Ultrasonic inspection system and method

US7546769B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• General Electric Company · US

Inventors

• Sivaramanivas Ramaswamy · Kanchinakote, IN
• Michael Francis Xavier Gigliotti · Scotia, US
• Vamshi Krishna Reddy Kommareddy · Bengaluru, IN
• Richard Eugene Klaassen · Sharonville, US
• Edward James Nieters · Burnt Hills, US
• Mandayam Tondanur Shyamsunder · Savanuru, IN
• Michael Everett Keller · Mason, US
• Nihat Kurkcu · İstanbul, TR

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 1, 2005
• Grant date: Jun 16, 2009
• Expiry date: Feb 13, 2027

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01S7/52038
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A method and system for microstructural evaluation and degradation evaluation of an object are provided. The method comprises insonifying at least one subvolume of the object with ultrasonic energy at a fundamental frequency and acquiring receive energy from the object at the fundamental frequency and at least one harmonic frequency thereof. A nonlinearity parameter is determined using the receive energy. The nonlinearity parameter is then used to determine a grain size for the subvolume of the object and a variation of the grain size within the object. The nonlinearity parameter is also used to determine fatigue damage or a residual stress.