as non-crimp fabrics (NCF), are currently being investigated as they offer reduced manufacturing costs and improved damage tolerance as compared to traditional pre-impregnated composite materials. NCF composites are made from stitched fiber bundles (tows), which typically have a width and thickness in the order of millimeter. This results in strongly inhomogeneous and anisotropic material properties. Different types of manufacturing imperfections, such as porosity, resin pockets, tow crimp and misalignment can lead to reduced material strength and thus to defects following excessive loads or impact, e.g. fracture and delaminations. The ultrasonic non-destructive testing of NCF composites is difficult, as the tow size is comparable to the wavelength, leading to multiple scattering in this inherently three-dimensional structure. For typical material properties and geometry of an NCF composite, a full three-dimensional Finite Element (FE) model has been developed in ABAQUS. The propagation of longitudinal ultrasonic waves has been simulated and the effect of multiple scattering at the fiber tows investigated. The effect of porosity as a typical manufacturing imperfection has been considered. The potential for the detection and quantification of such defects is discussed based on the observed influence on the ultrasonic wave propagation and attenuation.

Piezoelectric Sol-Gel Composite Film Fabrication by Stencil Printing.

PubMed

Kaneko, Tsukasa; Iwata, Kazuki; Kobayashi, Makiko

2015-09-01

Piezoelectric films using sol-gel composites could be useful as ultrasonic transducers in various industrial fields. For sol-gel composite film fabrication, the spray coating technique has been used often because of its adaptability for various substrates. However, the spray technique requires multiple spray coating processes and heating processes and this is an issue of concern, especially for on-site fabrication in controlled areas. Stencil printing has been developed to solve this issue because this method can be used to fabricate thick sol-gel composite films with one coating process. In this study, PbTiO3 (PT)/Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 (PZT) films, PZT/PZT films, and Bi4Ti3O12 (BiT)/PZT films were fabricated by stencil printing, and PT/ PZT films were also fabricated using the spray technique. After fabrication, a thermal cycle test was performed for the samples to compare their ultrasonic performance. The sensitivity and signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) of the ultrasonic response of PT/PZT fabricated by stencil printing were equivalent to those of PT/PZT fabricated by the spray technique, and better than those of other samples between room temperature and 300°C. Therefore, PT/PZT films fabricated by stencil printing could be a good candidate for nondestructive testing (NDT) ultrasonic transducers from room temperature to 300°C.

Advanced Liquid Feed Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Distefano, E.; Noll, C.

1993-06-01

The Advanced Liquid Feed Experiment (ALFE) is a Hitchhiker experiment flown on board the Shuttle of STS-39 as part of the Space Test Payload-1 (STP-1). The purpose of ALFE is to evaluate new propellant management components and operations under the low gravity flight environment of the Space Shuttle for eventual use in an advanced spacecraft feed system. These components and operations include an electronic pressure regulator, an ultrasonic flowmeter, an ultrasonic point sensor gage, and on-orbit refill of an auxiliary propellant tank. The tests are performed with two transparent tanks with dyed Freon 113, observed by a camera and controlled by ground commands and an on-board computer. Results show that the electronic pressure regulator provides smooth pressure ramp-up, sustained pressure control, and the flexibility to change pressure settings in flight. The ultrasonic flowmeter accurately measures flow and detects gas ingestion. The ultrasonic point sensors function well in space, but not as a gage during sustained low-gravity conditions, as they, like other point gages, are subject to the uncertainties of propellant geometry in a given tank. Propellant transfer operations can be performed with liquid-free ullage equalization at a 20 percent fill level, gas-free liquid transfer from 20-65 percent fill level, minimal slosh, and can be automated.

3D finite element simulation of non-crimp fabric composites ultrasonic testing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Z.; Saffari, N.; Fromme, P.

2012-05-01

Composite materials offer many advantages for aerospace applications, e.g., good strength to weight ratio. Different types of composites, such as non-crimp fabrics (NCF), are currently being investigated as they offer reduced manufacturing costs and improved damage tolerance as compared to traditional pre-impregnated composite materials. NCF composites are made from stitched fiber bundles (tows), which typically have a width and thickness of less than a millimeter. This results in strongly inhomogeneous and anisotropic material properties. Different types of manufacturing imperfections, such as porosity, resin pockets, tow crimp and misalignment can lead to reduced material strength and thus to defects following excessive loads or impact, e.g., fracture and delaminations. The ultrasonic non-destructive testing of NCF composites is difficult, as the tow size is comparable to the wavelength, leading to multiple scattering in this inherently three-dimensional structure. For typical material properties and geometry of an NCF composite, a full three-dimensional Finite Element (FE) model has been developed in ABAQUS. The propagation of longitudinal ultrasonic waves has been simulated and the effect of multiple scattering at the fiber tows investigated. The influence of porosity in the epoxy matrix as a typical manufacturing defect on the ultrasonic wave propagation and attenuation has been studied.

Compensating for Attenuation Differences in Ultrasonic Inspections of Titanium-Alloy Billets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Margetan, F. J.; Thompson, R. B.; Keller, Michael; Hassan, Waled

2004-02-01

Cylindrical billets of Titanium alloy are ultrasonically inspected prior to use in fabricating rotating jet-engine components. Although each billet has a cylindrical geometry, its ultrasonic properties are not cylindrically symmetric due to asymmetries in the process used to produce the billet from the original cast ingot. In the inspection process, a calibration standard of the same diameter containing flat-bottomed hole (FBH) reflectors is used to set the initial inspection gain (i.e., the signal amplification level). If the ultrasonic attenuation of the billet to be inspected differs significantly from that of the calibration standard, the inspection gain must be adjusted to maintain the desired defect detection sensitivity. In this paper we investigate several schemes for attenuation compensation. The gain adjustments fall into two broad categories: "global" adjustments (in dB/inch units), which are applied uniformly throughout the billet under inspection; and "local adjustments", which vary with axial and circumferential position. The schemes make use of the patterns of reflected back-wall amplitude and backscattered grain noise seen in the calibration standard and test billet. The various compensation schemes are tested using specimens of 6″-diameter Ti-6A1-4V billet into which many FBH targets were drilled. Results are summarized and tentative recommendations for improving billet inspection practices are offered.

Defect detection performance of the UCSD non-contact air-coupled ultrasonic guided wave inspection of rails prototype

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mariani, Stefano; Nguyen, Thompson V.; Sternini, Simone; Lanza di Scalea, Francesco; Fateh, Mahmood; Wilson, Robert

2016-04-01

The University of California at San Diego (UCSD), under a Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Office of Research and Development (R&D) grant, is developing a system for high-speed and non-contact rail defect detection. A prototype using an ultrasonic air-coupled guided wave signal generation and air-coupled signal detection, paired with a real-time statistical analysis algorithm, has been realized. This system requires a specialized filtering approach based on electrical impedance matching due to the inherently poor signal-to-noise ratio of air-coupled ultrasonic measurements in rail steel. Various aspects of the prototype have been designed with the aid of numerical analyses. In particular, simulations of ultrasonic guided wave propagation in rails have been performed using a Local Interaction Simulation Approach (LISA) algorithm. The system's operating parameters were selected based on Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves, which provide a quantitative manner to evaluate different detection performances based on the trade-off between detection rate and false positive rate. The prototype based on this technology was tested in October 2014 at the Transportation Technology Center (TTC) in Pueblo, Colorado, and again in November 2015 after incorporating changes based on lessons learned. Results from the 2015 field test are discussed in this paper.

Effect of ultrasonic vibration on the retention of adhesively luted intra-radicular posts.

PubMed

Satterthwaite, Julian D; Stokes, Alastair N

2004-09-01

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of prolonged ultrasonic vibration on tensile force necessary to dislodge two different post types luted with an adhesive resin. Extracted human canine teeth were decoronated and root-filled. Either a ceramic or stainless steel intra-radicular post was luted into each root with resin-based cement. Half the samples in each group were randomly assigned to be subjected to ultrasonic vibration of the post (test group), the remaining samples did not receive vibration (control group). The tensile force required to dislodge each post was then determined in a universal testing machine. The mean force required to dislodge the stainless steel posts in the control group was 510.1N (SD 170.6) and in the 'treatment' group it was 539.5N (SD 163.3). For the ceramic posts in the control group the mean force was 447.8N (SD 165.5) and in the 'treatment' group it was 473.9N (SD 137.8). There was no statistical difference between the groups (p = 0.597). Within the limitations of this in-vitro study, the results cast doubt on the ability of application of ultrasonic vibration to displace/loosen intra-radicular posts luted with a resin-based cement.

Multiple heavy metals extraction and recovery from hazardous electroplating sludge waste via ultrasonically enhanced two-stage acid leaching.

PubMed

Li, Chuncheng; Xie, Fengchun; Ma, Yang; Cai, Tingting; Li, Haiying; Huang, Zhiyuan; Yuan, Gaoqing

2010-06-15

An ultrasonically enhanced two-stage acid leaching process on extracting and recovering multiple heavy metals from actual electroplating sludge was studied in lab tests. It provided an effective technique for separation of valuable metals (Cu, Ni and Zn) from less valuable metals (Fe and Cr) in electroplating sludge. The efficiency of the process had been measured with the leaching efficiencies and recovery rates of the metals. Enhanced by ultrasonic power, the first-stage acid leaching demonstrated leaching rates of 96.72%, 97.77%, 98.00%, 53.03%, and 0.44% for Cu, Ni, Zn, Cr, and Fe respectively, effectively separated half of Cr and almost all of Fe from mixed metals. The subsequent second-stage leaching achieved leaching rates of 75.03%, 81.05%, 81.39%, 1.02%, and 0% for Cu, Ni, Zn, Cr, and Fe that further separated Cu, Ni, and Zn from mixed metals. With the stabilized two-stage ultrasonically enhanced leaching, the resulting over all recovery rates of Cu, Ni, Zn, Cr and Fe from electroplating sludge could be achieved at 97.42%, 98.46%, 98.63%, 98.32% and 100% respectively, with Cr and Fe in solids and the rest of the metals in an aqueous solution discharged from the leaching system. The process performance parameters studied were pH, ultrasonic power, and contact time. The results were also confirmed in an industrial pilot-scale test, and same high metal recoveries were performed. Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

46 CFR 151.03-38 - Nondestructive testing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... CARRYING BULK LIQUID HAZARDOUS MATERIAL CARGOES Definitions § 151.03-38 Nondestructive testing. Nondestructive testing includes ultrasonic examination, liquid penetrant examination, magnetic particle... 46 Shipping 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Nondestructive testing. 151.03-38 Section 151.03-38...

Effects of Grain Size on Ultrasonic Attenuation in Type 316L Stainless Steel

PubMed Central

Wan, Tao; Wakui, Takashi; Futakawa, Masatoshi; Obayashi, Hironari

2017-01-01

A lead bismuth eutectic (LBE) spallation target will be installed in the Target Test Facility (TEF-T) in the Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex (J-PARC). The spallation target vessel filled with LBE is made of type 316L stainless steel. However, various damages, such as erosion/corrosion damage and liquid metal embrittlement caused by contact with flowing LBE at high temperature, and irradiation hardening caused by protons and neutrons, may be inflicted on the target vessel, which will deteriorate the steel and might break the vessel. To monitor the target vessel for prevention of an accident, an ultrasonic technique has been proposed to establish off-line evaluation for estimating vessel material status during the target maintenance period. Basic R&D must be carried out to clarify the dependency of ultrasonic wave propagation behavior on material microstructures and obtain fundamental knowledge. As a first step, ultrasonic waves scattered by the grains of type 316L stainless steel are investigated using new experimental and numerical approaches in the present study. The results show that the grain size can be evaluated exactly and quantitatively by calculating the attenuation coefficient of the ultrasonic waves scattered by the grains. The results also show that the scattering regimes of ultrasonic waves depend heavily on the ratio of wavelength to average grain size, and are dominated by grains of extraordinarily large size along the wave propagation path. PMID:28773115

Ultrasonic-assisted enzymatic extraction of phenolics from broccoli (Brassica oleracea L. var. italica) inflorescences and evaluation of antioxidant activity in vitro.

PubMed

Wu, Hao; Zhu, Junxiang; Yang, Long; Wang, Ran; Wang, Chengrong

2015-06-01

An efficient ultrasonic-assisted enzymatic extraction technique was applied to extracting phenolics from broccoli inflorescences without organic solvents. The synergistic model of enzymolysis and ultrasonication simultaneously was selected, and the enzyme combination was optimized by orthogonal test: cellulase 7.5 mg/g FW (fresh weight), pectinase 10 mg/g FW, and papain 1.0 mg/g FW. The operating parameters in ultrasonic-assisted enzymatic extraction were optimized with response surface methodology using Box-Behnken design. The optimal extraction conditions were as follows: ultrasonic power, 440 W; liquid to material ratio, 7.0:1 mL/g; pH value of 6.0 at 54.5 ℃ for 10 min. Under these conditions, the extraction yield of phenolics achieved 1.816 ± 0.0187 mg gallic acid equivalents/gram FW. The free radical scavenging activity of ultrasonic-assisted enzymatic extraction extracts was determined by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl·assay with EC50 values of 0.25, and total antioxidant activity was determined by ferric reducing antioxidant power assay with ferric reducing antioxidant power value of 0.998 mmol FeSO4/g compared with the referential ascorbic acid of 1.184 mmol FeSO4/g. © The Author(s) 2014 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

Nondestructive characterization of thermal barrier coating by noncontact laser ultrasonic technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Yang; Chen, Jianwei; Zhang, Zhenzhen

2015-09-01

We present the application of a laser ultrasonic technique in nondestructive characterization of the bonding layer (BL) in a thermal barrier coating (TBC). A physical mode of a multilayered medium is established to describe the propagation of a longitudinal wave generated by a laser in a TBC system. Furthermore, the theoretical analysis on the ultrasonic transmission in TBC is carried out in order to derive the expression of the BL transmission coefficient spectrum (TCS) which is used to determine the velocity of the longitudinal wave in the BL. We employ the inversion method combined with TCS to ascertain the attenuation coefficient of the BL. The experimental validations are performed with TBC specimens produced by an electron-beam physical vapor deposition method. In those experiments, a pulsed laser with a width of 10 ns is used to generate an ultrasonic signal while a two-wave mixing interferometer is created to receive the ultrasonic signals. By introducing the wavelet soft-threshold method that improves the signal-to-noise ratio, the laser ultrasonic testing results of TBC with an oxidation of 1 cycle, 10 cycles, and 100 cycles show that the attenuation coefficients of the BL become larger with an increase in the oxidation time, which is evident for the scanning electron microscopy observations, in which the thickness of the thermally grown oxide increases with oxidation time.

Dynamic acousto-elastic testing of concrete with a coda-wave probe: comparison with standard linear and nonlinear ultrasonic techniques.

PubMed

Shokouhi, Parisa; Rivière, Jacques; Lake, Colton R; Le Bas, Pierre-Yves; Ulrich, T J

2017-11-01

The use of nonlinear acoustic techniques in solids consists in measuring wave distortion arising from compliant features such as cracks, soft intergrain bonds and dislocations. As such, they provide very powerful nondestructive tools to monitor the onset of damage within materials. In particular, a recent technique called dynamic acousto-elasticity testing (DAET) gives unprecedented details on the nonlinear elastic response of materials (classical and non-classical nonlinear features including hysteresis, transient elastic softening and slow relaxation). Here, we provide a comprehensive set of linear and nonlinear acoustic responses on two prismatic concrete specimens; one intact and one pre-compressed to about 70% of its ultimate strength. The two linear techniques used are Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity (UPV) and Resonance Ultrasound Spectroscopy (RUS), while the nonlinear ones include DAET (fast and slow dynamics) as well as Nonlinear Resonance Ultrasound Spectroscopy (NRUS). In addition, the DAET results correspond to a configuration where the (incoherent) coda portion of the ultrasonic record is used to probe the samples, as opposed to a (coherent) first arrival wave in standard DAET tests. We find that the two visually identical specimens are indistinguishable based on parameters measured by linear techniques (UPV and RUS). On the contrary, the extracted nonlinear parameters from NRUS and DAET are consistent and orders of magnitude greater for the damaged specimen than those for the intact one. This compiled set of linear and nonlinear ultrasonic testing data including the most advanced technique (DAET) provides a benchmark comparison for their use in the field of material characterization. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Hypervelocity Impact Testing of IM7/977-3 with Micro-Sized Particles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, J. G.; Jegley, D. C.; Siochi, E. J.; Wells, B. K.

2010-01-01

Ground-based hypervelocity imapct testing was conducted on IM7/977-3 quasi-isotropic flat panels at normal incidence using micron-sized particles (i.e. less than or equal to 100 microns) of soda lime glass and olivine. Testing was performed at room temperature (RT) and 175 C with results from the 175 C test compared to those obtained at RT. Between 10 and 30 particles with velocities ranging from 5 to 13 km/s impacted each panel surface for each test temperature. Panels were ultrasonically scanned prior to and after impact testing to assess internal damage. Post-impact analysis included microscopic examination of the surface, determination of particle speed and location, and photomicroscopy for microcrack assessment. Internal damage was observed by ultrasonic inspection on panels impacted at 175 C, whereas damage for the RT impacted panels was confined to surface divets/craters as determined by microscopic analysis.

Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition based methodology for ultrasonic testing of coarse grain austenitic stainless steels.

PubMed

Sharma, Govind K; Kumar, Anish; Jayakumar, T; Purnachandra Rao, B; Mariyappa, N

2015-03-01

A signal processing methodology is proposed in this paper for effective reconstruction of ultrasonic signals in coarse grained high scattering austenitic stainless steel. The proposed methodology is comprised of the Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition (EEMD) processing of ultrasonic signals and application of signal minimisation algorithm on selected Intrinsic Mode Functions (IMFs) obtained by EEMD. The methodology is applied to ultrasonic signals obtained from austenitic stainless steel specimens of different grain size, with and without defects. The influence of probe frequency and data length of a signal on EEMD decomposition is also investigated. For a particular sampling rate and probe frequency, the same range of IMFs can be used to reconstruct the ultrasonic signal, irrespective of the grain size in the range of 30-210 μm investigated in this study. This methodology is successfully employed for detection of defects in a 50mm thick coarse grain austenitic stainless steel specimens. Signal to noise ratio improvement of better than 15 dB is observed for the ultrasonic signal obtained from a 25 mm deep flat bottom hole in 200 μm grain size specimen. For ultrasonic signals obtained from defects at different depths, a minimum of 7 dB extra enhancement in SNR is achieved as compared to the sum of selected IMF approach. The application of minimisation algorithm with EEMD processed signal in the proposed methodology proves to be effective for adaptive signal reconstruction with improved signal to noise ratio. This methodology was further employed for successful imaging of defects in a B-scan. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Vehicle Tracking for an Evasive Manoeuvres Assistant Using Low-Cost Ultrasonic Sensors

PubMed Central

Jiménez, Felipe; Naranjo, José E.; Gómez, Oscar; Anaya, José J.

2014-01-01

Many driver assistance systems require knowledge of the vehicle environment. As these systems are increasing in complexity and performance, this knowledge of the environment needs to be more complete and reliable, so sensor fusion combining long, medium and short range sensors is now being used. This paper analyzes the feasibility of using ultrasonic sensors for low cost vehicle-positioning and tracking in the lane adjacent to the host vehicle in order to identify free areas around the vehicle and provide information to an automatic avoidance collision system that can perform autonomous braking and lane change manoeuvres. A laser scanner is used for the early detection of obstacles in the direction of travel while two ultrasonic sensors monitor the blind spot of the host vehicle. The results of tests on a test track demonstrate the ability of these sensors to accurately determine the kinematic variables of the obstacles encountered, despite a clear limitation in range. PMID:25460817

Application of ultrasonic signature analysis for fatigue detection in complex structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zuckerwar, A. J.

1974-01-01

Ultrasonic signature analysis shows promise of being a singularly well-suited method for detecting fatigue in structures as complex as aircraft. The method employs instrumentation centered about a Fourier analyzer system, which features analog-to-digital conversion, digital data processing, and digital display of cross-correlation functions and cross-spectra. These features are essential to the analysis of ultrasonic signatures according to the procedure described here. In order to establish the feasibility of the method, the initial experiments were confined to simple plates with simulated and fatigue-induced defects respectively. In the first test the signature proved sensitive to the size of a small hole drilled into the plate. In the second test, performed on a series of fatigue-loaded plates, the signature proved capable of indicating both the initial appearance and subsequent growth of a fatigue crack. In view of these encouraging results it is concluded that the method has reached a sufficiently advanced stage of development to warrant application to small-scale structures or even actual aircraft.

Design of advanced ultrasonic transducers for welding devices.

PubMed

Parrini, L

2001-11-01

A new high frequency ultrasonic transducer has been conceived, designed, prototyped, and tested. In the design phase, an advanced approach was used and established. The method is based on an initial design estimate obtained with finite element method (FEM) simulations. The simulated ultrasonic transducers and resonators are then built and characterized experimentally through laser interferometry and electrical resonance spectra. The comparison of simulation results with experimental data allows the parameters of FEM models to be adjusted and optimized. The achieved FEM simulations exhibit a remarkably high predictive potential and allow full control of the vibration behavior of the transducer. The new transducer is mounted on a wire bonder with a flange whose special geometry was calculated by means of FEM simulations. This flange allows the transducer to be attached on the wire bonder, not only in longitudinal nodes, but also in radial nodes of the ultrasonic field excited in the horn. This leads to a total decoupling of the transducer to the wire bonder, which has not been achieved so far. The new approach to mount ultrasonic transducers on a welding device is of major importance, not only for wire bonding, but also for all high power ultrasound applications and has been patented.

Development of the Noise-Resistant and Sound Focusing Accessory of Ultrasonic Leak Detector for Spacecraft on Orbit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, W.; Yan, R. X.; Sun, L. C.; Shao, R. P.

2017-12-01

Ultrasonic signal produced by the gas leak is so week that it is difficult to detect, and easily interfered. So developing the noise-resistant and sound focusing accessory for the ultrasonic leak detector is very important for improving ultrasonic leak detector sensitivity and noise-resistant capability. Based on the theory analysis of the leak ultrasonic signal reverberation and anacampsis, the 5A06 aluminium alloy and nylon were selected as the material of noise-resistant and sound focusing accessory by calculation and compare. Then the circular cone trumpet structure was design as the accessory main structure, and the nylon expansion port, nylon shrinking port and aluminium alloy expansion port structures were manufactured. The different structure characters were shown by the contrasting experiment. The results indicate that the nylon expansion circular cone trumpet structure has better sound focusing performance and it can improve the testing sound pressure amplitude 10 bigger than the detector without the accessory. And the aluminium alloy expansion circular cone trumpet structure has better noise-resistant ability than others. These conclusions are very important for the spacecraft leak detection and it can provide some references for the design of the noise-resistant and sound focusing structure.

Ultrasonic guided wave monitoring of composite wing skin-to-spar bonded joints in aerospace structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matt, Howard; Bartoli, Ivan; Lanza di Scalea, Francesco

2005-10-01

The monitoring of adhesively bonded joints by ultrasonic guided waves is the general topic of this paper. Specifically, composite-to-composite joints representative of the wing skin-to-spar bonds of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are examined. This research is the first step towards the development of an on-board structural health monitoring system for UAV wings based on integrated ultrasonic sensors. The study investigates two different lay-ups for the wing skin and two different types of bond defects, namely poorly cured adhesive and disbonded interfaces. The assessment of bond state is based on monitoring the strength of transmission through the joints of selected guided modes. The wave propagation problem is studied numerically by a semi-analytical finite element method that accounts for viscoelastic damping, and experimentally by ultrasonic testing that uses small PZT disks preferably exciting and detecting the single-plate s0 mode. Both the models and the experiments confirm that the ultrasonic energy transmission through the joint is highly dependent on the bond conditions, with defected bonds resulting in increased transmission strength. Large sensitivity to the bond conditions is found at mode coupling points, as a result of the large interlayer energy transfer.

Micromachined ultrasonic transducers for air-coupled nondestructive evaluation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hansen, Sean T.; Degertekin, F. Levent; Khuri-Yakub, Butrus T.

1999-01-01

Conventional methods of ultrasonic non-destructive evaluation (NDE) use liquids to couple sound waves into the test samples. This either requires immersion of the parts to be examined or the use of complex and bulky water squirting systems that must be scanned over the structure. Air-coupled ultrasonic systems eliminate these requirements if the losses at air-solid interfaces are tolerable. Micromachined capacitive ultrasonic transducers (cMUTs) have been shown to have more than 100 dB dynamic range when used in the bistatic transmission mode. In this paper, we present results of a pitch-catch transmission system using cMUTs that achieves a 103 dB dynamic range. Each transducer consists of 10,000 silicon nitride membranes of 100 micrometers diameter connected in parallel. This geometry result in transducers with a resonant frequency around 2.3 MHz. These transducers can be used in transmission experiments at normal incident to the sample or to excite and detect guided waves in aluminum and composite plates. In this paper we present ultrasonic defect detection results from both through transmission and guided Lamb wave experiments in aluminum and composite plates, such as those used in aircraft.

