Search Results (57)

The present study aims to compare the feasibility of using ultrasound techniques and image processing to obtain comprehensive experimental results on the dynamics of solid–liquid fraction changes during the melting and solidification of coconut oil as a phase change material (PCM). The discussion will focus on the advantages and limitations of various ultrasonic techniques and image data analysis for inspecting materials during phase transitions. Ultrasound enables the detection of phase changes in materials by analysing variations in their acoustic properties, such as wave velocity and amplitude, during transitions. This method is not only cost-effective compared to traditional non-destructive techniques, such as X-ray tomography, but also offers the potential for real-time monitoring in thermal energy storage systems. Furthermore, it can provide valuable information about internal mechanical parameters and the material’s structure. A detailed analysis of the melting and solidification dynamics has been conducted, confirming the feasibility of using ultrasound parameters to assess the reconstruction of material structures during phase changes. This study paves the way for more efficient and cost-effective monitoring of phase change materials in various applications. Full article

Conventional characterization of ultrasonic testing (UT) transducers primarily focuses on determining centre frequency and usable bandwidth. However, the relative amplitude distribution across different frequency components—particularly in low-frequency transducers used for civil engineering applications—remains largely overlooked. This paper introduces a comprehensive methodology to assess the influence of transducer coupling and specimen geometry on ultrasonic pulse velocity signals. The novel approach combines high-frequency laser Doppler vibrometry, real-time photoelastic imaging, and computer simulations using commercial semi-analytical wave-propagation software. The methodology is applied to the characterization of a 250 kHz UT transducer, with particular emphasis on how coupling with a solid test medium alters its frequency response. A glass specimen with an acoustic impedance comparable to that of concrete is used to simulate practical testing conditions. Vibration patterns recorded at the distal end of the specimen are analysed through computer simulations and validated experimentally using a novel photoelastic system capable of capturing wave–specimen interactions at ultrasonic frequencies in real time. The findings offer valuable insights into frequency-dependent signal behaviour and transducer–medium interactions, providing practical guidance for the design and optimization of UT inspections in concrete and other highly attenuative materials commonly encountered in civil engineering. Full article

Addressing the issue of lifespan prediction for electronic packages under thermal loading, this paper proposes a method for predicting the lifespan of electronic packages based on ultrasonic microimaging. Firstly, experimental samples equipped with flip-chip packages were designed and fabricated and subjected to aging through thermal cycle acceleration tests. Ultrasonic microscopy was utilized to periodically acquire ultrasonic image data for monitoring solder joint degradation. Secondly, the internal ultrasonic wave propagation mechanism within electronic packages was investigated, establishing a qualitative relationship between the intensity in the central region of the solder joint’s ultrasonic image and internal defects within the joint. Image processing techniques were applied to enhance the quality of the solder joint images, and the mean intensity in the central region of the solder joint image was extracted as a failure feature. Finally, based on the extracted failure feature, a data-driven failure model for solder joints was developed, which predicts the lifespan of the solder joints based on cumulative failure probability. The research results indicate that the proposed model accurately describes the failure process of solder joints and effectively differentiates the lifespan variations among solder joints at different locations on the chip. This provides theoretical support for the reliability assessment of electronic package solder joints and holds practical value for enhancing the overall reliability of electronic packaging components. Full article

Photoacoustic imaging (PAI) is an emerging modality that merges optical and ultrasound imaging to provide high-resolution and functional insights into biological tissues. This technique leverages the photoacoustic effect, where tissue absorbs pulsed laser light, generating acoustic waves that are captured to reconstruct images. While lasers have traditionally been the light source for PAI, their high cost and complexity drive interest towards alternative sources like light-emitting diodes (LEDs). This study evaluates the feasibility of using an avalanche oscillator to drive high-power LEDs in a basic photoacoustic imaging system. An avalanche oscillator, utilizing semiconductor avalanche breakdown to produce high-voltage pulses, powers LEDs to generate short, high-intensity light pulses. The system incorporates an LED array, an ultrasonic transducer, and an amplifier for signal detection. Key findings include the successful generation of short light pulses with sufficient intensity to excite materials and the system’s capability to produce detectable photoacoustic signals in both air and water environments. While LEDs demonstrate cost-effectiveness and portability advantages, challenges such as lower power and broader spectral bandwidth compared to lasers are noted. The results affirm that LED-based photoacoustic systems, though currently less advanced than laser-based systems, present a promising direction for affordable and portable imaging technologies. Full article

