Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
6.8
3.9
Journals
Sensors
Special Issues
Intelligent Sensing Technologies for Nondestructive Evaluation
sensors-logo
Submit to Sensors Review for Sensors Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

► Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser
share announcement

Intelligent Sensing Technologies for Nondestructive Evaluation

A special issue of Sensors (ISSN 1424-8220). This special issue belongs to the section "Physical Sensors".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2017) | Viewed by 105909

Printed Edition Available!
A printed edition of this Special Issue is available here.

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Seunghee Park

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, 2066, Seoburo, Jangangu, Suwon, Gyeonggido 16419, Korea
Interests: structural health monitoring; non-destructive evaluation; smart sensors; smart structures; damage detection
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Aimé Lay-Ekuakille

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Innovation Engineering, University of Salento, 73100 Lecce, Italy
Interests: instrumentation; measurement and sensors; biomedicine; environment; industry; nanotechnology; machine learning; photovoltaic panel aging
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Octavian Postolache

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Instituto de Telecomunicações, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
2. Escola de Tecnologias e Arquitetura (ISTA), ISCTE-Instituto Universitário de Lisboa, 1600-077 Lisboa, Portugal
3. DCTI-Departamento de Ciências e Tecnologias da Informação, ISCTE-Instituto Universitário de Lisboa, 1600-077 Lisboa, Portugal
Interests: smart sensors; automated measurement systems; artificial intelligence; biomedical sensors; intelligent transportation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Pedro Silva Girão

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Instituto de Telecomunicações DEEC/IST, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
Interests: sensors; transducers; instrumentation; measuring techniques; digital data processing; automated measurement systems; wireless sensor networks; metrology; quality; electromagnetic compatibility
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Nondestructive evaluation (NDE) sensing has progressed significantly in the past few years. Especially, smart sensors play an increasingly important role in structural damage detection efforts. There is growing progress in the performance of strategic sensors, such as piezoelectric sensors, as well as noncontact sensors, such as air-coupled transducers, magnetic flux leakage sensors and pulsed laser ultrasonic propagation applications. The most progress has been made in the development of use and application software for all technologies. We are now able to enhance damage resolutions and then focus on damage visualization in many applications.

This Special Issue aims to highlight advances in the development, testing, and use of damage visualization tools for smart sensor-based nondestructive evaluations. Topics include, but are not limited to:

  • New developments in smart sensing-based nondestructive evaluations

  • Magnetic flux leakage sensors

  • Laser scanning-based ultrasonic propagation sensors

  • Piezoelectric sensors

  • Air-coupled transducers

  • Damage detection and visualization

Prof. Dr. Seunghee Park
Prof. Dr. Aime' Lay-Ekuakille
Prof. Dr. Octavian Postolache
Prof. Dr. Pedro M. B. Silva Girão
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sensors is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • smart sensors

  • damage detection

  • damage visualization

  • nondestructive evaluation

  • structrural and infrastructural health monitoring, signal and image processing

Published Papers (18 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review, Other

10 pages, 4165 KiB  
Article
An Interdigital Electrode Probe for Detection, Localization and Evaluation of Surface Notch-Type Damage in Metals
by Lanshuo Li, Xiaoqing Yang, Yang Yin, Jianping Yuan, Xu Li, Lixin Li and Kama Huang
Sensors 2018, 18(2), 371; https://doi.org/10.3390/s18020371 - 27 Jan 2018
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 4063
Abstract
Available microwave notch-type damage detection sensors are typically based on monitoring frequency shift or magnitude changes. However, frequency shift testing needs sweep-frequency data that make scanning detection becomes difficult and time-consuming. This work presents a microwave near-field nondestructive testing sensor for detecting sub-millimeter [...] Read more.
Available microwave notch-type damage detection sensors are typically based on monitoring frequency shift or magnitude changes. However, frequency shift testing needs sweep-frequency data that make scanning detection becomes difficult and time-consuming. This work presents a microwave near-field nondestructive testing sensor for detecting sub-millimeter notch-type damage detection in metallic surfaces. The sensor is loaded with an interdigital electrode element in an open-ended coaxial. It is simple to fabricate and inexpensive, as it is etched on the RC4003 patch by using printed circuit board technology. The detection is achieved by monitoring changes in reflection amplitude, which is caused by perturbing the electromagnetic field around the interdigital structure. The proposed sensor was tested on a metallic plate with different defects, and the experimental results indicated that the interdigital electrode probe can determine the orientation, localization and dimension of surface notch-type damage. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Intelligent Sensing Technologies for Nondestructive Evaluation)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