Sealing vessels up to 7 mm in diameter solely with ultrasonic technology.

PubMed

Timm, Richard W; Asher, Ryan M; Tellio, Karalyn R; Welling, Alissa L; Clymer, Jeffrey W; Amaral, Joseph F

2014-01-01

Ultrasonic energy is a mainstay in the armamentarium of surgeons, providing multifunctionality, precision, and control when dissecting and sealing vessels up to 5 mm in diameter. Historically, the inability to seal vessels in the 5-7 mm range has been perceived as an inherent limitation of ultrasonic technology. The purpose of this study was to evaluate sealing of vessels up to 7 mm in diameter with an ultrasonic device that modulates energy delivery during the sealing period. In ex vivo benchtop and in vivo acute and survival preclinical models, a new ultrasonic device, Harmonic ACE(®)+7 Shears (Harmonic 7), was compared with advanced bipolar devices in sealing vessels 1-7 mm in diameter with respect of burst pressure, seal reliability, and seal durability. Lateral thermal damage and transection time were also evaluated. Ex vivo tests of Harmonic 7 demonstrated significantly greater median burst pressures than an advanced bipolar device both for vessels <5 mm in diameter (1,078 mmHg and 836 mmHg, respectively, P=0.046) and for those in the range of 5-7 mm (1,419 mmHg and 591 mmHg, P<0.001). In vivo tests in porcine and caprine models demonstrated similar rates of hemostasis between Harmonic 7 and advanced bipolar devices, with high success rates at initial transection and seal durability of 100% after a 30-day survival period. Sealing 5-7 mm vessels is not a limitation of the type of energy used but of how energy is delivered to tissue. These studies document the ability of ultrasonic energy alone to reliably seal large vessels 5-7 mm in diameter, with significantly greater burst pressure observed in in vitro studies than those observed with an advanced bipolar technology when energy delivery is modulated during the sealing cycle. Furthermore, the seals created in 5-7 mm vessels are shown to be reliable and durable in in vivo preclinical studies.

Development of a High Level Waste Tank Inspection System

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Appel, D.K.; Loibl, M.W.; Meese, D.C.

1995-03-21

The Westinghouse Savannah River Technology Center was requested by it`s sister site, West Valley Nuclear Service (WVNS), to develop a remote inspection system to gather wall thickness readings of their High Level Waste Tanks. WVNS management chose to take a proactive approach to gain current information on two tanks t hat had been in service since the early 70`s. The tanks contain high level waste, are buried underground, and have only two access ports to an annular space between the tank and the secondary concrete vault. A specialized remote system was proposed to provide both a visual surveillance and ultrasonicmore » thickness measurements of the tank walls. A magnetic wheeled crawler was the basis for the remote delivery system integrated with an off-the-shelf Ultrasonic Data Acquisition System. A development program was initiated for Savannah River Technology Center (SRTC) to design, fabricate, and test a remote system based on the Crawler. The system was completed and involved three crawlers to perform the needed tasks, an Ultrasonic Crawler, a Camera Crawler, and a Surface Prep Crawler. The crawlers were computer controlled so that their operation could be done remotely and their position on the wall could be tracked. The Ultrasonic Crawler controls were interfaced with ABB Amdata`s I-PC, Ultrasonic Data Acquisition System so that thickness mapping of the wall could be obtained. A second system was requested by Westinghouse Savannah River Company (WSRC), to perform just ultrasonic mapping on their similar Waste Storage Tanks; however, the system needed to be interfaced with the P-scan Ultrasonic Data Acquisition System. Both remote inspection systems were completed 9/94. Qualifications tests were conducted by WVNS prior to implementation on the actual tank and tank development was achieved 10/94. The second inspection system was deployed at WSRC 11/94 with success, and the system is now in continuous service inspecting the remaining high level waste tanks at WSRC.« less

A Monte Carlo approach applied to ultrasonic non-destructive testing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mosca, I.; Bilgili, F.; Meier, T. M.; Sigloch, K.

2011-12-01

Non-destructive testing based on ultrasound allows us to detect, characterize and size discrete flaws in geotechnical and engineering structures and materials. This information is needed to determine whether such flaws can be tolerated in future service. In typical ultrasonic experiments, only the first-arriving P-wave is interpreted, and the remainder of the recorded waveform is neglected. Our work aims at understanding surface waves, which are strong signals in the later wave train, with the ultimate goal of full waveform tomography. At present, even the structural estimation of layered media is still challenging because material properties of the samples can vary widely, and good initial models for inversion do not often exist. The aim of the present study is to analyze ultrasonic waveforms measured at the surface of Plexiglas and rock samples, and to define the behaviour of surface waves in structures of increasing complexity. The tremendous potential of ultrasonic surface waves becomes an advantage only if numerical forward modelling tools are available to describe the waveforms accurately. We compute synthetic full seismograms as well as group and phase velocities for the data. We invert them for the elastic properties of the sample via a global search of the parameter space, using the Neighbourhood Algorithm. Such a Monte Carlo approach allows us to perform a complete uncertainty and resolution analysis, but the computational cost is high and increases quickly with the number of model parameters. Therefore it is practical only for defining the seismic properties of media with a limited number of degrees of freedom, such as layered structures. We have applied this approach to both synthetic layered structures and real samples. The former contributed to benchmark the propagation of ultrasonic surface waves in typical materials tested with a non-destructive technique (e.g., marble, unweathered and weathered concrete and natural stone).

Effect of ultrasonic, sonic and rotating-oscillating powered toothbrushing systems on surface roughness and wear of white spot lesions and sound enamel: An in vitro study.

PubMed

Hernandé-Gatón, Patrícia; Palma-Dibb, Regina Guenka; Silva, Léa Assed Bezerra da; Faraoni, Juliana Jendiroba; de Queiroz, Alexandra Mussolino; Lucisano, Marília Pacífico; Silva, Raquel Assed Bezerra da; Nelson Filho, Paulo

2018-04-01

To evaluate the effect of ultrasonic, sonic and rotating-oscillating powered toothbrushing systems on surface roughness and wear of white spot lesions and sound enamel. 40 tooth segments obtained from third molar crowns had the enamel surface divided into thirds, one of which was not subjected to toothbrushing. In the other two thirds, sound enamel and enamel with artificially induced white spot lesions were randomly assigned to four groups (n=10) : UT: ultrasonic toothbrush (Emmi-dental); ST1: sonic toothbrush (Colgate ProClinical Omron); ST2: sonic toothbrush (Sonicare Philips); and ROT: rotating-oscillating toothbrush (control) (Oral-B Professional Care Triumph 5000 with SmartGuide). The specimens were analyzed by confocal laser microscopy for surface roughness and wear. Data were analyzed statistically by paired t-tests, Kruskal-Wallis, two-way ANOVA and Tukey's post-test (α= 0.05). The different powered toothbrushing systems did not cause a significant increase in the surface roughness of sound enamel (P> 0.05). In the ROT group, the roughness of white spot lesion surface increased significantly after toothbrushing and differed from the UT group (P< 0.05). In the ROT group, brushing promoted a significantly greater wear of white spot lesion compared with sound enamel, and this group differed significantly from the ST1 group (P< 0.05). None of the powered toothbrushing systems (ultrasonic, sonic and rotating-oscillating) caused significant alterations on sound dental enamel. However, conventional rotating-oscillating toothbrushing on enamel with white spot lesion increased surface roughness and wear. None of the powered toothbrushing systems (ultrasonic, sonic and rotating-oscillating) tested caused significant alterations on sound dental enamel. However, conventional rotating-oscillating toothbrushing on enamel with white spot lesion increased surface roughness and wear. Copyright©American Journal of Dentistry.

Joining of polypropylene/polypropylene and glass fiber reinforced polypropylene composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Jianguang

Joining behavior of polypropylene (PP) to PP and long glass fiber reinforced polypropylene (LFT) to LFT were investigated. Adhesive bonding was used to join PP/PP. Both adhesive bonding and ultrasonic welding were used to join LFT/LFT. Single-lap shear testing and low velocity impact (LVI) testing were used to evaluate the performance of bonded structures. The two-part acrylic adhesive DP8005 was determined to be the best among the three adhesive candidates, which was attributed to its low surface energy. The impact resistance of LFT/LFT joints, normalized with respect to thickness, was higher than that of PP/PP joints because of higher stiffness of LFT/LFT joints. The stress states in the adhesive layer of adhesively bonded structures were analyzed using ANSYS and LS-DYNA to simulate the single-lap shear testing and LVI testing, respectively. The shear and peel stresses peaked at the edges of the adhesive layer. Compared to LFT/LFT joints, higher peel stress occurred in the adhesive layer in the PP/PP joints in tension. Impact response of adhesively bonded structures as evaluated by LS-DYNA showed good agreement with the experimental results. The effect of weld time and weld pressure on the shear strength of ultrasonically welded LFT/LFT was evaluated. With higher weld pressure, less time was required to obtain a complete weld. At longer weld times, lower weld pressure was required. From the 15 weld conditions studied, a weld map was obtained that provides conditions to achieve a complete weld. Nanoindentation was used to evaluate the effect of ultrasonic weld on the modulus and hardness of the PP matrix. Modulus and hardness of the PP matrix were slightly decreased by ultrasonic welding possibly due to the decrease in the molecular weight. The temperature profile in LFT/LFT in the transverse direction during ultrasonic welding was analyzed by two ANSYS-based thermal models: (a) one in which heat generated by interfacial friction was treated as a heat flux and (b) one in which heat was generated in a thin slab at the interface. The weld map obtained from the thin slab model was closer to the one obtained experimentally.

Low-gravity sensing of liquid/vapor interface and transient liquid flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jacobson, Saul A.; Korba, James M.; Lynnworth, Lawrence C.; Nguyen, Toan H.; Orton, George F.

1987-03-01

The work reported here deals mainly with tests on internally vaned cylindrical shell acrylic containers capped by hemispherical acrylic or aluminum end domes. Three different ultrasonic sensor techniques and one nucleonic technique presently are evaluated as possible solutions to the low-gravity liquid gauging problem. The ultrasonic techniques are as follows: use of a torsional wave sensor in which transit time is proportional to the integral of wetted distance x liquid density; integration of the flow rate output signal of a fast-response ultrasonic flowmeter; and use of multiplexed externally mounted 'point-sensor' transducers that sense transit times to liquid-gas interfaces. Using two commercial flowmeters and a thickness gauge modified for this particular project, bench tests were conducted at 1 g on liquids such as water, freon, and solvent 140, including both steady flow and pulsating flow with 40, 80, and 120 ms flow pulses. Subsequently, flight tests were conducted in the NASA KC-135 aircraft in which nearly 0-g conditions are obtainable for up to about 5 s in each of a number of repetitive parabolic flight trajectories. In some of these brief low-gravity flight tests freon was replaced with a higher-viscosity fuel to reduce sloshing and thereby obtain settled surfaces more quickly.

Quarterly Research Performance Progress Report (2015 Q3). Ultrasonic Phased Arrays and Interactive Reflectivity Tomography for Nondestructive Inspection of Injection and Production Wells in Geothermal Energy Systems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Santos-Villalobos, Hector J; Polsky, Yarom; Kisner, Roger A

2015-09-01

For the past quarter, we have placed our effort in implementing the first version of the ModelBased Iterative Reconstruction (MBIR) algorithm, assembling and testing the electronics, designing transducers mounts, and defining our laboratory test samples. We have successfully developed the first implementation of MBIR for ultrasound imaging. The current algorithm was tested with synthetic data and we are currently making new modifications for the reconstruction of real ultrasound data. Beside assembling and testing the electronics, we developed a LabView graphic user interface (GUI) to fully control the ultrasonic phased array, adjust the time-delays of the transducers, and store the measuredmore » reflections. As part of preparing for a laboratory-scale demonstration, the design and fabrication of the laboratory samples has begun. Three cement blocks with embedded objects will be fabricated, characterized, and used to demonstrate the capabilities of the system. During the next quarter, we will continue to improve the current MBIR forward model and integrate the reconstruction code with the LabView GUI. In addition, we will define focal laws for the ultrasonic phased array and perform the laboratory demonstration. We expect to perform laboratory demonstration by the end of October 2015.« less

Analysis of dynamic accumulative damage about the lining structure of high speed railway’s tunnel based on ultrasonic testing technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Xiang-qiu; Zhang, Huojun; Xie, Wen-xi

2017-08-01

Based on the similar material model test of full tunnel, the theory of elastic wave propagation and the testing technology of intelligent ultrasonic wave had been used to research the dynamic accumulative damage characteristics of tunnel’s lining structure under the dynamic loads of high speed train. For the more, the dynamic damage variable of lining structure of high speed railway’s tunnel was obtained. The results shown that the dynamic cumulative damage of lining structure increases nonlinearly with the times of cumulative vibration, the weakest part of dynamic cumulative damage is the arch foot of tunnel. Much more attention should be paid to the design and operation management of high speed railway’s tunnel.

Understanding and Exploiting the Effects of Loading on Ultrasonic Sensing Systems for Structural Health Monitoring

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-02-01

method to image fatigue cracks without requiring damage-free baseline measurements. Load-differential imaging maps changes in ultrasonic signals...caused by a small increase in applied load to an image, which enables detecting and locating fatigue cracks that open under load and thus distinguishing...them from other load-dependent effects. This method was successfully demonstrated in the laboratory during fatigue tests on a variety of aluminum

Integrated ultrasonic and petrographical characterization of carbonate building materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ligas, Paola; Fais, Silvana; Cuccuru, Francesco

2014-05-01

This paper presents the application of non-destructive ultrasonic techniques in evaluating the conservation state and quality of monumental carbonate building materials. Ultrasonic methods are very effective in detecting the elastic characteristics of the materials and thus their mechanical behaviour. They are non-destructive and effective both for site and laboratory tests, though it should be pointed out that ultrasonic data interpretation is extremely complex, since elastic wave velocity heavily depends on moisture, heterogeneity, porosity and other physical properties of the materials. In our study, considering both the nature of the building materials and the constructive types of the investigated monuments, the ultrasonic investigation was carried out in low frequency ultrasonic range (24 kHz - 54 kHz) with the aim of detecting damages and degradation zones and assessing the alterability of the investigated stones by studying the propagation of the longitudinal ultrasonic pulses. In fact alterations in the materials generally cause a decrease in longitudinal pulse velocity values. Therefore starting from longitudinal velocity values the elasto-mechanical behaviour of the stone materials can be deduced. To this aim empirical and effective relations between longitudinal velocity and mechanical properties of the rocks can be used, by transferring the fundamental concepts of the studies of reservoir rocks in the framework of hydrocarbon research to the diagnostic process on stone materials. The ultrasonic measurements were performed both in laboratory and in situ using the Portable Ultrasonic Non-Destructive Digital Indicating Tester (PUNDIT) by C.N.S. Electronics LTD. A number of experimental sessions were carried out choosing different modalities of data acquisition. On the basis of the results of the laboratory measurements, an in situ ultrasonic survey on significant monuments, have been carried out. The ultrasonic measurements were integrated by a petrographical and petrophysical study of the investigated stone materials to correlate their petrographical-petrophysical features with the elastic ones. From this integrated study results that the modifications in the elasto-mechanical and petrographical-petrophysical features of the investigated carbonate materials are the main causes which reduce their quality as building materials. The use of the ultrasonic method integrated with information on petrography and petrophysics of the rocks has been successful to assess the rock quality and better understanding their alteration process. Acknowledgments: This work was financially supported by Sardinian Local Administration (RAS - LR 7 August 2007, n.7, Promotion of Scientific Research and Innovation in Sardinia - Italy, Responsible Scientist: S. Fais).

Applications research in ultrasonic testing of carbon fiber composite based on an optical fiber F-p sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shan, Ning

2016-10-01

Carbon fiber composite is widely applied to the field of aerospace engineering because of its excellent performance. But it will be able to form more defects in the process of manufacturing inevitably on account of unique manufacturing process. Meanwhile it has sophisticated structure and services in the bad environment long time. The existence of defects will be able to cause the sharp decline in component's performance when the defect accumulates to a certain degree. So the reliability and safety test demand of carbon fiber composite is higher and higher. Ultrasonic testing technology is the important means used for characteristics of component inspection of composite materials. Ultrasonic information detection uses acoustic transducer generally. It need coupling agent and is higher demand for the surface of sample. It has narrow frequency band and low test precision. The extrinsic type optical fiber F-P interference cavity structure is designed to this problem. Its optical interference model is studied. The initial length of F-P cavity is designed. The realtime online detection system of carbon fiber composite is established based on optical fiber F-P Ultrasound sensing technology. Finally, the testing experiment study is conducted. The results show that the system can realize real-time online detection of carbon fiber composite's defect effectively. It operates simply and realizes easily. It has low cost and is easy to practical engineering.

Experimental investigations of forces and torque in conventional and ultrasonically-assisted drilling of cortical bone.

PubMed

Alam, K; Mitrofanov, A V; Silberschmidt, V V

2011-03-01

Bone drilling is widely used in orthopaedics and surgery; it is a technically demanding surgical procedure. Recent technological improvements in this area are focused on efforts to reduce forces in bone drilling. This study focuses on forces and a torque required for conventional and ultrasonically-assisted tool penetration into fresh bovine cortical bone. Drilling tests were performed with two drilling techniques, and the influence of drilling speed, feed rate and parameters of ultrasonic vibration on the forces and torque was studied. Ultrasonically-assisted drilling (UAD) was found to reduce a drilling thrust force and torque compared to conventional drilling (CD). The mechanism behind lower levels of forces and torque was explored, using high-speed filming of a drill-bone interaction zone, and was linked to the chip shape and character of its formation. It is expected that UAD will produce holes with minimal effort and avoid unnecessary damage and accompanying pain during the incision. Copyright © 2010 IPEM. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

High-power ultrasonic system for the enhancement of mass transfer in supercritical CO2 extraction processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riera, Enrique; Blanco, Alfonso; García, José; Benedito, José; Mulet, Antonio; Gallego-Juárez, Juan A.; Blasco, Miguel

2010-01-01

Oil is an important component of almonds and other vegetable substrates that can show an influence on human health. In this work the development and validation of an innovative, robust, stable, reliable and efficient ultrasonic system at pilot scale to assist supercritical CO2 extraction of oils from different substrates is presented. In the extraction procedure ultrasonic energy represents an efficient way of producing deep agitation enhancing mass transfer processes because of some mechanisms (radiation pressure, streaming, agitation, high amplitude vibrations, etc.). A previous work to this research pointed out the feasibility of integrating an ultrasonic field inside a supercritical extractor without losing a significant volume fraction. This pioneer method enabled to accelerate mass transfer and then, improving supercritical extraction times. To commercially develop the new procedure fulfilling industrial requirements, a new configuration device has been designed, implemented, tested and successfully validated for supercritical fluid extraction of oil from different vegetable substrates.

Aggregate formation affects ultrasonic disruption of microalgal cells.

PubMed

Wang, Wei; Lee, Duu-Jong; Lai, Juin-Yih

2015-12-01

Ultrasonication is a cell disruption process of low energy efficiency. This study dosed K(+), Ca(2+) and Al(3+) to Chlorella vulgaris cultured in Bold's Basal Medium at 25°C and measured the degree of cell disruption under ultrasonication. Adding these metal ions yielded less negatively charged surfaces of cells, while with the latter two ions large and compact cell aggregates were formed. The degree of cell disruption followed: control=K(+)>Ca(2+)>Al(3+) samples. Surface charges of cells and microbubbles have minimal effects on the microbubble number in the proximity of the microalgal cells. Conversely, cell aggregates with large size and compact interior resist cell disruption under ultrasonication. Staining tests revealed high diffusional resistance of stains over the aggregate interior. Microbubbles may not be effective generated and collapsed inside the compact aggregates, hence leading to low cell disruption efficiencies. Effective coagulation/flocculation in cell harvesting may lead to adverse effect on subsequent cell disruption efficiency. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Extrinsic allergic alveolitis caused by misting fountains.

PubMed

Koschel, Dirk; Stark, Wolfram; Karmann, Fritz; Sennekamp, Jochen; Müller-Wening, Dietrich

2005-08-01

Recently, an increasing number of patients were presented to our clinics with febrile and respiratory symptoms associated with exposure to a new type of domestic ultrasonic humidifier. We report on 11 patients who developed recurrent episodes of fever, cough and dyspnea after repeated exposure to ultrasonic misting fountains at home. A diagnosis of extrinsic allergic alveolitis (EAA) or toxic alveolitis was made on the basis of the history and the clinical, radiological, laboratory and immunological findings. Eight patients were subjected to inhalative challenge tests with their own ultrasonic misting fountains, and all of them exhibited positive reactions. Nine patients were diagnosed with an EAA (humidifier lung) and two patients with a toxic alveolitis (humidifier fever). This study demonstrates the potential for ultrasonic misting fountains to cause illness in the home. In view of the increasing popularity of these devices, humidifier lung and humidifier fever should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients with unexplained pulmonary or flu-like illnesses with fever.

Design of a Smart Ultrasonic Transducer for Interconnecting Machine Applications

PubMed Central

Yan, Tian-Hong; Wang, Wei; Chen, Xue-Dong; Li, Qing; Xu, Chang

2009-01-01

A high-frequency ultrasonic transducer for copper or gold wire bonding has been designed, analyzed, prototyped and tested. Modeling techniques were used in the design phase and a practical design procedure was established and used. The transducer was decomposed into its elementary components. For each component, an initial design was obtained with simulations using a finite elements model (FEM). Simulated ultrasonic modules were built and characterized experimentally through the Laser Doppler Vibrometer (LDV) and electrical resonance spectra. Compared with experimental data, the FEM could be iteratively adjusted and updated. Having achieved a remarkably highly-predictive FEM of the whole transducer, the design parameters could be tuned for the desired applications, then the transducer is fixed on the wire bonder with a complete holder clamping was calculated by the FEM. The approach to mount ultrasonic transducers on wire bonding machines also is of major importance for wire bonding in modern electronic packaging. The presented method can lead to obtaining a nearly complete decoupling clamper design of the transducer to the wire bonder. PMID:22408564

Sandwich Panels Evaluated With Ultrasonic Spectroscopy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cosgriff, Laura M.

2004-01-01

Enhanced, lightweight material systems, such as 17-4PH stainless steel sandwich panels are being developed for use as fan blades and fan containment systems for next-generation engines. The bond strength between the core and face sheets is critical in maintaining the structural integrity of the sandwich structure. To improve the inspection and production of these systems, researchers at the NASA Glenn Research Center are using nondestructive evaluation (NDE) techniques, such as ultrasonic spectroscopy, to evaluate the brazing quality between the face plates and the metallic foam core. The capabilities and limitations of a swept-frequency approach to ultrasonic spectroscopy were evaluated with respect to these sandwich structures. This report discusses results from three regions of a sandwich panel representing different levels of brazing quality between the outer face plates and a metallic foam core. Each region was investigated with ultrasonic spectroscopy. Then, on the basis of the NDE results, three shear specimens sectioned from the sandwich panel to contain each of these regions were mechanically tested.

Acoustic method of damage sensing in composite materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Workman, Gary L.; Walker, James; Lansing, Matthew

1994-01-01

The use of acoustic emission and acousto-ultrasonics to characterize impact damage in composite structures is being performed on both graphite epoxy and kevlar bottles. Further development of the acoustic emission methodology to include neural net analysis and/or other multivariate techniques will enhance the capability of the technique to identify failure mechanisms during fracture. The acousto-ultrasonics technique will be investigated to determine its ability to predict regions prone to failure prior to the burst tests. The combination of the two methods will allow for simple nondestructive tests to be capable of predicting the performance of a composite structure prior to being placed in service and during service.

Effects of specimen resonances on acoustic-ultrasonic testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, J. H., Jr.; Kahn, E. B.; Lee, S. S.

1983-01-01

The effects of specimen resonances on acoustic ultrasonic (AU) nondestructive testing were investigated. Selected resonant frequencies and the corresponding normal mode nodal patterns of the aluminum block are measured up to 75.64 kHz. Prominent peaks in the pencil lead fracture and sphere impact spectra from the two transducer locations corresponded exactly to resonant frequencies of the block. It is established that the resonant frequencies of the block dominated the spectral content of the output signal. The spectral content of the output signals is further influenced by the transducer location relative to the resonant frequency nodal lines. Implications of the results are discussed in relation to AU parameters and measurements.

