Abstract: A non-destructive testing and inspection (NDT/NDI) system having a communication gateway removably secured to an existing NDT/NDI instrument by a clip-on clasp. The gateway comprises a processor, a network interface, a housing configured to be removably secured onto the NDT/NDI instrument, an interconnect configured to be communicatively coupled with and to carry data to or from the NDT/NDI instrument, and memory storing computer readable code which, when executed on the processor, causes the processor to communicate data with an external network over the network interface. The data includes inspection data which can be any one of the following: ultrasonic scans of A, B, C or S, eddy current strip charts.

Abstract: Disclosed is a flexible coil circuit for a non-destructive inspection probe. The coil circuit is made of multiple layers of thin flexible ceramic material, each ceramic layer having a metallization layer deposited thereon. The circuit is capable of continuous operation at temperatures up to 350° C. The metallized layers are able to slide freely over one another as the probe is flexed, enabling the probe to conform to the circumference of pipes as small as 2 inches in diameter.

Abstract: Examples of the present subject matter provide techniques for measuring thicknesses of materials using one or more acquisition cycles. The data from the one or more acquisition cycles may be amplified using a specified gain across the signal response, converted to a digital signal, and stored in a memory. The digital signal may be retrieved from memory, and signal processing techniques using one or more time-variable threshold(s) may be used to calculate one or more thickness(es) of the testing object.

Abstract: Example embodiments of the present invention relate to methods, systems, and a computer program product for acquiring phased array ultrasonic testing data leveraging a sliding receiver aperture defined according to a principle of acoustic reciprocity. The method includes triggering each of a set of ultrasonic probe elements to pulse as a pulser element. For each pulser element, a respective subset of the ultrasonic probe elements may be defined as the sliding receiver aperture according to a principle of acoustic reciprocity to act as receiver elements to receive response signals. Data corresponding to the respective response signals for each pair of pulser element and receiver element then may be stored.

Abstract: A non-destructive testing and inspection (NDT/NDI) system having a communication gateway removably secured to an existing NDT/NDI instrument by a clip-on clasp. The gateway comprises a processor, a network interface, a housing configured to be removably secured onto the NDT/NDI instrument, an interconnect configured to be communicatively coupled with and to carry data to or from the NDT/NDI instrument, and memory storing computer readable code which, when executed on the processor, causes the processor to communicate data with an external network over the network interface. The data includes inspection data which can be any one of the following: ultrasonic scans of A, B, C or S, eddy current strip charts.

Abstract: Example embodiments of the present invention relate to methods, systems, and a computer program product for acquiring phased array ultrasonic testing data leveraging a sliding receiver aperture defined according to a principle of acoustic reciprocity. The method includes triggering each of a set of ultrasonic probe elements to pulse as a pulser element. For each pulser element, a respective subset of the ultrasonic probe elements may be defined as the sliding receiver aperture according to a principle of acoustic reciprocity to act as receiver elements to receive response signals. Data corresponding to the respective response signals for each pair of pulser element and receiver element then may be stored.

Abstract: A system for analyzing a fluid includes an integrated fluid-electric cabinet having a fluid compartment and an electronic compartment. The fluid compartment and an electronic compartment are separated from one another by a partition wall. The partition wall includes opposed first and second surfaces. A flow cell assembly is disposed in the fluid compartment and is configured to be mounted on the first surface side of the partition wall. A probe head assembly is disposed in the electronic compartment and is mounted on the opposed second surface side of the partitioned wall. Both of the flow cell assembly and the probe head assembly are configured to be in electro-magnetic communication with one another for elemental analysis of the fluid such that the probe head assembly utilizes an X-ray source to analyze the fluid in a static mode or in flow mode through the flow cell assembly.

Abstract: Quantization noise in an oversampled eddy current digital drive circuit is reduced using a noise shaping filter.

Abstract: Example embodiments of the present invention relate to a method and an apparatus for ultrasound imaging wherein transmitting elements of an ultrasonic array probe transmit ultrasound energy and receiving elements of the ultrasonic array probe receive received signals from the test object. The method includes deriving analytic signal values from the received signals, the analytic signal values being derived by applying a Hilbert transform to the received signals and performing a summation of multiple signal products derived by multiplication of a corresponding group of analytic signal values.