This paper presents an experimental study of wave motions and a global diagnostics method in a realistic aerospace-grade composite component with a complex design. Due to the frequency dependence of the velocity, wave propagation in anisotropic materials is difficult to describe quantitatively. The analysis of experimental ultrasonic wave propagation and the interactions with discontinuities in thin-walled aircraft structures can provide a plethora of information on the wave structure, the mode shapes, and stiffness reduction. An experiment is devised with a network of various omnidirectional sensor configurations to activate and measure structural responses. The measurement process can be leveraged for flaw detection in large multilayered structures. Physically, this corresponds to analyzing the dispersive behavior and scattering properties of ultrasonic waves, the shape of the waveforms, and their corresponding velocities. Ultrasonic waves are measured in a realistic CFRP fuselage panel in a pristine state and after impacts at different energy levels. Simulations do not allow the wave motion in complex and large design structures to be entirely comprehended. The sensitivity of the guided waves as a damage detection tool is proved for the fuselage structure by an extensive measurement campaign and a probabilistic imaging approach based on health indicator fusion. Full article

In this paper, we demonstrate that torsional surface elastic waves can propagate along the curved surface of a metamaterial elastic rod (cylinder) embedded in a conventional elastic medium. The crucial parameter of the metamaterial rod is its elastic compliance $s_{44}^{\left(1\right)}\left(\omega \right),$ which varies as a function of frequency $\omega$ analogously to the dielectric function $\epsilon \left(\omega \right)$ in Drude’s model of metals. As a consequence, the elastic compliance $s_{44}^{\left(1\right)}\left(\omega \right)$ can take negative values $s_{44}^{\left(1\right)}\left(\omega \right)<0$ as a function of frequency $\omega$. Negative elastic compliance ($s_{44}^{\left(1\right)}\left(\omega \right)<0$) enables the emergence of new surface states, i.e., new types of surface elastic waves. In fact, the proposed torsional elastic surface waves can be considered as an elastic analog of Surface Plasmon Polariton (SPP) electromagnetic (optical) waves propagating along a metallic rod (cylinder) embedded in a dielectric medium. Consequently, we developed the corresponding analytical equations, for the dispersion relation and group velocity of the new torsional elastic surface wave. The newly discovered torsional elastic surface waves exhibit virtually all extraordinary properties of their electromagnetic SPP counterparts, such as strong subwavelength concentration of the wave energy in the vicinity of the cylindrical surface $(r=a$) of the guiding rod, very low phase and group velocities, etc. Therefore, the new torsional elastic surface waves can be used in: (a) near-field subwavelength acoustic imaging (super-resolution), (b) acoustic wave trapping (zero group and phase velocity), etc. Importantly, the newly discovered torsional elastic surface waves can form a basis for the development of a new generation of ultrasonic sensors (e.g., viscosity sensors), biosensors, and chemosensors with a very high mass sensitivity. Full article

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are widely used in electric vehicles and energy storage systems, making accurate state transition monitoring a key research topic. This paper presents a characterization method for large-format LIBs based on phased-array ultrasonic technology (PAUT). A finite element model of a large-format aluminum shell lithium-ion battery is developed on the basis of ultrasonic wave propagation in multilayer porous media. Simulations and comparative analyses of phased array ultrasonic imaging are conducted for various operating conditions and abnormal gas generation. A 40 Ah ternary lithium battery (NCMB) is tested at a 0.5C charge-discharge rate, with the state of charge (SOC) and ultrasonic data extracted. The relationship between ultrasonic signals and phased array images is established through simulation and experimental comparisons. To estimate the SOC, a fully connected neural network (FCNN) model is designed and trained, achieving an error of less than 4%. Additionally, phased array imaging, which is conducted every 5 s during overcharging and overdischarging, reveals that gas bubbles form at 0.9 V and increase significantly at 0.2 V. This research provides a new method for battery state characterization. Full article

For laser ultrasound in the thermoelastic mechanism, excitation of ultrasonic body wave signal is weak, it is not easy to realize the detection of deep defects inside the workpiece. While the ablation mechanism produces a high and practical ultrasonic signal-to-noise ratio, this paper is based on the generation mechanism of laser ablation excitation of ultrasonic waves, the establishment of laser ultrasound in the ablation mechanism in the aluminum plate excitation and propagation of ultrasonic numerical model, through the solution, obtained the ultrasonic acoustic field map, discussed the ablation mechanism of the laser ultrasonic body wave acoustic field directionality. Additionally, the preliminary verification of the validity of the model is presented. Then, in order to explore the application potential of high signal-to-noise ratio longitudinal waves in defect detection, defects of different depths are preset in the model for simulation calculations, and waveform and acoustic field analyses are performed on the simulation results to study the ultrasonic propagation paths inside the member and the interaction with the defects, and the transverse position and depth of the internal defects are judged by using B-scan imaging. Finally, experimental validation is carried out. The experimental results are highly consistent with the simulation model, and the defect experiments can qualitatively determine the location of internal defects and verify the practicality and accuracy of the model. Full article

