STTR Phase I: Ultrasonic Guided Wave Phased Array Inspection System for Large Area NDE

该小型企业技术转让（STTR）第一阶段研究项目旨在通过利用超声波导波的长距离传播能力与最先进的相控阵技术相结合来增强大面积无损检测（NDT）。目前，嵌入式导波传感器技术受到薄型传感器无法有效激发长距离导波的限制。新颖的压电陶瓷传感器设计将被纳入相控阵系统中，以促进大面积检测。该研究将展示使用新颖的嵌入式传感器设计改进的导波传播和检查能力。它还将展示使用改进的传感器与最先进的相控阵技术相结合来提高检测性能的能力。该技术旨在通过提供实时大面积检测来降低航空航天、军事、储存容器和管道行业的检测成本。能够从单个传感位置检查大型结构的 NDE 方法将消除耗时的逐点检查，从而增强电子和传感器行业的发展。

This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I research project aims to enhance large area Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) by exploiting the long-distance propagation capability of ultrasonic guided waves in combination with state-of-the-art phased array technology. Currently, embedded guided wave sensor technology is limited by the inability of low-profile sensors to efficiently excite guided waves that can travel long distances. Novel piezoceramic sensor designs will be incorporated into the phased array system to facilitate large area inspection. The research will demonstrate improved guided wave propagation and inspection capability using novel embedded sensor designs. It will also demonstrate the ability to improve inspection performance using theimproved sensors in combination with state of the art phased array technology.The technology is targeted towards reducing inspection costs in the aerospace, military, storage vessel, and pipeline industries by providing real time, large area inspection. An NDE method that is capable of inspecting large structures from a single sensing position will enhance the electronics and sensors industry by eliminating the need for time-consuming point by point inspections.