Fundamentals of PAUT - 7-9
Fundamentals of PAUT - 7-9
can be extracted and used for quantitative flaw detection, sizing and characteriza-
tion purposes. Third, because of the importance of imaging applications with phased
arrays, I wanted to introduce a new, rational approach to how images are produced
and what they mean. Currently, phased array images are often formed with ad-hoc
delay-and-sum methods such as the synthetic aperture focusing technique (SAFT)
and the total focusing method (TFM). I have re-examined the image formation pro-
cess to understand why those delay-and-sum methods often work so well and to
place them in a more fundamental context based on the physics of the measurement
process. Specifically, I show that one can start with ultrasonic measurement models
and, with relatively few assumptions, based on a model of the waves that contribute
to an image, formally invert those measurement models to form flaw images that
are explicit functions of the surface geometry and reflectivity of the flaw. These
images are related to the measured signals and the wave propagation processes and
electro-acoustical components present in a phased array experiment in a form called
an imaging measurement model. Imaging measurement models are developed that
are generalizations of both SAFT and TFM. These models describe the images pro-
duced in physical terms and define those aspects of the imaging process that SAFT
and TFM ignore. For small flaws it is shown that the imaging measurement models
are also generalizations of the physical optics far field inverse scattering (POFFIS)
method originally developed by Bojarski and later modified by Bleistein. Thus, the
imaging measurement models described here provide for the first time a unified
framework for understanding some of the most commonly used NDE phased array
imaging methods.
To help make some of the phased array models described in the book more ac-
cessible to the reader, MATLAB® functions and scripts1 are also provided. Most
of these MATLAB® resources describe simple 2-D and 3-D scalar problems that
one can use to conduct a variety of parametric studies. The intent here was not to
produce a comprehensive set of phased array software but to provide some software
tools for examining and understanding phased arrays. Listings of the MATLAB®
functions and scripts can be found in Appendix C and the m-files are also avail-
able by sending an e-mail with subject titled “Phased Array Codes” to the author at
[email protected].
Finally, I would like to thank my longtime colleague and friend, Alex Sedov, for
his contributions and for reading and helping to edit the entire book. I also want to
acknowledge the research efforts of Dr. Ruiju Huang and Brady Engle which have
helped to make this work possible.
1
MATLAB® is a registered trademark of the The MathWorks, Inc.
Article note
All program examples and figures presented in this book have been generated with
MATLAB® version 7.12.0.635 (R2011a)
All illustrated examples of MATLAB® dialog boxes, figures and graphic interfaces
have been reprinted with permission from The MathWorks, Inc.
vii
Contents
1 Introduction������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 1
1.1 An Overview �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 1
1.2 Linear and 2-D Arrays ������������������������������������������������������������������������ 5
1.3 Modeling Ultrasonic Phased Array Systems �������������������������������������� 7
1.4 Book Outline �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 13
References���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 15
ix