Ultrasonic velocity field imaging offers a robust tool for characterizing and analyzing damage and its evolution within fractured rock masses. The combined application of ultrasonic first arrival waves and coda waves can significantly enhance the accuracy and range of velocity field imaging. This manuscript introduces an improved imaging method that integrates the propagation probability distribution of the first arrival and coda waves to calculate the velocity field. The proposed method was applied to the velocity field imaging of a medium with multiple scatterers and varying degrees of fracturing. The overall error and calculation unit error of the proposed method were analyzed, and its improvement in calculation accuracy and applicable scope was verified. Additionally, this method was employed to image the velocity field during the damage process of fractured rock masses. The imaging results were compared against digital speckle patterns to confirm the method’s suitability. Finally, we discussed the impact of measurement errors and sensor missing on the accuracy of the computational outcomes presented in this method. These two situations will affect the calculation results, and the influence of reducing the number of sensors is smaller than that of measuring time shifts with error. Full article

In the present paper, an affordable innovative physical experimental equipment consisting of an upper computer, an ultrasonic sensor module, and an Arduino microcontroller has been designed. The relationship between the position of the slider fixed on two springs and time is measured by using the ultrasonic sensor module. A system for slider motion data and image acquisition is constructed by using the LabVIEW interface of Arduino UNO R3. The purpose of this experiment is to demonstrate and interpret the propagation of waves represented by harmonic motion. The spring oscillator system including a slider and two springs is measured and recorded, and the motion can be realized using curve fitting to the wave equation in Sigmaplot. The vibration periods obtained from experimental measurements and curve fitting of the wave equation are 1.130 s and 1.165 s, respectively. The experimental data are in good agreement with the theoretical model. The experimental measurement results show that the maximum kinetic energy is 0.0792 J, the maximum potential energy is 0.0795 J, and the total energy at the position of half the amplitude is 0.0791 J. The results verify the mechanical energy conservation of spring oscillator system in a short time. This self-made instrument has improved the visualization and the automation level of the corresponding experiments. Full article

Delamination represents one of the most significant and dangerous damages in composite plates. Recently, many papers have presented the capability of structural health monitoring (SHM) techniques for the investigation of structural delamination with various shapes and thickness depths. However, few studies have been conducted regarding the utilization of convolutional neural network (CNN) methods for automating the non-destructive testing (NDT) techniques database to identify the delamination size and depth. In this paper, an automated system qualified for distinguishing between pristine and damaged structures and classifying three classes of delamination with various depths is presented. This system includes a proposed CNN model and the Lamb wave technique. In this work, a unidirectional composite plate with three samples of delamination inserted at different depths was prepared for numerical and experimental investigations. In the numerical part, the guided wave propagation and interaction with three samples of delamination were studied to observe how the delamination depth can affect the scattered and trapped waves over the delamination region. This numerical study was validated experimentally using an efficient ultrasonic guided waves technique. This technique involved piezoelectric wafer active sensors (PWASs) and a scanning laser Doppler vibrometer (SLDV). Both numerical and experimental studies demonstrate that the delamination depth has a direct effect on the trapped waves’ energy and distribution. Three different datasets were collected from the numerical and experimental studies, involving the numerical wavefield image dataset, experimental wavefield image dataset, and experimental wavenumber spectrum image dataset. These three datasets were used independently with the proposed CNN model to develop a system that can automatically classify four classes (pristine class and three different delamination classes). The results of all three datasets show the capability of the proposed CNN model for predicting the delamination depth with high accuracy. The proposed CNN model results of the three different datasets were validated using the GoogLeNet CNN. The results of both methods show an excellent agreement. The results proved the capability of the wavefield image and wavenumber spectrum datasets to be used as input data to the CNN for the detection of delamination depth. Full article

