Method and system for transducer element fault detection for phased array ultrasonic instruments
AssigneeOlympus NDT
InventorsChristian Simard, Michael Drummy
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Abstract
A method and system related to phased array ultrasonic systems identifies faults in individual element on a regular basis. The method and system are based on a simple approach of calculating energy levels in response signals from each individual element and then identifying any discontinuities or unexpected drops in energy levels sensed during a typical phased array operation, by comparing responses for individual transducer elements to the group response.
Claims17
A method of detecting faults in at least one transducer element of a phased array probe of an ultrasonic phased array instrument, the probe having a plurality of transducer elements, the method comprising:
- applying ultrasonic pulses to and obtaining respective response signals from the transducer elements of the phased array probe as part of a normal operation of the phased array instruments;
- calculating an average energy level E(i) at an element i for all the transducer elements individually according to an accumulated response signal reading obtained from the transducer elements individually during a predetermined time period;
- noting a dropped energy level in one or more transducer elements owing to an element fault by identifying a large difference between the energy E(i) and an expected energy Ee at the element i, wherein a line drawn between the energy of immediate neighboring elements, E(i−1) and E(i+1), and the expected energy Ee is provided by the value when line E(i−1) and E(i+1) intersects with element i;
- and
- identifying any of the elements as a faulty element based on the energy level thereof.
A method of detecting transducer element faults in ultrasonic phased array instruments having a plurality of transducer elements, comprising:
- applying ultrasonic pulses to the transducer elements of the phased array system;
- calculating an energy level for the transducer elements individually according to a response signal reading obtained from the transducer elements individually during a predetermined time period;
- noting a dropped energy level in one or more transducer elements owing to an element fault;
- and
- identifying any of the elements as a faulty element based on the energy level thereof,
- further comprising identifying the drop in energy level by obtaining a maximum value of the energy in each transducer element during a plurality of the predetermined time periods of a complete course of an ultrasonic phased array operation;
- and
- further identifying a drop in the maximum value of the energy in at least one of the transducer elements in comparison with the maximum values of energy levels of other transducer elements.
A system for detecting transducer element faults for ultrasonic phased array instruments, comprising:
- a phased array transducer having a plurality of transducer elements operable to be pulsed by ultrasonic signals and to receive response signals;
- an energy calculator operable to calculate an energy level of the response signals received from the transducer elements individually during a predetermined time period;
- and
- a fault analyzer operable to identify a drop in the energy level received on the transducer elements to identify a faulty element,
- by identifying in a large difference between the energy E(i) and an expected energy Ee at an element i, wherein a line drawn between the energy of immediate neighboring elements, E(i−1) and E(i+1), and the expected energy Ee is provided by the value when line E(i−1) and E(i+1) intersects with element i.
A system for detecting transducer element faults for ultrasonic phased array instruments, comprising:
- a phased array transducer having a plurality of transducer elements operable to be pulsed by ultrasonic signals and to receive response signals;
- an energy calculator operable to calculate an energy level of the response signals received from the transducer elements individually during a predetermined time period;
- and
- a fault analyzer operable to identify a drop in the energy level received on the transducer elements to identify a faulty element, by obtaining a maximum value of the energy level in each transducer element of a plurality of the predetermined time periods while performing normal ultrasonic phased array tests;
- and
- to further identify the drop in the maximum value of the energy levels in at least one transducer element in comparison with the maximum value of the energy levels of other transducer elements.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.