Circumferential phased array of shear-horizontal wave magnetostrictive patch transducers for pipe inspection

Area of Science:

• Non-destructive testing
• Ultrasonic guided waves
• Phased array systems

Background:

• Magnetostrictive patch transducers (MPTs) are effective for generating and measuring guided waves in pipes.
• Circumferential phased arrays are crucial for pipe inspection, with existing systems using piezoelectric transducers or electromagnetic acoustic transducers (EMATs).
• No MPT-based circumferential phased array system has been previously developed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a circumferential phased magnetostrictive patch transducer (PMPT) array.
• To enable focusing of shear-horizontal waves at specific points on a pipe's cylindrical surface.
• To enhance non-destructive testing capabilities for pipes.

Main Methods:

• A specific configuration of a six-transducer PMPT array was designed.
• A wave simulation model was developed to calculate transducer signal time delays and amplitudes.
• The time reversal concept was employed for wave focusing.
• The PMPT array's focusing ability was validated through multiple-crack detection experiments.

Main Results:

• The developed PMPT array demonstrated the ability to focus shear-horizontal waves.
• The simulation model accurately predicted the angular profiles of generated shear-horizontal waves.
• The system successfully performed crack detection and imaging of localized surface inspection regions.

Conclusions:

• The developed PMPT array offers a novel approach for guided wave generation and focusing in pipe inspection.
• This technology has the potential to improve the accuracy and efficiency of non-destructive testing for pipes.
• The PMPT array system shows promise for advanced pipe integrity assessment.