Development of a 16-Channel Broadband Piezoelectric Micro Ultrasonic Transducer Array Probe for Pipeline Butt-Welded...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Non-Destructive Testing
• Ultrasonic Transducers

Background:

• Butt welding is critical for oil and gas pipelines, necessitating robust non-destructive testing (NDT) of girth welds to prevent failures.
• Conventional ultrasonic inspection methods face limitations including large transducer size, fixed beam angles, and low resolution.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an advanced ultrasonic transducer probe for enhanced NDT of pipeline girth welds.
• To overcome the limitations of conventional ultrasonic testing technologies.

Main Methods:

• Theoretical analysis and structural optimization were employed to design a 16-channel piezoelectric micro ultrasonic transducer (PMUT) array probe.
• Impedance characterization and ultrasonic echo performance tests were conducted.
• The probe's capability for defect detection was evaluated on pipeline girth welds.

Main Results:

• The theoretical model accurately guided the PMUT array probe design, with a maximum operating frequency deviation below 5%.
• The PMUT array probe achieved an average -6 dB bandwidth of 77.9%.
• The fabricated probe successfully detected five common internal defects in pipeline girth welds.

Conclusions:

• The developed PMUT array probe demonstrates superior performance compared to conventional methods.
• Its high resolution and broad bandwidth offer significant potential for pipeline structural health monitoring.
• The technology shows promise for applications in medical ultrasound imaging as well.