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Title: Nondestructive Ultrasonic Inspection of Composite Materials: A Comparative Advantage of Phased Array Ultrasonic

Journal Article · · Applied Sciences
DOI:https://doi.org/10.3390/app9081628· OSTI ID:1528705
ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [2]
  1. Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA (United States)
  2. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States)
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Carbon- and glass fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP and GFRP) composite materials have been used in many industries such as aerospace and automobile because of their outstanding strength-to-weight ratio and corrosion resistance. The quality of these materials is important for safe operation. Nondestructive testing (NDT) techniques are an effective way to inspect these composites. While ultrasonic NDT has previously been used for inspection of composites, conventional ultrasonic NDT, using single element transducers, has limitations such as high attenuation and low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Using phased array ultrasonic testing (PAUT) techniques, signals can be generated at desired distances and angles. These capabilities provide promising results for composites where the anisotropic structure makes signal evaluation challenging. Defect detection in composites based on bulk and guided waves are studied. The capability of the PAUT and its sensitivity to flaws were evaluated by comparing the signal characteristics to the conventional method. The results show that flaw sizes as small as 0.8 mm with penetration depth up to 25 mm can be detected using PAUT, and the result signals have better characteristics than the conventional ultrasonic technique. In addition, it has been shown that guided wave generated by PAUT also has outstanding capability of flaw detection in composite materials.

Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Energy Efficiency Office. Advanced Manufacturing Office
Grant/Contract Number:
AC05-00OR22725
OSTI ID:
1528705
Journal Information:
Applied Sciences, Vol. 9, Issue 8; ISSN 2076-3417
Publisher:
MDPICopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 47 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Cited By (3)

Endo and Exoskeleton: New Technologies on Composite Materials journal January 2020
Improving Depth Resolution of Ultrasonic Phased Array Imaging to Inspect Aerospace Composite Structures journal January 2020
Lock-In Thermography and Ultrasonic Testing of Impacted Basalt Fibers Reinforced Thermoplastic Matrix Composites journal July 2019

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Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
phased array ultrasonic
composites
signal sensitivity
defect detection
nondestructive testing (NDT)