Ultrasonic Inspection of Heated Material Using Fluid Blowing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ultrasonic inspection methods face challenges when inspecting materials at temperatures higher than ambient temperature, as the air near the material surfaces becomes heated, leading to stratified air layers that cause significant reflection and refraction of ultrasound waves, resulting in reduced echo intensity and inaccurate inspections.
Innovation Solution
The method involves blowing a fluid, such as air, water vapor, or an inert gas, onto the material surface to replace the stratified air layer, creating a fluid atmosphere region where ultrasound waves can propagate with reduced refractive attenuation, allowing for efficient and accurate inspections by maintaining a fluid flow velocity and Reynolds number that minimizes wave refraction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If ultrasonic inspection is performed on heated material without fluid blowing, then inspection speed is maintained, but echo intensity is significantly reduced due to ultrasound wave reflection and refraction at the stratified air interface
Solution Approach 1:
A fluid (gas or liquid) is introduced as an intermediary medium between the ultrasonic wave source and the heated material surface. This fluid replaces the stratified air layer that causes refraction and reflection, creating a more uniform transmission medium that maintains echo intensity while allowing continuous inspection of heated materials
Solution Approach 2:
The physical state of the medium between the ultrasonic source and material surface is changed from stratified heated air to a controlled fluid environment. By adjusting fluid parameters such as flow velocity and type (gas or liquid), the refractive attenuation is reduced to 1.5% or less, maintaining measurement precision during inspection
2Measurement precision
If fluid blowing is applied to replace stratified air layer, then echo intensity is maintained, but additional equipment and process complexity are introduced
Solution Approach 1:
The fluid acts as a mediator that simplifies the interaction between ultrasonic waves and heated material by eliminating the complex stratified air layer. While fluid blowing equipment is added, the overall system becomes more reliable by removing the variable of atmospheric conditions that cause refraction and reflection
Solution Approach 2:
The method creates a controlled fluid environment (inert atmosphere) around the inspection area, isolating the ultrasonic measurement from the variable heated air conditions. This controlled environment maintains consistent echo intensity regardless of material temperature, reducing measurement variability
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enables quick and highly accurate ultrasonic inspections of materials at elevated temperatures, ensuring reliable results without affecting production efficiency, even for materials like magnesium, aluminum, and fiber-reinforced resins, by reducing refractive attenuation and maintaining high echo intensity.
Implementation Method 1
blowing a fluid through a blowing port onto the material to be inspected
Implementation Method 2
the ultrasound waves are reflected or refracted at the interface due to Snell's law when being transmitted to the fluctuating interface
Implementation Method 3
the ultrasound waves are reflected or refracted at the interface due to Snell's law when being transmitted to the fluctuating interface
Implementation Method 4
the transmitter emits pulse-modulated ultrasound waves
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a method for inspecting a material to be inspected using ultrasound waves, the method including the following step 201 to step 301, in which step 201 is performed in a condition where: the surface temperature of a material under inspection—atmospheric temperature>2° C., and inspection using ultrasound waves in step 301 satisfies: a refractive attenuation rate≤1.5%. Step 201: blowing a fluid from a blowing port onto the material to be inspected. Step 301: inspecting the material to be inspected using the ultrasound waves after step 201 or at the same time as the step 201.