System and method of conducting refraction angle verification for phased array probes using standard calibration blocks
View Patent ↗Disclosed is an ultrasonic phased array non-destructive inspection system that includes a PA probe, a conventional PA inspection unit and a refraction angle verification unit. The PA inspection unit is employed to emit ultrasonic angle beams into an AWS IIW Block and to receive a set of corresponding echo signals reflected from the calibration block and to provide time-of-flight (TOF) values corresponding to each angle beam. The refraction angle verification unit then provides a true angle for each of the angle beams based on the ultrasonic and geometric characteristics of the block and the measured TOF values. Other calibration blocks such as the DSC and Nayships blocks can also be used for this purpose.
1. An ultrasonic phased array non-destructive inspection system, comprising,
an ultrasonic phased array inspection probe,
an ultrasonic phased array inspection unit configured to control the ultrasonic phased array probe to emit ultrasonic signals in a form of a plurality of angle beams into an industrially standard ultrasonic calibration block, to receive a set of corresponding echo signals reflected from the industrially standard ultrasonic calibration block and to provide time-of-flight (TOF) values corresponding to each of said angle beams,
wherein the industrially standard ultrasonic calibration block has fixed and known geometric and physical characteristics, and
a refraction angle verification unit configured to be in communication with the ultrasonic phased array inspection unit, and to use a predetermined calibration procedure, to provide a true angle for each of the angle beams based on the characteristics of the industrially standard ultrasonic calibration block and the TOF values;
wherein the standard block includes a first reflector and a second reflector and a first scanning side and a second scanning side;
and, wherein during the predetermine calibration procedure, the refraction angle verification unit is configured to perform a procedure including,
a) instructing the phased array inspection unit and the probe to emit the angle beams with a first set of predetermined system-assumed angles within a first angle range and to receive the corresponding echo signals, targeting the first reflector,
b) retrieving the TOF values as t 1i corresponding to the angle beams from the inspection unit regarding the first reflector with “i” denoting each of the first set of system-assumed angles,
c) instructing the phased array inspection unit and the probe to emit the angle beams with a second set of predetermined system-assumed angles within a second angle range and to receive the corresponding echo signals, targeting the second reflector,
d) retrieving the TOF values as t 2i corresponding to the angle beams from the inspection unit regarding the second reflector with “i” denoting each of the second set of system-assumed angles,
e) calculating the true angles of the corresponding angle beams based on the TOF values and the geometric and physical characteristics of the calibration block according to a set of predetermined angle determination formulae, and
f) replacing the system-assumed angles with the true angles of the angle beams.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the known geometric and physical characteristics of the industrially standard ultrasonic calibration block include,
a) R, an arcuate surface radius of the first reflector;
b) r, a radius of the second reflector;
c) H 1 , a depth of the center of the first reflector measured from the first scanning side of the industrially standard ultrasonic calibration block,
d) H 2 , a depth of the center of the second reflector measured from the second scanning side of the industrially standard ultrasonic calibration block,
e) V, a wave velocity of the industrially standard ultrasonic calibration block.
3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the set of predetermined angle determination formulae include,
T 1 2× R/V,
T 0i =t 1i −T 1 ,
T 0i =t 1i −T 1 ,
T 2i =t 2i −T 0i ,
L 2i =T 2i ×V/ 2, where:
true refraction angles within the first angle and
range
=
arccos
(
H
1
r
+
L
2
i
)
,
true refraction angles within the second angle
range
=
arccos
(
H
2
r
+
L
2
i
)
,
in the term T 1i , i stands for i number of focal law and the 1 numeric represents the first scan-pass; and
in the term T 2i represents the focal law number and the 2 numeric represents the second scan.
4. The system in claim 1 , wherein the angle verification unit comprises an executable software process loaded onto a digital data processor of the phased array inspection unit.
5. The system in claim 1 , wherein the angle verification unit comprises an executable software process loaded onto a digital data processor in communication with the phased array inspection unit.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the industrially standard ultrasonic calibration block is an HIV Block.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the industrially standard ultrasonic calibration block is a DSC Block.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the industrially standard ultrasonic calibration block is a side-drilled-hole (SDH) block.
9. A method of performing calibration on an ultrasonic phased array non-destructive inspection system, wherein the inspection system includes an inspection probe, an ultrasonic phased array inspection unit configured to control the inspection probe to emit ultrasonic signals in a form of plurality of angle beams into an industrially standard ultrasonic calibration block, to receive a set of corresponding echo signals reflected from the industrially standard ultrasonic calibration block and to provide time-of-flight (TOF) values corresponding to each of the angle beams and a refraction angle verification unit configured to be in communication with the ultrasonic phased array inspection unit, wherein the industrially standard ultrasonic calibration block has fixed and known geometric and physical characteristics, the method comprising steps of:
a) instructing the ultrasonic phased array inspection unit and the inspection probe to emit the angle beams with a first set of predetermined system-assumed angles within a first angle range and to receive the corresponding echo signals, targeting a first reflector of the industrially standard ultrasonic calibration block,
b) retrieving the TOF values as t 1i corresponding to the angle beams from the inspection unit regarding the first reflector, with i denoting each of the first set of system-assumed angles,
c) instructing the phased array inspection unit and the probe to emit the angle beams with a second set of predetermined system-assumed angles within a second angle range and to receive the corresponding echo signals, targeting a second reflector of the industrially standard ultrasonic calibration block,
d) retrieving the TOF values as t 2i corresponding to the angle beams from the inspection unit regarding the second reflector, with i denoting each of the second set of system-assumed angles,
e) calculating true angles of the corresponding angle beams based on the TOF values and the geometric and physical characteristics of the calibration block according to a set of predetermined angle determination formulae, and
f) replacing the system-assumed angles with the true angles of the angle beams.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the geometric and physical characteristics of the block include:
f) R, an arcuate surface radius of the first reflector;
g) r, a radius of the second reflector;
h) H 1 , a depth of the center of the first reflector measured from the first scanning side of the block,
i) H 2 , a depth of the center of the second reflector measured from the second scanning side of the block, and
j) V, a wave velocity of the block.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the angle determination formulae include:
T 1 =2 ×R/V,
T 0i =t 1i −T 1 ,
T 2i =t 2i −T 0i ,
L 2i =T 2i ×V/ 2,
wherein the true refraction angles within the first angle and
range
=
arccos
(
H
1
r
+
L
2
i
)
,
the true refraction angles within the second angle
range
=
arccos
(
H
2
r
+
L
2
i
)
,
in the term T 1i , i stands for i number of focal law and the 1 numeric represents the first scan-pass; and
in the term T 2i , i represents the focal law and the 2 numeric represents the second scan.
12. The method in claim 9 , wherein the refraction angle verification unit comprises an executable software process loaded onto a digital data processor of the ultrasonic phased array inspection unit.
13. The method in claim 9 , wherein the refraction angle verification unit comprises an executable software process loaded onto a digital data processor in communication with the ultrasonic phased array inspection unit.
14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the industrially standard ultrasonic calibration block is a HIV Block.
15. The method of claim 9 , wherein the industrially standard ultrasonic calibration block is a DSC Block.
16. The method of claim 9 , wherein the industrially standard ultrasonic calibration block is a side-drilled-hole (SDH) block.