SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DETERMINING THE ULTRASONIC TESTING (UT) TESTABILITY OF DEFECTS IN A WELD

1 . A system, comprising:

a test object comprising a base material and a welded region;

an ultrasonic probe comprising one or more ultrasonic transducers configured to acquire a plurality of measurements of the base material and the welded region; and

a computing system coupled to the ultrasonic probe and comprising at least one data processor and a memory storing instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving, from the ultrasonic probe, the plurality of measurements of the base material and the welded region;

determining a signal to noise ratio in the welded region based on the plurality of measurements;

determining a degree of ultrasonic testability of the test object based on the signal to noise ratio; and

providing the degree of ultrasonic testability.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to perform operations further comprising:

generating one or more ultrasonic scans of the test object based on the plurality of measurements, wherein the one or more ultrasonic scans include a maximum signal height;

adjusting a gain of the computing system such that the maximum signal height is less than a full-scale height of the computing system; and

determining the degree of ultrasonic testability of the test object based on a gain difference between the base material and the welded region.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the test object comprises a first defect having predetermined characteristics in the base material and a second defect having predetermined characteristics in the welded region, and the at least one processor is configured to perform operations further comprising:

receiving, from the ultrasonic probe, a first plurality of measurements of the first defect;

receiving, from the ultrasonic probe, a second plurality of measurements of the second defect; and

receiving, from the ultrasonic probe, a third plurality of measurements of a flaw-free area of the test object.

4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the flaw-free area is in the welded region.

5 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the first defect is a first hole having a first diameter and the second defect is a second hole having a second diameter, wherein the first and second diameters are sized based on application specific specifications.

6 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the first plurality of measurements are taken from a first plurality of positions on a first face of the test object, the second plurality of measurements are taken from a second plurality of positions on the first face, and the third plurality of measurements are taken from a third plurality of positions on the first face.

7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the ultrasonic probe is a phased array, and the at least one processor is further configured to perform operations including:

receiving, from the ultrasonic probe, the first plurality of measurements, the second plurality of measurements and the third plurality of measurements at a plurality of measurements at each of the plurality of positions across a predetermined range of angles of incidence;

determining one or more optimal angles of incidence; and

determining the degree of ultrasonic testability of the test object based on the plurality of measurements taken at the one or more optimal angles of incidence.

8 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the ultrasonic probe is a phased array, and the at least one processor is further configured to perform operations including:

receiving, from the ultrasonic probe, the plurality of measurements at each of the plurality of positions across a predetermined range of ultrasonic beam frequencies;

determining one or more optimal ultrasonic beam frequencies; and

determining the degree of ultrasonic testability of the test object based on the plurality of measurements taken at the one or more optimal ultrasonic beam frequencies.

9 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the ultrasonic probe is a phased array, and the at least one processor is further configured to perform operations including:

receiving, from the ultrasonic probe, the plurality of measurements at each of the plurality of positions across a predetermined range of focal point distances;

determining one or more optimal focal point distances; and

determining the degree of ultrasonic testability of the test object based on the plurality of measurements taken at the one or more optimal focal point distances.

10 . A method of non-destructive testing, comprising:

acquiring, by an ultrasonic probe communicatively coupled a computing system including at least one data processor and a memory storing instructions, a plurality of measurements of a test object including a base material and a welded region;

receiving, by the at least one processor, from the ultrasonic probe, the plurality of measurements of the base material and the welded region;

determining, by the at least one processor, a signal to noise ratio in the welded region based on the plurality of measurements;

determining, by the at least one processor, a degree of ultrasonic testability of the test object based on the signal to noise ratio; and

providing the degree of ultrasonic testability.

11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

generating, by the at least one processor, one or more ultrasonic scans of the test object based on the plurality of measurements, wherein the one or more ultrasonic scans include a maximum signal height;

adjusting, by the at least one processor, a gain of the computing system such that the maximum signal height is less than a full-scale height of the computing system; and

determining, by the at least one processor, the degree of ultrasonic testability of the test object based on a gain difference between the base material and the welded region.

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the test object comprises a first defect having predetermined characteristics in the base material and a second defect having predetermined characteristics in the welded region, the method further comprising:

receiving, by the at least one processor, a first plurality of measurements of the first defect;

receiving, by the at least one processor, a second plurality of measurements of the second defect; and

receiving, from the ultrasonic probe, a third plurality of measurements of a flaw-free area of the test object.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the flaw-free area is in the welded region.

14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the first defect is a first hole having a first diameter and the second defect is a second hole having a second diameter, wherein the first and second diameters are sized based on application specific specifications.

15 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the first plurality of measurements are taken from a first plurality of positions on a first face of the test object, the second plurality of measurements are taken from a second plurality of positions on the first face, and the third plurality of measurements are taken from a third plurality of positions on the first face.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the ultrasonic probe is a phased array, the method further comprising:

receiving, by the at least one processor, the plurality of measurements at each of the plurality of positions across a predetermined range of angles of incidence;

determining, by the at least one processor, one or more optimal angles of incidence; and

determining, by the at least one processor, the degree of ultrasonic testability of the test object based on the plurality of measurements taken at the one or more optimal angles of incidence.

17 . The method of claim 15 wherein the ultrasonic probe is a phased array, the method further comprising:

receiving, by the at least one processor, the plurality of measurements at each of the plurality of positions across a predetermined range of ultrasonic beam frequencies;

determining, by the at least one processor, one or more optimal ultrasonic beam frequencies; and

determining, by the at least one processor, the degree of ultrasonic testability of the test object based on the plurality of measurements taken at the one or more optimal ultrasonic beam frequencies.

18 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the ultrasonic probe is a phased array, the method further comprising:

receiving, by the at least one processor, the plurality of measurements at each of the plurality of positions across a predetermined range of focal point distances;

determining, by the at least one processor, one or more optimal focal point distances; and

determining, by the at least one processor, the degree of ultrasonic testability of the test object based on the plurality of measurements taken at the one or more optimal focal point distances.