Low-Power Field-Deployable Interdigital Transducer-Based Scanning Laser Doppler Vibrometer for Wall-Thinning...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Non-Destructive Testing
• Acoustics

Background:

• Lamb waves are crucial for ultrasonic testing of plates, enabling long-range detection in inaccessible areas.
• Challenges in Lamb wave analysis include scattering, mode conversion, and dispersion, complicating accurate defect assessment.
• Laser ultrasonic techniques offer innovative visualization methods, leveraging dispersion effects for defect imaging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel, power-efficient interdigital transducer (IDT)-based scanning laser Doppler vibrometer (SLDV) system.
• To validate the proposed SLDV system's capability in detecting defects in thin plates.
• To compare the performance of the proposed low-power IDT-based SLDV against conventional and dry-coupled methods.

Main Methods:

• Development of a low-power IDT-based SLDV system utilizing lead magnesium niobate-lead zirconate titanate single crystals.
• Fabrication of a low-power interdigital transducer (IDT) without requiring a power amplifier.
• Experimental validation using four distinct defective thin plates to assess defect measurement accuracy.

Main Results:

• The proposed low-power IDT-based SLDV system successfully measured defects in four different defective plates.
• The system demonstrated high reliability in measuring thin plate defects.
• Comparative analysis showed the proposed method's effectiveness against conventional and dry-coupled IDT-based SLDV systems.

Conclusions:

• The developed low-power IDT-based SLDV system offers a reliable and efficient solution for ultrasonic testing of thin plate defects.
• This advancement overcomes key challenges associated with Lamb wave propagation and defect characterization.
• The system's performance validates its potential for practical applications in non-destructive evaluation.