The corrosion steels phenomenon is one of the main problems in the oil industry, such as in buried transmission pipelines used for high gas pressure for long distances. Steels are protected from the external soil corrosion through a bituminous coating, whose action is coupled with a cathodic protection system, which aims to maintain steel in its protection field and thus to avoid any corrosion risk. However, steels in service may experience external surface defects like corrosion pitting and cracking due to electrochemical or mechanical interactions of bare steel with an aggressive soil solution after steel protection failure. These are concerning phenomena and are the major threats of the pipeline transmission system’s reliability and ecological safety. Corrosion mechanisms are varied and can be evaluated by different methods, such as electrochemical measurements, which are influenced by various factors like temperature, pH, soil characteristics, resistivity, water content, and as well mechanical stresses. Corrosion results from simulated artificial soil solutions showed that steel is sensitive to corrosion by soil. Surface defects detection was carried out using an ultrasonic non-destructive method such as C-Scan Emission testing and the time of flight diffraction technique (TOFD) ultrasonic non-contact testing method. After propagation of the ultrasonic waves, the diffracted ultrasonic reflected wave occurring at the edges of the defects appears due to the presence of a corrosion defect by generating defect echoes. The C-Scan ultrasonic image shows surface reflection, including corrosion defects on interfaces with varying acoustic impedances. The cross-transverse speed ultrasonic propagation through the plate including defect is modified, revealing more surface defects, and cross-transverse speed is shown to increase ultrasonic detection presents some advantages, such as precision and speed of detection without alteration to the structure. This method can be used in the industrial context as an intelligent industrial robotics technique. Full article

The advent of elastic metamaterials at the beginning of the 21st century opened new venues and possibilities for the existence of new types of elastic (ultrasonic) surface waves, which were deemed previously impossible. In fact, it is not difficult to prove that shear horizontal (SH) elastic surface waves cannot exist on the elastic half-space or at the interface between two conventional elastic half-spaces. However, in this paper we will show that SH elastic surface waves can propagate at the interface between two elastic half-spaces, providing that one of them is a metamaterial with a negative elastic compliance $s_{44}\left(\omega \right)$. If in addition, $s_{44}\left(\omega \right)$ changes with frequency $\omega$ as the dielectric function $\epsilon \left(\omega \right)$ in Drude’s model of metals, then the proposed SH elastic surface waves can be considered as an elastic analogue of surface plasmon polariton (SPP) electromagnetic waves, propagating at a metal-dielectric interface. Due to inherent similarities between the proposed SH elastic surface waves and SPP electromagnetic waves, the new results developed in this paper can be readily transferred into the SPP domain and vice versa. The proposed new SH elastic surface waves are characterized by a strong subwavelength confinement of energy in the vicinity of the guiding interface; therefore, they can potentially be used in subwavelength ultrasonic imaging, superlensing, and/or acoustic (ultrasonic) sensors with extremely high mass sensitivity. Full article

Although nondestructive ultrasonic technologies have been applied in laboratory and field tests in the field of heritage conservation, few studies have quantified the relationship among the real microstructures, micromechanical properties, and macroscopic acoustic responses of earthen-site soils. This paper develops a micromechanics-based multiscale model for quantitatively exploring the ultrasonic propagation characteristics of elastic waves in untreated and consolidated earthen-site soils. Scanning electron microscope images and image processing technology are integrated into the finite-element simulation. The effects of microstructure and wave features on the acoustic characteristics of soils are quantitatively investigated under pulsive loading. The simulation results of untreated and consolidated soils are efficiently compared to ultrasonic test data. It is demonstrated that the integration of microstructure image processing and multiscale modeling can predict the ultrasonic pulse velocity well, which improves the accuracy of laboratory testing and field monitoring and better serves the evaluation and implementation of engineering practice in the field of heritage conservation. Full article

For high-performance thermoplastic materials, material behavior results from the degree of crystallization and the distribution of crystalline phases. Due to the less stiff amorphous and the stiffer and anisotropic crystalline phases, the microstructural properties are inhomogeneous. Thus, imaging of the microstructure is an important tool to characterize the process-induced morphology and the resulting properties. Using focusing ultrasonic transducers with high frequency (25 MHz nominal center frequency) enables the imaging of specimens with high lateral resolution, while wave propagation is related to the elastic modulus, density and damping of the medium. The present work shows experimental results of high-frequency ultrasonic spectroscopy (HF-US) applied to injection-molded polyether-ether-ketone (PEEK) tensile specimens with different process-related morphologies. This work presents different analysis procedures, e.g., backwall echo, time of flight and Fourier-transformed time signals, facilitating the mapping of gradual mechanical properties and assigning them to different crystalline content and morphological zones. Full article