Broadband long pulse ultrasonic inspection
US7467560B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 24, 2003 |
| Grant date | Dec 23, 2008 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 5, 2026 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01N2291/2632
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A robotic ultrasonic inspection vehicle is provided with one or more transducers which are driven by a long, broadband excitation pulse for insonifying a sample subject to inspection. The long, broadband excitation pulse can be chirped. The robotic vehicle also can include a drive circuit for coupling the excitation pulse to the transducer. Data associated with the excitation pulse is used to gate off the drive circuitry at an appropriate time. The robotic vehicle may traverse a combustion prone region and therefore electrical parameters may be limited to intrinsically safe levels. However electrical parameters may safely be converted to higher levels so long as the conversion is inhibited to occur only after the vehicle has left a combustion prone region and entered a region of minimal risk of combustion.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.