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1989
Conference Paper
Titel
Ultrasonic field modelling for complex shaped aerospace
Abstract
Ultrasonic inspection of highly-stressed jet-engine components is normally carried out using the immersion technique. To ascertain their strength potential, especially in highly-stressed areas, powder-metallurgy nickel-based components must be inspected for inclusions at extremely high resolution. This resolution can be attained only by using higly-focused ultrasonic transducers with an optimal frequency range. Sound fields passing through water into the material are refracted as a result of velocity differences. For example, the sound field passing through a cylindrical surface will be distorted unidimensionally. To have really high concentration of sound energy at a particular point underneath a surface of complex shape, the transducer and lens must be optimized. With this objective in view, software has been developed for modelling sound fields, by means of which sound fields in couplants and components under surfaces of virtually and given shape can be calculated, and the sound pre ssure distribution represented as a two-dimensional section. The use of this software and the practical application are explained, and the correspondence with actual, measured sound fields is demonstrated.