Rapid non-contact inspection of composite ailerons using air-coupled ultrasound

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panda, Rabi Sankar; Karpenko, Oleksii; Udpa, Lalita; Haq, Mahmoodul; Rajagopal, Prabhu; Balasubramaniam, Krishnan

2016-02-01

This paper demonstrates an approach for rapid non-contact air-coupled ultrasonic inspection of composite ailerons with complex cross-sectional profile including thickness changes, curvature and the presence of a number of stiffeners. Low-frequency plate guided ultrasonic modes are used in B-scan mode for the measurements in pitch-catch mode. Appropriate probe holder angles suitable for generating and receiving lower order guided wave modes are discussed. Different embodiments of the pitch-catch tandem positions along and across stiffener and curved regions of the test sample enable a rapid test campaign capturing the feature-rich sample profile. Techniques to distinguish special features in the stiffener are presented.

High frequency copolymer ultrasonic transducer array of size-effective elements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Decharat, Adit; Wagle, Sanat; Habib, Anowarul; Jacobsen, Svein; Melandsø, Frank

2018-02-01

A layer-by-layer deposition method for producing dual-layer ultrasonic transducers from piezoelectric copolymers has been developed. The method uses a combination of customized and standard processing to obtain 2D array transducers with electrical connection of the individual elements routed directly to the rear of the substrate. A numerical model was implemented to study basic parameters effecting the transducer characteristics. Key elements of the array were characterized and evaluated, demonstrating its viability of 2D imaging. Signal reproducibility of the prototype array was studied by characterizing the variations of the center frequency (≈42 MHz) and bandwidth (≈25 MHz) of the acoustic. Object identification was also tested and parameterized by acoustic-field beamwidth as well as proper scan step size. Simple tests to illustrate a benefit of multi-element scan on lowering the inspection time were conducted. Structural imaging of the test structure underneath multi-layered wave media (glass plate and distilled water) was also performed. The prototype presented in this work is an important step towards realizing an inexpensive, compact array of individually operated copolymer transducers that can serve in a fast/volumetric high frequency (HF) ultrasonic scanning platform.

Application of IDT Sensors for Structural Health Monitoring of Windmill Turbine Blades Made of Composite Material

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nalladega, V.; Na, J. K.; Druffner, C.

2011-06-01

Interdigital transducers (IDT) generate and receive ultrasonic surface waves without the complexity involved with secondary devices such as angled wedges or combs. The IDT sensors have been successfully applied for the NDE of homogeneous materials like metals in order to detect cracks and de-bond. However, these transducers have not been yet adapted for complex and anisotropic materials like fiber-reinforced composites. This work presents the possibility of using IDT sensors for monitoring structural damages in wind turbine blades, typically made of fiberglass composites. IDT sensors with a range of operating frequency between 250 kHz and 1 MHz are initially tested on representative composite test panels for ultrasonic surface wave properties including beam spread, propagation distance and effect of material's anisotropy. Based on these results, an optimum frequency range for the IDT sensor is found to be 250-500 kHz. Subsequently, IDT sensors with operating frequency 500 kHz are used to detect and quantify artificial defects created in the composite test samples. Discussions are made on the interaction of ultrasonic fields with these defects along with the effects of fiber directionality and composite layer stacking.

Estimation of corrosion damage in steel reinforced mortar using waveguides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reis, Henrique; Ervin, Benjamin L.; Kuchma, Daniel A.; Bernhard, Jennifer

2005-05-01

Corrosion of reinforced concrete is a chronic infrastructure problem, particularly in areas with deicing salt and marine exposure. To maintain structural integrity, a testing method is needed to identify areas of corroding reinforcement. For purposes of rehabilitation, the method must also be able to evaluate the degree, rate and location of damage. Towards the development of a wireless embedded sensor system to monitor and assess corrosion damage in reinforced concrete, reinforced mortar specimens were manufactured with seeded defects to simulate corrosion damage. Taking advantage of waveguide effects of the reinforcing bars, these specimens were then tested using an ultrasonic approach. Using the same ultrasonic approach, specimens without seeded defects were also monitored during accelerated corrosion tests. Both the ultrasonic sending and the receiving transducers were mounted on the steel rebar. Advantage was taken of the lower frequency (<250 kHz) fundamental flexural propagation mode because of its relatively large displacements at the interface between the reinforcing steel and the surrounding concrete. Waveform energy (indicative of attenuation) is presented and discussed in terms of corrosion damage. Current results indicate that the loss of bond strength between the reinforcing steel and the surrounding concrete can be detected and evaluated.

The improvement of the surface hardness of stainless steel and aluminium alloy by ultrasonic cavitation peening

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Janka, Styková; Miloš, Müller; Jan, Hujer

This article presents first results of the experimental investigation of the influence of the cavitation shot less peening process on the properties of stainless steel and aluminium alloy specimens. The cavitation field was generated by an ultrasonic horn submerged in water and operated by an ultrasonic generator. The temperature of the water was controlled by thermometer and adjusted by separate water cooling system. The mass loss, the mass loss rate and the modification of the surface hardness are evaluated for different cavitation exposure intervals. The mass loss was measured by micro weighing scale and the surface hardness by the micro-hardness meter. The presented results indicates the significant improvement in the surface hardness for both tested materials.

Influence of high-pressure homogenization, ultrasonication, and supercritical fluid on free astaxanthin extraction from β-glucanase-treated Phaffia rhodozyma cells.

PubMed

Hasan, Mojeer; Azhar, Mohd; Nangia, Hina; Bhatt, Prakash Chandra; Panda, Bibhu Prasad

2016-01-01

In this study astaxanthin production by Phaffia rhodozyma was enhanced by chemical mutation using ethyl methane sulfonate. The mutant produces a higher amount of astaxanthin than the wild yeast strain. In comparison to supercritical fluid technique, high-pressure homogenization is better for extracting astaxanthin from yeast cells. Ultrasonication of dimethyl sulfoxide, hexane, and acetone-treated cells yielded less astaxanthin than β-glucanase enzyme-treated cells. The combination of ultrasonication with β-glucanase enzyme is found to be the most efficient method of extraction among all the tested physical and chemical extraction methods. It gives a maximum yield of 435.71 ± 6.55 µg free astaxanthin per gram of yeast cell mass.

A comparison of dental ultrasonic technologies on subgingival calculus removal: a pilot study.

PubMed

Silva, Lidia Brión; Hodges, Kathleen O; Calley, Kristin Hamman; Seikel, John A

2012-01-01

This pilot study compared the clinical endpoints of the magnetostrictive and piezoelectric ultrasonic instruments on calculus removal. The null hypothesis stated that there is no statistically significant difference in calculus removal between the 2 instruments. A quasi-experimental pre- and post-test design was used. Eighteen participants were included. The magnetostrictive and piezoelectric ultrasonic instruments were used in 2 assigned contra-lateral quadrants on each participant. A data collector, blind to treatment assignment, assessed the calculus on 6 predetermined tooth sites before and after ultrasonic instrumentation. Calculus size was evaluated using ordinal measurements on a 4 point scale (0, 1, 2, 3). Subjects were required to have size 2 or 3 calculus deposit on the 6 predetermined sites. One clinician instrumented the pre-assigned quadrants. A maximum time of 20 minutes of instrumentation was allowed with each technology. Immediately after instrumentation, the data collector then conducted the post-test calculus evaluation. The repeated analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to analyze the pre- and post-test calculus data (p≤0.05). The null hypothesis was accepted indicating that there is no statistically significant difference in calculus removal when comparing technologies (p≤0.05). Therefore, under similar conditions, both technologies removed the same amount of calculus. This research design could be used as a foundation for continued research in this field. Future studies include implementing this study design with a larger sample size and/or modifying the study design to include multiple clinicians who are data collectors. Also, deposit removal with periodontal maintenance patients could be explored.

Photoactivation of curcumin and sodium hypochlorite to enhance antibiofilm efficacy in root canal dentin.

PubMed

Neelakantan, Prasanna; Cheng, Cheng Qing; Ravichandran, Vinoddhine; Mao, Teresa; Sriraman, Priyanka; Sridharan, Swetha; Subbarao, Chandana; Sharma, Subash; Kishen, Anil

2015-03-01

To test the effect of ultrasonic or light activated curcumin and sodium hypochlorite against Enterococcus faecalis biofilms in vitro. E. faecalis biofilms were grown within root canals (n=175) and divided into 7 groups (n=25). Group 1, sterile saline; group 2, 3% sodium hypochlorite; group 3, 3% sodium hypochlorite activated with ultrasonic files (30s cycles for 4min); group 4, 3% sodium hypochlorite irradiated with blue light (1200mw/cm(2) for 4min); group 5, curcumin (2.5mg/mL); group 6, curcumin (2.5mg/mL) activated with ultrasonic files (30s cycles for 4min); group 7, curcumin (2.5mg/mL) irradiated with blue light. The biofilms' ultrastructure was examined using scanning electron microscopy. Bacterial viability was assessed by confocal microscopy. Data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA and Student-Newman-Keuls test (P=0.05). The quantitative analysis of the colony-forming units was carried out from dentinal shaving and analyzed by One-way ANOVA and Tukey multiple comparison test (P=0.05). All treatment groups showed a significantly higher percentage of dead bacteria than the saline control (P<0.05). The percentage of dead bacteria was significantly higher when light activated curcumin was used (P<0.05). At both depths (200 and 400 microns), light activated curcumin showed no growth of bacteria. Light activation produced significantly higher antibacterial efficacy than ultrasonic agitation, with light activated curcumin producing the maximum elimination of biofilm bacteria within the root canal lumen and dentinal tubules. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Microscopical and chemical surface characterization of CAD/CAM zircona abutments after different cleaning procedures. A qualitative analysis

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

PURPOSE To describe and characterize the surface topography and cleanliness of CAD/CAM manufactured zirconia abutments after steaming and ultrasonic cleaning. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 12 ceramic CAD/CAM implant abutments of various manufacturers were produced and randomly divided into two groups of six samples each (control and test group). Four two-piece hybrid abutments and two one-piece abutments made of zirconium-dioxide were assessed per each group. In the control group, cleaning by steam was performed. The test group underwent an ultrasonic cleaning procedure with acetone, ethyl alcohol and antibacterial solution. Groups were subjected to scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis and Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) to verify and characterize contaminant chemical characterization non-quantitatively. RESULTS All zirconia CAD/CAM abutments in the present study displayed production-induced wear particles, debris as well as organic and inorganic contaminants. The abutments of the test group showed reduction of surface contamination after undergoing an ultrasonic cleaning procedure. However, an absolute removal of pollutants could not be achieved. CONCLUSION The presence of debris on the transmucosal surface of CAD/CAM zirconia abutments of various manufacturers was confirmed. Within the limits of the study design, the results suggest that a defined ultrasonic cleaning process can be advantageously employed to reduce such debris, thus, supposedly enhancing soft tissue healing. Although the adverse long-term influence of abutment contamination on the biological stability of peri-implant tissues has been evidenced, a standardized and validated polishing and cleaning protocol still has to be implemented. PMID:25932314

Continuing Support of the ASA Standards Program

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-05-20

ba-Ic vestibular function test battery consisting of six separate tests: spontaneous nystagmus , gaze -evoked nystagmus , saccade test, pursuit testing...positional nystagmus and caloric testing. S3 LIAISON WORKING GROUPS a) S3/L-1 S3 TAG Liaison to IEC/TC 87 Ultrasonics - W.Nybg To provide liaison on

Ultrasonic Communication Project, Phase 1, FY1999

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Haynes, H.D.; Akerman, M.A.; Baylor, V.M.

2000-06-01

This Phase 1 project has been successful in identifying, exploring, and demonstrating methods for ultrasonic-based communication with an emphasis on the application of digital signal processing techniques. During the project, at the direction of the agency project monitor, particular attention was directed at sending and receiving ultrasonic data through air and through pipes that would be commonly found in buildings. Efforts were also focused on development of a method for transmitting computer files ultrasonically. New methods were identified and evaluated for ultrasonic communication. These methods are based on a technique called DFS. With DFS, individual alphanumeric characters are broken downmore » into a sequence of bits, and each bit is used to generate a discrete ultrasonic frequency. Characters are then transmitted one-bit-at-a-time, and reconstructed by the receiver. This technique was put into practice through the development of LabVIEW{trademark}VIs. These VIs were integrated with specially developed electronic circuits to provide a system for demonstrating the transmission and reception/reconstruction of typed messages and computer files. Tests were performed to determine the envelope for ultrasound transmission through pipes (with and without water) versus through air. The practical aspects of connections, efficient electronics, impedance matching, and the effect of damping mechanisms were all investigated. These tests resulted in a considerable number of reference charts that illustrate the absorption of ultrasound through different pipe materials, both with and without water, as a function of distance. Ultrasound was found to be least attenuated by copper pipe and most attenuated by PVC pipe. Water in the pipe provides additional damping and attenuation of ultrasonic signals. Dramatic improvements are observed, however, in ultrasound signal strength if the transducers are directly coupled to the water, rather than simply attaching them to the outside of the pipe. A major accomplishment of this project was the development and integration of hardware and software into a fully functional ultrasonic communication system for demonstration purposes. The development of this system was a major deliverable of this project and has been successfully demonstrated to the program monitor. Major system considerations are discussed in this report, including signal conditioning electronics, speed and distance of transmission, triggering and noise filtering, and error checking. The methods employed by this system are believed to be capable of transmitting information over long distances (greater than 200 ft) under ideal conditions, and under extreme conditions if several improvements are made. Several improvements are suggested as follow-on work. Brief descriptions of these activities are given.« less

Comparative evaluation of calcium hypochlorite and sodium hypochlorite associated with passive ultrasonic irrigation on antimicrobial activity of a root canal system infected with Enterococcus faecalis: an in vitro study.

PubMed

de Almeida, Ana Paula; Souza, Matheus Albino; Miyagaki, Daniela Cristina; Dal Bello, Yuri; Cecchin, Doglas; Farina, Ana Paula

2014-12-01

The purpose of this study was to compare in vitro the effectiveness of calcium hypochlorite (Ca[OCl]2) and sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) associated with passive ultrasonic irrigation in root canals of bovine teeth infected with Enterococcus faecalis. The root canals of 60 single-rooted bovine extracted teeth were enlarged up to a file 45, autoclaved, inoculated with Enterococcus faecalis, and incubated for 30 days. The samples were divided into 6 groups (n = 10) according to the protocol for decontamination: G1: no treatment; G2: distilled water; G3: 2.5% NaOCl; G4: 2.5% Ca(OCl)2; G5: 2.5% NaOCl with ultrasonic activation; and G6: 2.5% Ca(OCl)2 with ultrasonic activation (US). Microbiological testing (colony-forming unit [CFU] counting) was performed to evaluate and show, respectively, the effectiveness of the proposed treatments. Data were subjected to 1-way analysis of variance followed by the post hoc Tukey test (α = 0.05). Groups 1 and 2 showed the highest mean contamination (3.26 log10 CFU/mL and 2.69 log10 CFU/mL, respectively), which was statistically different from all other groups (P < .05). Group 6 (Ca[OCl]2 + US) showed the lowest mean contamination (1.00 log10 CFU/mL), with no statistically significant difference found in groups 3 (NaOCl), 4 (Ca[OCl]2), and 5 (NaOCl + US) (P < .05). Ca(OCl)2 as well as passive ultrasonic irrigation can aid in chemomechanical preparation, contributing in a significant way to the reduction of microbial content during root canal treatment. Copyright © 2014 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A contactless ultrasonic surface wave approach to characterize distributed cracking damage in concrete.

PubMed

Ham, Suyun; Song, Homin; Oelze, Michael L; Popovics, John S

2017-03-01

We describe an approach that utilizes ultrasonic surface wave backscatter measurements to characterize the volume content of relatively small distributed defects (microcrack networks) in concrete. A simplified weak scattering model is used to demonstrate that the scattered wave field projected in the direction of the surface wave propagation is relatively insensitive to scatterers that are smaller than the propagating wavelength, while the scattered field projected in the opposite direction is more sensitive to sub-wavelength scatterers. Distributed microcracks in the concrete serve as the small scatterers that interact with a propagating surface wave. Data from a finite element simulation were used to demonstrate the viability of the proposed approach, and also to optimize a testing configuration to collect data. Simulations were validated through experimental measurements of ultrasonic backscattered surface waves from test samples of concrete constructed with different concentrations of fiber filler (0.0, 0.3 and 0.6%) to mimic increasing microcrack volume density and then samples with actual cracking induced by controlled thermal cycles. A surface wave was induced in the concrete samples by a 50kHz ultrasonic source operating 10mm above the surface at an angle of incidence of 9°. Silicon-based miniature MEMS acoustic sensors located a few millimeters above the concrete surface both behind and in front of the sender were used to detect leaky ultrasonic surface waves emanating from concrete. A normalized backscattered energy parameter was calculated from the signals. Statistically significant differences in the normalized backscattered energy were observed between concrete samples with varying levels of simulated and actual cracking damage volume. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ultrasound Effect in the Removal of Intraradicular Posts Cemented with Different Materials.

PubMed

Berbert, Fabio Luiz Camargo Vilella; Espir, Camila Galletti; Crisci, Fernando Simões; Ferrarezz, Marcelo; de Andrade, T; Chávez-Andrade, Gisselle Moraima; Leonardo, Renato de Toledo; Saad, José Roberto Cury; Segalla, José Claudio Martins; Vaz, Luiz Geraldo; Jordão Basso, Keren Cristina Fagundes; Dantas, Andrea Abi Rached

2015-06-01

This study evaluated the effect of ultrasonic vibration on the tensile strength required to remove intraradicular post cemented with different materials. Bovine teeth were selected, and 7 mm of the cervical root canals were prepared to size 5 Largo drill, the posts were cemented with zinc phosphate, Enforce (resin) or Rely X (glass ionomer). The specimens were divided into six groups (n = 10), according to the following procedures: GI-cementation with zinc phosphate associated with traction force; GII-cementation with zinc phosphate associated with ultrasonic activation and traction force; G111-cementation with Enforce associated with traction force; GIV-cementation with Enforce associated with ultrasonic activation and traction force; GV-cementation with Rely X associated with traction force; and GVI-cementation with Rely X associated with ultrasonic activation and traction force. The tensile test was conducted using the electromechanical testing machine, the force was determined by a specialized computer program and ultrasonic activation using the Jet Sonic Four Plus (Gnatus) device in 10P. Concerning to average ranking, GI showed statistically significant difference in comparison with GII and GVI (p < 0.05); there was no statistical difference in GIII and GIV when compared to other groups (p > 0.05). The ultrasound favored the intraradicular post traction regardless of the employed cement in greater or lesser extent. The post removal is a routine practice in the dental office, therefore, new solutions and better alternatives are need to the practitioner. We did not find in the literature many articles referring to this practice. Thus, the results from this study are relevant in the case planning and to promote more treatment options.

Influence of ultrasonic and sonic activation of epoxy-amine resin-based sealer on penetration of sealer into lateral canals.

PubMed

Arslan, Hakan; Abbas, Aneesh; Karatas, Ertugrul

2016-11-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of sonic and ultrasonic activation of epoxy-amine resin-based root canal sealer (2Seal; VDW GmbH, München, Germany) on penetration of the sealer into lateral canals compared to non-activated filling. Thirty-six single-rooted human anterior teeth were decoronated and prepared, using the ProTaper rotary system (Dentsply Maillefer, Ballaigues, Switzerland) to F4. After the completion of the clearing procedures, lateral canals were created at 2, 4, and 6 mm from the working length. The specimens were randomly divided into a control group (non-activated sealer application) and two experimental groups that received a sealer application with either sonic or ultrasonic activation. The root canals were filled using cold lateral compaction and images were obtained from each lateral canals at 40× magnification using a stereomicroscope. The sealer penetration was evaluated using a four-grade scoring system. The data were evaluated statistically using the Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests with a 95 % confidence level (P = 0.05). The ultrasonic activation resulted in a better sealer penetration compared with the non-activated and sonically activated groups (P < 0.001). Sonic activation also resulted in better sealer penetration compared to the non-activated group (P < 0.001). The use of the ultrasonic activation of an epoxy-amine resin-based sealer promoted greater sealer penetration into the lateral canals. Sonic activation was not effective as ultrasonic activation, but was more effective than the non-activated group. The ultrasonic activation of an epoxy-amine resin-based sealer could be beneficial in filling procedures.

Decontamination of blood soaked electronic devices using ultrasonic technology.

PubMed

Dudeck, Kimberly C; Brennan, Tamara C; Embury, Daniel J

2012-01-10

With advancements in technology allowing for the miniaturization of consumer electronics, criminal investigations of all types frequently involve the forensic examination of electronic devices, such as cellular telephones, smartphones, and portable flash memory; in some extreme, violent cases, these devices are found covered in blood. Due to the complexity of such devices, standard operating procedures for the complete removal of blood had not previously been established by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police prior to this study. The electronics industry has adopted the use of the ultrasonic cleaner for sanitizing printed circuit boards (PCBs) by removing residues and contaminants. High frequency sound waves created by the machine penetrate and remove dirt and residues; however, early research during the 1950s recorded these sound waves breaking the internal bonds of integrated circuit chips. Experimentation with modern ultrasonic technology was used to determine if internal components were damaged, as well as if ultrasonic cleaning was the most suitable method for the removal of dried and liquid blood from a PCB. Several disinfectant solutions were compared against the 0.5% Triton(®) X-100 detergent solution in the ultrasonic cleaner, including: 10% sodium hypochlorite bleach, 85% isopropyl alcohol, and Conflikt(®) disinfectant spray. The results not only demonstrated that the ultrasonic cleaner did not damage the vital memory chip on the PCB, but also, with the assistance of Conflikt(®), was able to remove all traces of blood as indicated by Hemastix(®) reagent strips. Of five methods experimented with, two cycles of ultrasonic cleaning followed by sanitization with Conflikt(®) proved to be the only procedure capable of removing all traces of blood, as confirmed with both Hemastix(®) reagent strips and the hemochromogen test. Crown Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Microlens array for focusing airborne ultrasound using heated wire grid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cai, Liang-Wu; Sánchez-Dehesa, José

2007-10-01

This letter reports on the focusing of airborne ultrasound by a simple grid of heated wires. The focusing is analogous to that of an array of optical microlenses. The focusing pattern is determined by the spacing between wires, and the focusing areas are tightly confined with a great "depth of field." Such acoustical microlens arrays have great potentials for shaping beams produced by ultrasonic transducers, in applications such as ultrasonic cleaning and nondestructive testing.

Ultrasonic Coating and Holographic Exposure Technology. Phase 1

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-09-01

introducing plaques to cure, which allowed the UV lamps to warm up. Temperature inside the UV oven could reach 35 °C if left on continuously. Curing time for...the deposition of thin films using an ultrasonic spray coater and patterning of the films using an ultraviolet ( UV ) laser. The main objectives for...required, and include such items as a corona discharge device, a UV curing oven, hot plate, and jigging for optics that were fabricated at Revision. Test

Progress on the development of automated data analysis algorithms and software for ultrasonic inspection of composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aldrin, John C.; Coughlin, Chris; Forsyth, David S.; Welter, John T.

2014-02-01

Progress is presented on the development and implementation of automated data analysis (ADA) software to address the burden in interpreting ultrasonic inspection data for large composite structures. The automated data analysis algorithm is presented in detail, which follows standard procedures for analyzing signals for time-of-flight indications and backwall amplitude dropout. ADA processing results are presented for test specimens that include inserted materials and discontinuities produced under poor manufacturing conditions.

Role of Friction on the Thermal Development in Ultrasonically Consolidated Aluminum Foils and Composites

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-01-01

amplitude, . The third input parameter, weld speed, s, is inversely proportional to N, the num- ber of cycles as shown in Eq. (3). In summary, F is...though, an extensive body of work on mechanical testing of ultrasonically consolidated thin foils has been performed at Loughborough University. In...comprehensive textbook on tribology presents a preliminary derivation for plastic contact of ductile metals which suggests ≤ 1/5; this is much lower

Finite element analysis simulations for ultrasonic array NDE inspections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dobson, Jeff; Tweedie, Andrew; Harvey, Gerald; O'Leary, Richard; Mulholland, Anthony; Tant, Katherine; Gachagan, Anthony

2016-02-01

Advances in manufacturing techniques and materials have led to an increase in the demand for reliable and robust inspection techniques to maintain safety critical features. The application of modelling methods to develop and evaluate inspections is becoming an essential tool for the NDE community. Current analytical methods are inadequate for simulation of arbitrary components and heterogeneous materials, such as anisotropic welds or composite structures. Finite element analysis software (FEA), such as PZFlex, can provide the ability to simulate the inspection of these arrangements, providing the ability to economically prototype and evaluate improved NDE methods. FEA is often seen as computationally expensive for ultrasound problems however, advances in computing power have made it a more viable tool. This paper aims to illustrate the capability of appropriate FEA to produce accurate simulations of ultrasonic array inspections - minimizing the requirement for expensive test-piece fabrication. Validation is afforded via corroboration of the FE derived and experimentally generated data sets for a test-block comprising 1D and 2D defects. The modelling approach is extended to consider the more troublesome aspects of heterogeneous materials where defect dimensions can be of the same length scale as the grain structure. The model is used to facilitate the implementation of new ultrasonic array inspection methods for such materials. This is exemplified by considering the simulation of ultrasonic NDE in a weld structure in order to assess new approaches to imaging such structures.

