Inspection method and apparatus for determining incipient mechanical failure
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsRobert Gilmore, Michael Francis Gigliotti
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Abstract
A method for determining incipient mechanical failure of an object includes insonifying the object with ultrasonic energy at a selected fundamental frequency. Amplitude data is acquired from the insonified object at the fundamental frequency and at a second harmonic of the fundamental frequency, and a non-linear acoustic image is generated from the amplitude data at the fundamental frequency and the second harmonic frequency.
Claims31
A method for determining incipient mechanical failure of an object, the method comprising:
- insonifying the object with ultrasonic energy at a selected fundamental frequency;
- acquiring amplitude data from the insonified object at said fundamental frequency and a second harmonic of said fundamental frequency;
- and
- generating a non-linear acoustic image from said amplitude data at said fundamental frequency and said second harmonic frequency.
A method for determining incipient mechanical failure of an object, the method comprising:
- insonifying the object with ultrasonic energy at a selected fundamental frequency using at least one of a backscatter scan and a surface wave scan;
- focusing a broadband transducer so as to detect amplitude data from the insonified object at said fundamental frequency and a second harmonic of said fundamental frequency;
- digitizing and storing said amplitude data at said fundamental frequency and a second harmonic of said fundamental frequency;
- and
- generating a non-linear acoustic image from said amplitude data at said fundamental frequency and said second harmonic frequency.
A system for determining incipient mechanical failure of an object, comprising:
- a broadband transducer for insonifying the object with ultrasonic energy at a selected fundamental frequency through at least one of a backscatter scan and a surface wave scan;
- said broadband transducer focused so as to detect amplitude data from the insonified object at said fundamental frequency and a second harmonic of said fundamental frequency;
- a pulser receiver for receiving detected signals from said transducer;
- and
- a data acquisition computer for storing said amplitude data at said fundamental frequency and a second harmonic of said fundamental frequency in a digitized format;
- wherein said stored amplitude data at said fundamental frequency and said second harmonic frequency is used to generate a non-linear acoustic image.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.