Apparatus, system, and method for removing gas in an immersion ultrasonic process

A system for removing a gas in an immersion ultrasonic process, the system comprising:

• an immersion ultrasonic transducer system comprising:
• an immersion ultrasonic transducer holder apparatus comprising:
• a body with a first end, a second end, a plurality of sides, and a hollow interior cavity portion;
• a holder portion formed through the first end, and having an exterior end and an interior end;
• a sloped inner face having a base end with a knife-edged perimeter adjacent the interior end of the holder portion, the sloped inner face further having an upward sloped surface extending from the base end to an evacuation end;
• and
• one or more evacuation ports formed through the first end and located adjacent the evacuation end of the sloped inner face;
• one or more immersion ultrasonic transducers positioned in the immersion ultrasonic transducer holder apparatus;
• a vessel filled with a fluid couplant, the vessel configured to hold in the vessel the immersion ultrasonic transducer holder apparatus with the one or more immersion ultrasonic transducers;
• and
• an apparatus retaining assembly configured to retain in the vessel the immersion ultrasonic transducer holder apparatus with the one or more immersion ultrasonic transducers, when the one or more immersion ultrasonic transducers scan a structure during the immersion ultrasonic process,
• wherein during the immersion ultrasonic process, the immersion ultrasonic transducer holder apparatus and the one or more immersion ultrasonic transducers held in the immersion ultrasonic transducer holder apparatus are immersed in the vessel filled with the fluid couplant, and the knife-edged perimeter, the sloped inner face, and the one or more evacuation ports provide one or more flow paths configured to flow the gas away from the one or more immersion ultrasonic transducers, along the sloped inner face, through the one or more evacuation ports, and out of the immersion ultrasonic transducer holder apparatus, thus facilitating flow and removal of the gas.

A method for removing a gas in an immersion ultrasonic process, the method comprising the steps of:

• using an immersion ultrasonic transducer holder apparatus comprising:
• a body with a first end, a second end, a plurality of sides, and a hollow interior cavity portion;
• a holder portion formed through the first end, and having an exterior end and an interior end;
• a sloped inner face having a base end with a knife-edged perimeter adjacent the interior end of the holder portion, the sloped inner face further having an upward sloped surface extending from the base end to an evacuation end;
• and
• one or more evacuation ports formed through the first end and located adjacent the evacuation end of the sloped inner face;
• positioning one or more immersion ultrasonic transducers in the immersion ultrasonic transducer holder apparatus;
• retaining the immersion ultrasonic transducer holder apparatus with the one or more immersion ultrasonic transducers, in an apparatus retaining assembly, to obtain an immersion ultrasonic transducer assembly;
• immersing the immersion ultrasonic transducer assembly into a vessel with a fluid couplant and a structure configured to undergo the immersion ultrasonic process;
• and
• using the knife-edged perimeter, the sloped inner face, and the one or more evacuation ports, during the immersion ultrasonic process, to flow and remove the gas away from the one or more immersion ultrasonic transducers, along the sloped inner face, through the one or more evacuation ports, and out of the immersion ultrasonic transducer holder apparatus.