ULTRASONIC TESTING

Principle of
Sound Generation

Rubber
ball
Velocity = Frequency x Wave length V n

Impedance = Density x Velocity Z  V

ACOUSTIC PROPERTIES
MATERIAL DENSITY VELOCIITY VELOCITY ACOUSTIC
Kg/m3 (L) m/s (S) m/s IMPEDANCE
(Z)
STEEL 7.8 5940 3240 46600
ALUMINIUM 2.7 6350 3100 17200
PERSPEX / 1.18 2670 1120 3200
LUCIT /
PLEXIGLASS
WATER 1 1490 - 1490
EFFECT OF MEDIUM ON
SOUND PROPAGATION
 I
AIR
Z1 = 1V1 R
INTERFACE

STEEL T
Z2 = 2V2

NORMAL INCIDENCE AT AN INTERFACE

Reflection Co-efficient
( energy )

( z1  z2 )
2

R=  100%
( z1  z2 ) 2
 Transmission
co-efficient ( energy )

4 Z1 Z 2
T=  100%
( z1  z 2 ) 2
 ULTRASONIC PROBES
• Piezo - electric Classified by
principle • Frequency
• Quartz, Polarised • Size
Ceramics ( Barium • No of crystals
Tiatnate, Lead • Longitudinal or
Zirconate) , lithium transverse
sulfate used for the • Normal or angular
crystal beam
• Special probes
NORMAL PROBE
CONSTRUCTION
Near zone =
(Dia of Crystal) 2 D 2

4  Wave length Nz 
4

Wave length
Beam spread 1.22 
= Dia of crystal

Sin( / 2 ) = 1.22  / 2
BEAM DIVERGENCE
BEAM DIVERGENCE
BEAM DIVERGENCE
BEAM PROFILE SOUND ZONES
DEAD ZONE
NEAR ZONE ( FRESNEL ZONE )
FAR ZONE ( FRAUNHOFFER ZONE )

NZ FZ
BEAM DIVERGENCE
LAW OF REFLECTION
LAW OF REFLECTION
LAW OF REFRACTION
 SNELL’S LAW

Sin i (1) V i (1)


Sin r (2) V r(2)
i = incident angle
r = refraction angle
Vi, Vr = corresponding velocity
FIRST CRITICAL ANGLE
SECOND CRITICAL ANGLE
REFLECTION FROM
INCLINED PLANE
MODE CONVERSION
CONSTRUCTION OF PROBE
 ULTRASONIC TESTING
• A beam of high frequency wave is introduced into
the test object which gets reflected from the
surface of any discontinuity
• Used to detect and locate the surface and internal
discontinuities
• Amplitude of a reflected sound pulse is nearly
proportional to the area of the reflector
 ULTRASONIC TESTING
• For Detecting internal flaws
• For almost all the materials –
metals, ceramic, rubber,
composites etc..
• Requires only one side access
• Portable equipment
• Non hazardous
• Can test up to about 10 m of
steel
 PULSE ECHO SYSTEM

Transducer acts as a pulser and receiver

Can detect the location and depth of defect
Only one side access is required
 THROUGH TRANSMISSION
SYSTEM

• Separate transmitter and receiver

• Accurate Alignment of transmitter and receiver
required
• Cannot locate the depth of defect
ULTRASONIC A - SCAN
EQUIPMENT
A SCAN PRESENTATION
B SCAN
C SCAN PRESENTATION
MINIATURE CALIBRATION
IIW V2 BLOCK
CALIBRATION BLOCKS
• For the calibrating the
Ultrasonic equipment

IIW V1 Block

IIW V2 Block
 ANGLE BEAM
RANGE CALIBRATION

IIW V1 block
RESOLUTION
BACK WALL RESOLUTION
REFERENCE BLOCK –
FLAT BOTTOM HOLE
Transducer
DAC
ANGLE BEAM EXAMINATION-
WELD
 SF S 1/2

W 1/2
T WF

PROBE POSITION FOR

HALF SKIP & FULL SKIP
Half Beam path w 1/2 = T/ cos
T - Thickness

Half skip distance S 1/2 = T TAN

T= Thickness

Full Beam path w F = 2T / cos

T - Thickness

Full skip distance SF = 2 T TAN

T= Thickness
 L1= W SIN 

L2 = W SIN 

W1 d
T W2

DEPTH OF THE DEFECT d = W1 COS  OR 2 T - W2COS 

LOCATION OF THE DEFECT FROM PROBE INDEX

L1= W1 SIN  OR L2 = W2 SIN 

SCANNING PATTERNS
 LENGTH OF THE DEFECT BY 6dB DROP
METHOD

W1 d
T W2

l2 l1

l1= actual length of the defect; l2 = apparent length of the defect

EFFECT OF JOB GEOMETRY
EFFECT OF JOB GEOMETRY
IMMERSION TESTING