• Journal of the Korean Society of Manufacturing Technology Engineers
• /
• v.18 no.6
• /
• pp.604-613
• /
• 2009

Recently, researches to develop phased array ultrasonic examination techniques are proceeded to diagnose dental caries and the status of surgical operation of dental implant. Sound field analysis of phased array ultrasonic transducers were carried out in order to characterizing the ultrasonic phased array beams. The sound field of ultrasonic radiation was calculated for the sample called "gypsum-improved stone" with the similar characteristics of dental materials. Industrial phased array ultrasonic devices were utilized for the insptriion of the artificial flaws machined in the gypsum-improved stone. Dental implants were made at the pig jaw bone and defect images were confirmed for the dental implants.

• Transactions of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering
• /
• v.21 no.3
• /
• pp.227-233
• /
• 2011

The ultrasonic guided wave phased array using magnetostrictive patch transducers is proposed. The magnetostrictive transducer has received much attention because it is cost-effective and capable to generate ultrasonic waves with a simple configuration. However, it has not been used for ultrasonic guided wave phased array applications until now. In this paper, we propose a magnetostrictive transducer based phased array system consisting of a multi-channel function generator, power amplifiers and Lamb wave magnetostrictive transducers. To check the performance of the ultrasonic guided wave phased array, several Lamb wave focusing experiments were carried out in an aluminum plate. The results demonstrated the capability of the developed array to focus the Lamb waves at specific target points.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Pressure Vessels and Piping
• /
• v.9 no.1
• /
• pp.8-14
• /
• 2013

Steam turbine blades and discs of nuclear power plants are one of the most highly stressed areas of turbine rotor, and periodic inspection of the blade roots is essential for monitoring integrity and preventing turbine failure. Ultrasonic technique is applied for volumetric inspection of blade root. However, the complexity of blade root geometry imposes challenges to inspection of blades and discs. Recently, phased array ultrasonic inspection technology is being applied to numerous power generation inspection applications including turbine rotor. The phased array ultrasonic technique requires customized inspection wedges which are generally necessary to generate effectively higher incident angle. But the usage of this wedge can cause access limitation for the lower stage blades of turbine because of the wedge front length. Therefore, the shear wave phased array probe which can generate high inspection angle without wedge is essentially necessary. In this study, feasibility study is conducted for the shear wave phased array ultrasonic probe application to blade and disc inspection. As results, the experimental results show that the shear wave phased array probe can detect the flaw and measure its size with reliable accuracy. Therefore if this shear wave phased array probe is applied to field inspection of blade and disc, more reliable inspection is expected for turbine having access limitation.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
• /
• v.19 no.3
• /
• pp.207-216
• /
• 1999

A phased array is a multi-element piezoelectric device whose elements are individually excited by electric pulses at programmed delay time. One of the advantages of using phased array in nondestructive evaluation (NDE) application over conventional ultrasonic transducers is their great maneuverability of ultrasonic beam. There are some parameters such as the number and the size of the piezoelectric elements and the inter-element spacing of the elements to design phased array transducer. In this study, the characteristic of ultrasonic beam for phased array transducer due to the variation of the number of elements has been simulated for ultrasonic SH-wave on the basis of Huygen's principle. Ultrasonic beam directivity and focusing due to the change of time delay of each element were discussed due to the change of the number of piezoelectric elements. It was found that ultrasonic beam was much more spreaded and hence its sound pressure was decreased as steering angle of ultrasonic beam was increased. In addition, the ability of ultrasonic bean focusing decreased gradually with the increase of focal length at the same piezoelectric elements. However, the ability of beam focusing was improved as the number of consisting elements was increased.