Numerical simulation and experimental research on interaction of micro-defects and laser ultrasonic signal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Hualing; Zheng, Bin; Liu, Hui

2017-11-01

In the present research, the mechanism governing the interaction between laser-generated ultrasonic wave and the micro-defects on an aluminum plate has been studied by virtue of numerical simulation as well as practical experiments. Simulation results indicate that broadband ultrasonic waves are caused mainly by surface waves, and that the surface waves produced by micro-defects could be utilized for the detection of micro-defects because these waves reflect as much information of the defects as possible. In the research, a laser-generated ultrasonic wave testing system with a surface wave probe has been established for the detection of micro-defects, and the surface waves produced by the defects with different depths on an aluminum plate have been tested by using the system. The interaction between defect depth and the maximum amplitude of the surface wave and that between defect depth and the center frequency of the surface wave have also been analyzed in detail. Research results indicate that, when the defect depth is less than half of the wavelength of the surface wave, the maximum amplitude and the center frequency of the surface wave are in linear proportion to the defect depth. Sound consistency of experimental results with theoretical simulation indicates that the system as established in the present research could be adopted for the quantitative detection of micro-defects.

Ultrasonic diagnostic in porous media and suspensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bacri, J.-C.; Hoyos, M.; Rakotomalala, N.; Salin, D.; Bourlion, M.; Daccord, G.; Lenormand, R.; Soucemarianadin, S.

1991-08-01

An apparatus has been constructed to characterize transient fluid displacements in porous media, and probe sedimenting suspensions. The technique used is to propagate an ultrasonic wave in the sample. Both ultrasonic attenuation and velocity are related to the static and hydrodynamic properties of the medium. The system was built so as to perform array imaging (mapping) and tested with different fluids and suspensions. It is suggested that the ultrasonic technique can be suitable whenever transient, low cost and safe saturation and concentration measurements are to be performed. Nous avons réalisé un appareil pour étudier l'évolution temporelle des écoulements en milieux poreux et au cours de la sédimentation des suspensions. La technique employée utilise la propagation d'une onde ultrasonore dans l'échantillon. L'atténuation et la vitesse ultrasonores sont toutes deux reliées aux propriétés statique et dynamique du mileu. Le système d'imagerie acoustique permet une cartographie à deux dimensions de l'échantillon , ce système a été testé avec différents fluides et suspensions. Notre étude montre que la technique ultrasonore est bien adaptée à la détermination de la dépendance temporelle de la concentration et de la saturation dans des conditions de sécurité et de coût optimales.

Effect of ultrasonic agitation on push-out bond strength and adaptation of root-end filling materials

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

Objectives This study evaluated the effect of ultrasonic agitation of mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA), calcium silicate-based cement (CSC), and Sealer 26 (S26) on adaptation at the cement/dentin interface and push-out bond strength. Materials and Methods Sixty maxillary canines were divided into 6 groups (n = 10): MTA, S26, and CSC, with or without ultrasonic activation (US). After obturation, the apical portions of the teeth were sectioned, and retrograde cavities were prepared and filled with cement by hand condensation. In the US groups, the cement was activated for 60 seconds: 30 seconds in the mesio-distal direction and 30 seconds in the buccal-lingual direction, using a mini Irrisonic insert coupled with the ultrasound transducer. After the materials set, 1.5-mm thick sections were obtained from the apexes. The presence of gaps and the bond between cement and dentin were analyzed using low-vacuum scanning electron microscopy. Push-out bond strength was measured using a universal testing machine. Results Ultrasonic agitation increased the interfacial adaptation of the cements. The S26 US group showed a higher adaptation value than MTA (p < 0.05). US improved the push-out bond strength for all the cements (p < 0.05). Conclusions The US of retrograde filling cements enhanced the bond to the dentin wall of the root-end filling materials tested. PMID:29765903

Effect of ultrasonic agitation on push-out bond strength and adaptation of root-end filling materials.

PubMed

Alcalde, Murilo Priori; Vivan, Rodrigo Ricci; Marciano, Marina Angélica; Duque, Jussaro Alves; Fernandes, Samuel Lucas; Rosseto, Mariana Bailo; Duarte, Marco Antonio Hungaro

2018-05-01

This study evaluated the effect of ultrasonic agitation of mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA), calcium silicate-based cement (CSC), and Sealer 26 (S26) on adaptation at the cement/dentin interface and push-out bond strength. Sixty maxillary canines were divided into 6 groups ( n = 10): MTA, S26, and CSC, with or without ultrasonic activation (US). After obturation, the apical portions of the teeth were sectioned, and retrograde cavities were prepared and filled with cement by hand condensation. In the US groups, the cement was activated for 60 seconds: 30 seconds in the mesio-distal direction and 30 seconds in the buccal-lingual direction, using a mini Irrisonic insert coupled with the ultrasound transducer. After the materials set, 1.5-mm thick sections were obtained from the apexes. The presence of gaps and the bond between cement and dentin were analyzed using low-vacuum scanning electron microscopy. Push-out bond strength was measured using a universal testing machine. Ultrasonic agitation increased the interfacial adaptation of the cements. The S26 US group showed a higher adaptation value than MTA ( p < 0.05). US improved the push-out bond strength for all the cements ( p < 0.05). The US of retrograde filling cements enhanced the bond to the dentin wall of the root-end filling materials tested.

Ultrasonic characterization of microstructure in powder metal alloy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tittmann, B. R.; Ahlberg, L. A.; Fertig, K.

1986-01-01

The ultrasonic wave propagation characteristics were measured for IN-100, a powder metallurgy alloy used for aircraft engine components. This material was as a model system for testing the feasibility of characterizing the microstructure of a variety of inhomogeneous media including powder metals, ceramics, castings and components. The data were obtained for a frequency range from about 2 to 20 MHz and were statistically averaged over numerous volume elements of the samples. Micrographical examination provided size and number distributions for grain and pore structure. The results showed that the predominant source for the ultrasonic attenuation and backscatter was a dense (approx. 100/cubic mm) distribution of small micropores (approx. 10 micron radius). Two samples with different micropore densities were studied in detail to test the feasibility of calculating from observed microstructural parameters the frequency dependence of the microstructural backscatter in the regime for which the wavelength is much larger than the size of the individual scattering centers. Excellent agreement was found between predicted and observed values so as to demonstrate the feasibility of solving the forward problem. The results suggest a way towards the nondestructive detection and characterization of anomalous distributions of micropores when conventional ultrasonic imaging is difficult. The findings are potentially significant toward the application of the early detection of porosity during the materials fabrication process and after manufacturing of potential sites for stress induced void coalescence leading to crack initiation and subsequent failure.

Design of efficient, broadband single-element (20-80 MHz) ultrasonic transducers for medical imaging applications.

PubMed

Cannata, Jonathan M; Ritter, Timothy A; Chen, Wo-Hsing; Silverman, Ronald H; Shung, K Kirk

2003-11-01

This paper discusses the design, fabrication, and testing of sensitive broadband lithium niobate (LiNbO3) single-element ultrasonic transducers in the 20-80 MHz frequency range. Transducers of varying dimensions were built for an f# range of 2.0-3.1. The desired focal depths were achieved by either casting an acoustic lens on the transducer face or press-focusing the piezoelectric into a spherical curvature. For designs that required electrical impedance matching, a low impedance transmission line coaxial cable was used. All transducers were tested in a pulse-echo arrangement, whereby the center frequency, bandwidth, insertion loss, and focal depth were measured. Several transducers were fabricated with center frequencies in the 20-80 MHz range with the measured -6 dB bandwidths and two-way insertion loss values ranging from 57 to 74% and 9.6 to 21.3 dB, respectively. Both transducer focusing techniques proved successful in producing highly sensitive, high-frequency, single-element, ultrasonic-imaging transducers. In vivo and in vitro ultrasonic backscatter microscope (UBM) images of human eyes were obtained with the 50 MHz transducers. The high sensitivity of these devices could possibly allow for an increase in depth of penetration, higher image signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and improved image contrast at high frequencies when compared to previously reported results.

Vaginal scent marking: effects on ultrasonic calling and attraction of male golden hamsters.

PubMed

Johnston, R E; Kwan, M

1984-11-01

Male hamsters were tested for their responses to areas that had been scent marked by intact or vaginectomized females to determine the effects of naturally deposited vaginal secretions on male behavior. In the first experiment males produced more ultrasonic courtship calls when investigating areas marked by intact females than areas scented by vaginectomized females, demonstrating that vaginal marks facilitate such calling. In a wind-tunnel preference test situation in which scent-marked alleys and clean alleys served as sources of odor, males approached the scented alley first if it had been freshly marked by intact females but not if it had been scented by vaginectomized females or other males. Thus, the odors of vaginal marks are sufficient to attract males over short distances. After males entered these alleys they showed a preference for odors of both intact and vaginectomized females over no odors, but still spent significantly more time investigating the odors of intact females than those of vaginectomized females. These experiments indicate that vaginal secretions are one of the primary cues that elicit male courtship calling, and the small quantities of vaginal secretions deposited by females in vaginal marks are sufficient to elicit ultrasonic calling and attract males over short distances. Thus it is likely that vaginal scent marking and ultrasonic calling by females interact to facilitate attraction and location of mates during courtship.

Effect of ultrasonic capillary dynamics on the mechanics of thermosonic ball bonding.

PubMed

Huang, Yan; Shah, Aashish; Mayer, Michael; Zhou, Norman Y; Persic, John

2010-01-01

Microelectronic wire bonding is an essential step in today's microchip production. It is used to weld (bond) microwires to metallized pads of integrated circuits using ultrasound with hundreds of thousands of vibration cycles. Thermosonic ball bonding is the most popular variant of the wire bonding process and frequently investigated using finite element (FE) models that simplify the ultrasonic dynamics of the process with static or quasistatic boundary conditions. In this study, the ultrasonic dynamics of the bonding tool (capillary), made from Al(2)O(3), is included in a FE model. For more accuracy of the FE model, the main material parameters are measured. The density of the capillary was measured to be rho(cap) = 3552 +/- 100 kg/m(3). The elastic modulus of the capillary, E(cap) = 389 +/- 11 GPa, is found by comparing an auxiliary FE model of the free vibrating capillary with measured values. A capillary "nodding effect" is identified and found to be essential when describing the ultrasonic vibration shape. A main FE model builds on these results and adds bonded ball, pad, chip, and die attach components. There is excellent agreement between the main model and the ultrasonic force measured at the interface on a test chip with stress microsensors. Bonded ball and underpad stress results are reported. When adjusted to the same ultrasonic force, a simplified model without ultrasonic dynamics and with an infinitely stiff capillary tip is substantially off target by -40% for the maximum underpad stress. The compliance of the capillary causes a substantial inclination effect at the bonding interface between wire and pad. This oscillating inclination effect massively influences the stress fields under the pad and is studied in more detail. For more accurate results, it is therefore recommended to include ultrasonic dynamics of the bonding tool in mechanical FE models of wire bonding.

Focused Ultrasound Lipolysis in the Treatment of Abdominal Cellulite: An Open-Label Study

PubMed Central

Moravvej, Hamideh; Akbari, Zahra; Mohammadian, Shahrzad; Razzaghi, Zahra

2015-01-01

Introduction: Despite a growing popularity of noninvasive ultrasonic lipolysis procedure, there is a lack of evidence about the efficacy of this method. This study was performed to evaluate the efficacy of focused ultrasonic lipolysis on abdominal cellulite treatment. Methods: Twenty-eight consecutive subjects (age: 37.8 ± 8 years) underwent weekly transdermal focused ultrasonic lipolysis (Med Contour, General Project Ltd., Florence, Italy) and vacuum drainage for a maximum of eight sessions. Largest abdominal girth and 2 lines at 4 cm to 7 cm distance above and under it were located as fixed points of measurements. The mean value of the three fixed lines was considered as the abdominal circumference. Subjects were evaluated using measurements of circumference, immediately after and 3 weeks after the final treatment and compared using paired t test. Results: One hundred ninety-four ultrasonic lipolysis procedures were performed on 28 subjects. A statistically significant (P < .001) average of 1.89 cm (95% CI: 1.63-2.02 cm) decrease of circumference value was observed in each session of ultrasonic lipolysis. The mean pretreatment to posttreatment circumference reduction was 8.21 cm (95% CI: 6.38-10.04, P < .001) that declined to 7 cm (95% CI: 3.2-10.8, P < .001) at the 3-month follow-up visit. Conclusion: Focused ultrasonic lipolysis appears to be an effective method for reduction of abdominal cellulite, although some amount of circumference reduction reversal may be observed in long term follow-up visit. PMID:26464776

Enhancement of gama-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and other health-related metabolites in germinated red rice (Oryza sativa L.) by ultrasonication.

PubMed

Ding, Junzhou; Ulanov, Alexander V; Dong, Mengyi; Yang, Tewu; Nemzer, Boris V; Xiong, Shanbai; Zhao, Siming; Feng, Hao

2018-01-01

Red rice (Oryza sativa L.) that has a red (reddish brown) bran layer in de-hulled rice is known to contain rich biofunctional components. Germination is an effective technique to improve the nutritional quality, digestibility, and flavor of de-hulled rice. Ultrasonication, a form of physical stimulation, has been documented as a novel approach to improve the nutritional quality of plant-based food. This study was undertaken to test the use of ultrasound to enhance the nutritional value of red rice. Ultrasonication (5min, 16W/L) was applied to rice during soaking or after 66h germination. Changes of metabolites (amino acids, sugars, and organic acids) in red rice treated by ultrasonication were determined using a GC/MS plant primary metabolomics analysis platform. Differential expressed metabolites were identified through multivariate statistical analysis. Results showed that γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and riboflavin (vitamin B 2 ) in red rice significantly increased after germination for 72h, and then experienced a further increase after treatment by ultrasound at different stages during germination. The metabolomics analysis showed that some plant metabolites, i.e. GABA, O-phosphoethanolamine, and glucose-6-phosphate were significantly increased after the ultrasonic treatment (VIP>1.5) in comparison with the untreated germinated rice. The findings of this study showed that controlled germination with ultrasonic stress is an effective method to enhance GABA and other health-promoted components in de-hulled rice. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Development and field application of a nonlinear ultrasonic modulation technique for fatigue crack detection without reference data from an intact condition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lim, Hyung Jin; Kim, Yongtak; Koo, Gunhee; Yang, Suyoung; Sohn, Hoon; Bae, In-hwan; Jang, Jeong-Hwan

2016-09-01

In this study, a fatigue crack detection technique, which detects a fatigue crack without relying on any reference data obtained from the intact condition of a target structure, is developed using nonlinear ultrasonic modulation and applied to a real bridge structure. Using two wafer-type lead zirconate titanate (PZT) transducers, ultrasonic excitations at two distinctive frequencies are applied to a target inspection spot and the corresponding ultrasonic response is measured by another PZT transducer. Then, the nonlinear modulation components produced by a breathing-crack are extracted from the measured ultrasonic response, and a statistical classifier, which can determine if the nonlinear modulation components are statistically significant in comparison with the background noise level, is proposed. The effectiveness of the proposed fatigue crack detection technique is experimentally validated using the data obtained from aluminum plates and aircraft fitting-lug specimens under varying temperature and loading conditions, and through a field testing of Yeongjong Grand Bridge in South Korea. The uniqueness of this study lies in that (1) detection of a micro fatigue crack with less than 1 μm width and fatigue cracks in the range of 10-20 μm in width using nonlinear ultrasonic modulation, (2) automated detection of fatigue crack formation without using reference data obtained from an intact condition, (3) reliable and robust diagnosis under varying temperature and loading conditions, (4) application of a local fatigue crack detection technique to online monitoring of a real bridge.

49 CFR 180.215 - Reporting and record retention requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

..., as well as unsuccessful tests. The entry for a second test after a failure to hold test pressure must..., pressure test, and ultrasonic examination if permitted under a special permit, as applicable, must be... each test sheet, provided each test on the sheet was conducted on that date. Ditto marks or a solid...

Correlation Between Ultrasonic Nondestructive Inspection and Wheel Test of 34 Retreaded Tires

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1979-11-01

The report covers a test in which 34 retread tires were inspected using reflection ultrasound nondestructive inspection, wheel tested and then subjected to failure analysis by sectioning. The results demonstrate for the first time the ability of ultr...

Noncontact Determination of Antisymmetric Plate Wave Velocity in Ceramic Matrix Composites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kautz, Harold E.

1998-01-01

High-temperature materials are of increasing importance in the development of more efficient engines and components for the aeronautics industry. In particular, ceramic matrix composite (CMC) and metal matrix composite (MMC) structures are under active development for these applications. The acousto-ultrasonic (AU) method has been shown to be useful for assessing mechanical properties in composite structures. In particular, plate wave analysis can characterize composites in terms of their stiffness moduli. It is desirable to monitor changes in mechanical properties that occur during thermomechanical testing and to monitor the health of components whose geometry or position make them hard to reach with conventional ultrasonic probes. In such applications, it would be useful to apply AU without coupling directly to the test surface. For a number of years, lasers have been under investigation as remote ultrasonic input sources and ultrasound detectors. The use of an ultrasonic transducer coupled through an air gap has also been under study. So far at the NASA Lewis Research Center, we have been more successful in using lasers as ultrasonic sources than as output devices. On the other hand, we have been more successful in using an air-coupled piezoelectric transducer as an output device than as an input device. For this reason, we studied the laser in/air-coupled-transducer out combination-using a pulsed NdYAG laser as the ultrasonic source and an air-coupled-transducer as the detector. The present work is focused on one of the AU parameters of interest, the ultrasonic velocity of the antisymmetric plate-wave mode. This easily identified antisymmetric pulse can be used to determine shear and flexure modulus. It was chosen for this initial work because the pulse arrival times are likely to be the most precise. The following schematic illustrates our experimental arrangement for using laser in/air-transducer out on SiC/SiC composite tensile specimens. The NdYAG pulse was directed downward by a 90 infrared prism to the top of the specimen, but at the edge of one end. An energy sensor measured a single pulse at 13 millijoules (mJ) before it passed through the prism, which attenuated 15 percent of its energy. It also provided an output trigger for the waveform time-delay synthesizer.

The Tea-Carbon Dioxide Laser as a Means of Generating Ultrasound in Solids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taylor, Gregory Stuart

1990-01-01

Available from UMI in association with The British Library. Requires signed TDF. The aim of this thesis is to characterise the interaction between pulsed, high power, 10.6 mu m radiation and solids. The work is considered both in the general context of laser generation of ultrasound and specifically to gain a deeper understanding of the interaction between a laser supported plasma and a solid. The predominant experimental tools used are the homodyne Michelson interferometer and a range of electromagnetic acoustic transducers. To complement the ultrasonic data, various plasma inspection techniques, such as high speed, streak camera photography and reflection photometry, have been used to correlate the plasma properties with those of the ultrasonic transients. The work involving the characterisation of a laser supported plasma with a solid, which is based on previous experimental and theoretical analysis, gives an increased understanding of the plasma's ultrasonic generation mechanism. The ability to record the entire plasma-sample interaction, time history yields information of the internal dynamics of the plasma growth and shock wave generation. The interaction of the radiation with a solid is characterised in both the plasma breakdown and non-breakdown regimes by a wide ultrasonic source. The variation in source diameter enables the transition from a point to a near planar ultrasonic source to be studied. The resultant ultrasonic modifications are examined in terms of the wave structure and the directivity pattern. The wave structure is analysed in terms of existing wide source, bulk wave theories and extended to consider the effects on surface and Lamb waves. The directivity patterns of the longitudinal and shear waves are analysed in terms of top-hat and non -uniform source profiles, giving additional information into the radiation-solid interaction. The wide, one dimensional source analysis is continued to a two dimensional, extended ultrasonic source, generated on non-metals by the optical penetration of radiation within the target. The generation of ultrasound in both metals and non-metals, using the CO_2 laser, is shown to be an efficient process and may be employed almost totally non-destructively. Such a laser may therefore be used effectively on a greatly enhanced range of materials than those tested to-date via laser generation, resulting in the increased suitability of the laser technique within the field of Non Destructive Testing.

Nondestructive testing of Scout rocket motors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oaks, A. E.

1972-01-01

The nondestructive tests applied to Scout rocket motors were reviewed and appraised. Analytical techniques were developed to evaluate the capabilities of the radiographic and ultrasonic procedures used. Major problem areas found were the inadequacy of high voltage radiography for detecting unbonds and propellant cracks having narrow widths, the inability to relate the ultrasonic signals received from flat-bottomed holes in standards to those received from real defects and in the general area of the specification of acceptance criteria and how these were to be met. To counter the deficiencies noted, analyses were conducted to the potential utility of radiometric, acoustic, holographic and thermographic techniques for motor and nozzle bond inspection, a new approach to qualifying magnetic particle inspection and the application of acoustic emission analysis to the evaluation of proof and leak test data.

A Comparative Study on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Cu6Sn5 and Cu3Sn Joints Formed by TLP Soldering With/Without the Assistance of Ultrasonic Waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, H. Y.; Liu, J. H.; Li, Z. L.; Song, X. G.; Zhao, Y. X.; Niu, H. W.; Tian, H.; Dong, H. J.; Feng, J. C.

2018-07-01

In this study, the microstructure and mechanical properties of Cu6Sn5 and Cu3Sn intermetallic joints, formed by the transient liquid phase (TLP) soldering process with and without the assistance of ultrasonic waves (USWs), were compared. After the application of USWs in the TLP soldering process, Cu-Sn intermetallic compounds (IMCs) exhibited a novel noninterfacial growth pattern in the molten solder interlayer. The resulting Cu6Sn5 and Cu3Sn joints consisted of refined equiaxed IMC grains with average sizes of 3 and 2.3 µm, respectively. The Cu6Sn5 grains in the ultrasonically soldered intermetallic joints demonstrated uniform mechanical properties with elastic modulus and hardness values of 123.0 and 5.98 GPa, respectively, while those of Cu3Sn grains were 133.9 and 5.08 GPa, respectively. The shear strengths of ultrasonically soldered Cu6Sn5 and Cu3Sn joints were measured to be 60 and 65 MPa, respectively, higher than that for reflow-soldered intermetallic joints. Ultrasonically soldered Cu6Sn5 and Cu3Sn joints both exhibited a combination of transgranular and intergranular fractures during shear testing.

Applicability of an ultrasonic nebulization system for the airways delivery of beclomethasone dipropionate in a murine model of asthma.

PubMed

Hrvacić, Boska; Bosnjak, Berislav; Tudja, Marijan; Mesić, Milan; Merćep, Mladen

2006-08-01

We have assessed the use of an ultrasonic nebulization system (UNS), composed of ultrasonic nebulizer and diffusion dryer filled with charcoal, for the effective delivery of beclomethasone to the airways in a murine asthma model. Solution of beclomethasone in ethanol was aerosolized using an ultrasonic nebulizer. Passage of the aerosol through a drying column containing charcoal and deionizer produced dry beclomethasone particles. Particles were delivered to BALB/c mice placed in a whole-body exposition chamber 1 h before intranasal challenge with ovalbumine. Efficacy of beclomethasone delivery was evaluated by examining bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) cytology. Effect of three UNS system parameters on aerosol particle size was investigated. The critical parameter affecting the size of dry particles was beclomethasone concentration in aerosolized solution and solution flow rate while power level of ultrasonic nebulizer generator had no effect. Administration of beclomethasone at calculated dose of 150 microg/kg to mice significantly decreased total cell number and relative eosinophil number in BALF. The UNS system produces a monodisperse aerosol that can be used for inhalative delivery of poorly water soluble substances to experimental animals. The UNS system minimizes formulation requirements and allows rapid and relatively simple efficacy and toxicity testing in animals.

A Comparative Study on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Cu6Sn5 and Cu3Sn Joints Formed by TLP Soldering With/Without the Assistance of Ultrasonic Waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, H. Y.; Liu, J. H.; Li, Z. L.; Song, X. G.; Zhao, Y. X.; Niu, H. W.; Tian, H.; Dong, H. J.; Feng, J. C.

