3D computational method to study the focal laws of transducer arrays for NDE applications

Based on the impulse response and the discrete representation methods, a 3D computational method has been developed to calculate the optimal focal laws to focus the ultrasonic beams through interfaces of complex geometry, and the respective transmitted ultrasonic field generated by NDE transducer arrays. 1- and 2D array transducers are considered. Two different focusing techniques are used to obtain the time delays: the first travel time on each center of the array element, and the cross correlation between the simulated signals from neighboring array elements. Applying the time delays to the array, the transmitted field can be simulated using the same computational method. Several simulations were performed to present the ability of the computational method to focus through, for instance, curved and plane surfaces between two media (acrylic-steel). A comparison between the two focusing techniques is presented.