• Journal of Applied Reliability
• /
• v.17 no.3
• /
• pp.236-245
• /
• 2017

Purpose: There is no established inspection system for composite wind blade during the fabrication stage even though the blades are one of the most important part at wind generation system, but phased array ultrasonic testing method has been continuously studied about wind turbine blade with composite. When wind turbine blade with complex shape by phased array probe is inspected, it is necessary to study for system keeping constant pressure using pressure device. Methods: In this paper, we propose constant pressure device for inspecting wind turbine blade by phased array ultrasonic test method. Design of the device controller is based on Hunt-Crossley model. We evaluate reliability of phased array ultrasonic inspection result that applicated constant pressure device. Result: Defect indication is precise and its error is small when constant pressure mechanism based on Hunt-Crossley model was used. Conclusion: When inspection is progressed using constant pressure mechanism, the reliability of composite wind blade inspection can be improved.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
• /
• v.32 no.2
• /
• pp.185-191
• /
• 2012

Typically, a wedge is involved to generate effectively high inspection angle in pipe weld inspection using phased array ultrasonic technique. But the usage of this wedge for weld or access limited area can cause coverage limitation for the examination volume because of the wedge front length. Therefore, the shear wave phased array probe which can generate high inspection angle without wedge is essentially necessary. In this paper, the shear wave phased array ultrasonic probe which can generate high inspection angle designed by modeling and manufactured from the modelling result. And this shear wave probe tested whether it can detect and sizing for EDM test block that contains various depth. As results, the experimental results show that the designed shear wave phased array probe can detect and size with reliable accuracy. Therefore if this phased array probe apply in field inspection, it is expected that it show more reliable inspection result for plant structure having access limitation.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Pressure Vessels and Piping
• /
• v.5 no.1
• /
• pp.14-19
• /
• 2009

NDE(Nondestructive examination) detects a flaw or discontinuity in materials. Flaws detected by the examination shall be evaluated for the decision basis of the integrity. The internal flaws of forging products can be detected by UT. However, UT has detection limits because of its reflected signal weakness. Normally, a 1mm or less flaw is known as the limit. If a flaw was detected, the size of flaw would be evaluated by AVG(or DGS) technique. To verify the evaluation data, alternative examination methods are needed. But there is no alternative examination methods until now. In this study, Phased array ultrasonic technique can be used to size the flaws in the generator rotor with focused beam of ultrasonic wave as a supplement method of AVG. Also, the phased array ultrasonic technique described enables the shape of flaw to be depicted exactly.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
• /
• v.24 no.4 s.175
• /
• pp.972-981
• /
• 2000

The phased array transducer has two distinct advantages. One is rapid scanning comparing with the conventional mechanical or manual scanning system. Therefore, output image is represented in real-time. The other is the dynamic focusing and the dynamic steering of ultrasonic beam. Only the delay times that are controlled electrically are used to focus and to steer beam without any lenses or wedges. In this study, the profile of the ultrasonic beam for the phased array transducer has been simulated in the Huygens principle with varying the inter-element spacing of the linear phased array transducer. From the result of this study, it was found that the ultrasonic beam spread wider as the inter-element spacing was decreased. However, the focusing effect was improved, even when the number of the element was not big. In addition, there was grating lobes that are constructed when the inter-element spacing is more than half wavelength. However, this grating lobe has lower amplitude than the main lobe.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
• /
• v.16 no.1
• /
• pp.22-25
• /
• 2012

Welding and/or fusion in polyethylene(PE) system made on site is focused on the control of the welding or fusion process to follow proper procedure. The process control is important, but it is not sufficient for the long term reliability of a pipe system. To achieve the rate of failure close to zero, Non Destructive Testing(NDT) is necessary in addition to joining process control. For electrofusion joints several non-destructive testing methods are available. The ultrasonic phased array technique is possible to detect various defects including wire deviations and regions with lack of fusion. In this studies, testing was carried to detect the defect after electrofusion joining of polyethylene piping is utilized by the ultrasonic phased array technique. From testing data, ultrasonic phased array technique is recommended as a reliable non-destructive testing method.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
• /
• v.28 no.5
• /
• pp.427-435
• /
• 2008

Inspection of dissimilar metal welds using phased array ultrasound is not easy at all, because crystalline structure of dissimilar metal welds cause deviation and splitting of the ultrasonic beams. Thus, in order to have focusing and/or steering phased array beams in dissimilar metal welds, proper time delays should be determined by ray tracing. In this paper, we proposed an effective approach to solve this difficult problem. Specifically, we modify the Oglivy's model parameters to describe the crystalline structure of real dissimilar metal welds in a fabricated specimen. And then, we calculate the proper time delay and incident angle of linear phased array transducer in the anisotropic and inhomogeneous material for focusing and/or steering phased array ultrasonic beams on the desired position.