2018-05-01

In this study, the microstructure and mechanical properties of Cu6Sn5 and Cu3Sn intermetallic joints, formed by the transient liquid phase (TLP) soldering process with and without the assistance of ultrasonic waves (USWs), were compared. After the application of USWs in the TLP soldering process, Cu-Sn intermetallic compounds (IMCs) exhibited a novel noninterfacial growth pattern in the molten solder interlayer. The resulting Cu6Sn5 and Cu3Sn joints consisted of refined equiaxed IMC grains with average sizes of 3 and 2.3 µm, respectively. The Cu6Sn5 grains in the ultrasonically soldered intermetallic joints demonstrated uniform mechanical properties with elastic modulus and hardness values of 123.0 and 5.98 GPa, respectively, while those of Cu3Sn grains were 133.9 and 5.08 GPa, respectively. The shear strengths of ultrasonically soldered Cu6Sn5 and Cu3Sn joints were measured to be 60 and 65 MPa, respectively, higher than that for reflow-soldered intermetallic joints. Ultrasonically soldered Cu6Sn5 and Cu3Sn joints both exhibited a combination of transgranular and intergranular fractures during shear testing.

Durability of building stones against artificial salt crystallization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Min, K.; Park, J.; Han, D.

2005-12-01

Salts have been known as the most powerful weathering agents, especially when combined with frost action. Salt crystallization test along with freezing-thawing test and acid immersion test was carried out to assess the durability of building stones against weathering. Granite, limestone, marble and basalt were sampled from different quarries in south Korea for this study. One cycle of artificial salt crystallization test was composed of immersion of cored rock specimens in oversaturated solutions of CaCl2, KCl, NaCl and Na2SO4, respectively for 15 hours and successive drying in an oven of 105°C for 3 hours and cooling at room temperature. Tests were performed up to 30 cycles, and specific gravity and ultrasonic velocity were measured after experiencing every 10 cycles and uniaxial compressive strength was measured only after 30 cycles. During the repeated Na2SO4 salt crystallization, some rock samples were gradually deformed excessively and burst after 20 to 30 cycles of test. The variation patterns of physical properties during the salt crystallization tests are too variable to generalize the effect of salt weathering on physical properties but limestone, marble and basalt samples showed relatively greater change of physical properties than granite samples. The recrystallized salts were well observed in the cracks of rock samples through the scanning electron microscope. In the all salt crystallization tests, apparent specific gravities for all tested samples increased generally but not so significantly due to recrystallization of salts. It can be inferred that filling the pores with salt crystals cause the increase of ultrasonic velocity during the early stage of salt crystallization and then in later stages the repeated cycles of salt crystallization result in development of cracks leading decrease of ultrasonic velocity for some rock samples.

Ultrasonic technique for measuring porosity of plasma-sprayed alumina coatings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parthasarathi, S.; Tittmann, B. R.; Onesto, E. J.

1997-12-01

Porosity is an important factor in plasma-sprayed coatings, especially ceramic coatings. Excessive poros-ity can adversely affect the performance of the coated component in various ways. An ultrasonic nonde-structive measurement technique has been developed to measure porosity in plasma-sprayed alumina coatings. The technique is generic and can be extended to other ceramic coating systems. To test the tech-nique, freestanding alumina coatings with varying levels of porosity were fabricated via plasma spray. Samples with varying porosity, obtained through innovative fabrication techniques, were used to gener-ate a calibration curve. The ultrasonic velocity in the low-frequency range was found to be dependent on the density of freestanding coatings (measured via Archimedian techniques). This dependence is the basis of the development of a technique to measure the density of coatings.

Air-Coupled Ultrasonic Measurements in Composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kommareddy, V.; Peters, J. J.; Dayal, V.; Hsu, D. K.

2004-02-01

Air-coupled ultrasound is a non-contact technique and has clear advantages over water-coupled testing. Research of air-coupled ultrasonics, especially using capacitance and micromachined transducers, has been extensively reported in the literature. This paper reports our experience of applying piezoceramic air-coupled transducers for nondestructive evaluation of composites. The beam profiles of air-coupled piezoceramic transducers, with and without apodization, were mapped out. The transmission of air-coupled ultrasonic energy through composite plates of different thickness was measured experimentally; model calculation of the transmission coefficient, taking into account the frequency bandwidth of the transducer, agreed with the measurement results. The occurrence of diffraction phenomenon ("Poisson bright spot") while imaging flaws in composite laminates was investigated. The resolution of scanned images obtained with air-coupled transducers was investigated for different frequency, focusing, and apodization conditions.

Spatially resolved ultrasonic attenuation in resistance spot welds: implications for nondestructive testing.

PubMed

Mozurkewich, George; Ghaffari, Bita; Potter, Timothy J

2008-09-01

Spatial variation of ultrasonic attenuation and velocity has been measured in plane parallel specimens extracted from resistance spot welds. In a strong weld, attenuation is larger in the nugget than in the parent material, and the region of increased attenuation is surrounded by a ring of decreased attenuation. In the center of a stick weld, attenuation is even larger than in a strong weld, and the low-attenuation ring is absent. These spatial variations are interpreted in terms of differences in grain size and martensite formation. Measured frequency dependences indicate the presence of an additional attenuation mechanism besides grain scattering. The observed attenuations do not vary as commonly presumed with weld quality, suggesting that the common practice of using ultrasonic attenuation to indicate weld quality is not a reliable methodology.

Active micromixer for microfluidic systems using lead-zirconate-titanate (PZT)-generated ultrasonic vibration.

PubMed

Yang, Z; Goto, H; Matsumoto, M; Maeda, R

2000-01-01

A micromixer using direct ultrasonic vibration is first reported in this paper. The ultrasonic vibration was induced by a bulk lead-zirconate-titanate (PZT; 5 x 4 x 0.2 mm), which was excited by a 48 kHz square wave at 150 V (peak-to-peak). Liquids were mixed in a chamber (6 x 6 x 0.06 mm) with an oscillating diaphragm driven by the PZT. The oscillating diaphragm was in the size of 6 x 6 x 0.15 mm. Ethanol and water were used to test the mixing effectiveness. The laminar flows of ethanol (115 microL/min) and water (100 microL/min) were mixed effectively when the PZT was excited. The entire process was recorded using a video camera.

Capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers (CMUTs) with isolation posts.

PubMed

Huang, Yongli; Zhuang, Xuefeng; Haeggstrom, Edward O; Ergun, A Sanli; Cheng, Ching-Hsiang; Khuri-Yakub, Butrus T

2008-03-01

In this paper, an improved design of a capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) is presented. The design improvement aims to address the reliability issues of a CMUT and to extend the device operation beyond the contact (collapse) voltage. The major design novelty is the isolation posts in the vacuum cavities of the CMUT cells instead of full-coverage insulation layers in conventional CMUTs. This eliminates the contact voltage drifting due to charging caused by the insulation layer, and enables repeatable CMUT operation in the post-contact regime. Ultrasonic tests of the CMUTs with isolation posts (PostCMUTs) in air (electrical input impedance and capacitance vs. bias voltage) and immersion (transmission and reception) indicate acoustic performance similar to that obtained from conventional CMUTs while no undesired side effects of this new design is observed.

Ultrasonic Sensors in Urban Traffic Driving-Aid Systems

PubMed Central

Alonso, Luciano; Milanés, Vicente; Torre-Ferrero, Carlos; Godoy, Jorge; Oria, Juan P.; de Pedro, Teresa

2011-01-01

Currently, vehicles are often equipped with active safety systems to reduce the risk of accidents, most of which occur in urban environments. The most prominent include Antilock Braking Systems (ABS), Traction Control and Stability Control. All these systems use different kinds of sensors to constantly monitor the conditions of the vehicle, and act in an emergency. In this paper the use of ultrasonic sensors in active safety systems for urban traffic is proposed, and the advantages and disadvantages when compared to other sensors are discussed. Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) for urban traffic based on ultrasounds is presented as an application example. The proposed system has been implemented in a fully-automated prototype vehicle and has been tested under real traffic conditions. The results confirm the good performance of ultrasonic sensors in these systems. PMID:22346596

[Ultrasonic scissors. New vs resterilized instruments].

PubMed

Gärtner, D; Münz, K; Hückelheim, E; Hesse, U

2008-02-01

The aim of this study was to compare reliability in handling and function of resterilized and single-use disposable ultrasonic scissors. In a prospective randomized study, the surgeon blindly tested new and resterilized ultrasonographic scissors. The parameters were force of activation, cutting effect, coagulation effect, error messages, and disturbing generator noise. Fifty-one new and 49 resterilized instruments in 94 operations were evaluated. The differences in force of activation, cutting effect, and coagulation were not significant. Error messages and disturbing noises were rare in both groups. Six new instruments and two resterilized instruments had to be exchanged because of problems during surgery. This study demonstrates comparable reliability in function and handling of resterilized and new ultrasonic scissors. The use of resterilized instruments leads to distinctly reduced costs and could contribute to efficiency in laparoscopic surgery.

Ultrasonic sensors in urban traffic driving-aid systems.

PubMed

Alonso, Luciano; Milanés, Vicente; Torre-Ferrero, Carlos; Godoy, Jorge; Oria, Juan P; de Pedro, Teresa

2011-01-01

Currently, vehicles are often equipped with active safety systems to reduce the risk of accidents, most of which occur in urban environments. The most prominent include Antilock Braking Systems (ABS), Traction Control and Stability Control. All these systems use different kinds of sensors to constantly monitor the conditions of the vehicle, and act in an emergency. In this paper the use of ultrasonic sensors in active safety systems for urban traffic is proposed, and the advantages and disadvantages when compared to other sensors are discussed. Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) for urban traffic based on ultrasounds is presented as an application example. The proposed system has been implemented in a fully-automated prototype vehicle and has been tested under real traffic conditions. The results confirm the good performance of ultrasonic sensors in these systems.

Nondestructive Testing Information Analysis Center, 1979.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-09-01

transmission and reflectometry Ultrasonic imaging Spectrum analysis Acoustic emission * LIQUID PENETRANT TESTING Dye penetrants Fluorescent penetrants...OPTICAL TESTING Visual testing Optical reflectometry and transmission Holography * THERMAL TESTING Infrared radiometry The rmography 13 The present...on our surveillance effectiveness, we also scan Current Contents, NASA /SCAN, and the monthly Engineering Index and Science Abstracts. New books

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lee, Jaesun, E-mail: jaesun@pusan.ac.kr, E-mail: jpp@pusan.ac.kr; Park, Junpil, E-mail: jaesun@pusan.ac.kr, E-mail: jpp@pusan.ac.kr; Cho, Younho, E-mail: mechcyh@pusan.ac.kr

The nuclear power plant inspection is very important for the safety issue. However due to some radiation and geometric problems, the detection of CRDM(Control Rod Drive Mechanism) can be very difficult by using conventional Ultrasonic Testing method. Also the shrink fit boundary condition can also be an obstacle for the inspection in this paper, instead of conventional Ultrasonic Testing, guided wave was used for the detection of some complicated structures. The CRDM nozzle was installed in reactor head with perfect shrink fit condition by using stainless steel. The wave amplitude distribution on the circumferential direction was calculated with various boundarymore » conditions and the experimental result shows a possibility of the defect detection on J-groove weld.« less

a 2d Model of Ultrasonic Testing for Cracks Near a Nonplanar Surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Westlund, Jonathan; Boström, Anders

2010-02-01

2D P-SV elastic wave scattering by a crack near a non-planar surface is investigated. The wave scattering problem is solved in the frequency domain using a combination of the boundary element method (BEM) for the back surface displacement and a Fourier series expansion of the crack opening displacement (COD). The model accounts for the action of the transmitting and receiving ultrasonic contact probes, and the time traces are obtained by applying an inverse temporal Fourier transform.

Detection of delamination defects in CFRP materials using ultrasonic signal processing.

PubMed

Benammar, Abdessalem; Drai, Redouane; Guessoum, Abderrezak

2008-12-01

In this paper, signal processing techniques are tested for their ability to resolve echoes associated with delaminations in carbon fiber-reinforced polymer multi-layered composite materials (CFRP) detected by ultrasonic methods. These methods include split spectrum processing (SSP) and the expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm. A simulation study on defect detection was performed, and results were validated experimentally on CFRP with and without delamination defects taken from aircraft. Comparison of the methods for their ability to resolve echoes are made.

Quality Enhancement of Ultrasonic TOFD Signals from Carbon Steel Weld Pad with Notches.

PubMed

Manjula, K; Vijayarekha, K; Venkatraman, B

2018-03-01

Welding is an integral part of component fabrication in industry. Even though the science and art of welding are more than 100 years old, defects continue to occur during welding. Codes of practice require that the welds be tested and evaluated. Conventionally ultrasonic testing has been widely applied in industry for the detection and evaluation of the flaws/defects in the weldments. With advances in sensor and signal analysis technologies, the last two decades have seen extensive developments in the field of ultrasonic testing. We have advanced techniques such as Time of Flight Diffraction (TOFD) which has better probability of detection for linear defects. A major irritant during the application of TOFD, especially for the testing of carbon steel weldments, is the presence of noise. A variety of approaches has been used internationally for the suppression of such noise and each has its own merits and demerits. This paper focuses on a method of enhancing the TOFD A-scan signals in carbon steel weldments by suppressing the noise from them using the discrete wavelet transform (DWT). The analysis clearly indicates that the DWT gives better signal-to-noise ratio improvement using higher-order wavelet filters with 4-level DWT decomposition. However the computational cost of this signal enhancement depends on the wavelet filter chosen along with the chosen level of DWT decomposition. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Nondestructive evaluation of hydrogel mechanical properties using ultrasound

PubMed Central

Walker, Jason M.; Myers, Ashley M.; Schluchter, Mark D.; Goldberg, Victor M.; Caplan, Arnold I.; Berilla, Jim A.; Mansour, Joseph M.; Welter, Jean F.

2012-01-01

The feasibility of using ultrasound technology as a noninvasive, nondestructive method for evaluating the mechanical properties of engineered weight-bearing tissues was evaluated. A fixture was designed to accurately and reproducibly position the ultrasound transducer normal to the test sample surface. Agarose hydrogels were used as phantoms for cartilage to explore the feasibility of establishing correlations between ultrasound measurements and commonly used mechanical tissue assessments. The hydrogels were fabricated in 1–10% concentrations with a 2–10 mm thickness. For each concentration and thickness, six samples were created, for a total of 216 gel samples. Speed of sound was determined from the time difference between peak reflections and the known height of each sample. Modulus was computed from the speed of sound using elastic and poroelastic models. All ultrasonic measurements were made using a 15 MHz ultrasound transducer. The elastic modulus was also determined for each sample from a mechanical unconfined compression test. Analytical comparison and statistical analysis of ultrasound and mechanical testing data was carried out. A correlation between estimates of compressive modulus from ultrasonic and mechanical measurements was found, but the correlation depended on the model used to estimate the modulus from ultrasonic measurements. A stronger correlation with mechanical measurements was found using the poroelastic rather than the elastic model. Results from this preliminary testing will be used to guide further studies of native and engineered cartilage. PMID:21773854

Modelling welded material for ultrasonic testing using MINA: Theory and applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moysan, J.; Corneloup, G.; Chassignole, B.; Gueudré, C.; Ploix, M. A.

2012-05-01

Austenitic steel multi-pass welds exhibit a heterogeneous and anisotropic structure that causes difficulties in the ultrasonic testing. Increasing the material knowledge is a long term research field for LCND laboratory and EDF Les Renardières in France. A specific model has been developed: the MINA model (Modelling an Isotropy from Notebook of Arc welding). Welded material is described in 2D for flat position arc welding with shielded electrode (SMAW) at a functional scale for UT modeling. The grain growth is the result of three physical phenomena: epitaxial growth, influence of temperature gradient, and competition between the grains. The model uses phenomenological rules to combine these three phenomena. A limited number of parameters is used to make the modelling possible from the information written down in a notebook of arc welding. We present all these principles with 10 years' hindsight. To illustrate the model's use, we present conclusions obtained with two recent applications. In conclusion we give also insights on other research topics around this model : inverse problem using a F.E.M. code simulating the ultrasonic propagation, in position welding, 3D prospects, GTAW.

Exploration of COTS Ultrasonic NDE Methods for ISS MMOD Impact Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Violette, Daniel P.; Koshti, Ajay; Stanley, David

2012-01-01

The high orbital speed of the International Space Station (ISS) has created a concern about Micro-Meteorite and Orbital Debris (MMOD). The possibility exists that such an impact could cause significant damage to the ISS pressure wall, and possibly lead to a pressure leak. This paper explores the potential of using commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) Ultrasonic Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDE) techniques in order to inspect and analyze MMOD impact damage if such an event would happen to occur. Different types of intra vehicular activity (IVA) Ultrasonic NDE equipment were evaluated, including the Olympus Omniscan MX and the General Electric Phasor XS. The equipment was tested by inspecting various aluminum standards and impact damage test plates in order to determine technological limitations of the equipment as well as the ease of use and availability of features. This study allowed for the design of scanning procedures in order to evaluate the extent of damage caused by an MMOD impact. Lastly, comparisons were drawn between the different pieces of COTS software and a recommendation is made based on each device s capability.

Further testing and development of simulation models for UT inspections of armor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Margetan, Frank J.; Richter, Nathaniel; Thompson, R. Bruce

2012-05-01

In previous work we introduced an approach for simulating ultrasonic pulse/echo immersion inspections of multi-layer armor panels. Model inputs include the thickness, density, velocity and attenuation of each armor layer, the focal properties of the transducer, and a measured calibration signal. The basic model output is a response-versus-time waveform (ultrasonic A-scan) which includes echoes from all interfaces including those arising from reverberations within layers. Such A-scans can be predicted both for unflawed panels and panels containing a large disbond at any given interface. In this paper we continue our testing of the simulation software, applying it now to an armor panel consisting of SiC ceramic tiles fully embedded in a titanium-alloy matrix. An interesting specimen of such armor became available in which some tile/metal interfaces appear to be well bonded, while others have disbonded areas of various sizes. We compare measured and predicted A-scans for UT inspections, and also demonstrate an extension of the model to predict ultrasonic C-scans over regions containing a small, isolated disbond.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lau, Sarah J.; Moore, David G.; Stair, Sarah L.

Ultrasonic analysis is being explored as a way to capture events during melting of highly dispersive wax. Typical events include temperature changes in the material, phase transition of the material, surface flows and reformations, and void filling as the material melts. Melt tests are performed with wax to evaluate the usefulness of different signal processing algorithms in capturing event data. Several algorithm paths are being pursued. The first looks at changes in the velocity of the signal through the material. This is only appropriate when the changes from one ultrasonic signal to the next can be represented by a linearmore » relationship, which is not always the case. The second tracks changes in the frequency content of the signal. The third algorithm tracks changes in the temporal moments of a signal over a full test. This method does not require that the changes in the signal be represented by a linear relationship, but attaching changes in the temporal moments to physical events can be difficult. This study describes the algorithm paths applied to experimental data from ultrasonic signals as wax melts and explores different ways to display the results.« less

The anxiolitic effects of BTG1640 and BTG1675A on ultrasonic isolation calls and locomotor activity of rat pups.

PubMed

Niculescu, M; Cagiano, R; Caprio, M; Damian, S; Boia, E; Vermesan, D; Tattoli, M; Haragus, H

2016-12-01

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the anxiolytic properties of the new isoxazoline compounds BTG1640 and BTG1675A in comparison with diazepam. We evaluated the ultrasonic distress emission in both sexes of neonatal rat pups (which seems to be a sensitive indicator of the rat emotional reactivity and represents a valuable tool to screen compounds with expected anxiolytic properties) and the locomotor activity in 30-day old rat pups. We found a significant reduction in the number of emitted ultrasonic calls only after i.p. administration of diazepam 1 mg/kg, while no significant reduction have been detected after i.p. administration of BTG 1640 and BTG 1675A. Furthermore, we found a significant reduction of locomotor activity in the first 10' of the test, only in the group treated with diazepam 0.1 mg. The tests validating the supposed anxiolytic properties of the new isoxazoline compounds BTG1640 and BTG1675A, in comparison with diazepam, gave negative results.

Evaluating the ready biodegradability of two poorly water-soluble substances: comparative approach of bioavailability improvement methods (BIMs).

PubMed

Sweetlove, Cyril; Chenèble, Jean-Charles; Barthel, Yves; Boualam, Marc; L'Haridon, Jacques; Thouand, Gérald

2016-09-01

Difficulties encountered in estimating the biodegradation of poorly water-soluble substances are often linked to their limited bioavailability to microorganisms. Many original bioavailability improvement methods (BIMs) have been described, but no global approach was proposed for a standardized comparison of these. The latter would be a valuable tool as part of a wider strategy for evaluating poorly water-soluble substances. The purpose of this study was to define an evaluation strategy following the assessment of different BIMs adapted to poorly water-soluble substances with ready biodegradability tests. The study was performed with two poorly water-soluble chemicals-a solid, anthraquinone, and a liquid, isodecyl neopentanoate-and five BIMs were compared to the direct addition method (reference method), i.e., (i) ultrasonic dispersion, (ii) adsorption onto silica gel, (iii) dispersion using an emulsifier, (iv) dispersion with silicone oil, and (v) dispersion with emulsifier and silicone oil. A two-phase evaluation strategy of solid and liquid chemicals was developed involving the selection of the most relevant BIMs for enhancing the biodegradability of tested substances. A description is given of a BIM classification ratio (R BIM), which enables a comparison to be made between the different test chemical sample preparation methods used in the various tests. Thereby, using this comparison, the BIMs giving rise to the greatest biodegradability were ultrasonic dispersion and dispersion with silicone oil or with silicone oil and emulsifier for the tested solid chemical, adsorption onto silica gel, and ultrasonic dispersion for the liquid one.

Multi-Source 3d Models Supporting Ultrasonic Test to Investigate AN Egyptian Sculpture of the Archaeological Museum in Bologna

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Di Pietra, V.; Donadio, E.; Picchi, D.; Sambuelli, L.; Spanò, A.

2017-02-01

The paper presents the workflow and the results of an ultrasonic 3D investigation and a 3D survey application aimed at the assessment of the internal integrity of an ancient sculpture. The work aimed at highlighting the ability of methods devoted to the 3D geometry acquisition of small objects when applied to diagnosis performed by geophysical investigation. In particular, two methods widely applied for small objects modelling are considered and compared, the digital Photogrammetry with the Structure from Motion (SFM) technique and hand-held 3D scanners. The study concludes with the aim to enhance the final graphical representation of the tomographic results and to subject the obtained results to a quantitative analysis. The survey is applied to the Egyptian naophorous statue of Amenmes and Reshpu, which dates to the reign of Ramses II (1279-1213 BC) or later and is now preserved in the Civic Archaeological Museum in Bologna. In order to evaluate the internal persistency of fractures and visible damages, a 3D Ultrasonic Tomographic Imaging (UTI) test has been performed and a multi-sensor survey (image and range based) was conducted, in order to evaluate the locations of the source and receiver points as accurate as possible The presented test allowed to evaluate the material characteristics, its porosity and degradation state, which particularly affect the lower part of the statue. More in general, the project demonstrated how solution coming from the field of 3D modelling of Cultural Heritage allow the application of 3D ultrasonic tomography also on objects with complex shapes, in addition to the improved representation of the obtained results.

1064-nm Nd:YAG and 980-nm Diode Laser EDTA Agitation on the Retention of an Epoxy-Based Sealer to Root Dentin.

PubMed

Macedo, Helena Suleiman de; Messias, Danielle Cristine Furtado; Rached-Júnior, Fuad Jacob; Oliveira, Ligia Teixeira de; Silva-Sousa, Yara Teresinha Correa; Raucci-Neto, Walter

2016-01-01

Root canal irrigants are used to minimize the negative effects of smear layer on endodontic sealer retention. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of agitation of 17% ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) with ultrasonic, 1064-nm Nd:YAG and 980-nm diode laser on the retention of an epoxy-based sealer to the root canal walls. Forty single-rooted bovine teeth were instrumented with ProTaper rotary system and divided into four groups according to the final irrigation protocol (n = 10): (1) 17% EDTA (control); (2) 17% EDTA with 50-s ultrasonic agitation; (3) 17% EDTA with 50-s diode laser (2-W) agitation; and (4) 17% EDTA with 50-s Nd:YAG (1.5-W) laser agitation. After endodontic filling with gutta-percha F5 master cone and Sealer 26, the roots were sectioned at the cervical, middle, and apical root thirds to obtain 1.5-mm slices. Push-out tests were performed using a universal testing machine at a 1 mm/min crosshead speed. Data were analyzed using two-way ANOVA and Tukey's tests (α=0.05). Apical root thirds had significant higher retention values than cervical and middle thirds (p < 0.05). EDTA with 1064-nm Nd:YAG or 980-nm diode laser presented the highest retention values and was significantly different from EDTA with ultrasonic agitation and EDTA only (p < 0.05). Adhesive failures were predominant to EDTA only group. Mixed failures were predominant to all agitation groups. 1064-nm Nd:YAG and 980-nm diode laser EDTA agitation enhanced the retention of the epoxy-based sealer to the root canal walls compared with that due to EDTA only or EDTA with ultrasonic agitation.