19 pages, 27485 KiB  
Article
Magnetic Flux Leakage Sensing and Artificial Neural Network Pattern Recognition-Based Automated Damage Detection and Quantification for Wire Rope Non-Destructive Evaluation
by Ju-Won Kim and Seunghee Park
Sensors 2018, 18(1), 109; https://doi.org/10.3390/s18010109 - 02 Jan 2018
Cited by 56 | Viewed by 6515
Abstract
In this study, a magnetic flux leakage (MFL) method, known to be a suitable non-destructive evaluation (NDE) method for continuum ferromagnetic structures, was used to detect local damage when inspecting steel wire ropes. To demonstrate the proposed damage detection method through experiments, a [...] Read more.
In this study, a magnetic flux leakage (MFL) method, known to be a suitable non-destructive evaluation (NDE) method for continuum ferromagnetic structures, was used to detect local damage when inspecting steel wire ropes. To demonstrate the proposed damage detection method through experiments, a multi-channel MFL sensor head was fabricated using a Hall sensor array and magnetic yokes to adapt to the wire rope. To prepare the damaged wire-rope specimens, several different amounts of artificial damages were inflicted on wire ropes. The MFL sensor head was used to scan the damaged specimens to measure the magnetic flux signals. After obtaining the signals, a series of signal processing steps, including the enveloping process based on the Hilbert transform (HT), was performed to better recognize the MFL signals by reducing the unexpected noise. The enveloped signals were then analyzed for objective damage detection by comparing them with a threshold that was established based on the generalized extreme value (GEV) distribution. The detected MFL signals that exceed the threshold were analyzed quantitatively by extracting the magnetic features from the MFL signals. To improve the quantitative analysis, damage indexes based on the relationship between the enveloped MFL signal and the threshold value were also utilized, along with a general damage index for the MFL method. The detected MFL signals for each damage type were quantified by using the proposed damage indexes and the general damage indexes for the MFL method. Finally, an artificial neural network (ANN) based multi-stage pattern recognition method using extracted multi-scale damage indexes was implemented to automatically estimate the severity of the damage. To analyze the reliability of the MFL-based automated wire rope NDE method, the accuracy and reliability were evaluated by comparing the repeatedly estimated damage size and the actual damage size. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Intelligent Sensing Technologies for Nondestructive Evaluation)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

4910 KiB  
Article
Nondestructive Evaluation of Carbon Fiber Bicycle Frames Using Infrared Thermography
by Rubén Usamentiaga, Clemente Ibarra-Castanedo, Matthieu Klein, Xavier Maldague, Jeroen Peeters and Alvaro Sanchez-Beato
Sensors 2017, 17(11), 2679; https://doi.org/10.3390/s17112679 - 20 Nov 2017
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 7573
Abstract
Bicycle frames made of carbon fibre are extremely popular for high-performance cycling due to the stiffness-to-weight ratio, which enables greater power transfer. However, products manufactured using carbon fibre are sensitive to impact damage. Therefore, intelligent nondestructive evaluation is a required step to prevent [...] Read more.
Bicycle frames made of carbon fibre are extremely popular for high-performance cycling due to the stiffness-to-weight ratio, which enables greater power transfer. However, products manufactured using carbon fibre are sensitive to impact damage. Therefore, intelligent nondestructive evaluation is a required step to prevent failures and ensure a secure usage of the bicycle. This work proposes an inspection method based on active thermography, a proven technique successfully applied to other materials. Different configurations for the inspection are tested, including power and heating time. Moreover, experiments are applied to a real bicycle frame with generated impact damage of different energies. Tests show excellent results, detecting the generated damage during the inspection. When the results are combined with advanced image post-processing methods, the SNR is greatly increased, and the size and localization of the defects are clearly visible in the images. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Intelligent Sensing Technologies for Nondestructive Evaluation)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

