Ultrasonic defect detection of high-density polyethylene pipe materials using FIR filtering and block-wise singular...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Non-destructive Testing
• Acoustics

Background:

• Condition monitoring of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipes is vital for safety and environmental protection.
• Ultrasonic phased array imaging is a promising technique for defect detection in HDPE pipes.
• Strong attenuation of ultrasonic bulk waves in viscoelastic HDPE materials reduces signal amplitude and imaging quality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To improve the signal-to-noise ratio and image quality of ultrasonic phased array imaging for HDPE pipes.
• To develop and validate a signal processing technique combining FIR filtering and block-wise SVD for enhanced TFM imaging.
• To accurately detect and characterize defects, such as side-drilled holes, in HDPE pipes.

Main Methods:

• A linear-phase Finite Impulse Response (FIR) filter was employed to denoise ultrasonic signals.
• A block-wise singular value decomposition (SVD) technique was utilized for adaptive image enhancement.
• The combined FIR filtering and block-wise SVD approach was applied to the Total Focusing Method (TFM) imaging algorithm.
• Experimental data from HDPE pipe materials with artificial defects were used for validation.

Main Results:

• The proposed method effectively improved the signal-to-noise ratio of ultrasonic signals.
• Block-wise SVD adaptively enhanced the Total Focusing Method (TFM) image quality.
• The combined approach successfully generated clear images for defect detection and characterization.
• Side-drilled holes in HDPE pipe materials were accurately identified.

Conclusions:

• The combination of FIR filtering and block-wise SVD offers a robust solution for enhancing ultrasonic imaging of HDPE pipes.
• This technique significantly improves the detection and characterization of defects in these critical infrastructure components.
• The validated approach contributes to safer and more reliable fluid and gas transfer systems using HDPE pipes.