Selective interference with pacemaker activity by electrical dental devices.

PubMed

Miller, C S; Leonelli, F M; Latham, E

1998-01-01

We sought to determine whether electromagnetic interference with cardiac pacemakers occurs during the operation of contemporary electrical dental equipment. Fourteen electrical dental devices were tested in vitro for their ability to interfere with the function of two Medtronics cardiac pacemakers (one a dual-chamber, bipolar Thera 7942 pacemaker, the other a single-chamber, unipolar Minix 8340 pacemaker). Atrial and ventricular pacemaker output and electrocardiographic activity were monitored by means of telemetry with the use of a Medtronics 9760/90 programmer. Atrial and ventricular pacing were inhibited by electromagnetic interference produced by the electrosurgical unit up to a distance of 10 cm, by the ultrasonic bath cleaner up to 30 cm, and by the magnetorestrictive ultrasonic scalers up to 37.5 cm. In contrast, operation of the amalgamator, electric pulp tester, composite curing light, dental handpieces, electric toothbrush, microwave oven, dental chair and light, ENAC ultrasonic instrument, radiography unit, and sonic scaler did not alter pacing rate or rhythm. These results suggest that certain electrosurgical and ultrasonic instruments may produce deleterious effects in medically fragile patients with cardiac pacemakers.

Damage detection in composites using nonlinear ultrasonically modulated thermography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malfense Fierro, G.-P.; Dionysopoulos, D.; Meo, M.; Ciampa, F.

2018-03-01

This paper proposes a novel nonlinear ultrasonically stimulated thermography technique for a quick and reliable assessment of material damage in carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) composite materials. The proposed nondestructive evaluation (NDE) method requires narrow sweep ultrasonic excitation using contact piezoelectric transducers in order to identify dual excitation frequencies associated with the damage resonance. High-amplitude signals and higher harmonic generation are necessary conditions for an accurate identification of these two input frequencies. Dual periodic excitation using high- and low-frequency input signals was then performed in order to generate frictional heating at the crack location that was measured by an infrared (IR) camera. To validate this concept, an impact damaged CFRP composite panel was tested and the experimental results were compared with traditional flash thermography. A laser vibrometer was used to investigate the response of the material with dual frequency excitation. The proposed nonlinear ultrasonically modulated thermography successfully detected barely visible impact damage in CFRP composites. Hence, it can be considered as an alternative to traditional flash thermography and thermosonics by allowing repeatable detection of damage in composites.

Ultrasonic Monitoring of the Interaction between Cement Matrix and Alkaline Silicate Solution in Self-Healing Systems.

PubMed

Ait Ouarabi, Mohand; Antonaci, Paola; Boubenider, Fouad; Gliozzi, Antonio S; Scalerandi, Marco

2017-01-07

Alkaline solutions, such as sodium, potassium or lithium silicates, appear to be very promising as healing agents for the development of encapsulated self-healing concretes. However, the evolution of their mechanical and acoustic properties in time has not yet been completely clarified, especially regarding their behavior and related kinetics when they are used in the form of a thin layer in contact with a hardened cement matrix. This study aims to monitor, using linear and nonlinear ultrasonic methods, the evolution of a sodium silicate solution interacting with a cement matrix in the presence of localized cracks. The ultrasonic inspection via linear methods revealed that an almost complete recovery of the elastic and acoustic properties occurred within a few days of healing. The nonlinear ultrasonic measurements contributed to provide further insight into the kinetics of the recovery due to the presence of the healing agent. A good regain of mechanical performance was ascertained through flexural tests at the end of the healing process, confirming the suitability of sodium silicate as a healing agent for self-healing cementitious systems.

A high precision ultrasonic system for vibration measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Young, M. S.; Li, Y. C.

1992-11-01

A microcomputer-aided ultrasonic system that can be used to measure the vibratory displacements of an object is presented. A pair of low cost 40-kHz ultrasonic transducers is used to transmit ultrasound toward an object and receive the ultrasound reflected from the object. The relative motion of the object modulates the phase angle difference between the transmitted and received ultrasound signals. A single-chip microcomputer-based phase detector was designed to record and analyze the phase shift information which is then sent to a PC-AT microcomputer for processing. We have developed an ingenious method to reconstruct the relative motion of an object from the acquired data of the phase difference changes. A digital plotter based experiment was also designed for testing the performance of the whole system. The measured accuracy of the system in the reported experiments is within +/- 0.4 mm and the theoretical maximal measurable speed of the object is 89.6 cm/s. The main advantages of this ultrasonic vibration measurement system are high resolution, low cost, noncontact measurement, and easy installation.

Ultrasonic velocity profiling rheometry based on a widened circular Couette flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shiratori, Takahisa; Tasaka, Yuji; Oishi, Yoshihiko; Murai, Yuichi

2015-08-01

We propose a new rheometry for characterizing the rheological properties of fluids. The technique produces flow curves, which represent the relationship between the fluid shear rate and shear stress. Flow curves are obtained by measuring the circumferential velocity distribution of tested fluids in a circular Couette system, using an ultrasonic velocity profiling technique. By adopting a widened gap of concentric cylinders, a designed range of the shear rate is obtained so that velocity profile measurement along a single line directly acquires flow curves. To reduce the effect of ultrasonic noise on resultant flow curves, several fitting functions and variable transforms are examined to best approximate the velocity profile without introducing a priori rheological models. Silicone oil, polyacrylamide solution, and yogurt were used to evaluate the applicability of this technique. These substances are purposely targeted as examples of Newtonian fluids, shear thinning fluids, and opaque fluids with unknown rheological properties, respectively. We find that fourth-order Chebyshev polynomials provide the most accurate representation of flow curves in the context of model-free rheometry enabled by ultrasonic velocity profiling.

Use of ultrasonic array method for positioning multiple partial discharge sources in transformer oil.

PubMed

Xie, Qing; Tao, Junhan; Wang, Yongqiang; Geng, Jianghai; Cheng, Shuyi; Lü, Fangcheng

2014-08-01

Fast and accurate positioning of partial discharge (PD) sources in transformer oil is very important for the safe, stable operation of power systems because it allows timely elimination of insulation faults. There is usually more than one PD source once an insulation fault occurs in the transformer oil. This study, which has both theoretical and practical significance, proposes a method of identifying multiple PD sources in the transformer oil. The method combines the two-sided correlation transformation algorithm in the broadband signal focusing and the modified Gerschgorin disk estimator. The method of classification of multiple signals is used to determine the directions of arrival of signals from multiple PD sources. The ultrasonic array positioning method is based on the multi-platform direction finding and the global optimization searching. Both the 4 × 4 square planar ultrasonic sensor array and the ultrasonic array detection platform are built to test the method of identifying and positioning multiple PD sources. The obtained results verify the validity and the engineering practicability of this method.

A study of PC-based ultrasonic goniometer system of surface properties and characterization of materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sani, S.; Saad, M. H. Md; Jamaludin, N.; Ismail, M. P.; Mohd, S.; Mustapha, I.; Masenwat, N. A.; Tengku Amran, T. S.; Megat Ahmad, M. H. A.

2018-01-01

This paper discussed the design and development of a portable PC-based ultrasonic goniometer system that can be used to study material properties using ultrasonic wave. The system utilizes an ultrasonic pulse-receiver card model attached to computer notebook for signal display. A new specific software package (GoNIO) was developed to control the operation of the scanner, displaying the data and analyze characteristics of materials. System testing was carried out using samples with cubic dimension of about 10 mm x 20 mm x 30 mm. This size allows the sample to be fitted into the goniometer specimen holder and immersed in a liquid during measurement. The sample was rotated from incident angle of 0° to 90° during measurement and the amplitude reflected signals were recorded at every one degree of rotation. Immersion transducers were used to generate and receive the ultrasounds that pass through the samples. Longitudinal, shear and Rayleigh wave measurements were performed on the samples to determine the Dynamic Young’s Modulus. Results of measurements are explained and discussed.

Ultrasonic extraction, antioxidant and anticancer activities of novel polysaccharides from Chuanxiong rhizome.

PubMed

Hu, Jie; Jia, Xuejing; Fang, Xiaobin; Li, Peng; He, Chengwei; Chen, Meiwan

2016-04-01

Ultrasonic-assisted extraction technology was employed to prepare Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort polysaccharide. Single factor test and orthogonal experimental design were used to optimize the extraction conditions. The results showed that the optimal extraction conditions consisted of ultrasonic temperature of 80°C, ultrasonic time of 40 min and water to raw material ratio of 30 mL/g. Three novel polysaccharides fractions, LCX0, LCX1 and LCX2, were isolated and purified from the crude polysaccharides using DEAE-52 cellulose and Sephadex G-100 column chromatography. The molecular weight and monosaccharide composition of three LCX polysaccharides fractions were analyzed with gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and HPLC analysis, respectively. Furthermore, the antioxidant and in vitro anticancer activities of the polysaccharides were investigated. Compared with LCX0, LCX2 and LCX1 showed relative higher antioxidant activity and inhibitory activity to the growth of HepG2, SMMC7721, A549 and HCT-116 cells. It is suggested that the novel polysaccharides from rhizome of L. chuanxiong could be promising bioactive macromolecules for biomedical use. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Headspace, volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds diversity and radical scavenging activity of ultrasonic solvent extracts from Amorpha fruticosa honey samples.

PubMed

Jerković, Igor; Marijanović, Zvonimir; Kezić, Janja; Gugić, Mirko

2009-07-27

Volatile organic compounds of Amorpha fruticosa honey samples were isolated by headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and ultrasonic solvent extraction (USE), followed by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry analyses (GC, GC-MS), in order to obtain complementary data for overall characterization of the honey aroma. The headspace of the honey was dominated by 2-phenylethanol (38.3-58.4%), while other major compounds were trans- and cis-linalool oxides, benzaldehyde and benzyl alcohol. 2-Phenylethanol (10.5-16.8%) and methyl syringate (5.8-8.2%) were the major compounds of ultrasonic solvent extracts, with an array of small percentages of linalool, benzene and benzoic acid derivatives, aliphatic hydrocarbons and alcohols, furan derivatives and others. The scavenging ability of the series of concentrations of the honey ultrasonic solvent extracts and the corresponding honey samples was tested by a DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) assay. Approximately 25 times lower concentration ranges (up to 2 g/L) of the extracts exhibited significantly higher free radical scavenging potential with respect to the honey samples.

Effects of Ultrasonic Vibration on Heat Transfer Characteristics of Lithium Bromide Aqueous Solution under the Reduced Pressure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamashiro, Hikaru; Nakashima, Ryou

The effects of ultrasonic vibration on heat transfer characteristics of lithium bromide aqueous solution under the reduced pressures are studied experimentally. Pool boiling curves on horizontal smooth tube are obtained using distilled water and 50 % LiBr aqueous solution as test liquids. The system pressure p is varied from 12 to 101 kPa and the liquid subcooling ΔTsub ranges from 0 to 70 K. The frequency of ultrasonic vibration vi s set at 24 and 44 kHz, and the power input to the vibrator P is varied from 0 to 35 W. The wall superheat at the boiling incipience is found to decrease with increasing P, and the nucleate boiling curve shifts toward the lower wall temperature region. However, the effect of P is not found to be very significant in the high heat flux region, especially in the case of small liquid subcooling. Ultrasonic vibration is also found to improve the nucleate boiling heat transfer coefficient by up to a maximum of 3.5 times and to prevent crystallization of the solution and precipitation of additives.

Ultrasound-assisted extraction of water-soluble polysaccharides from the roots of valerian (Valeriana officinalis L.).

PubMed

Hromádková, Z; Ebringerová, A; Valachovic, P

2002-01-01

The insoluble plant residues, obtained after preparation of medicinal tinctures from the roots of valerian (Valeriana officinalis L.) by classical and ultrasound-assisted extraction with aqueous ethanol in a pilot plant, were subsequently treated with hot water to isolate the accessible polysaccharide cell wall components. At almost equal amounts of the hot-water extractable material, the yields of the recovered polysaccharides were lower in the ultrasonical experiment. This is due to the fact that a part of accessible polysaccharides were already solubilised by the aqueous ethanol and recoverable from the medicinal tincture. Therefore, the net yield of extracted polysaccharides was enhanced in the ultrasonical procedure. This fact as well as the sugar composition and structural features of the isolated polysaccharides suggest that ultrasonication have attacked the integrity of cell walls, released and degraded its most accessible polysaccharides (pectic polysaccharides and starch) and increased also the extractibility of its less accessible components--xylan, mannan and glucan. The water-soluble polysaccharide fractions from both the conventional and ultrasonical experiments exhibit significant immunostimulatory activities in mitogenic and comitogenic thymocyte tests.

Linear ultrasonic motor for absolute gravimeter.

PubMed

Jian, Yue; Yao, Zhiyuan; Silberschmidt, Vadim V

2017-05-01

Thanks to their compactness and suitability for vacuum applications, linear ultrasonic motors are considered as substitutes for classical electromagnetic motors as driving elements in absolute gravimeters. Still, their application is prevented by relatively low power output. To overcome this limitation and provide better stability, a V-type linear ultrasonic motor with a new clamping method is proposed for a gravimeter. In this paper, a mechanical model of stators with flexible clamping components is suggested, according to a design criterion for clamps of linear ultrasonic motors. After that, an effect of tangential and normal rigidity of the clamping components on mechanical output is studied. It is followed by discussion of a new clamping method with sufficient tangential rigidity and a capability to facilitate pre-load. Additionally, a prototype of the motor with the proposed clamping method was fabricated and the performance tests in vertical direction were implemented. Experimental results show that the suggested motor has structural stability and high dynamic performance, such as no-load speed of 1.4m/s and maximal thrust of 43N, meeting the requirements for absolute gravimeters. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Antiproliferative activity of Curcuma phaeocaulis Valeton extract using ultrasonic assistance and response surface methodology.

PubMed

Wang, Xiaoqin; Jiang, Ying; Hu, Daode

2017-01-02

The objective of the study was to optimize the ultrasonic-assisted extraction of curdione, furanodienone, curcumol, and germacrone from Curcuma phaeocaulis Valeton (Val.) and investigate the antiproliferative activity of the extract. Under the suitable high-performance liquid chromatography condition, the calibration curves for these four tested compounds showed high levels of linearity and the recoveries of these four compounds were between 97.9 and 104.3%. Response surface methodology (RSM) combining central composite design and desirability function (DF) was used to define optimal extraction parameters. The results of RSM and DF revealed that the optimum conditions were obtained as 8 mL g -1 for liquid-solid ratio, 70% ethanol concentration, and 20 min of ultrasonic time. It was found that the surface structures of the sonicated herbal materials were fluffy and irregular. The C. phaeocaulis Val. extract significantly inhibited the proliferation of RKO and HT-29 cells in vitro. The results reveal that the RSM can be effectively used for optimizing the ultrasonic-assisted extraction of bioactive components from C. phaeocaulis Val. for antiproliferative activity.

Ultrasonic Scattering Measurements of a Live Single Cell at 86 MHz

PubMed Central

Lee, Changyang; Jung, Hayong; Lam, Kwok Ho; Yoon, Changhan; Shung, K. Kirk

2016-01-01

Cell separation and sorting techniques have been employed biomedical applications such as cancer diagnosis and cell gene expression analysis. The capability to accurately measure ultrasonic scattering properties from cells is crucial in making an ultrasonic cell sorter a reality if ultrasound scattering is to be used as the sensing mechanism as well. To assess the performance of sensing and identifying live single cells with high-frequency ultrasound, an 86-MHz lithium niobate press-focused single-element acoustic transducer was used in a high-frequency ultrasound scattering measurement system that was custom designed and developed for minimizing noise and allowing better mobility. Peak-to-peak echo amplitude, integrated backscatter (IB) coefficient, spectral parameters including spectral slope and intercept, and midband fit from spectral analysis of the backscattered echoes were measured and calculated from a live single cell of two different types on an agar surface: leukemia cells (K562 cells) and red blood cells (RBCs). The amplitudes of echo signals from K562 cells and RBCs were 48.25 ± 11.98 mVpp and 56.97 ± 7.53 mVpp, respectively. The IB coefficient was −89.39 ± 2.44 dB for K562 cells and −89.00 ± 1.19 dB for RBCs. The spectral slope and intercept were 0.30 ± 0.19 dB/MHz and −56.07 ± 17.17 dB, respectively, for K562 cells and 0.78 ± 0.092 dB/MHz and −98.18 ± 8.80 dB, respectively, for RBCs. Midband fits of K562 cells and RBCs were −31.02 ± 3.04 dB and −33.51 ± 1.55 dB, respectively. Acoustic cellular discrimination via these parameters was tested by Student’s t-test. Their values, except for the IB value, showed statistically significant difference (p < 0.001). This paper reports for the first time that ultrasonic scattering measurements can be made on a live single cell with a highly focused high-frequency ultrasound microbeam at 86 MHz. These results also suggest the feasibility of ultrasonic scattering as a sensing mechanism in the development of ultrasonic cell sorters. PMID:26559626

Evaluation of Early-Age Concrete Compressive Strength with Ultrasonic Sensors.

PubMed

Yoon, Hyejin; Kim, Young Jin; Kim, Hee Seok; Kang, Jun Won; Koh, Hyun-Moo

2017-08-07

Surface wave velocity measurement of concrete using ultrasonic sensors requires testing on only one side of a member. Thus, it is applicable to concrete cast inside a form and is often used to detect flaws and evaluate the compressive strength of hardened concrete. Predicting the in situ concrete strength at a very early stage inside the form helps with determining the appropriate form removal time and reducing construction time and costs. In this paper, the feasibility of using surface wave velocities to predict the strength of in situ concrete inside the form at a very early stage was evaluated. Ultrasonic sensors were used to measure a series of surface waves for concrete inside a form in the first 24 h after placement. A continuous wavelet transform was used to compute the travel time of the propagating surface waves. The cylindrical compressive strength and penetration resistance tests were also performed during the test period. Four mixtures and five curing temperatures were used for the specimens. The surface wave velocity was confirmed to be applicable to estimating the concrete strength at a very early age in wall-like elements. An empirical formula is proposed for evaluating the early-age compressive strength of concrete considering the 95% prediction intervals.

Evaluation of Early-Age Concrete Compressive Strength with Ultrasonic Sensors

PubMed Central

Yoon, Hyejin; Kim, Young Jin; Kim, Hee Seok; Kang, Jun Won; Koh, Hyun-Moo

2017-01-01

Surface wave velocity measurement of concrete using ultrasonic sensors requires testing on only one side of a member. Thus, it is applicable to concrete cast inside a form and is often used to detect flaws and evaluate the compressive strength of hardened concrete. Predicting the in situ concrete strength at a very early stage inside the form helps with determining the appropriate form removal time and reducing construction time and costs. In this paper, the feasibility of using surface wave velocities to predict the strength of in situ concrete inside the form at a very early stage was evaluated. Ultrasonic sensors were used to measure a series of surface waves for concrete inside a form in the first 24 h after placement. A continuous wavelet transform was used to compute the travel time of the propagating surface waves. The cylindrical compressive strength and penetration resistance tests were also performed during the test period. Four mixtures and five curing temperatures were used for the specimens. The surface wave velocity was confirmed to be applicable to estimating the concrete strength at a very early age in wall-like elements. An empirical formula is proposed for evaluating the early-age compressive strength of concrete considering the 95% prediction intervals. PMID:28783128

A Canopy Density Model for Planar Orchard Target Detection Based on Ultrasonic Sensors

PubMed Central

Li, Hanzhe; Zhai, Changyuan; Weckler, Paul; Wang, Ning; Yang, Shuo; Zhang, Bo

2016-01-01

Orchard target-oriented variable rate spraying is an effective method to reduce pesticide drift and excessive residues. To accomplish this task, the orchard targets’ characteristic information is needed to control liquid flow rate and airflow rate. One of the most important characteristics is the canopy density. In order to establish the canopy density model for a planar orchard target which is indispensable for canopy density calculation, a target density detection testing system was developed based on an ultrasonic sensor. A time-domain energy analysis method was employed to analyze the ultrasonic signal. Orthogonal regression central composite experiments were designed and conducted using man-made canopies of known density with three or four layers of leaves. Two model equations were obtained, of which the model for the canopies with four layers was found to be the most reliable. A verification test was conducted with different layers at the same density values and detecting distances. The test results showed that the relative errors of model density values and actual values of five, four, three and two layers of leaves were acceptable, while the maximum relative errors were 17.68%, 25.64%, 21.33% and 29.92%, respectively. It also suggested the model equation with four layers had a good applicability with different layers which increased with adjacent layers. PMID:28029132

Low sidelobe level and high time resolution for metallic ultrasonic testing with linear-chirp-Golay coded excitation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Jiaying; Gang, Tie; Ye, Chaofeng; Cong, Sen

2018-04-01

Linear-chirp-Golay (LCG)-coded excitation combined with pulse compression is proposed in this paper to improve the time resolution and suppress sidelobe in ultrasonic testing. The LCG-coded excitation is binary complementary pair Golay signal with linear-chirp signal applied on every sub pulse. Compared with conventional excitation which is a common ultrasonic testing method using a brief narrow pulse as exciting signal, the performances of LCG-coded excitation, in terms of time resolution improvement and sidelobe suppression, are studied via numerical and experimental investigations. The numerical simulations are implemented using Matlab K-wave toolbox. It is seen from the simulation results that time resolution of LCG excitation is 35.5% higher and peak sidelobe level (PSL) is 57.6 dB lower than linear-chirp excitation with 2.4 MHz chirp bandwidth and 3 μs time duration. In the B-scan experiment, time resolution of LCG excitation is higher and PSL is lower than conventional brief pulse excitation and chirp excitation. In terms of time resolution, LCG-coded signal has better performance than chirp signal. Moreover, the impact of chirp bandwidth on LCG-coded signal is less than that on chirp signal. In addition, the sidelobe of LCG-coded signal is lower than that of chirp signal with pulse compression.

On the Piezoelectric Detection of Guided Ultrasonic Waves

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

In order to quantify the wave motion of guided ultrasonic waves, the characteristics of piezoelectric detectors, or ultrasonic transducers and acoustic emission sensors, have been evaluated systematically. Such guided waves are widely used in structural health monitoring and nondestructive evaluation, but methods of calibrating piezoelectric detectors have been inadequate. This study relied on laser interferometry for the base displacement measurement of bar waves, from which eight different guided wave test set-ups are developed with known wave motion using piezoelectric transmitters. Both plates and bars of 12.7 and 6.4 mm thickness were used as wave propagation media. The upper frequency limit was 2 MHz. Output of guided wave detectors were obtained on the test set-ups and their receiving sensitivities were characterized and averaged. While each sensitivity spectrum was noisy for a detector, the averaged spectrum showed a good convergence to a unique receiving sensitivity. Twelve detectors were evaluated and their sensitivity spectra determined in absolute units. Generally, these showed rapidly dropping sensitivity with increasing frequency due to waveform cancellation on their sensing areas. This effect contributed to vastly different sensitivities to guided wave and to normally incident wave for each one of the 12 detectors tested. Various other effects are discussed and recommendations on methods of implementing the approach developed are provided. PMID:29156579

Ultrasonic immersion probes characterization for use in nondestructive testing according to EN 12668-2:2001

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silva, C. E. R.; Alvarenga, A. V.; Costa-Felix, R. P. B.

2011-02-01

Ultrasound is often used as a Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) technique to analyze components and structures to detect internal and surface flaws. To guarantee reliable measurements, it is necessary to calibrate instruments and properly assess related uncertainties. An important device of an ultrasonic instrument system is its probe, which characterization should be performed according to EN 12668-2. Concerning immersion probes beam profile, the parameters to be assessed are beam divergence, focal distance, width, and zone length. Such parameters are determined by scanning a reflector or a hydrophone throughout the transducer beam. Within the present work, a methodology developed at Inmetro's Laboratory of Ultrasound to evaluate relevant beam parameters is presented, based on hydrophone scan. Water bath and positioning system to move the hydrophone were used to perform the scan. Studied probes were excited by a signal generator, and the waterborne signals were detected by the hydrophone and acquired using an oscilloscope. A user-friendly virtual instrument was developed in LabVIEW to automate the system. The initial tests were performed using 1 and 2.25 MHz-ultrasonic unfocused probes (Ø 1.27 cm), and results were consistent with the manufacturer's specifications. Moreover, expanded uncertainties were lower than 6% for all parameters under consideration.

