Patents by Inventor Peter Renzel

Peter Renzel has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8972206
    Abstract: A system for use in determining a location of a defect in an object is provided. The system includes an ultrasonic phased array configured to provide a sector scan of the object, a display, and a processor. The processor is programmed to provide a volume-corrected view of a sector of an ultrasonic inspection of the object on the display, wherein the object has a first surface defined by a first radius and a second surface defined by a second radius that is shorter than the first radius, receive gate parameters of a gate used to measure a location of a reflection of a beam emitted from the ultrasonic phased array, wherein the reflection is indicative of a defect on the first surface or the second surface, and calculate a location of the defect using the gate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Chad Martin Shaffer, Peter Renzel, Jerome Poirier, Michael Maria Berke, Douglas Paul Lutz, Rai Mohan Dasarathan, Anandamurugan S
  • Publication number: 20140216160
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a device for the non-destructive testing of a test object by means of ultrasound. The device comprises a control unit provided for driving a phased array ultrasonic test probe and a display. The control unit is configured to operate the phased array test probe in the pulse echo operation and to control the insonification angle ? of the phased array test probe into the test object. The pulse echo from the test object received by the phased array test probe is analyzed by the control unit, wherein the control unit generates an A-scan or/and a B-scan of a received pulse echo on the display. The invention further relates to a method for operating such a device and a method for the non-destructive inspection of a test object by means of ultrasound in accordance with the TCG method, using a phased array ultrasonic test probe.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 4, 2012
    Publication date: August 7, 2014
    Applicant: GE SENSING & INSPECTION TECHNOLOGIES GMBH
    Inventor: Peter Renzel
  • Publication number: 20130197822
    Abstract: A system for use in determining a location of a defect in an object is provided. The system includes an ultrasonic phased array configured to provide a sector scan of the object, a display, and a processor. The processor is programmed to provide a volume-corrected view of a sector of an ultrasonic inspection of the object on the display, wherein the object has a first surface defined by a first radius and a second surface defined by a second radius that is shorter than the first radius, receive gate parameters of a gate used to measure a location of a reflection of a beam emitted from the ultrasonic phased array, wherein the reflection is indicative of a defect on the first surface or the second surface, and calculate a location of the defect using the gate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2012
    Publication date: August 1, 2013
    Inventors: Chad Martin Shaffer, Peter Renzel, Jerome Poirier, Michael Maria Berke, Douglas Paul Lutz, Rai Mohan Dasarathan, Anandamurugan S
  • Publication number: 20110162455
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for non-destructive ultra-sonic testing, in which ultrasonic pulses with a pulse repetition frequency are radiated by means of an ultrasonic transmitter into a workpiece to be tested and the ultrasonic pulses are reflected to bounding surfaces in the workpiece and the reflected ultra sound is recorded by means of an ultra-sonic receiver and the signals are displayed in time- or position-dependent resolution. The method is characterized in that the pulse repetition frequency is changed at least once during the method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2009
    Publication date: July 7, 2011
    Applicant: GE SENSING & INSPECTION TECHNOLOGIES GMBH
    Inventor: Peter Renzel
  • Patent number: 7415880
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for determining the sound velocity (Cb) in a basic material, in which an ultrasonic probe having a transmitting probe, a receiver transducer, and a forward member is used. The forward member is provided with a coupling surface that couples the probe to the basic material, and has a sound velocity (Cv). The transmitting probe and the receiver transducer are aligned in an oblique manner from each other and from the coupling surface such that a main transmission direction of the transmitting probe and a main receiving direction of the receiver transducer intersect below the coupling surface. The centers of the transmitting probe and the receiver transducer are located at a distance K from each other and are located at a distance Dv from the coupling surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2008
    Assignee: Agfa NTD GmbH
    Inventor: Peter Renzel
  • Publication number: 20060191342
    Abstract: “Disclosed is a method for determining the sound velocity (Cb) in a basic material, in which an ultrasonic probe having a transmitting probe, a receiver transducer, and a forward member is used. The forward member is provided with a coupling surface, by means of which the probe is coupled to the basic material, and has a sound velocity (Cv). The transmitting probe and the receiver transducer are aligned in an oblique manner from each other and from the coupling surface such that a main transmission direction of the transmitting probe and a main receiving direction of the receiver transducer intersect below the coupling surface. The centers of the transmitting probe and the receiver transducer are located at a distance K from each other and are located at a distance Dv from the coupling surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2003
    Publication date: August 31, 2006
    Inventor: Peter Renzel
  • Patent number: 4655084
    Abstract: The invention relates to an ultrasonic test instrument for the nondestructive testing of materials. The instrument includes a transit time measuring circuit and an amplitude and time gate circuit. According to the invention, to measure the amplitudes and the corresponding transit times of a number of echo signals falling within a predetermined measurement range, the output of the amplitude and time gate circuit is connected to the input of a presettable counter which outputs a signal whenever the number of counted pulses is equal to the preset value of the counter. The counter output is connected to the transit time measuring circuit and by way of a second time gate circuit to the amplitude measuring circuit so that amplitude evaluation is carried out only during the time interval defined by the second time gate circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 1986
    Date of Patent: April 7, 1987
    Assignee: Krautkramer-Branson, Inc.
