Microtexture region characterization systems and methods
View Patent ↗The present disclosure provides methods and systems for the characterization of a potential microtexture region (MTR) of a sample, component, or the like. The methods may include determining a threshold width of spatial correlation coefficient and/or a threshold spatial correlation coefficient slope for an actual MTR, characterizing a potential MTR as an actual MTR or a defect, characterizing an actual MTR as an acceptable MTR or not, and/or characterizing various components with potential MTRs as defective or not. The characterization may include calculating a width of spatial correlation coefficient and/or a spatial correlation coefficient slope of the potential MTR and comparing the width of spatial correlation coefficient to a threshold width of spatial correlation coefficient and/or comparing the spatial correlation coefficient slope to a threshold spatial correlation coefficient slope for the potential MTR to be characterized as an actual MTR or a defect (crack).
1. A method, comprising:
scanning a component with an ultrasonic transducer with a shear wave beam at a depth of a potential microtexture region (MTR), the potential MTR including an area of interest;
rotating the component about an axis, the axis extending through the area of interest;
scanning the component at a plurality of angles between 0 and 360 degrees in a plane defined by the axis;
determining an elongation direction of the potential MTR;
analyzing a spatial correlation coefficient profile along the elongation direction of the potential MTR relative to the area of interest;
characterizing the potential MTR as an actual MTR or a defect; and
characterizing the actual MTR as a rejectable MTR or an acceptable MTR when the potential MTR is characterized as the actual MTR.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the analyzing the spatial correlation coefficient profile further comprises comparing a width of spatial correlation coefficient profile of the area of interest with a threshold width of spatial correlation coefficient profile for the potential MTR to be characterized as the actual MTR, wherein the threshold width of spatial correlation coefficient profile is tied with a maximum amplitude of ultrasonic backscattered signals acquired from the area of interest.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the potential MTR is characterized as the actual MTR when the width of spatial correlation coefficient profile is greater than the threshold width of spatial correlation coefficient profile.
4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the potential MTR is characterized as the defect when the width of spatial correlation coefficient profile is less than the threshold width of spatial correlation coefficient profile.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the analyzing the spatial correlation coefficient profile further comprises comparing a spatial correlation coefficient slope from the area of interest with a threshold spatial correlation coefficient slope for the potential MTR to be characterized as the actual MTR, wherein the threshold spatial correlation coefficient slope is tied with a maximum amplitude of ultrasonic backscattered signals acquired from the area of interest.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the potential MTR is characterized as the actual MTR when the spatial correlation coefficient slope is less than the threshold spatial correlation coefficient slope, and wherein the potential MTR is characterized as the defect when the spatial correlation coefficient slope is greater than the threshold spatial correlation coefficient slope.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the analyzing the actual MTR further comprises comparing a width of spatial correlation coefficient profile of the area of interest with a second threshold width of spatial correlation coefficient profile for the actual MTR to be characterized as the acceptable MTR when the elongation direction is deemed a high risk direction, wherein the actual MTR is characterized as the acceptable MTR when the width of spatial correlation coefficient profile is less than the second threshold width of spatial correlation coefficient profile, and wherein the actual MTR is characterized as the rejectable MTR when the width of spatial correlation coefficient profile is greater than the second threshold width of spatial correlation coefficient profile.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
scanning a plurality of actual microtexture regions (MTRs) of the component with the ultrasonic transducer, the plurality of actual MTRs including the actual MTR;
selecting a reference point of each actual MTR in the plurality of actual MTRs;
compiling a spatial correlation coefficient data for each actual MTR in the plurality of actual MTRs relative to the reference point of each actual MTR;
calculating at least one of a threshold width of spatial correlation coefficient profile and a threshold spatial correlation coefficient slope for characterizing a future potential MTR as being a future actual MTR or a future crack or defect; and
calculating at least one of a second threshold width of spatial correlation coefficient profile and the elongation direction for characterizing the future actual MTR as being a future rejectable MTR or a future acceptable MTR.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein compiling spatial correlation coefficient data is compiled in the elongation direction of each actual MTR, with a maximum cross-section area, in the plurality of actual MTRs.
10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the scanning is performed in a tank filled with a fluid, and wherein the component is disposed in the tank.
11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the spatial correlation coefficient data is calculated based on a spatial correlation coefficient equation:
SCC
(
y
-
y
′
)
=
∫
V
(
t
,
y
)
×
V
(
t
,
y
′
)
∫
[
V
(
t
,
y
)
]
2
×
∫
[
V
(
t
,
y
′
)
]
2
.
wherein V(t, y) is a first voltage-versus time waveform and V(t, y′) is a second voltage-versus time waveform.
12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the at least one of the threshold width of spatial correlation coefficient profile and the threshold spatial correlation coefficient slope is determined based on a normal distribution of the plurality of actual MTRs.
13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the reference point is based on a maximum amplitude of a transducer for each actual MTR.
14. The method of claim 8 , further comprising calculating the threshold width of spatial correlation coefficient profile and the threshold spatial correlation coefficient slope.
15. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
scanning a batch of components with the ultrasonic transducer, the batch of components including the component;
determining a portion of the batch of components including potential microtexture regions (MTRs) based on a microtexture level indicator; and
characterizing the potential MTR of each component in the portion of the batch of components as the actual MTR or the defect.
16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising scrapping the component when the potential MTR is characterized as the defect or the rejectable MTR.
17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the potential MTR is selected based on calculating the microtexture level indicator or possessing at least one rejectable or marginally rejectable indication resulted from an ultrasonic crack inspection.
18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the potential MTR is a high amplitude spot in an area with MTR content as identified by the microtexture level indicator, a rejectable indication, or a marginally rejectable indication as defined by comparing a maximum amplitude at the potential MTR to an established threshold amplitude in an ultrasonic crack inspection, and wherein the microtexture level indicator comprises at least one of an average peak factor, a standard deviation of peak amplitudes, and a baseband bandwidth.
19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the analyzing the spatial correlation coefficient profile further comprises comparing a width of spatial correlation coefficient profile of the area of interest with a threshold width of spatial correlation coefficient profile for the potential MTR to be characterized as the actual MTR.
20. The method of claim 15 , wherein the analyzing the spatial correlation coefficient profile further comprises comparing a spatial correlation coefficient slope from the area of interest to an adjacent position with a threshold spatial correlation coefficient slope for the potential MTR to be characterized as the actual MTR, and wherein analyzing the spatial correlation coefficient further comprises comparing a width of spatial correlation coefficient profile of the potential MTR with a second threshold width of spatial correlation coefficient profile for the actual MTR to be characterized as the acceptable MTR.