Study of ultrasonic thermometry based on ultrasonic time-of-flight measurement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jia, Ruixi; Xiong, Qingyu; Wang, Lijie; Wang, Kai; Shen, Xuehua; Liang, Shan; Shi, Xin

2016-03-01

Ultrasonic thermometry is a kind of acoustic pyrometry and it has been evolving as a new temperature measurement technology for various environment. However, the accurate measurement of the ultrasonic time-of-flight is the key for ultrasonic thermometry. In this paper, we study the ultrasonic thermometry technique based on ultrasonic time-of-flight measurement with a pair of ultrasonic transducers for transmitting and receiving signal. The ultrasonic transducers are installed in a single path which ultrasonic travels. In order to validate the performance of ultrasonic thermometry, we make a contrast about the absolute error between the measured temperature value and the practical one. With and without heater source, the experimental results indicate ultrasonic thermometry has high precision of temperature measurement.

Influence of the Ultrasonic Power Applied on Freeze Drying Kinetics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brines, C.; Mulet, A.; García-Pérez, J. V.; Riera, E.; Cárcel, J. A.

The atmospheric freeze drying (AFD) constitutes an interesting alternative to vacuum freeze drying providing products with similar quality at lowest cost. However, the long process time needed represent an important drawback. In this sense, the application of high intensity ultrasound can enhance heat and mass transfer and intensify the operation. In hot air drying operation, the ultrasonic effects are dependent on the process variables such as air velocity, internal sample structure or ultrasonic power applied. However, in AFD processes, the internal structure of material or the air velocity has not significant influence on the magnitude of ultrasonic effects. The aim of this work was to determine the influence on drying kinetics of the ultrasonic power applied during the AFD of apple. For that purpose, AFD experiments (-10 °C, 2 m/s and 15% relative humidity) of apple slabs (cv. Granny Smith, 30 x 30 x 10 mm) were carried out with ultrasound application (21 kHz) at different power levels (0, 10.3, 20.5 and 30.8 kW/m3). The drying kinetics was obtained from the initial moisture content and the weight evolution of samples during drying. Experimental results showed a significant (p<0.05) influence of the ultrasound application on drying. Thus, drying time was shorter as higher the ultrasonic power applied. From modeling, it was observed that the effective diffusion coefficient identified was 4.8 times higher when ultrasound was applied at the lowest power tested (10.3 kW/m3) that illustrated the high intensification potential of ultrasound application in the AFD.

Highway Vehicle Retrofit Evaluation : Phase 2. Report. Testing and Final Evaluation Results.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1976-11-01

This report presents the results of engine dynamometer and vehicle chassis dynamometer tests conducted with selected automotive retrofit devices in the classes of ultrasonic carburetors, high-velocity intake manifolds, tuned exhaust systems, and high...

Ultrasonic speech translator and communications system

DOEpatents

Akerman, M.A.; Ayers, C.W.; Haynes, H.D.

1996-07-23

A wireless communication system undetectable by radio frequency methods for converting audio signals, including human voice, to electronic signals in the ultrasonic frequency range, transmitting the ultrasonic signal by way of acoustical pressure waves across a carrier medium, including gases, liquids, or solids, and reconverting the ultrasonic acoustical pressure waves back to the original audio signal. The ultrasonic speech translator and communication system includes an ultrasonic transmitting device and an ultrasonic receiving device. The ultrasonic transmitting device accepts as input an audio signal such as human voice input from a microphone or tape deck. The ultrasonic transmitting device frequency modulates an ultrasonic carrier signal with the audio signal producing a frequency modulated ultrasonic carrier signal, which is transmitted via acoustical pressure waves across a carrier medium such as gases, liquids or solids. The ultrasonic receiving device converts the frequency modulated ultrasonic acoustical pressure waves to a frequency modulated electronic signal, demodulates the audio signal from the ultrasonic carrier signal, and conditions the demodulated audio signal to reproduce the original audio signal at its output. 7 figs.

Investigation of the visible light photocatalytic activity of BiVO4 prepared by sol gel method assisted by ultrasonication.

PubMed

Deebasree, J P; Maheskumar, V; Vidhya, B

2018-07-01

Visible light induced photocatalyst BiVO 4 with monoclinic scheelite structure has been synthesised via sol gel method assisted by ultrasonication. The prepared samples were characterised using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), UV-Vis diffused reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) techniques. The photocatalytic efficiency was evaluated by decolourisation of MB under visible light irradiation. The effect of ultrasound output power on the properties of BiVO 4 during and after preparation by sol-gel method has been compared with normal agitated sample (As prepared). The power of ultrasonic vibration has been varied and an ideal output power which yields better catalytic efficiency is determined. BiVO 4 sonicated with 80 W during preparation 80 W (D) exhibited relatively high surface area, better surface morphology and better catalytic efficiency compared to other samples which were sonicated with 100, 160 and 200 W. The results signify that the photodegradation rate of BiVO 4 80 W (D) sample is high up to 96% in 90 min compared to other samples. Change in morphology leading to better catalytic efficiency was obtained just by exposing the sample to ultrasonic radiation without addition of any surfactant. The recovery test showed that the sample was stable for four consecutive cycles. Using radical test, a reasonable mechanism for photodegradation has been proposed. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Pulsed infrared thermography for assessment of ultrasonic welds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McGovern, Megan E.; Rinker, Teresa J.; Sekol, Ryan C.

2018-03-01

Battery packs are a critical component in electric vehicles. During pack assembly, the battery cell tab and busbar are ultrasonically welded. The properties of the welds ultimately affect battery pack durability. Quality inspection of these welds is important to ensure durable battery packs. Pack failure is detrimental economically and could also pose a safety hazard, such as thermal runaway. Ultrasonic welds are commonly checked by measuring electrical resistance or auditing using destructive mechanical testing. Resistance measurements are quick, but sensitive to set-up changes. Destructive testing cannot represent the entire weld set. It is possible for a weak weld to satisfy the electrical requirement check, because only sufficient contact between the tabs and busbar is required to yield a low resistance measurement. Laboratory techniques are often not suitable for inline inspection, as they may be time-consuming, use couplant, or are only suitable for coupons. The complex surface geometry also poses difficulties for conventional nondestructive techniques. A method for inspection of ultrasonic welds is proposed using pulsed infrared thermography to identify discrepant welds in a manufacturing environment. Thermal measurements of welds were compared to electrical and mechanical measurements. The heat source distribution was calculated to obtain thermal images with high temporal and spatial resolution. All discrepant welds were readily identifiable using two thermographic techniques: pixel counting and the gradient image. A positive relationship between pixel count and mechanical strength was observed. The results demonstrate the potential of pulsed thermography for inline inspection, which can complement, or even replace, conventional electrical resistance measurements.

Attenuation of social interaction-associated ultrasonic vocalizations and spatial working memory performance in rats exposed to chronic unpredictable stress.

PubMed

Riaz, Muhammad S; Bohlen, Martin O; Gunter, Barak W; Quentin, Henry; Stockmeier, Craig A; Paul, Ian A

2015-12-01

Exposure to unpredictable chronic mild stress (CUS) is a commonly used protocol in rats that is reported to evoke antidepressant-reversible behaviors such as loss of preference for a sweetened water solution which is taken as an analog of the anhedonia seen in major depression. However, the induction of anhedonic-like behavior by chronic mild stress, gauged by an animal's preference for sucrose solution, is not fully reproducible and consistent across laboratories. In this study, we compared a widely used behavioral marker of anhedonia - the sucrose preference test, with another phenotypic marker of emotional valence, social interaction-associated ultrasonic vocalizations as well as a marker of an anxiety-like phenotype, novelty-suppressed feeding, and cognitive performance in the eight arm radial maze task in adult male Sprague-Dawley rats. Chronic four-week exposure to unpredictable mild stressors resulted in 1) attenuation of social interaction-associated ultrasonic vocalizations 2) attenuation of spatial memory performance on the radial arm maze 3) attenuation of body weight gain and 4) increased latency to feed in a novelty-suppressed feeding task. However, chronic exposure to CUS did not result in any significant change in sucrose preference at one-week and three-week intervals. Our results argue for the utility of ultrasonic vocalizations in a social interaction context as a comparable alternative or adjunct to the sucrose preference test in determining the efficacy of CUS to generate an anhedonic-like phenotypic state. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Aging Wire Insulation Assessment by Phase Spectrum Examination of Ultrasonic Guided Waves

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anastasi, Robert F.; Madaras, Eric I.

2003-01-01

Wire integrity has become an area of concern to the aerospace community including DoD, NASA, FAA, and Industry. Over time and changing environmental conditions, wire insulation can become brittle and crack. The cracks expose the wire conductor and can be a source of equipment failure, short circuits, smoke, and fire. The technique of using the ultrasonic phase spectrum to extract material properties of the insulation is being examined. Ultrasonic guided waves will propagate in both the wire conductor and insulation. Assuming the condition of the conductor remains constant then the stiffness of the insulator can be determined by measuring the ultrasonic guided wave velocity. In the phase spectrum method the guided wave velocity is obtained by transforming the time base waveform to the frequency domain and taking the phase difference between two waveforms. The result can then be correlated with a database, derived by numerical model calculations, to extract material properties of the wire insulator. Initial laboratory tests were performed on a simple model consisting of a solid cylinder and then a solid cylinder with a polymer coating. For each sample the flexural mode waveform was identified. That waveform was then transformed to the frequency domain and a phase spectrum was calculated from a pair of waveforms. Experimental results on the simple model compared well to numerical calculations. Further tests were conducted on aircraft or mil-spec wire samples, to see if changes in wire insulation stiffness can be extracted using the phase spectrum technique.

Using Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing in Lieu of Radiography for Acceptance of Carbon Steel Piping Welds

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Moran, Traci L.; Anderson, Michael T.; Cinson, Anthony D.

2014-08-01

The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is conducting studies for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to assess the capability, effectiveness, and reliability of ultrasonic testing (UT) as a replacement method for radiographic testing (RT) for volumetric examination of nuclear power plant (NPP) components. This particular study focused on evaluating the use of UT on carbon steel plate welds. Welding fabrication flaws included a combination of planar and volumetric types, e.g., incomplete fusion, lack of penetration, cracks, porosity, and slag inclusions. The examinations were conducted using phased-array (PA) UT techniques applied primarily for detection and flaw type characterization. This papermore » will discuss the results of using UT in lieu of RT for detection and classification of fabrication flaws in carbon steel plate welds.« less

Pressure Dependences of Elastic Constants of AMg6 Aluminum-Magnesium Alloy and n-AMg6/C60 Nanocomposite Alloy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prokhorov, V. M.; Gromnitskaya, E. L.

2018-04-01

The ultrasonic study results for dependence of the elastic wave velocities and second-order elasticity coefficients of the polycrystalline aluminum alloy AMg6 and its nanocomposite n-AMg6/C60 on hydrostatic pressure up to 1.6 GPa have been described. The ultrasonic research has been carried out using a highpressure ultrasonic piezometer based on the piston-cylinder device. The pressure derivatives of the secondorder elastic constants of these materials established in the present study have been compared with the results of the third-order elastic constants measurements of the test alloys using the Thurston-Brugger method. Involving available literature data, we determined the relationships between the pressure derivatives of the second-order elastic constants of the AMg6 alloy and the Mg-content and nanostructuring.

Mechanics aspects of NDE by sound and ultrasound

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fu, L. S.

1982-01-01

Nondestructive evaluation (NDE) is considered as a means to detect the energy release mechanism of defects and the interaction of microstructures within materials with sound waves and/or ultrasonic waves. Ultrasonic inspection involves the frequency range 20 kHz-1 GHz with amplitudes depending on the sensitivity of the test instrumentation. Pulse echo systems are most frequently used in NDE. Information is extracted from the signals through measurements of the signal velocity, attenuation, the acoustic emission when stress is applied, and calculation of the acoustoelastic coefficients. Fracture properties, tensile and shear strengths, the interlaminar shear strength, the cohesive strength, yield and impact strengths, the hardness, and the residual stress can be assayed by ultrasonic methods. Finally, attention is given to analytical treatment of the derived data, with mention given to transition matrix, integral equation, and eigenstrain approaches.

Energy shadowing correction of ultrasonic pulse-echo records by digital signal processing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kishonio, D.; Heyman, J. S.

1985-01-01

A numerical algorithm is described that enables the correction of energy shadowing during the ultrasonic testing of bulk materials. In the conventional method, an ultrasonic transducer transmits sound waves into a material that is immersed in water so that discontinuities such as defects can be revealed when the waves are reflected and then detected and displayed graphically. Since a defect that lies behind another defect is shadowed in that it receives less energy, the conventional method has a major drawback. The algorithm normalizes the energy of the incoming wave by measuring the energy of the waves reflected off the water/air interface. The algorithm is fast and simple enough to be adopted for real time applications in industry. Images of material defects with the shadowing corrections permit more quantitative interpretation of the material state.

Model-Based IN SITU Parameter Estimation of Ultrasonic Guided Waves in AN Isotropic Plate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hall, James S.; Michaels, Jennifer E.

2010-02-01

Most ultrasonic systems employing guided waves for flaw detection require information such as dispersion curves, transducer locations, and expected propagation loss. Degraded system performance may result if assumed parameter values do not accurately reflect the actual environment. By characterizing the propagating environment in situ at the time of test, potentially erroneous a priori estimates are avoided and performance of ultrasonic guided wave systems can be improved. A four-part model-based algorithm is described in the context of previous work that estimates model parameters whereby an assumed propagation model is used to describe the received signals. This approach builds upon previous work by demonstrating the ability to estimate parameters for the case of single mode propagation. Performance is demonstrated on signals obtained from theoretical dispersion curves, finite element modeling, and experimental data.

Nondestructive assessment of waveguides using an integrated electromechanical impedance and ultrasonic waves approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nasrollahi, Amir; Ma, Zhaoyun; Rizzo, Piervincenzo

2017-04-01

In this paper we present a structural health monitoring (SHM) paradigm based on the simultaneous use of ultrasounds and electromechanical impedance (EMI) to monitor waveguides. The paradigm uses guided ultrasonic waves (GUWs) in pitch-catch mode and EMI simultaneously. The two methodologies are driven by the same sensing/hardware/software unit. To assess the feasibility of this unified system an aluminum plate was monitored for varying damage location. Damage was simulated by adding small masses to the plate. The results associated with pitch-catch GUW testing mode were used in ultrasonic tomography, and statistical analysis was used to detect the damages using the EMI measurements. The results of GUW and EMI monitoring show that the proposed system is robust and can be developed further to address the challenges associated with the SHM of complex structures.

Porosity estimation of aged mortar using a micromechanical model.

PubMed

Hernández, M G; Anaya, J J; Sanchez, T; Segura, I

2006-12-22

Degradation of concrete structures located in high humidity atmospheres or under flowing water is a very important problem. In this study, a method for ultrasonic non-destructive characterization in aged mortar is presented. The proposed method makes a prediction of the behaviour of aged mortar accomplished with a three phase micromechanical model using ultrasonic measurements. Aging mortar was accelerated by immersing the probes in ammonium nitrate solution. Both destructive and non-destructive characterization of mortar was performed. Destructive tests of porosity were performed using a vacuum saturation method and non-destructive characterization was carried out using ultrasonic velocities. Aging experiments show that mortar degradation not only involves a porosity increase, but also microstructural changes in the cement matrix. Experimental results show that the estimated porosity using the proposed non-destructive methodology had a comparable performance to classical destructive techniques.

NonDestructive Evaluation for Industrial & Development Applications

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hunter, James F.

2016-10-12

Provide overview of weld inspection for Non-Destructive Testing at LANL. This includes radiography (RT/DR/CR/CT for x-ray & neutron sources), ultrasonic testing (UT/PAUT), dye penetrant inspection (PT), eddy current inspection (ET) and magnetic particle testing (MT). Facilities and capabilities for weld inspection will be summarized with examples.

Feature extraction for ultrasonic sensor based defect detection in ceramic components

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kesharaju, Manasa; Nagarajah, Romesh

2014-02-01

High density silicon carbide materials are commonly used as the ceramic element of hard armour inserts used in traditional body armour systems to reduce their weight, while providing improved hardness, strength and elastic response to stress. Currently, armour ceramic tiles are inspected visually offline using an X-ray technique that is time consuming and very expensive. In addition, from X-rays multiple defects are also misinterpreted as single defects. Therefore, to address these problems the ultrasonic non-destructive approach is being investigated. Ultrasound based inspection would be far more cost effective and reliable as the methodology is applicable for on-line quality control including implementation of accept/reject criteria. This paper describes a recently developed methodology to detect, locate and classify various manufacturing defects in ceramic tiles using sub band coding of ultrasonic test signals. The wavelet transform is applied to the ultrasonic signal and wavelet coefficients in the different frequency bands are extracted and used as input features to an artificial neural network (ANN) for purposes of signal classification. Two different classifiers, using artificial neural networks (supervised) and clustering (un-supervised) are supplied with features selected using Principal Component Analysis(PCA) and their classification performance compared. This investigation establishes experimentally that Principal Component Analysis(PCA) can be effectively used as a feature selection method that provides superior results for classifying various defects in the context of ultrasonic inspection in comparison with the X-ray technique.

Applicator for in-vitro ultrasound-activated targeted drug delivery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gerold, B.; Gourevich, D.; Volovick, A.; Xu, D.; Arditti, F.; Prentice, P.; Cochran, S.; Gnaim, J.; Medan, Y.; Wang, L.; Melzer, A.

2012-10-01

Reducing toxicity and improving uptake of cancer drugs in tumors are important goals of targeted drug delivery (TDD). Ultrasonic drug release from various encapsulants has been a focus of many research groups. However, a single standard ultrasonic device, viable for use by biologists, is not currently present in the market. The device reported here is designed to allow investigation of the impact of ultrasound on cellular uptake and cell viability in-vitro. In it, single-element transducers with different operating frequencies are mounted below a standard 96-well plate. The plate is moved above the transducers, such that each line of wells can be sonicated at a different frequency. To assess the device, 96-well plates were seeded with cells and sonicated using different ultrasonic parameters, with and without doxorubicin. Cell viability was measured by colorimetric MTT assay and the uptake of doxorubicin by cells was also determined. The device proved to be highly viable in preliminary tests; it demonstrated that change in ultrasonic parameters produces different effect on cells. For example, increase in uptake of doxorubicin was demonstrated following ultrasound application. The growing interest in ultrasound-activated TDD emphasizes the need for standardization of the ultrasound device and the one reported here may offer some indications of how that may be achieved. It is planned to further improve the prototype by increasing the number of ultrasonic frequencies and degrees of freedom for each transducer.

Experimental study on titanium wire drawing with ultrasonic vibration.

PubMed

Liu, Shen; Shan, Xiaobiao; Guo, Kai; Yang, Yuancai; Xie, Tao

2018-02-01

Titanium and its alloys have been widely used in aerospace and biomedical industries, however, they are classified as difficult-to-machine materials. In this paper, ultrasonic vibration is imposed on the die to overcome the difficulties during conventional titanium wire drawing processes at the room temperature. Numerical simulations were performed to investigate the variation of axial stress within the contacting region and study the change of the drawing stress with several factors in terms of the longitudinal amplitude and frequency of the applied ultrasonic vibration, the diameter reduction ratio, and the drawing force. An experimental testing equipment was established to measure the drawing torque and rotational velocity of the coiler drum during the wire drawing process. The result indicates the drawing force increases with the growth of the drawing velocity and the reduction ratio, whether with or without vibrations. Application of either form of ultrasonic vibrations contributes to the further decrease of the drawing force, especially the longitudinal vibration with larger amplitude. SEM was employed to detect the surface morphology of the processed wires drawn under the three circumstances. The surface quality of the drawn wires with ultrasonic vibrations was apparently improved compared with those using conventional method. In addition, the longitudinal and torsional composite vibration was more effective for surface quality improvement than pure longitudinal vibration, however, at the cost of weakened drawing force reduction effect. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Recovery of valuable metals from spent lithium-ion batteries by ultrasonic-assisted leaching process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Li; Zhai, Longyu; Zhang, Xiaoxiao; Lu, Jun; Chen, Renjie; Wu, Feng; Amine, Khalil

2014-09-01

The anticipated significant use of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) for energy storage applications in electric grid modernization and vehicle electrification shall generate a large quantity of solid waste that could become potential environmental hazards and waste natural resources. Recycling of the major components from spent LIBs is, therefore, considered desirable to prevent environmental pollution and to recycle valuable metals. This study reports on the application of ultrasonic-assisted technology to the leaching of cobalt and lithium from the cathode active materials of spent LIBs. Three acids were tested for the leaching process: two inorganic acids (H2SO4 and HCl) and one organic acid (citric acid, C6H8O7·H2O). The results show that the leaching of Co and Li is more efficient with citric acid than with the two inorganic acids. More than 96% Co and nearly 100% Li were recovered from spent LIBs. The optimal leaching conditions were 0.5 M citric acid with 0.55 M H2O2, a solid-to-liquid ratio of 25 g L-1, a temperature of 60 °C, leaching time of 5 h, and ultrasonic power of 90 W. The high leaching efficiency is mainly ascribed to the unique cavitation action of the ultrasonic waves. This ultrasonic-assisted leaching process with organic acid is not only effective but also environmentally friendly.

Ultrasonic speech translator and communications system

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Akerman, M.A.; Ayers, C.W.; Haynes, H.D.

1996-07-23

A wireless communication system undetectable by radio frequency methods for converting audio signals, including human voice, to electronic signals in the ultrasonic frequency range, transmitting the ultrasonic signal by way of acoustical pressure waves across a carrier medium, including gases, liquids, or solids, and reconverting the ultrasonic acoustical pressure waves back to the original audio signal. The ultrasonic speech translator and communication system includes an ultrasonic transmitting device and an ultrasonic receiving device. The ultrasonic transmitting device accepts as input an audio signal such as human voice input from a microphone or tape deck. The ultrasonic transmitting device frequency modulatesmore » an ultrasonic carrier signal with the audio signal producing a frequency modulated ultrasonic carrier signal, which is transmitted via acoustical pressure waves across a carrier medium such as gases, liquids or solids. The ultrasonic receiving device converts the frequency modulated ultrasonic acoustical pressure waves to a frequency modulated electronic signal, demodulates the audio signal from the ultrasonic carrier signal, and conditions the demodulated audio signal to reproduce the original audio signal at its output. 7 figs.« less

Ultrasonic speech translator and communications system

DOEpatents

Akerman, M. Alfred; Ayers, Curtis W.; Haynes, Howard D.

1996-01-01

A wireless communication system undetectable by radio frequency methods for converting audio signals, including human voice, to electronic signals in the ultrasonic frequency range, transmitting the ultrasonic signal by way of acoustical pressure waves across a carrier medium, including gases, liquids, or solids, and reconverting the ultrasonic acoustical pressure waves back to the original audio signal. The ultrasonic speech translator and communication system (20) includes an ultrasonic transmitting device (100) and an ultrasonic receiving device (200). The ultrasonic transmitting device (100) accepts as input (115) an audio signal such as human voice input from a microphone (114) or tape deck. The ultrasonic transmitting device (100) frequency modulates an ultrasonic carrier signal with the audio signal producing a frequency modulated ultrasonic carrier signal, which is transmitted via acoustical pressure waves across a carrier medium such as gases, liquids or solids. The ultrasonic receiving device (200) converts the frequency modulated ultrasonic acoustical pressure waves to a frequency modulated electronic signal, demodulates the audio signal from the ultrasonic carrier signal, and conditions the demodulated audio signal to reproduce the original audio signal at its output (250).

PFC Decontamination of a Metal Surface and the Recycling of a Spent PFC Solution

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jung, C.H.; Won, H.J.; Oh, W.Z.

2006-07-01

PFC (per-fluorocarbon) ultrasonic decontamination behavior of loosely contaminated metal specimens such as a plate, pipe, welding and a crevice specimen in a mixed solution of PFC and an anionic surfactant was investigated. Perfluoroheptane (C{sub 7}F{sub 16}) was used as a PFC ultrasonic media. The contaminants were completely removed for almost all of the tested specimens except for the longest pipe length specimen. For the 6-cm long specimen, 98.5 % of the contaminants were removed. For the recycling of the PFC solution, a distillation test for the spent PFC solution was also performed. The results show that 97.5 % of themore » PFC was recycled without a loss of the decontamination efficiency. (authors)« less

An Ultrasonic Wheel-Array Probe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Drinkwater, B. W.; Brotherhood, C. J.; Freemantle, R. J.

2004-02-01

This paper describes the development and modeling of an ultrasonic array wheel probe scanning system. The system operates at 10 MHz using a 64 element array transducer which is 50 mm in length and located in a fluid filled wheel. The wheel is coupled to the test structure dry, or with a small amount of liquid couplant. When the wheel is rolled over the surface of the test structure a defect map (C-Scan) is generated in real-time. The tyre is made from a soft, durable polymer which has very little acoustic loss. Two application studies are presented; the inspection of sealant layers in an aluminum aircraft wing structure and the detection of embedded defects in a thick section carbon composite sample.

