The role of the reflection coefficient in precision measurement of ultrasonic attenuation

Ultrasonic attenuation measurements using contact, pulse-echo techniques are sensitive to surface roughness and couplant thickness variations. This can reduce considerable inaccuracies in the measurement of the attenuation coefficient for broadband pulses. Inaccuracies arise from variations in the reflection coefficient at the buffer-couplant-sample interface. The reflection coefficient is examined as a function of the surface roughness and corresponding couplant thickness variations. Interrelations with ultrasonic frequency are illustrated. Reliable attenuation measurements are obtained only when the frequency dependence of the reflection coefficient is incorporated in signal analysis. Data are given for nickel 200 samples and a silicon nitride ceramic bar having surface roughness variations in the 0.3 to 3.0 microns range for signal bandwidths in the 50 to 100 MHz range

Ultrasonic verification of microstructural changes due to heat treatment

Ultrasonic attenuation was measured for polycrystalline samples of nickel and copper with various grain-size distributions produced by heat treatment. Attenuation as a function of frequency was determined for a sample having a known mean grain diameter. Once this function was determined, it could be scaled to determine the mean grain size of other samples of the same material with different mean grain diameters. These results were obtained by using broadband pulse-echo ultrasound in the 25 to 100 MHz frequency range. The results suggest an ultrasonic, nondestructive approach for verifying heat treatment of metals

Quantitative flaw characterization with scanning laser acoustic microscopy

Surface roughness and diffraction are two factors that have been observed to affect the accuracy of flaw characterization with scanning laser acoustic microscopy. In accuracies can arise when the surface of the test sample is acoustically rough. It is shown that, in this case, Snell's law is no longer valid for determining the direction of sound propagation within the sample. The relationship between the direction of sound propagation within the sample, the apparent flaw depth, and the sample's surface roughness is investigated. Diffraction effects can mask the acoustic images of minute flaws and make it difficult to establish their size, depth, and other characteristics. It is shown that for Fraunhofer diffraction conditions the acoustic image of a subsurface defect corresponds to a two-dimensional Fourier transform. Transforms based on simulated flaws are used to infer the size and shape of the actual flaw

Electric Potential and Electric Field Imaging with Applications

The technology and techniques for remote quantitative imaging of electrostatic potentials and electrostatic fields in and around objects and in free space is presented. Electric field imaging (EFI) technology may be applied to characterize intrinsic or existing electric potentials and electric fields, or an externally generated electrostatic field may be used for “illuminating” volumes to be inspected with EFI. The baseline sensor technology, electric field sensor (e-sensor), and its construction, optional electric field generation (quasi-static generator), and current e-sensor enhancements (ephemeral e-sensor) are discussed. Demonstrations for structural, electronic, human, and memory applications are shown. This new EFI capability is demonstrated to reveal characterization of electric charge distribution, creating a new field of study that embraces areas of interest including electrostatic discharge mitigation, crime scene forensics, design and materials selection for advanced sensors, dielectric morphology of structures, inspection of containers, inspection for hidden objects, tether integrity, organic molecular memory, and medical diagnostic and treatment efficacy applications such as cardiac polarization wave propagation and electromyography imaging

Determination of grain size distribution function using two-dimensional Fourier transforms of tone pulse encoded images

Microstructural images may be tone pulse encoded and subsequently Fourier transformed to determine the two-dimensional density of frequency components. A theory is developed relating the density of frequency components to the density of length components. The density of length components corresponds directly to the actual grain size distribution function from which the mean grain shape, size, and orientation can be obtained

Quantitative void characterization in structural ceramics using scanning laser acoustic microscopy

The ability of scanning laser acoustic microscopy (SLAM) to characterize artificially seeded voids in sintered silicon nitride structural ceramic specimens was investigated. Using trigonometric relationships and Airy's diffraction theory, predictions of internal void depth and size were obtained from acoustic diffraction patterns produced by the voids. Agreement was observed between actual and predicted void depths. However, predicted void diameters were generally much greater than actual diameters. Precise diameter predictions are difficult to obtain due to measurement uncertainty and the limitations of 100 MHz SLAM applied to typical ceramic specimens

Electric Potential and Electric Field Imaging with Applications

The technology and techniques for remote quantitative imaging of electrostatic potentials and electrostatic fields in and around objects and in free space is presented. Electric field imaging (EFI) technology may be applied to characterize intrinsic or existing electric potentials and electric fields, or an externally generated electrostatic field may be used for “illuminating” volumes to be inspected with EFI. The baseline sensor technology, electric field sensor (e-sensor), and its construction, optional electric field generation (quasi-static generator), and current e-sensor enhancements (ephemeral e-sensor) are discussed. Demonstrations for structural, electronic, human, and memory applications are shown. This new EFI capability is demonstrated to reveal characterization of electric charge distribution, creating a new field of study that embraces areas of interest including electrostatic discharge mitigation, crime scene forensics, design and materials selection for advanced sensors, dielectric morphology of structures, inspection of containers, inspection for hidden objects, tether integrity, organic molecular memory, and medical diagnostic and treatment efficacy applications such as cardiac polarization wave propagation and electromyography imaging.</p

The Intelligent Synthesis Environment: A NASA Concept for the Engineering Design of Aerospace Systems in the Twenty-First Century

This paper describes a new Initiative proposed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The purpose of this Initiative is to develop a future design environment for engineering and science mission synthesis for use by NASA scientists and engineers. This new Initiative is called the Intelligent Synthesis Environment (ISE). The paper describes the mission of NASA, future aerospace system characteristics, the current engineering design process, the ISE concept, and concludes with possible ISE applications for Quantitative Non-Destructive Evaluation (QNDE).</p