Ultrasonic system components

In addition to the controlling computer the system contains only a small control unit - PSP-4 (weight approx. 5 kg.) which among other system components includes a motor control system integrated closely with the PS-4 ultrasonic system. For communication between the PSP-4 control unit and the robot as well as robot power supply is used a single cable less than 10 mm. in diameter. 

TP components can also be welded for assembly, using hot-plate or ultrasonic systems, or by spinning two matching circular parts to weld the surfaces by friction. The technique employed will, largely, be dictated by the type of TP involved. 

Ultrasonic welding is clean and fast (20-30 parts per minute) and usually results in a joint that is as strong as the parent material. The method can provide hermetically sealed components if the entire joint can be welded at one time. Large parts generally are too massive to be joined with one continuous bond so that spot welding is necessary. It is difficult to obtain a completely sealed joint with spot welding. Materials-handling equipment can be easily interfaced with the ultrasonic system to further improve rapid assembly. 

Rugged instruments based on portable computers are now available from many vendors. These systems, complete with motor-driven robotic devices to manipulate the transducer(s), have created the ability to measure wall thickness of corroded components at tens of thousands of points over 0.1 m, which can be converted into mass loss and pitting rates. This capabihty, coupled with increased precision of field measurements achievable with computer-controlled systems, has made these automated ultrasonic systems well suited for online corrosion monitoring [4]. 

This paper describes the development of a novel system for improving the quality of information provided by manual ultrasonic examination of welds, while retaining the flexibility of the human operator to apply the techniques to components of a wide range of geometries and dimensions. The system, known as CamuS (Computer Aided Manual UltraSonics) provides assistance to the manual operator in two separate areas ... 

The CamuS system consists of a number of components, both hardware and software, as shown in Figure 1. The hub of the system is the data acquisition unit, which collects and stores ultrasonic data in the form of RF waveforms. An accurate probe position monitor provides information on the location and orientation of the probe as it is scanned over the test object. Software tools have been developed to provide assistance to the user with preparing inspection procedures according to the requirements of prEN1714 with visualising the data, in relation to the test object with making measurements of any indications present and with classifying indications. 

The new test system was developed in order to largely eliminate the human factors for manual ultrasonic testing as described above. The system consists of three components ... 

The HILL-SCAN 30XX boards can be used in different PCs. Desktop- and tower-PCs as well suited for laboratory uses. For in-field inspections rugged notebooks and portable PCs are advantageous. A typical portable system is shown in Fig. 2 (USPC 3010), used in MUSE (Mobile Ultrasonic Equipment). This portable PC not only contains the boards for ultrasonic testing but also a controller with power supply for stepper motors, so that a manipulator can be connected directly. The MUSE system is enlarged with a water circulation system which enables a local immersion technique" for in-field inspections. A typical result is shown in Fig. 3, which presents a D-scan of a CFRP- component in RTM-techniques. The defect area caused by an impact is clearly indicated. The manipulator is described in [3]. 

MAPPscan - Acoustic Positioning system for Manual Ultrasonic Testing of Pipes and Components. 

With the development and introduction of a new complete 3D ultrasonic inspection system FORCE Institute enlarges the inspection possibilities and increases the overall quality of UT inspection of complex geometry components. 

The complete advanced 3D inspection system contains three main components the Advanced Inspection Robot - AIR-1, the new generation P-scan ultrasonic data acquisition system - PS-4 and the 3D ultrasonic simulation system - UltraSIM. 

The coin-tap test is a widely used teclinique on thin filament winded beams for detection of disbonded and delaminated areas. However, since the sensitivity of this teclinique depends not only on the operator but also on the thickness of the inspected component, the coin-tap testing technique is most sensitive to defects positioned near the surface of the laminate. Therefore, it was decided to constructed a new scaimer for automated ultrasonic inspection of filament winded beams. A complete test rig illustrated in figure 6 was constructed in order to reduce the scanning time. While the beam rotates the probe is moved from one end to the other of the beam. When the scarming is complete it is saved on diskette and can then be evaluated on a PC. The scanner is controlled by the P-scan system, which enables the results to be presented in three dimensions (Top, Side and End view). 

Closure Welds. The final weld connecting piping systems or components that have been successfully tested in accordance with para. IP-10.6 need not be leak tested, provided the weld is examined in-process in accordance with para. IP-10.5.1(c)(8) and passes with 100% radiographic examination in accordance with para. IP-10.5.2 or 100% ultrasonic examination in accordance with para. IP-10.5.5. 

Most ultrasonic experiments are carried out in temperature controlled systems to ensure that isothermal conditions are maintained. Even a small general increase in microbial temperature can influence both the active and passive transport systems of the cell membrane/wall and this in turn may lead to an increased uptake of compounds. If the temperature is not controlled then sonication could result in a large temperature increase which will lead to the denaturation (deactivation) of enzymes, proteins and other cellular components present within the microorganism [7]. 

For ideal mixtures there is a simple relationship between the measurable ultrasonic parameters and the concentration of the component phases. Thus ultrasound can be used to determine their composition once the properties of the component phases are known. Mixtures of triglyceride oils behave approximately as ideal mixtures and their ultrasonic properties can be modeled by the above equations [19]. Emulsions and suspensions where scattering is not appreciable can also be described using this approach [20]. In these systems the adiabatic compressibility of particles suspended in a liquid can be determined by measuring the ultrasonic velocity and the density. This is particularly useful for materials where it is difficult to determine the adiabatic compressibility directly, e.g., powders, biopolymer or granular materials. Deviations from equations 11 - 13 in non-ideal mixtures can be used to provide information about the non-ideality of a system. 

In non-ideal mixtures, or systems where scattering of ultrasound is significant, the above equations are no longer applicable. In these systems the ultrasonic properties depend on the microstructure of the system, and the interactions between the various components, as well as the concentration. Mathematical descriptions of ultrasonic propagation in emulsions and suspensions have been derived which take into account the scattering of ultrasound by particles [20-21]. These theories relate the velocity and attenuation to the size (r), shape (x) and concentration (0) of the particles, as well as the ultrasonic frequency (co) and thermophysical properties of the component phases (TP). 

Tn the critical region of mixtures of two or more components some physical properties such as light scattering, ultrasonic absorption, heat capacity, and viscosity show anomalous behavior. At the critical concentration of a binary system the sound absorption (13, 26), dissymmetry ratio of scattered light (2, 4-7, II, 12, 23), temperature coefficient of the viscosity (8,14,15,18), and the heat capacity (15) show a maximum at the critical temperature, whereas the diffusion coefficient (27, 28) tends to a minimum. Starting from the fluctuation theory and the basic considerations of Omstein and Zemike (25), Debye (3) made the assumption that near the critical point, the work which is necessary to establish a composition fluctuation depends not only on the average square of the amplitude but also on the average square of the local... 

Some support structures are also included for detachably retaining the various components of the system. Preferably the support structure can be of the assembly board type , which provides prearranged flow channels and connector ports. The desired components of the system can be fastened into these connectors by pins. The flow control system that makes up the ICS system can include pumps, flow channels, manifolds, flow restrictors, valves, etc. These components are equipped with the necessary fittings that allow them to be sealed with the prearranged or selectively located flow channels or connectors. The flow system can also include detachable mixing devices, e.g., static or ultrasonic, or with a chip-like design. The reaction units, whether chip-like or not, can be of thermal, electrochemical, photochemical or pressure type [84]. 

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