Abstract: A system for analyzing a fluid includes an integrated fluid-electric cabinet having a fluid compartment and an electronic compartment. The fluid compartment and an electronic compartment are separated from one another by a partition wall. The partition wall includes opposed first and second surfaces. A flow cell assembly is disposed in the fluid compartment and is configured to be mounted on the first surface side of the partition wall. A probe head assembly is disposed in the electronic compartment and is mounted on the opposed second surface side of the partitioned wall. Both of the flow cell assembly and the probe head assembly are configured to be in electro-magnetic communication with one another for elemental analysis of the fluid such that the probe head assembly utilizes an X-ray source to analyze the fluid in a static mode or in flow mode through the flow cell assembly.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system and method of determining the test surface profile and compensating the gain amplitude when using time reversal focal laws in ultrasound non-destructive testing. Computer simulations are used to compute the diffraction field at time of incidence of the transmitted parallel wave front on the test surface. Knowledge of the surface profile and the diffraction field allows determination of coverage at the test surface and improved accuracy of flaw sizing.

Abstract: Disclosed is a flexible ultrasonic transducer in which a single layer serves dual function as both a matching layer and a flexible circuit for making electrical connections, and there is no separate matching layer. Also disclosed is a method of assembling the flexible transducer.

Abstract: Disclosed is a calibration system and method for a phased array ultrasound pipe inspection system, in which reliable calibration is obtained for notches at all angles using only a small number of notches for the calibration. The method comprises a one-time normalization step and a system calibration step which may be performed at regular intervals. Ultrasound transmission is in a single diverging beam for each aperture, while reception is selective for multiple well-defined reception angles. During the normalization step, plots of maximum response vs reception angle are plotted for each notch, and a normalization curve is constructed by fitting the maxima of these plots. The normalization curve is used to derive calibration targets at specific reception angles for specific calibration notches, which are then used for the system calibrations.

Abstract: Disclosed is an ultrasonic inspection probe assembly comprising a water wedge and a flexible probe array assembly having a flexible acoustic module. The wedge is machined to match a test surface to be inspected and is configured to shape the acoustic module so that the active surface of the acoustic module is parallel to the test surface. Different wedges may be machined to match different test surfaces, but the same flexible probe array assembly may be used for all such surfaces.

Abstract: Disclosed is a beam overlap verification system and method for phased array ultrasonic inspection. A scan plan for the ultrasonic inspection defines a suitable probe, wedge and calibration block having machined defects for the geometry to be inspected, and makes a beam definition which defines a set of ultrasonic beams emitted by the phased array. An intersection amplitude unit records the response amplitudes from each defect at predetermined intersection points of adjacent beam pairs as the probe and wedge are manually scanned across the calibration block. An overlap verification module determines the ?6 dB overlap of all adjacent beam pairs which are relevant to the geometry to be inspected, and verifies that the beam overlap conforms to the required coverage according to the ASME or other relevant codes. In this way, coverage is experimentally verified during calibration prior to inspection of a known geometry, such as a weld.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system and method for ultrasonic measurement of the average diameter and roundness profile of a tube. A roundness algorithm represents the angular dependence of the tube surface profile as a sum of Fourier components, each component being a harmonic representing an integer number of undulations per revolution, with “0” (the first harmonic) corresponds to an average circle associated with the tube outer surface. A calibration block is used to calibrate the first harmonic, representing the average tube diameter.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system and method for ultrasonic measurement of the average diameter and surface profile of a tube. A calibration block is used to calibrate the average tube diameter, and a correction is applied to account for any temperature difference of the couplant between calibration and test measurements. By using a linear probe, or a single probe with a finely pitched helicoidal scan, errors in diameter measurement due to presence of surface pits may be compensated.

Abstract: Disclosed is an instrument case for use by an operator suspended from a harness. The instrument case is preferably attached to the operator's thigh by means of a thigh strap which is rotatably attached to the instrument case. Pull straps are attached to the instrument case at one end and to the operator's harness or belt at the other end. By adjusting the tension in the pull straps, the operator may adjust the orientation of the instrument touch screen to optimize its visibility and accessibility.

Abstract: Disclosed is an ultrasonic non-destructive testing and inspection system and method for determining acoustic velocities in a test object. Beams of acoustic energy from firing an element of an emitting probe propagate in a first wedge, and a beam incident at the critical angle generates a surface wave in the test object. The surface wave propagates to a second wedge and signals are received at receiving elements of a receiving probe array. When a set of appropriate delays is applied to the receiving elements, the acoustic time-of-flight is the same to all receiving elements. Determination of the appropriate delays and the times-of-flight for P-type surface waves and Rayleigh surface waves enables computation of the P- and S-wave acoustic velocities in the test object. The time-of-flight measurement also enables computation of the separation between the first and second wedges.