Ultrasonic Probe Frame for Bubble-Free Coupling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ultrasonic testing devices with large test head surfaces face challenges in ensuring bubble-free coupling and consistent gap dimensions, especially on vertical surfaces, leading to measurement inaccuracies and increased wear, making quality-assured and economical testing difficult.
Innovation Solution
A device with a test head housed in a movable frame that maintains a defined gap of 0.1 to 5 mm to the test specimen surface, using a coupling agent inlet at the 6 o'clock position and outlet at the 12 o'clock position to ensure continuous, bubble-free coupling, and featuring a frame that can be adapted to the test specimen surface with adjustable magnets for stable positioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If the probe area is increased to improve test coverage and penetration depth, then the testing efficiency and depth capability are improved, but ensuring bubble-free coupling and consistent gap dimensions becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
A frame is introduced as an intermediary structure between the probe and the test specimen surface. The frame maintains a defined, constant gap (0.1-5mm) between the probe and surface, ensuring consistent coupling conditions. The frame also provides structured pathways for couplant supply and removal, enabling reliable bubble-free coupling even for large probe areas exceeding 10 cm².
2Productivity
If the probe area is increased to improve test coverage, then the productivity is improved, but the difficulty of maintaining bubble-free coupling increases
Solution Approach 1:
The frame acts as a mediator that structures the couplant flow between the probe and test specimen. Inlet openings in the frame's lower region supply couplant that flows upward through the gap, while outlet openings in the upper region remove excess couplant and bubbles. This structured flow path enables reliable bubble-free coupling for large probe areas, maintaining ease of operation despite increased test coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling system uses hydraulic principles by supplying couplant through the frame in a controlled manner. The couplant flows upward through the gap between the probe and test specimen, hydrodynamically filling the coupling interface and displacing air bubbles. This hydraulic approach ensures complete wetting and bubble-free coupling across large probe areas.
3Measurement precision
If the gap between probe and surface is reduced to improve coupling, then the measurement precision is improved, but the risk of adhesion and wear increases
Solution Approach 1:
The gap dimension is optimized within a specific range (0.1-5mm) that balances measurement precision and adhesion risk. This defined gap ensures sufficient couplant presence for consistent echo signals while preventing excessive adhesion forces. The frame maintains this optimal parameter range consistently across the entire probe area, including for large probes exceeding 10 cm².
4Productivity
If a large number of transducers are used to improve test coverage, then the productivity is improved, but the complexity of ensuring uniform coupling across all transducers increases
Solution Approach 1:
The frame provides universal coupling conditions for all transducers in the phased array. By maintaining a defined constant gap across the entire probe area and providing structured couplant supply and removal pathways, the frame ensures uniform coupling conditions for all transducers simultaneously. This multi-functional approach handles both gap maintenance and couplant distribution, simplifying the complexity of coupling uniformity for large numbers of transducers.
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
Enables quality-assured, bubble-free coupling and efficient movement of the test head over large test head surfaces, including vertical surfaces, minimizing adhesion forces and ensuring consistent echo signals, thus improving the accuracy and reliability of ultrasonic testing.
Implementation Method 1
a probe equipped with piezoelectric transducers is used in phased-array technology
Implementation Method 2
ultrasonic pulses are generated and introduced into the workpiece via a coupling medium (e.g., water or oil)
Implementation Method 3
When the ultrasonic pulse generated by the transducer encounters an obstacle (e.g., a pore), the ultrasonic signal is affected in its original propagation by reflection or diffraction
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a device for ultrasonic testing of test specimens, particularly those made of metal, comprising a probe (2) with an arrangement of activatable transducer elements in phased-array technology, wherein the probe (2) is arranged in a housing that can be moved over the surface of the test specimen (8). In order to achieve bubble-free coupling of the probe (2) to the surface of the test specimen (8), the housing includes a frame (1) that can be placed on the surface of the test specimen (8), in which the probe (2) is arranged recessed from the support surface of the frame (1), forming a gap (10) to the surface of the test specimen (8), wherein the coupling agent can be continuously supplied to the gap (10) via an inlet opening (3) that, during the testing process, covers at least the entire activatable transducer surface of the probe (2) to be wetted with coupling agent and completely fills the gap (10).