1847 KiB  
Article
Towards Intelligent Interpretation of Low Strain Pile Integrity Testing Results Using Machine Learning Techniques
by De-Mi Cui, Weizhong Yan, Xiao-Quan Wang and Lie-Min Lu
Sensors 2017, 17(11), 2443; https://doi.org/10.3390/s17112443 - 25 Oct 2017
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 7798
Abstract
Low strain pile integrity testing (LSPIT), due to its simplicity and low cost, is one of the most popular NDE methods used in pile foundation construction. While performing LSPIT in the field is generally quite simple and quick, determining the integrity of the [...] Read more.
Low strain pile integrity testing (LSPIT), due to its simplicity and low cost, is one of the most popular NDE methods used in pile foundation construction. While performing LSPIT in the field is generally quite simple and quick, determining the integrity of the test piles by analyzing and interpreting the test signals (reflectograms) is still a manual process performed by experienced experts only. For foundation construction sites where the number of piles to be tested is large, it may take days before the expert can complete interpreting all of the piles and delivering the integrity assessment report. Techniques that can automate test signal interpretation, thus shortening the LSPIT’s turnaround time, are of great business value and are in great need. Motivated by this need, in this paper, we develop a computer-aided reflectogram interpretation (CARI) methodology that can interpret a large number of LSPIT signals quickly and consistently. The methodology, built on advanced signal processing and machine learning technologies, can be used to assist the experts in performing both qualitative and quantitative interpretation of LSPIT signals. Specifically, the methodology can ease experts’ interpretation burden by screening all test piles quickly and identifying a small number of suspected piles for experts to perform manual, in-depth interpretation. We demonstrate the methodology’s effectiveness using the LSPIT signals collected from a number of real-world pile construction sites. The proposed methodology can potentially enhance LSPIT and make it even more efficient and effective in quality control of deep foundation construction. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Intelligent Sensing Technologies for Nondestructive Evaluation)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

5920 KiB  
Article
Defect Detection of Adhesive Layer of Thermal Insulation Materials Based on Improved Particle Swarm Optimization of ECT
by Yintang Wen, Yao Jia, Yuyan Zhang, Xiaoyuan Luo and Hongrui Wang
Sensors 2017, 17(11), 2440; https://doi.org/10.3390/s17112440 - 25 Oct 2017
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3881
Abstract
This paper studies the defect detection problem of adhesive layer of thermal insulation materials. A novel detection method based on an improved particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm of Electrical Capacitance Tomography (ECT) is presented. Firstly, a least squares support vector machine is applied [...] Read more.
This paper studies the defect detection problem of adhesive layer of thermal insulation materials. A novel detection method based on an improved particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm of Electrical Capacitance Tomography (ECT) is presented. Firstly, a least squares support vector machine is applied for data processing of measured capacitance values. Then, the improved PSO algorithm is proposed and applied for image reconstruction. Finally, some experiments are provided to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method in defect detection for adhesive layer of thermal insulation materials. The performance comparisons demonstrate that the proposed method has higher precision by comparing with traditional ECT algorithms. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Intelligent Sensing Technologies for Nondestructive Evaluation)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

6092 KiB  
Article
An Improved Scheduling Algorithm for Data Transmission in Ultrasonic Phased Arrays with Multi-Group Ultrasonic Sensors
by Wenming Tang, Guixiong Liu, Yuzhong Li and Daji Tan
Sensors 2017, 17(10), 2355; https://doi.org/10.3390/s17102355 - 16 Oct 2017
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3651
Abstract
High data transmission efficiency is a key requirement for an ultrasonic phased array with multi-group ultrasonic sensors. Here, a novel FIFOs scheduling algorithm was proposed and the data transmission efficiency with hardware technology was improved. This algorithm includes FIFOs as caches for the [...] Read more.
High data transmission efficiency is a key requirement for an ultrasonic phased array with multi-group ultrasonic sensors. Here, a novel FIFOs scheduling algorithm was proposed and the data transmission efficiency with hardware technology was improved. This algorithm includes FIFOs as caches for the ultrasonic scanning data obtained from the sensors with the output data in a bandwidth-sharing way, on the basis of which an optimal length ratio of all the FIFOs is achieved, allowing the reading operations to be switched among all the FIFOs without time slot waiting. Therefore, this algorithm enhances the utilization ratio of the reading bandwidth resources so as to obtain higher efficiency than the traditional scheduling algorithms. The reliability and validity of the algorithm are substantiated after its implementation in the field programmable gate array (FPGA) technology, and the bandwidth utilization ratio and the real-time performance of the ultrasonic phased array are enhanced. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Intelligent Sensing Technologies for Nondestructive Evaluation)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

