Method for the ultrasound testing of a workpiece within a curved region of its surface and device suitable for the execution of the process

US7516664B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Intelligendt Systems & Services GmbH · DE

Inventors

• Rainer Meier · Erlangen, DE
• Jana Becker · Steinfeld (Oldenburg), DE
• Thomas Rehfeldt · Steinfeld (Oldenburg), DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 26, 2007
• Grant date: Apr 14, 2009
• Expiry date: Apr 16, 2027

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01N2291/2638
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

In a method for the ultrasonic testing of a workpiece (2) in a curved area of its surface, in particular of a workpiece (2) made of a fiber composite material, an ultrasonic test head (10) is acoustically coupled to the workpiece in this area, and includes an ultrasonic transducer arrangement (12) comprising a plurality (N) of individually driveable transducer elements (20i) which are arranged next to one another. In chronologically successive test cycles, a number (n) of transducer elements (20i) are respectively combined to form a group and are driven in a plurality of test pulses within this test cycle in a time delayed manner with respect to one another such that the transmitted ultrasound beam (30a-d) in this test cycle is swept within a predetermined angular range (α1, α2), so that one of the number of echo signals, corresponding to the number of test pulses, for each group is received from different directions of the workpiece (2).