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EP-4168793-B1 - APPLICATION SPECIFIC EXCITATION OF ULTRASONIC PROBES

EP4168793B1EP 4168793 B1EP4168793 B1EP 4168793B1EP-4168793-B1

Inventors

  • WUERSCHIG, THOMAS
  • BUECHLER, JOHANNES

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20210520

Claims (13)

  1. A system (102), comprising: an ultrasonic probe (106) including a plurality of ultrasonic transducers (112); and an ultrasonic controller (110) including one or more processors (206,214) in electrical communication with the ultrasonic probe (106), the ultrasonic controller (110) being configured to generate one or more driving signals operative to cause the plurality of ultrasonic transducers (112) to generate respective ultrasonic waves; wherein a combination of ultrasonic waves is an ultrasonic waveform having one or more characteristics specified by the one or more driving signals; and wherein the ultrasonic controller (110) is further configured to change the one or more driving signals to adjust at least one characteristic of the ultrasonic waveform, the ultrasonic probe (106) and the ultrasonic controller (110) characterized by being configured to perform operations comprising; generating, by the ultrasonic controller (110), one or more first driving signals; emitting, by the plurality of ultrasonic transducers (112), respective first ultrasonic waves in response to receipt of one or more first driving signals, wherein a combination of the first ultrasonic waves is a first ultrasonic waveform having one or more characteristics specified by the one or more first driving signals; generating, by the ultrasonic controller (110), one or more second driving signals; and emitting, by the plurality of ultrasonic transducers (112), respective second ultrasonic waves in response to receipt of the one or more second driving signals, wherein a combination of the second ultrasonic waves is a second ultrasonic waveform having at least one characteristic that is adjusted with respect to the first ultrasonic waveform, wherein the at least one adjusted characteristic is a center frequency; selecting the center frequency by: emitting, by the plurality of ultrasonic transducers (112), the first ultrasonic waveform having a first center frequency; receiving, by the plurality of ultrasonic transducers (112), a third ultrasonic waveform resulting from reflection of the first ultrasonic waveforms from a target; measuring, by the ultrasonic controller (110), an amplitude of the third ultrasonic waveform; emitting, by the plurality of ultrasonic transducers (112), the second ultrasonic waveform having a second center frequency; receiving, by the plurality of ultrasonic transducers (112), a fourth ultrasonic waveform resulting from reflection of the second ultrasonic waveforms from the target; measuring, by the ultrasonic controller (110), an amplitude of the fourth ultrasonic waveform; selecting, by the ultrasonic controller (110), the center frequency as first center frequency when the amplitude of the third ultrasonic waveform is greater than the amplitude of the fourth ultrasonic waveform; and selecting, by the ultrasonic controller (110), the center frequency as second center frequency when the amplitude of the fourth ultrasonic waveform is greater than the amplitude of the third ultrasonic waveform.
  2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one adjusted characteristic further comprises an amplitude of the ultrasonic waveform.
  3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one adjusted characteristic further comprises a time duration of the ultrasonic waveform.
  4. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one adjusted characteristic further comprises a number of cycles of the ultrasonic waveform.
  5. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one adjusted characteristic further comprises an amplitude and a duration of the ultrasonic waveform and wherein the ultrasonic controller (110) is further configured to change the one or more driving signals to concurrently adjust the amplitude and duration of the ultrasonic waveform.
  6. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one adjusted characteristic further comprises an amplitude and a frequency of the ultrasonic waveform and wherein the ultrasonic controller (110) is further configured to change the one or more driving signals to maintain a constant amplitude and vary the frequency over time.
  7. A method of non-destructive testing, comprising: generating (1002), by an ultrasonic controller (110), one or more first driving signals; emitting (1004), by a plurality of ultrasonic transducers (112), respective first ultrasonic waves in response to receipt of one or more first driving signals, wherein a combination of the first ultrasonic waves is a first ultrasonic waveform having one or more characteristics specified by the one or more first driving signals; generating (1006), by the ultrasonic controller (110), one or more second driving signals; and emitting (1010), by the plurality of ultrasonic transducers (112), respective second ultrasonic waves in response to receipt of the one or more second driving signals, wherein a combination of the second ultrasonic waves is a second ultrasonic waveform having at least one characteristic that is adjusted with respect to the first ultrasonic waveform, wherein the at least one adjusted characteristic is a center frequency; selecting the center frequency by: emitting, by the plurality of ultrasonic transducers (112), the first ultrasonic waveform having a first center frequency; receiving, by the plurality of ultrasonic transducers (112), a third ultrasonic waveform resulting from reflection of the first ultrasonic waveforms from a target; measuring, by the ultrasonic controller (110), an amplitude of the third ultrasonic waveform; emitting, by the plurality of ultrasonic transducers (112), the second ultrasonic waveform having a second center frequency; receiving, by the plurality of ultrasonic transducers (112), a fourth ultrasonic waveform resulting from reflection of the second ultrasonic waveforms from the target; measuring, by the ultrasonic controller (110), an amplitude of the fourth ultrasonic waveform; selecting, by the ultrasonic controller (110), the center frequency as first center frequency when the amplitude of the third ultrasonic waveform is greater than the amplitude of the fourth ultrasonic waveform; and selecting, by the ultrasonic controller (110), the center frequency as second center frequency when the amplitude of the fourth ultrasonic waveform is greater than the amplitude of the third ultrasonic waveform.
  8. The method of claim 7, further comprising generating the first and second driving signals such that the first ultrasonic waveform transitions to the second ultrasonic waveform during an ultrasonic inspection.
  9. The method of claim 7, wherein the at least one adjusted characteristic further comprises an amplitude.
  10. The method of claim 7, wherein the at least one adjusted characteristic further comprises a time duration.
  11. The method of claim 7, wherein the at least one adjusted characteristic further comprises an amplitude and a duration and wherein the amplitude and duration of the second ultrasonic waveform concurrently differ from the amplitude and duration of the first ultrasonic waveform.
  12. The method of claim 7, wherein the at least one adjusted characteristic further comprises an amplitude and a frequency and wherein the amplitude of the first and second ultrasonic waveforms are approximately the same and the frequency of the first and second ultrasonic waveforms are different.
  13. The method of claim 7, further comprising: receiving, by the plurality of ultrasonic transducers (112), a third ultrasonic waveform resulting from reflection of the first ultrasonic waveforms from a target; and generating the one or more second driving signals based upon the third ultrasonic waveform; wherein the amplitude of at least a portion of the second ultrasonic waveform is reduced as a function of time with respect to the first ultrasonic waveform.