1275 KiB  
Communication
Application of Negative Curvature Hollow-Core Fiber in an Optical Fiber Sensor Setup for Multiphoton Spectroscopy
by Maciej Andrzej Popenda, Hanna Izabela Stawska, Leszek Mateusz Mazur, Konrad Jakubowski, Alexey Kosolapov, Anton Kolyadin and Elżbieta Bereś-Pawlik
Sensors 2017, 17(10), 2278; https://doi.org/10.3390/s17102278 - 06 Oct 2017
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 4717
Abstract
In this paper, an application of negative curvature hollow core fiber (NCHCF) in an all-fiber, multiphoton fluorescence sensor setup is presented. The dispersion parameter (D) of this fiber does not exceed the value of 5 ps/nm × km across the optical spectrum of [...] Read more.
In this paper, an application of negative curvature hollow core fiber (NCHCF) in an all-fiber, multiphoton fluorescence sensor setup is presented. The dispersion parameter (D) of this fiber does not exceed the value of 5 ps/nm × km across the optical spectrum of (680–750) nm, making it well suited for the purpose of multiphoton excitation of biological fluorophores. Employing 1.5 m of this fiber in a simple, all-fiber sensor setup allows us to perform multiphoton experiments without any dispersion compensation methods. Multiphoton excitation of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) with this fiber shows a 6- and 9-fold increase, respectively, in the total fluorescence signal collected when compared with the commercial solution in the form of a hollow-core photonic band gap fiber (HCPBF). To the author’s best knowledge, this is the first time an NCHCF was used in an optical-fiber sensor setup for multiphoton fluorescence experiments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Intelligent Sensing Technologies for Nondestructive Evaluation)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

5211 KiB  
Article
A Smart Eddy Current Sensor Dedicated to the Nondestructive Evaluation of Carbon Fibers Reinforced Polymers
by Mohammed Naidjate, Bachir Helifa, Mouloud Feliachi, Iben-Khaldoun Lefkaier, Henning Heuer and Martin Schulze
Sensors 2017, 17(9), 1996; https://doi.org/10.3390/s17091996 - 31 Aug 2017
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 4960
Abstract
This paper propose a new concept of an eddy current (EC) multi-element sensor for the characterization of carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (CFRP) to evaluate the orientations of plies in CFRP and the order of their stacking. The main advantage of the new sensors is [...] Read more.
This paper propose a new concept of an eddy current (EC) multi-element sensor for the characterization of carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (CFRP) to evaluate the orientations of plies in CFRP and the order of their stacking. The main advantage of the new sensors is the flexible parametrization by electronical switching that reduces the effort for mechanical manipulation. The sensor response was calculated and proved by 3D finite element (FE) modeling. This sensor is dedicated to nondestructive testing (NDT) and can be an alternative for conventional mechanical rotating and rectangular sensors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Intelligent Sensing Technologies for Nondestructive Evaluation)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