A study on pseudo interface wave technique for CRDM weld defects in nuclear power plants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Jaesun; Park, Junpil; Cho, Younho; Huh, Hyung; Park, Keun-Bae; Kim, Dong-Ok

2015-03-01

The nuclear power plant inspection is very important for the safety issue. However due to some radiation and geometric problems, the detection of CRDM(Control Rod Drive Mechanism) can be very difficult by using conventional Ultrasonic Testing method. Also the shrink fit boundary condition can also be an obstacle for the inspection in this paper, instead of conventional Ultrasonic Testing, guided wave was used for the detection of some complicated structures. The CRDM nozzle was installed in reactor head with perfect shrink fit condition by using stainless steel. The wave amplitude distribution on the circumferential direction was calculated with various boundary conditions and the experimental result shows a possibility of the defect detection on J-groove weld.

A comparative study of experimental and simulated ultrasonic pulse-echo signals from multilayered structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abedin, M. N.; Prabhu, D. R.; Winfree, W. P.; Johnston, P. H.

1992-01-01

The effect on the system acoustic response of variations in the adhesive thickness, coupling thickness, and paint thickness is considered. Both simulations and experimental measurements are used to characterize and classify A-scans from test regions, and to study the effects of various parameters such as paint thickness and epoxy thickness on the variations in the reflected signals. A 1D model of sound propagation in multilayered structures is used to verify the validity of the measured signals, and is also used to computationally generate signals for a class of test locations with gradually varying parameters. This approach exploits the ability of numerical simulations to provide a good understanding of the ultrasonic pulses reflected at disbonds.

(+/-)-3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, 'Ecstasy') increases social interaction in rats.

PubMed

Morley, K C; McGregor, I S

2000-11-10

A series of experiments administered a low dose range (0, 1.25, 2.5 and 5 mg/kg) of (+/-)-3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, 'Ecstasy') to rats and assessed them in a variety of standard tests of anxiety. These tests included the emergence and elevated plus-maze tests, social interaction, cat odor avoidance and footshock-induced ultrasonic vocalizations. MDMA increased anxiety-related behaviours in the emergence and elevated plus-maze tests at all dose levels. A 5 mg/kg dose of MDMA also significantly reduced the time spent in close proximity to an anxiogenic cat odor stimulus. The 5 mg/kg dose also significantly reduced footshock-induced ultrasonic vocalizations. In the social interaction test, MDMA decreased aggressive behaviours at all doses tested, while the highest dose (5 mg/kg) also significantly increased the duration of social interaction. These results indicate that MDMA has both anxiogenic and anxiolytic effects depending upon the test situation employed. The facilitation of social interaction produced by MDMA in rats concurs with human experience of MDMA as a uniquely prosocial drug.

Design and testing of the reactor-internal hydraulic control rod drive for the nuclear heating plant

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Batheja, P.; Meier, W.J.; Rau, P.J.

A hydraulically driven control rod is being developed at Kraftwerk Union for integration in the primary system of a small nuclear district heating reactor. An elaborate test program, under way for --3 yr, was initiated with a plexiglass rig to understand the basic principles. A design specification list was prepared, taking reactor boundary conditions and relevant German rules and regulations into account. Subsequently, an atmospheric loop for testing of components at 20 to 90/sup 0/C was erected. The objectives involved optimization of individual components such as a piston/cylinder drive unit, electromagnetic valves, and an ultrasonic position indication system as wellmore » as verification of computer codes. Based on the results obtained, full-scale components were designed and fabricated for a prototype test rig, which is currently in operation. Thus far, all atmospheric tests in this rig have been completed. Investigations under reactor temperature and pressure, followed by endurance tests, are under way. All tests to date have shown a reliable functioning of the hydraulic drive, including a novel ultrasonic position indication system.« less

Ultrasonic Instrumentation Instruction in Dental Hygiene Programs in the United States.

PubMed

Hinchman, Sharon Stemple; Funk, Amy; DeBiase, Christina; Frere, Cathryn

2016-04-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the extent of ultrasonic scaling instrumentation instruction in dental hygiene programs in the U.S. Currently, there is no publication available defining a consensus of instruction for ultrasonic instrumentation. Exempt status was received from the West Virginia University Institutional Review Board. A survey was developed with dental hygiene administrators and faculty, based on assumptions and a list of questions to be answered. The survey was tested for validity and revised after feedback from additional faculty. The instrument was 64 questions divided into demographics, curriculum and equipment. Most questions included a text box for additional comments. An email survey was sent to all directors of accredited dental hygiene programs in the U.S. (n=323). The final possible number of respondents was n=301. Results were collected in aggregate through the Secure Online Environment (SOLE). Results were transferred to an Excel spreadsheet for statistical analysis. After 3 emails, the response rate was 45% (n=136). No significant differences in methods of instruction were found between associate and baccalaureate degree granting programs. Eighty-nine percent of programs introduce hand scaling prior to ultrasonic scaling instruction. Students in 96% of the programs were required to administer pre-procedural mouth rinse intended to reduce the amount of bacteria. The magnetostrictive ultrasonic scaler is widely used in dental hygiene instruction. A variety of inserts/ tips were available although a universal or straight insert/tip was most common. Calculus, not inflammation, was the primary criterion for ultrasonic scaler use. The results of this study demonstrate that ultrasonic instrumentation is an integral component of the clinical curriculum and the majority of the dental hygiene programs prescribe to similar teaching methods. Programs could benefit from incorporating current scientific research findings of using site specific inserts to perform periodontal debridement based on thorough biofilm removal measured by resolution of inflammation. Copyright © 2016 The American Dental Hygienists’ Association.

A comparative scanning electron microscopy study between hand instrument, ultrasonic scaling and erbium doped:Yttirum aluminum garnet laser on root surface: A morphological and thermal analysis

PubMed Central

Mishra, Mitul Kumar; Prakash, Shobha

2013-01-01

Background and Objectives: Scaling and root planing is one of the most commonly used procedures for the treatment of periodontal diseases. Removal of calculus using conventional hand instruments is incomplete and rather time consuming. In search of more efficient and less difficult instrumentation, investigators have proposed lasers as an alternative or as adjuncts to scaling and root planing. Hence, the purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of erbium doped: Yttirum aluminum garnet (Er:YAG) laser scaling and root planing alone or as an adjunct to hand and ultrasonic instrumentation. Subjects and Methods: A total of 75 freshly extracted periodontally involved single rooted teeth were collected. Teeth were randomly divided into five treatment groups having 15 teeth each: Hand scaling only, ultrasonic scaling only, Er:YAG laser scaling only, hand scaling + Er:YAG laser scaling and ultrasonic scaling + Er:YAG laser scaling. Specimens were subjected to scanning electron microscopy and photographs were evaluated by three examiners who were blinded to the study. Parameters included were remaining calculus index, loss of tooth substance index, roughness loss of tooth substance index, presence or absence of smear layer, thermal damage and any other morphological damage. Results: Er:YAG laser treated specimens showed similar effectiveness in calculus removal to the other test groups whereas tooth substance loss and tooth surface roughness was more on comparison with other groups. Ultrasonic treated specimens showed better results as compared to other groups with different parameters. However, smear layer presence was seen more with hand and ultrasonic groups. Very few laser treated specimens showed thermal damage and morphological change. Interpretation and Conclusion: In our study, ultrasonic scaling specimen have shown root surface clean and practically unaltered. On the other hand, hand instrument have produced a plane surface, but removed more tooth structure. The laser treated specimens showed rough surfaces without much residual deposit or any other sign of morphological change. PMID:24015009

Development of Ultrasonic Modeling Techniques for the Study of Crustal Inhomogeneities.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-08-01

layer material consisted of Carnauba wax and silica powder. A 2% (by weight) amount of beeswax was added to the middle layer material to reduce the...t 4i ci 0 ci ( a) Yn 4 J 41 E940 G) -4 C iiH U’ c W -1 >. a~ u 00 hard carnauba wax dominate the Rayleiqh velocity to a Ireat extent; the RzvlIqh...and tested to evaluate our seismic ultrasonic modeling technique. A 2.3 mm thick layer composed of the carnauba wax mixture was deposited on a

Effects of Ultrasonic Nanocrystal Surface Modification on the Residual Stress, Microstructure, and Corrosion Resistance of 304 Stainless Steel Welds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ye, Chang; Telang, Abhishek; Gill, Amrinder; Wen, Xingshuo; Mannava, Seetha R.; Qian, Dong; Vasudevan, Vijay K.

2018-03-01

In this study, ultrasonic nanocrystal surface modification (UNSM) of 304 stainless steel welds was carried out. UNSM effectively eliminates the tensile stress generated during welding and imparts beneficial compressive residual stresses. In addition, UNSM can effectively refine the grains and increase hardness in the near-surface region. Corrosion tests in boiling MgCl2 solution demonstrate that UNSM can significantly improve the corrosion resistance due to the compressive residual stresses and changes in the near-surface microstructure.

The transfer of technology to measure skin burn depth in humans

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yost, William T.; Cantrell, John H.

1991-01-01

Discussed here is the use of ultrasonic techniques originally used to locate cracks in metal structues to measure burn wound depth in humans. Acoustic impedance, performance tests, and the theoretical model are discussed. Measurements of skin burns on anesthetized pigs made with the the ultrasonic instrumentation were in agreement with diagnoses made by a physician, and subsequently confirmed by the healing process. Researchers felt that the concept proved useful in a clinical setting and that the instrument and concept were ready to extend to the manufacturer.

A pressure core ultrasonic test system for on-board analysis of gas hydrate-bearing sediments under in situ pressures.

PubMed

Yang, Lei; Zhou, Weihua; Xue, Kaihua; Wei, Rupeng; Ling, Zheng

2018-05-01

The enormous potential as an alternative energy resource has made natural gas hydrates a material of intense research interest. Their exploration and sample characterization require a quick and effective analysis of the hydrate-bearing cores recovered under in situ pressures. Here a novel Pressure Core Ultrasonic Test System (PCUTS) for on-board analysis of sediment cores containing gas hydrates at in situ pressures is presented. The PCUTS is designed to be compatible with an on-board pressure core transfer device and a long gravity-piston pressure-retained corer. It provides several advantages over laboratory core analysis including quick and non-destructive detection, in situ and successive acoustic property acquisition, and remission of sample storage and transportation. The design of the unique assembly units to ensure the in situ detection is demonstrated, involving the U-type protecting jackets, transducer precession device, and pressure stabilization system. The in situ P-wave velocity measurements make the detection of gas hydrate existence in the sediments possible on-board. Performance tests have verified the feasibility and sensitivity of the ultrasonic test unit, showing the dependence of P-wave velocity on gas hydrate saturation. The PCUTS has been successfully applied for analysis of natural samples containing gas hydrates recovered from the South China Sea. It is indicated that on-board P-wave measurements could provide a quick and effective understanding of the hydrate occurrence in natural samples, which can assist further resource exploration, assessment, and subsequent detailed core analysis.

A pressure core ultrasonic test system for on-board analysis of gas hydrate-bearing sediments under in situ pressures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Lei; Zhou, Weihua; Xue, Kaihua; Wei, Rupeng; Ling, Zheng

2018-05-01

The enormous potential as an alternative energy resource has made natural gas hydrates a material of intense research interest. Their exploration and sample characterization require a quick and effective analysis of the hydrate-bearing cores recovered under in situ pressures. Here a novel Pressure Core Ultrasonic Test System (PCUTS) for on-board analysis of sediment cores containing gas hydrates at in situ pressures is presented. The PCUTS is designed to be compatible with an on-board pressure core transfer device and a long gravity-piston pressure-retained corer. It provides several advantages over laboratory core analysis including quick and non-destructive detection, in situ and successive acoustic property acquisition, and remission of sample storage and transportation. The design of the unique assembly units to ensure the in situ detection is demonstrated, involving the U-type protecting jackets, transducer precession device, and pressure stabilization system. The in situ P-wave velocity measurements make the detection of gas hydrate existence in the sediments possible on-board. Performance tests have verified the feasibility and sensitivity of the ultrasonic test unit, showing the dependence of P-wave velocity on gas hydrate saturation. The PCUTS has been successfully applied for analysis of natural samples containing gas hydrates recovered from the South China Sea. It is indicated that on-board P-wave measurements could provide a quick and effective understanding of the hydrate occurrence in natural samples, which can assist further resource exploration, assessment, and subsequent detailed core analysis.

Development of coatings for ultrasonic additive manufacturing sonotrode using laser direct metal deposition process

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sridharan, Niyanth; Dehoff, Ryan R.; Jordan, Brian H.

2016-10-01

ORNL partnered with Fabrisonic, LLC to develop galling resistant hard facing coatings on sonotrodes used to fabricate 3D printed materials using ultrasonic additive manufacturing. The development and deployment of a coated sonotrode is expected to push the existing state of the art to facilitate the solidstate additive manufacturing of hard steels and titanium alloys. To this effect a structurally amorphous stainless steel material and cobalt chrome material were deposited on the sonotrode material. Both the deposits showed good adhesion to the substrate. The coatings made using the structurally amorphous steel materials showed cracking during the initial trials and cracking wasmore » eliminated by deposition on a preheated substrate. Both the coatings show hardness in excess of 600 HVN. Thus the phase 1 of this project has been used to identify suitable materials to use to coat the sonotrode. Despite the fact that successful deposits were obtained, the coatings need to be evaluated by performing detailed galling tests at various temperatures. In addition field tests are also necessary to test the stability of these coatings in a high cycle ultrasonic vibration mode. If awarded, phase 2 of the project would be used to optimize the composition of the deposit material to maximize galling resistance. The industrial partner would then use the coated sonotrode to fabricate builds made of austenitic stainless steel to test the viability of using a coated sonotrode.« less

Influence of Hand Instrumentation and Ultrasonic Scaling on the Microleakage of various Cervical Restorations: An in vitro Study.

PubMed

Rohani, Bita; Barekatain, Mehrdad; Farhad, Shirin Z; Haghayegh, Navid

2017-06-01

In cervical lesions, various restorative materials can be inserted, which can be affected by the application of periodontal scalers. This study evaluated and compared the marginal seal of class V glass ionomer, composite resin, and amalgam restorations after subjecting them to hand instrumentation and ultrasonic scaling. In this experimental study, 30 sound human first premolars were selected. In each tooth, buccal and lingual cavities (4 mm mesiodistal width, 3 mm occlusogingival height, and 2 mm depth) were made. The teeth were randomly assigned to three groups of 10 teeth: (1) Glass ionomer group, (2) composite group, and (3) amalgam group. Teeth were subjected to thermocycling procedure for 1,000 cycles between 5 and 55°C water baths and a 1-minute dwell time. Then, each group was randomly subdivided: (1) Margins of 30 restorations were exposed to hand instrumentation procedures by applying 10 working strokes, (2) margins of 30 restorations were exposed to a periodontal tip mounted on a piezoelectric ultrasonic handpiece working at 25 kHz for 10 seconds. The specimens were serially sectioned mesiodistally. Each section was examined under a stereomicroscope. The extent of microleakage was ranked using a 0 to 4 scale at both occlusal and cervical margins of the restorations. Data were analyzed initially using the Kruskal-Wallis test, followed by multiple comparisons using the Mann-Whitney and Wilcoxon test. The type of restorative material had a significant influence on dye penetration, whether in the enamel margin or in the dentinal margin (p < 0.001). The microleakage of glass ionomer group was the highest. No statistical differences were found in dye penetration between scaling groups (hand instrumentation and ultrasonic scaling) (p > 0.05). Type of restorative material had a significant influence on microleakage. No statistical differences were found in dye penetration between scaling groups. The microleakage of glass ionomer restoration is greater than amalgam and composite restorations after subjecting them to hand instrumentation and ultrasonic scaling.

Ultrasound assisted biogas production from landfill leachate

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Oz, Nilgün Ayman, E-mail: nilgunayman@comu.edu.tr; Yarimtepe, Canan Can

Highlights: • Effect of low frequency ultrasound pretreatment on leachate was investigated. • Three different ultrasound energy inputs (200, 400 and 600 W/l) was applied. • Low-frequency ultrasound treatment increased soluble COD in landfill leachate. • Application of ultrasound to leachate increased biogas production about 40%. • Application of ultrasound to leachate increased total methane production rate about 20%. - Abstract: The aim of this study is to increase biogas production and methane yield from landfill leachate in anaerobic batch reactors by using low frequency ultrasound as a pretreatment step. In the first part of the study, optimum conditions formore » solubilization of organic matter in leachate samples were investigated using various sonication durations at an ultrasound frequency of 20 kHz. The level of organic matter solubilization during ultrasonic pretreatment experiments was determined by calculating the ratio of soluble chemical oxygen demand (sCOD) to total chemical oxygen demand (tCOD). The sCOD/tCOD ratio was increased from 47% in raw leachate to 63% after 45 min sonication at 600 W/l. Non-parametric Friedman’s test indicated that ultrasonic pretreatment has a significant effect on sCOD parameter for leachate (p < 0.05). In the second part of the study, anaerobic batch reactors were operated for both ultrasonically pretreated and untreated landfill leachate samples in order to assess the effect of sonication on biogas and methane production rate. In anaerobic batch reactor feed with ultrasonically pretreated leachate, 40% more biogas was obtained compared to the control reactor. For statistical analysis, Mann–Whitney U test was performed to compare biogas and methane production rates for raw and pretreated leachate samples and it has been found that ultrasonic pretreatment significantly enhanced biogas and methane production rates from leachate (p < 0.05) in anaerobic batch reactors. The overall results showed that low frequency ultrasound pretreatment can be potentially used for wastewater management especially with integration of anaerobic processes.« less

Development of Phased-Array Ultrasonic Testing Acceptability Criteria : (Phase II)

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-10-01

The preliminary technical approach and scan plans developed during phase I of this research was implemented on testing four butt-weld specimens. The ray path analysis carried out to develop the scan plans and the preliminary data analysis indicated t...

Development of Phased-Array Ultrasonic Testing Acceptability Criteria : (Phase I)

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-10-01

Phase I of this research effort involved a review of the current state of the art of weld inspection using PAUT, development of the preliminary technical approach to inspecting CJP butt welds with and without transitions, fabrication of suitable test...

Ultrasonic cleaning: Fundamental theory and application

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fuchs, F. John

1995-01-01

This presentation describes: the theory of ultrasonics, cavitation and implosion; the importance and application of ultrasonics in precision cleaning; explanations of ultrasonic cleaning equipment options and their application; process parameters for ultrasonic cleaning; and proper operation of ultrasonic cleaning equipment to achieve maximum results.

Analysis of temperature rise and the use of coolants in the dissipation of ultrasonic heat buildup during post removal.

PubMed

Davis, Stephen; Gluskin, Alan H; Livingood, Philip M; Chambers, David W

2010-11-01

This study was designed to calculate probabilities for tissue injury and to measure effectiveness of various coolant strategies in countering heat buildup produced by dry ultrasonic vibration during post removal. A simulated biological model was used to evaluate the cooling efficacy of a common refrigerant spray, water spray, and air spray in the recovery of post temperatures deep within the root canal space. The data set consisted of cervical and apical measures of temperature increase at 1-second intervals from baseline during continuous ultrasonic instrumentation until a 10 °C increase in temperature at the cervical site was registered, wherein instrumentation ceased, and the teeth were allowed to cool under ambient conditions or with the assistance of 4 coolant methods. Data were analyzed with analysis of variance by using the independent variables of time of ultrasonic application (10, 15, 20 seconds) and cooling method. In addition to the customary means, standard deviations, and analysis of variance tests, analyses were conducted to determine probabilities that procedures would reach or exceed the 10 °C threshold. Both instrumentation time and cooling agent effects were significant at P <.0001. Under the conditions of this study, it was shown that injurious heat transfer occurs in less than 1 minute during dry ultrasonic instrumentation of metallic posts. Cycles of short instrumentation times with active coolants were effective in reducing the probability of tissue damage when teeth were instrumented dry. With as little as 20 seconds of continuous dry ultrasonic instrumentation, the consequences of thermal buildup to an individual tooth might contribute to an injurious clinical outcome. Copyright © 2010 American Association of Endodontists. All rights reserved.

Clinical efficacy of EDTA ultrasonic activation in the reduction of endotoxins and cultivable bacteria.

PubMed

Herrera, D R; Martinho, F C; de-Jesus-Soares, A; Zaia, A A; Ferraz, C C R; Almeida, J F A; Gomes, B P F A

2017-10-01

This clinical study was conducted to investigate the influence of 17% ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) ultrasonic activation after chemomechanical preparation (CMP) on eliminating/reducing oral bacterial lipopolysaccharides (known as endotoxins) and cultivable bacteria in teeth with pulp necrosis and apical periodontitis. Samples were taken from 24 root canals at several clinical periods: S1 - before CMP; S2 - after CMP; S3 - after EDTA: G1 - with ultrasonic activation (n = 12) and G2 - without ultrasonic activation (n = 12). Root canals were instrumented using Mtwo rotary files. Culture techniques were used to determine the number of colony-forming units (CFU). Limulus amebocyte lysate (LAL) was used to measure endotoxin levels. Friedman's and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were used to compare the amount of bacteria and endotoxin levels in each period (P < 0.05). Endotoxins and cultivable bacteria were recovered in 100% of the initial samples (S1). CMP was effective in reducing endotoxins and bacterial load (all with P < 0.05). Higher values of endotoxin reduction were achieved with EDTA ultrasonic activation [G1, 0.02 EU mL -1 (range 0.01-0.75)] compared with the no activation group [G2, 1.13 EU mL -1 (range 0.01-8.34)] (P < 0.05). Regarding bacterial reduction, no statistically significant difference was found in S3, regardless of the group (G1, G2, P > 0.05). Chemomechanical preparation was effective in reducing bacteria and endotoxins, but could not completely eliminate them. The ultrasonic activation of EDTA was effective in further reducing endotoxin levels in the root canals of teeth with pulp necrosis and apical periodontitis. © 2016 International Endodontic Journal. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Ultrasonic Evaluation of the Pull-Off Adhesion between Added Repair Layer and a Concrete Substrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Czarnecki, Slawomir

2017-10-01

This paper concerns the evaluation of the pull-off adhesion between a concrete added repair layer with variable thickness and a concrete substrate, based on parameters assessed using ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV) method. In construction practice, the experimental determination of pull-off adhesion f b, between added repair layer and a concrete substrate is necessary to assess the quality of repair. This is usually carried out with the use of pull-off method which results in local damage of the added concrete layer in all the testing areas. Bearing this in mind, it is important to describe the method without these disadvantages. The prediction of the pull-off adhesion of the two-layer concrete elements with variable thickness of each layer might be provided by means of UPV method with two-sided access to the investigated element. For this purpose, two-layered cylindrical specimens were obtained by drilling the borehole from a large size specially prepared concrete element. Those two-layer elements were made out of concrete substrate layer and Polymer Cement Concrete (PCC) mortar as an added repair layer. The values of pull-off adhesion f b of the elements were determined before obtaining the samples by using the semi-destructive pull-off method. The ultrasonic wave velocity was determined in samples with variable thickness of each layer and was then compared to theoretical ultrasonic wave velocity predicted for those specimens. The regression curve for the dependence of velocity and pull-off adhesion, determined by the pulloff method, was made. It has been proved that together with an increase of ratio of investigated ultrasonic wave velocity divided by theoretical ultrasonic wave velocity, the pull-off adhesion value f b between added repair layer with variable thickness and a substrate layer also increases.

Efficiency of professional tooth brushing before ultrasonic scaling.

PubMed

Kim, M J; Noh, H; Oh, H Y

2015-05-01

This study aimed to examine the effect of dental plaque biofilm removal with a toothbrush, an interdental brush and dental floss by a dental hygienist prior to ultrasonic scaling on treatment times and client satisfaction. This study was conducted among adults who received scaling after agreeing to participate in this study at a dental clinic in Seoul, Korea, from July to September 2012. Thirty-seven subjects received modified scaling (M-scaling) which is ultrasonic scaling after plaque control with a toothbrush and dental floss by a dental hygienist, and 37 subjects received routine ultrasonic scaling (R-scaling). Univariate and multivariate analyses and chi-squared and t-tests were conducted using SAS. This study was approved by the Kangwon Institutional Review Board. Significant differences were found between the outcomes of M- and R-scaling for both the ultrasonic scaling time (M-scaling, 7.41 ± 6.18 min; R-scaling, 23.22 ± 6.92 min) and the total tooth cleaning time (M-scaling, 15.92 ± 7.70 min; R-scaling, 23.22 ± 6.92 min) (P < 0.001). Subject satisfaction with the scaling process was not significantly different between M-scaling (4.54 ± 0.80) and R-scaling (4.84 ± 0.44). These findings indicated that removing the dental plaque biofilm with a toothbrush and dental floss by a hygienist before scaling with an ultrasonic device was more effective in reducing the working time of the dental hygienist. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.