PHASED ARRAY SYSTEM FOR INSPECTION OF LASER WELDS

摘要

A system for non-destructively characterizing laser welds that includes at least one phased array probe that includes a plurality of ultrasonic transducer elements arranged in an array at one end of the probe, wherein the transducer elements are operative to both generate ultrasonic signals and to receive reflections thereof, wherein the transducer elements are further arranged into discrete subgroups, and wherein each subgroup may be activated independently of the other subgroups and at different time intervals; a combination of materials for allowing the probe to conform to a contoured surface of a laser weld while enabling sound energy to be transferred directly into a laser weld under test conditions, wherein the combination of materials further includes a flexible membrane mounted on the end of the probe and a fluid filled chamber material disposed between the membrane and the array of ultrasonic transducer elements; and a data processor in communication with the at least one phased array probe that includes software having at least one imaging algorithm for processing data received from the probe and generating color coded ultrasonic C-scan images of a characterized laser weld.

主权项

(1) A system for non-destructively characterizing laser welds, comprising:
(a) at least one phased array probe, wherein the at least one phased array probe includes:
(i) a plurality of ultrasonic transducer elements arranged in an array at one end of the probe,
a) wherein the transducer elements are operative to both generate ultrasonic signals and to receive reflections thereof,b) wherein the transducer elements are further arranged into discrete subgroups, and wherein each subgroup may be activated independently of the other subgroups and at different time intervals;(ii) a combination of materials for allowing the probe to conform to a contoured surface of a laser weld while enabling sound energy to be transferred directly into the laser weld under test conditions, wherein the combination of materials further includes a flexible membrane mounted on the end of the probe and a fluid filled chamber or solid sound delay material disposed between the membrane and the array of ultrasonic transducer elements; and (b) a data processor in communication with the at least one phased array probe, wherein the data processor includes software that includes at least one imaging algorithm for processing data received from the probe and generating color coded ultrasonic C-scan images of a characterized laser weld.