7747 KiB  
Article
Development of Embedded EM Sensors for Estimating Tensile Forces of PSC Girder Bridges
by Junkyeong Kim, Ju-Won Kim, Chaggil Lee and Seunghee Park
Sensors 2017, 17(9), 1989; https://doi.org/10.3390/s17091989 - 30 Aug 2017
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 5070
Abstract
The tensile force of pre-stressed concrete (PSC) girders is the most important factor for managing the stability of PSC bridges. The tensile force is induced using pre-stressing (PS) tendons of a PSC girder. Because the PS tendons are located inside of the PSC [...] Read more.
The tensile force of pre-stressed concrete (PSC) girders is the most important factor for managing the stability of PSC bridges. The tensile force is induced using pre-stressing (PS) tendons of a PSC girder. Because the PS tendons are located inside of the PSC girder, the tensile force cannot be measured after construction using conventional NDT (non-destructive testing) methods. To monitor the induced tensile force of a PSC girder, an embedded EM (elasto-magnetic) sensor was proposed in this study. The PS tendons are made of carbon steel, a ferromagnetic material. The magnetic properties of the ferromagnetic specimen are changed according to the induced magnetic field, temperature, and induced stress. Thus, the tensile force of PS tendons can be estimated by measuring their magnetic properties. The EM sensor can measure the magnetic properties of ferromagnetic materials in the form of a B (magnetic density)-H (magnetic force) loop. To measure the B-H loop of a PS tendon in a PSC girder, the EM sensor should be embedded into the PSC girder. The proposed embedded EM sensor can be embedded into a PSC girder as a sheath joint by designing screw threads to connect with the sheath. To confirm the proposed embedded EM sensors, the experimental study was performed using a down-scaled PSC girder model. Two specimens were constructed with embedded EM sensors, and three sensors were installed in each specimen. The embedded EM sensor could measure the B-H loop of PS tendons even if it was located inside concrete, and the area of the B-H loop was proportionally decreased according to the increase in tensile force. According to the results, the proposed method can be used to estimate the tensile force of unrevealed PS tendons. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Intelligent Sensing Technologies for Nondestructive Evaluation)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

5175 KiB  
Article
Construction Condition and Damage Monitoring of Post-Tensioned PSC Girders Using Embedded Sensors
by Kyung-Joon Shin, Seong-Cheol Lee, Yun Yong Kim, Jae-Min Kim, Seunghee Park and Hwanwoo Lee
Sensors 2017, 17(8), 1843; https://doi.org/10.3390/s17081843 - 10 Aug 2017
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 5968
Abstract
The potential for monitoring the construction of post-tensioned concrete beams and detecting damage to the beams under loading conditions was investigated through an experimental program. First, embedded sensors were investigated that could measure pre-stress from the fabrication process to a failure condition. Four [...] Read more.
The potential for monitoring the construction of post-tensioned concrete beams and detecting damage to the beams under loading conditions was investigated through an experimental program. First, embedded sensors were investigated that could measure pre-stress from the fabrication process to a failure condition. Four types of sensors were installed on a steel frame, and the applicability and the accuracy of these sensors were tested while pre-stress was applied to a tendon in the steel frame. As a result, a tri-sensor loading plate and a Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensor were selected as possible candidates. With those sensors, two pre-stressed concrete flexural beams were fabricated and tested. The pre-stress of the tendons was monitored during the construction and loading processes. Through the test, it was proven that the variation in thepre-stress had been successfully monitored throughout the construction process. The losses of pre-stress that occurred during a jacking and storage process, even those which occurred inside the concrete, were measured successfully. The results of the loading test showed that tendon stress and strain within the pure span significantly increased, while the stress in areas near the anchors was almost constant. These results prove that FBG sensors installed in a middle section can be used to monitor the strain within, and the damage to pre-stressed concrete beams. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Intelligent Sensing Technologies for Nondestructive Evaluation)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

3534 KiB  
Article
Imaging of Subsurface Corrosion Using Gradient-Field Pulsed Eddy Current Probes with Uniform Field Excitation
by Yong Li, Shuting Ren, Bei Yan, Ilham Mukriz Zainal Abidin and Yi Wang
Sensors 2017, 17(8), 1747; https://doi.org/10.3390/s17081747 - 31 Jul 2017
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 4880
Abstract
A corrosive environment leaves in-service conductive structures prone to subsurface corrosion which poses a severe threat to the structural integrity. It is indispensable to detect and quantitatively evaluate subsurface corrosion via non-destructive evaluation techniques. Although the gradient-field pulsed eddy current technique (GPEC) has [...] Read more.
A corrosive environment leaves in-service conductive structures prone to subsurface corrosion which poses a severe threat to the structural integrity. It is indispensable to detect and quantitatively evaluate subsurface corrosion via non-destructive evaluation techniques. Although the gradient-field pulsed eddy current technique (GPEC) has been found to be superior in the evaluation of corrosion in conductors, it suffers from a technical drawback resulting from the non-uniform field excited by the conventional pancake coil. In light of this, a new GPEC probe with uniform field excitation for the imaging of subsurface corrosion is proposed in this paper. The excited uniform field makes the GPEC signal correspond only to the field perturbation due to the presence of subsurface corrosion, which benefits the corrosion profiling and sizing. A 3D analytical model of GPEC is established to analyze the characteristics of the uniform field induced within a conductor. Following this, experiments regarding the imaging of subsurface corrosion via GPEC have been carried out. It has been found from the results that the proposed GPEC probe with uniform field excitation not only applies to the imaging of subsurface corrosion in conductive structures, but provides high-sensitivity imaging results regarding the corrosion profile and opening size. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Intelligent Sensing Technologies for Nondestructive Evaluation)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