    Inventor: Peter Renzel
  • Patent number: 4513621
    Abstract: The invention relates to an ultrasonic test instrument, in which a receiver amplifier is controlled in dependence upon time by means of a depth compensation signal or else the ultrasonic signal amplified independently of the depth is evaluated by means of a time-dependent variable threshold signal. The depth compensation signals and the time-dependent threshold signals are derived from the same digital signal values stored in a main memory. The test instrument comprises a microprocessor by means of which the digital signal values for each material requiring testing are automatically measured by the instrument itself in conjunction with whichever test probe is used provided a corresponding test block of this material is available.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 1984
    Date of Patent: April 30, 1985
    Assignee: Krautkramer-Branson, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter Renzel, Klaus Kroesen
  • Patent number: 4432235
    Abstract: An ultrasonic test instrument includes a pulse generator, a receiver, a cathode ray tube screen display and a time gate means providing a gated time interval for viewing only echo signals which arise from a predetermined workpiece region under test. The time gated interval is shown as a horizontal gate bar display on the screen and the length of the bar being indicative of the gated time interval. Circuitry provided generates a reference signal to cause the gate bar to appear at a height commensurate with the echo signal received in the gated intervals having the highest peak amplitude. Unless reset, the amplitude of the gate bar remains at this peak value although subsequent echo signals may have a lower amplitude.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 1982
    Date of Patent: February 21, 1984
    Assignee: Krautkramer-Branson, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter Renzel, Hanno Jacobs
  • Patent number: 4373394
    Abstract: The results of the non-destructive testing of objects with a beam of ultrasonic energy is enhanced by generating display control signals commensurate with a precisely defined region in the test object. These region related signals may be displayed as a "gate" bar on the screen of a cathode ray tube simultaneously with the display of echo related signals. Echo related signals having a magnitude greater than a threshold level, as also defined by the "gate" bar, are detected and may be employed to energize an alarm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 1980
    Date of Patent: February 15, 1983
    Assignee: Krautkramer-Branson Incorporated
    Inventors: Peter Renzel, Werner Vermohlen
  • Patent number: 4364114
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining by the pulse-echo method the acoustic velocity of a workpiece of known thickness utilize measurement of the transit time of the first rear wall echo signal and that of the second rear wall echo signal. The two transit times are then processed in a microprocessor which also controls the entire measuring cycle. For accurate measurement the transit time is defined as the time interval from the leading edge of the trigger pulse, which triggers the transmit pulse generator, to the time at which the respective echo signal exceeds a preset threshold amplitude.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 1980
    Date of Patent: December 14, 1982
    Assignee: Krautkramer-Branson Incorporated
    Inventors: Peter Renzel, Klaus Kroesen
  • Patent number: 4333346
    Abstract: Echo related signals, commensurate with the results of the non-destructive testing of an object with a beam of ultrasonic energy, are presented along with or alternately with textual information on the screen of a cathode ray tube. The textual information is derived from data permanently stored in a memory of a computer and combined with variable data also stored in a memory of the computer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 1980
    Date of Patent: June 8, 1982
    Assignee: Krautkramer-Branson, Inc.
    Inventor: Peter Renzel
  • Patent number: 4333345
    Abstract: Display of the results of non-destructive testing with a beam of ultrasonic energy is enhanced by exercising precise control over the horizontal sweep voltage which is applied to the deflection plates of a cathode ray tube on which the test information is displayed. The sweep voltage generator produces a sawtooth waveform which has a precisely selectable slope. The sawtooth voltage waveform slope may be adjusted by selecting the capacitance, which is charged from an adjustable constant current source, and by varying the charging current. A microprocessor, which stores information commensurate with various waveform slopes, will control the adjustment of the sawtooth waveform slope by comparison of the stored information with keyboard entered data corresponding to a desired slope.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 1980
    Date of Patent: June 8, 1982
    Assignee: Krautkramer-Branson, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter Renzel, Klaus Kroesen
  • Patent number: 4210904
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for converting into digital form the analog ultrasonic echo signals received as a result of cyclically transmitted ultrasonic search signals intercepting an acoustic discontinuity in a workpiece. The ultrasonic echo signals are divided into a discrete number of raster-like scan lines which are scanned electronically by a microprocessor. Digital signals are generated for each line of the raster-like scan and such signals assume either a first or second state along the scan line in accordance with the signal amplitude along that line. As successive scans are made at progressively higher amplitudes of the echo signal, the amplitude required for varying the digital signal between the states for a particular scan line is incrementally increased with each scan line. A comparator receives at a first input the echo signals and at a second input a signal from a digital-to-analog converter whose output is incrementally increased on successive scan lines by the microprocessor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 1978
    Date of Patent: July 1, 1980
    Assignee: Krautkramer-Branson, Incorporated
    Inventors: Peter Renzel, Werner Vermoehlen
  • Patent number: 4098131
    Abstract: In order to increase the speed at which a workpiece is tested by the ultrasonic pulse-echo method, the dead time between individual measurement time intervals is shortened by providing a minimum predetermined time interval selected for the specific test conditions. When an echo responsive signal is manifest in the receiving circuit, in order to prevent the occurrence of phantom echo signals arising in the following measuring interval, the generation of the succeeding transmit signal is inhibited for the predetermined time interval after receipt of the last echo responsive electrical signal of the measuring interval having an amplitude exceeding a predetermined minimum amplitude. The test speed therefore, is made adaptive to the condition of the receipt of the number of echo responsive electrical signals exceeding a predetermined minimum amplitude.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 1977
    Date of Patent: July 4, 1978
    Assignee: Krautkramer-Branson, Incorporated
    Inventor: Peter Renzel