Combining Simulated and Experimental Data to Simulate Ultrasonic Array Data From Defects in Materials With High...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Non-Destructive Testing
• Ultrasonic Testing

Background:

• Phased array ultrasonic testing is crucial for component inspection but suffers from coherent noise.
• This noise, from artifacts and scatter, degrades signal-to-noise ratio and limits defect detectability.
• Realistic data with known defects are vital for evaluating inspection effectiveness and estimating probability of detection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel method for simulating realistic ultrasonic phased array data.
• To overcome the limitations of experimental data acquisition and modeling of coherent noise.
• To facilitate the creation of large, diverse datasets for improved defect analysis.

Main Methods:

• Combining noise-free simulations of defect responses with experimentally acquired coherent noise.
• Generating synthetic ultrasonic array data that realistically represents real-world inspection conditions.
• Utilizing a hybrid approach to leverage the strengths of both simulation and experimental data.

Main Results:

• Successfully simulated realistic phased array ultrasonic data by merging defect simulations and experimental noise.
• Created a method that bypasses the need for expensive physical samples with known defects.
• Enabled the easy generation of large datasets for enhanced probability of detection studies.

Conclusions:

• The proposed simulation method offers a cost-effective and efficient way to generate realistic ultrasonic phased array data.
• This approach significantly aids in the creation of comprehensive datasets for improving defect characterization and detection.
• Facilitates more robust evaluation of ultrasonic nondestructive testing inspection performance.