7187 KiB  
Article
The Use of Flexible Ultrasound Transducers for the Detection of Laser-Induced Guided Waves on Curved Surfaces at Elevated Temperatures
by Tai Chieh Wu, Makiko Kobayashi, Masayuki Tanabe and Che Hua Yang
Sensors 2017, 17(6), 1285; https://doi.org/10.3390/s17061285 - 04 Jun 2017
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 5284
Abstract
In this study, a flexible ultrasonic transducer (FUT) was applied in a laser ultrasonic technique (LUT) for non-destructive characterization of metallic pipes at high temperatures of up to 176 °C. Compared with normal ultrasound transducers, a FUT is a piezoelectric film made of [...] Read more.
In this study, a flexible ultrasonic transducer (FUT) was applied in a laser ultrasonic technique (LUT) for non-destructive characterization of metallic pipes at high temperatures of up to 176 °C. Compared with normal ultrasound transducers, a FUT is a piezoelectric film made of a PZT/PZT sol-gel composite which has advantages due to its high sensitivity, curved surface adaptability and high temperature durability. By operating a pulsed laser in B-scan mode along with the integration of FUT and LUT, a multi-mode dispersion spectrum of a stainless steel pipe at high temperature can be measured. In addition, dynamic wave propagation behaviors are experimentally visualized with two dimensional scanning. The images directly interpret the reflections from the interior defects and also can locate their positions. This hybrid technique shows great potential for non-destructive evaluation of structures with complex geometry, especially in high temperature environments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Intelligent Sensing Technologies for Nondestructive Evaluation)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

6531 KiB  
Article
Comparison Study between RMS and Edge Detection Image Processing Algorithms for a Pulsed Laser UWPI (Ultrasonic Wave Propagation Imaging)-Based NDT Technique
by Changgil Lee, Aoqi Zhang, Byoungjoon Yu and Seunghee Park
Sensors 2017, 17(6), 1224; https://doi.org/10.3390/s17061224 - 26 May 2017
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 5596
Abstract
In this study, a non-contact laser ultrasonic propagation imaging technique was applied to detect the damage of plate-like structures. Lamb waves were generated by an Nd:YAG pulse laser system, while a galvanometer-based laser scanner was used to scan the preliminarily designated area. The [...] Read more.
In this study, a non-contact laser ultrasonic propagation imaging technique was applied to detect the damage of plate-like structures. Lamb waves were generated by an Nd:YAG pulse laser system, while a galvanometer-based laser scanner was used to scan the preliminarily designated area. The signals of the structural responses were measured using a piezoelectric sensor attached on the front or back side of the plates. The obtained responses were analyzed by calculating the root mean square (RMS) values to achieve the visualization of structural defects such as crack, corrosion, and so on. If the propagating waves encounter the damage, the waves are scattered at the damage and the energy of the scattered waves can be expressed by the RMS values. In this study, notch and corrosion were artificially formed on aluminum plates and were considered as structural defects. The notches were created with different depths and angles on the aluminum plates, and the corrosion damage was formed with different depths and areas. To visualize the damage more clearly, edge detection methodologies were applied to the RMS images and the feasibility of the methods was investigated. The results showed that most of the edge detection methods were good at detecting the shape and/or the size of the damage while they had poor performance of detecting the depth of the damage. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Intelligent Sensing Technologies for Nondestructive Evaluation)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