Description

BACKGROUND In some instances, non-destructive testing (NDT) is a class of analytical techniques that can be used to inspect characteristics of a target, without causing damage, to ensure that the inspected characteristics satisfy required specifications. For this reason, NDT can be used in a number of industries such as aerospace, power generation, oil and gas transport or refining. NDT can be useful in industries that employ structures that are not easily removed from their surroundings (e.g., pipes or welds) or where failures would be catastrophic. Ultrasonic testing is one type of NDT. Ultrasound is acoustic (sound) energy in the form of waves that have an intensity (strength) which varies in time at a frequency above the human hearing range. In ultrasonic testing, one or more ultrasonic waves can be directed towards a target in an initial pulse. As the ultrasonic waves contact and penetrate the target, they can reflect from features such as outer surfaces and interior defects (e.g., cracks, porosity, etc.). An ultrasonic sensor can acquire ultrasonic measurements, such as acoustic strength as a function of time, that include these reflected ultrasonic waves. US 2017/219536 A1 discloses an ultrasonic imaging system. WO 2020/083672 A1 discloses a scanner. US 2018/259489 A1 discloses a phased array probe. US 2014/095085 A1 discloses ultrasonic inspection of irregular shapes. US 2004/050166 A1 discloses phased array ultrasonic inspection. US 2009/178484 A1 discloses non-destructive inspection. US 2011/120223 A1 discloses ultrasonic inspection. US 4 237 737 A discloses an ultrasonic imaging system. SUMMARY Ultrasonic testing can be used for a wide range of materials. The acoustic properties of a test material can depend upon factors such as microscopic and macroscopic structure of the test material and/or changes in internal dynamics introduced during manufacturing processes. Thus, acoustic properties can vary significantly between different materials. As a consequence, the frequency and/or waveform of ultrasonic waves suitable for penetration into the volume of a given test material, and achievement of a desired resolution, can be different for different test materials. Often, an optimization between the ultrasonic test frequency and the ultrasonic waveform can be employed. In general, the ultrasonic frequency and/or ultrasonic waveform emitted by an ultrasonic probe is fixed and cannot be changed. This is because the piezoelectric crystals that generate the ultrasonic waves are driven at a predetermined modulation that is tailored to the resonance frequency of the piezoelectric crystals. As a result, existing ultrasonic testing systems employ probes that are designed for evaluation of a specific test material. Unfortunately, due to the variation in acoustic properties of materials encountered on-site, many different types of ultrasonic probes can be required in order to accommodate these variations. The use of many ultrasonic probes can increase the cost of ultrasonic testing, as well as complexity to handle these different ultrasonic probes. Furthermore, in some cases, the acoustic properties of a test material can be unknown in advance, leading to uncertainty regarding the ultrasonic probe(s) suitable for evaluation of such test materials. Thus, it is possible that non-optimal ultrasonic probes are employed for ultrasonic testing, leading to reduced ultrasonic resolution and/or time delays. Accordingly, embodiments of the present disclosure present ultrasonic testing systems and corresponding methods that provide a universal, high bandwidth ultrasonic probe. The ultrasonic probe is driven by electronics that allow precise modulation of emitted ultrasonic waves. Providing high bandwidth allows the ultrasonic testing system to provide coverage of a broad range of ultrasonic frequencies relevant for ultrasonic testing. The electronics can be further configured to drive the ultrasonic probe to generate ultrasonic waveforms of different frequencies, amplitudes, and durations. As an example, the ultrasonic waveforms can be derived from mathematical concepts or models (e.g., theoretical or phenomenological models). As a result, a single ultrasonic probe can provide application-specific ultrasonic waveforms, avoiding the need for use of multiple ultrasonic probes that are only capable of generating fixed ultrasonic waves. The present invention is defined in the accompanying claims. In an embodiment, a system is provided including an ultrasonic probe and an ultrasonic controller. The ultrasonic probe includes a plurality of ultrasonic transducers. The ultrasonic controller includes one or more processors and is in electrical communication with the ultrasonic probe. The ultrasonic controller is configured to generate one or more driving signals operative to cause the plurality of ultrasonic transducers to generate respective ultrasonic waves. A combination of ultrasonic waves is an ultrasonic waveform having one o