DERIVING CONTACT STRESS OR CONTACT LOAD USING ULTRASOUND DATA

摘要

An analysis device comprises an output to output data relating to at least one of a contact stress in or a contact load applied to the first element; and process the ultrasound data to determine ultrasound time-of-flight data, and derive the output data, wherein a propagation direction of the ultrasound has a greatest component perpendicular to the contact surface, and wherein the processing to determine ultrasound time-of-flight data includes determining a time-of-flight of the ultrasound independent of a phase shift dependent on a contact condition at the contact surface. In another analysis device, deriving output data includes determining at least one of the contact stress or the contact load, the determining based at least in part on an estimated change in a speed of the ultrasound due to the acoustoelastic effect.