5320 KiB  
Article
Infrared Thermography Sensor for Temperature and Speed Measurement of Moving Material
by Rubén Usamentiaga and Daniel Fernando García
Sensors 2017, 17(5), 1157; https://doi.org/10.3390/s17051157 - 18 May 2017
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 4681
Abstract
Infrared thermography offers significant advantages in monitoring the temperature of objects over time, but crucial aspects need to be addressed. Movements between the infrared camera and the inspected material seriously affect the accuracy of the calculated temperature. These movements can be the consequence [...] Read more.
Infrared thermography offers significant advantages in monitoring the temperature of objects over time, but crucial aspects need to be addressed. Movements between the infrared camera and the inspected material seriously affect the accuracy of the calculated temperature. These movements can be the consequence of solid objects that are moved, molten metal poured, material on a conveyor belt, or just vibrations. This work proposes a solution for monitoring the temperature of material in these scenarios. In this work both real movements and vibrations are treated equally, proposing a unified solution for both problems. The three key steps of the proposed procedure are image rectification, motion estimation and motion compensation. Image rectification calculates a front-parallel projection of the image that simplifies the estimation and compensation of the movement. Motion estimation describes the movement using a mathematical model, and estimates the coefficients using robust methods adapted to infrared images. Motion is finally compensated for in order to produce the correct temperature time history of the monitored material regardless of the movement. The result is a robust sensor for temperature of moving material that can also be used to measure the speed of the material. Different experiments are carried out to validate the proposed method in laboratory and real environments. Results show excellent performance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Intelligent Sensing Technologies for Nondestructive Evaluation)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

4928 KiB  
Article
A New Electromagnetic Acoustic Transducer Design for Generating and Receiving S0 Lamb Waves in Ferromagnetic Steel Plate
by Jianpeng He, Steve Dixon, Samuel Hill and Ke Xu
Sensors 2017, 17(5), 1023; https://doi.org/10.3390/s17051023 - 04 May 2017
Cited by 21 | Viewed by 5389
Abstract
Electromagnetic acoustic transducers (EMATs) are non-contact, ultrasonic transducers that are usually kept within 5 mm from the sample surface to obtain a sufficient signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). One important issue associated with operation on a ferromagnetic plate is that the strong attraction force from [...] Read more.
Electromagnetic acoustic transducers (EMATs) are non-contact, ultrasonic transducers that are usually kept within 5 mm from the sample surface to obtain a sufficient signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). One important issue associated with operation on a ferromagnetic plate is that the strong attraction force from the magnet can affect measurements and make scanning difficult. This paper investigates a method to generate fundamental, symmetric Lamb waves on a ferromagnetic plate. A coil-only, low-weight, generation EMAT is designed and investigated, operating at lift-offs of over 5 mm. Another design of an EMAT is investigated using a rectangular magnet with a much higher lift-off than the coil, of up to 19 mm. This results in a much lower force between the EMAT and sample, making scanning the EMAT much easier. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Intelligent Sensing Technologies for Nondestructive Evaluation)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research, Other

5566 KiB  
Review
Superconducting Quantum Interferometers for Nondestructive Evaluation
by M. I. Faley, E. A. Kostyurina, K. V. Kalashnikov, Yu. V. Maslennikov, V. P. Koshelets and R. E. Dunin-Borkowski
Sensors 2017, 17(12), 2798; https://doi.org/10.3390/s17122798 - 06 Dec 2017
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 7460
Abstract
We review stationary and mobile systems that are used for the nondestructive evaluation of room temperature objects and are based on superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs). The systems are optimized for samples whose dimensions are between 10 micrometers and several meters. Stray magnetic [...] Read more.
We review stationary and mobile systems that are used for the nondestructive evaluation of room temperature objects and are based on superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs). The systems are optimized for samples whose dimensions are between 10 micrometers and several meters. Stray magnetic fields from small samples (10 µm–10 cm) are studied using a SQUID microscope equipped with a magnetic flux antenna, which is fed through the walls of liquid nitrogen cryostat and a hole in the SQUID’s pick-up loop and returned sidewards from the SQUID back to the sample. The SQUID microscope does not disturb the magnetization of the sample during image recording due to the decoupling of the magnetic flux antenna from the modulation and feedback coil. For larger samples, we use a hand-held mobile liquid nitrogen minicryostat with a first order planar gradiometric SQUID sensor. Low-Tc DC SQUID systems that are designed for NDE measurements of bio-objects are able to operate with sufficient resolution in a magnetically unshielded environment. High-Tc DC SQUID magnetometers that are operated in a magnetic shield demonstrate a magnetic field resolution of ~4 fT/√Hz at 77 K. This sensitivity is improved to ~2 fT/√Hz at 77 K by using a soft magnetic flux antenna. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Intelligent Sensing Technologies for Nondestructive Evaluation)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

10220 KiB  
Review
A Review of Microwave Thermography Nondestructive Testing and Evaluation
by Hong Zhang, Ruizhen Yang, Yunze He, Ali Foudazi, Liang Cheng and Guiyun Tian
Sensors 2017, 17(5), 1123; https://doi.org/10.3390/s17051123 - 15 May 2017
Cited by 53 | Viewed by 12692
Abstract
Microwave thermography (MWT) has many advantages including strong penetrability, selective heating, volumetric heating, significant energy savings, uniform heating, and good thermal efficiency. MWT has received growing interest due to its potential to overcome some of the limitations of microwave nondestructive testing (NDT) and [...] Read more.
Microwave thermography (MWT) has many advantages including strong penetrability, selective heating, volumetric heating, significant energy savings, uniform heating, and good thermal efficiency. MWT has received growing interest due to its potential to overcome some of the limitations of microwave nondestructive testing (NDT) and thermal NDT. Moreover, during the last few decades MWT has attracted growing interest in materials assessment. In this paper, a comprehensive review of MWT techniques for materials evaluation is conducted based on a detailed literature survey. First, the basic principles of MWT are described. Different types of MWT, including microwave pulsed thermography, microwave step thermography, microwave pulsed phase thermography, and microwave lock-in thermography are defined and introduced. Then, MWT case studies are discussed. Next, comparisons with other thermography and NDT methods are conducted. Finally, the trends in MWT research are outlined, including new theoretical studies, simulations and modelling, signal processing algorithms, internal properties characterization, automatic separation and inspection systems. This work provides a summary of MWT, which can be utilized for material failures prevention and quality control. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Intelligent Sensing Technologies for Nondestructive Evaluation)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Other

Jump to: Research, Review

922 KiB  
Letter
A Study of Applying Pulsed Remote Field Eddy Current in Ferromagnetic Pipes Testing
by Qingwang Luo, Yibing Shi, Zhigang Wang, Wei Zhang and Yanjun Li
Sensors 2017, 17(5), 1038; https://doi.org/10.3390/s17051038 - 05 May 2017
Cited by 20 | Viewed by 4536
Abstract
Pulsed Remote Field Eddy Current Testing (PRFECT) attracts the attention in the testing of ferromagnetic pipes because of its continuous spectrum. This paper simulated the practical PRFECT of pipes by using ANSYS software and employed Least Squares Support Vector Regression (LSSVR) to extract [...] Read more.
Pulsed Remote Field Eddy Current Testing (PRFECT) attracts the attention in the testing of ferromagnetic pipes because of its continuous spectrum. This paper simulated the practical PRFECT of pipes by using ANSYS software and employed Least Squares Support Vector Regression (LSSVR) to extract the zero-crossing time to analyze the pipe thickness. As a result, a secondary peak is found in zero-crossing time when transmitter passed by a defect. The secondary peak will lead to wrong quantification and the localization of defects, especially when defects are found only at the transmitter location. Aiming to eliminate the secondary peaks, double sensing coils are set in the transition zone and Wiener deconvolution filter is applied. In the proposed method, position dependent response of the differential signals from the double sensing coils is calibrated by employing zero-mean normalization. The methods proposed in this paper are validated by analyzing the simulation signals and can improve the practicality of PRFECT of ferromagnetic pipes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Intelligent Sensing Technologies for Nondestructive Evaluation)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-18
Back to TopTop