Abstract:
An ultrasonic transducer having a piezoelectric element for use on a vehicle is disclosed. The transducer has a control and evaluation circuit for generating a control voltage for the piezoelectric element, which generates and emits an ultrasonic signal based on the control voltage, and for outputting an output signal on the basis of an echo signal received at the piezoelectric element. A gyrator circuit is included for providing a compensation inductance for adapting the control and evaluation circuit, for compensating for a parasitic connection capacitance of the piezoelectric element. The gyrator circuit has a variable compensation inductance. A method for compensating for an ultrasonic transducer having a piezoelectric element for adapting a reception sensitivity is also disclosed. The method involves recording a measurement variable for adapting the reception sensitivity, and compensating for the ultrasonic transducer by changing the compensation inductance of the gyrator circuit based on the recorded measurement variable.
Abstract:
A method for testing the integrity of a stack during ultrasonic welding, includes the steps of: (i) ultrasonically welding two or more work pieces with a stack, the stack including a convertor and a horn; (ii) measuring a frequency profile based on a vibration of the horn during the welding step; and (iii) comparing the measured frequency profile to a standard frequency profile to obtain an error rate, the error rate being indicative of a difference between the measured frequency profile and the standard frequency profile. A system employing the aforementioned method is also provided.
Abstract:
A broken piezoelectric material in an ultrasonic transducer of an ultrasonic stack of an ultrasonic device is detected by measuring a test piezo coupling constant with a test scan of the ultrasonic stack. The test piezo coupling constant is compared to a previously measured baseline piezo coupling constant. The piezoelectric material is determined to be broken when the test piezo coupling constant is less than the baseline piezo coupling constant by more than a predetermined amount.
Abstract:
A system and downhole tool comprising an ultrasonic transducer with a piezoelectric material embedded in a backing and a method of determining a parameter using the ultrasonic transducer. A self-noise of the transducer can be reduced by the piezoelectric material being at least partially embedded in the backing. The ultrasonic transducer can include an encapsulating material that encapsulates the backing.
Abstract:
There is provided a device for testing ultrasound probes comprising a plurality of transducing elements, said device comprising a plurality of ultrasound transmitter/receiver circuits, a computing device and a control device arranged to control the transmitter/receiver circuits and the computing device arranged to select an interrogation protocol from a plurality of different interrogation protocols, where each interrogation protocol comprises instructions for the order in which the plurality of transmitter/receiver circuits shall send voltage pulses to the transducers of the ultrasound probe.
Abstract:
The infrasound generating device based on a displacement-feedback type vibration exciter comprises a displacement-feedback type vibration exciter system, an infrasound generating chamber (3) and a laser vibrometer (1); the displacement feedback mechanism is adopted in the vibration exciter (2). The piston (31) is driven by the vibration exciter to move in a sinusoidal manner in the cavity (35) of the airtight infrasound generating chamber (3) and the standard infrasonic pressure signal with low harmonic distortion can be achieved. The displacement of the moving part (22) of the vibration exciter (2) can be measured by the laser vibrometer (1) through the measurement beam (15) injecting into the vibration exciter (2) through the optical channel running through the vibration exciter and the standard infrasonic pressure can also be obtained. The value of the standard sound pressure produced by the infrasound generating chamber is calculated. Such value is used as the calibration reference for the infrasound sensors (4) to be calibrated in order to achieve the primary calibration of the infrasound sensors. The standard infrasonic sensor can be installed inside the infrasound generating chamber (3) and the output of the standard infrasonic sensor can be used as the reference for the infrasonic sensor (4) to be calibrated in order to achieve the secondary calibration of the infrasound sensors. This invention has the advantages of technical maturity, high feasibility, easy to realize, high calibration accuracy and so on.
Abstract:
A method for testing the integrity of a stack during ultrasonic welding, includes the steps of: (i) ultrasonically welding two or more work pieces with a stack, the stack including a convertor and a horn; (ii) measuring a frequency profile based on a vibration of the horn during the welding step; and (iii) comparing the measured frequency profile to a standard frequency profile to obtain an error rate, the error rate being indicative of a difference between the measured frequency profile and the standard frequency profile. A system employing the aforementioned method is also provided.
Abstract:
A method for forming a fault tolerant detector assembly is presented. The method includes providing a sensor array having a plurality of sensor elements, providing an electronics layer having a plurality of electronics cells, where the plurality of electronics cells corresponds to the plurality of sensor elements in the sensor array, introducing a status indicator element in each of the plurality of the electronics cells, where the status indicator element is configured to store a status of a corresponding sensor element, scanning the plurality of sensor elements in the sensor array to identify the status of the plurality of sensor elements in the sensor array, generating a functionality map based on the identified status of the plurality of sensor elements in the sensor array, and selectively programming the status indicator elements based on the functionality map to form a fault tolerant detector assembly.
Abstract:
A method for diagnosing the health of a transducer may include transmitting a signal to a transducer to cause the transducer to transmit a stress wave into an object being monitored, wherein the signal has a predetermined frequency range or bandwidth. The method may also include receiving response data for the transducer and transforming the response data to data representative of an impedance curve of impedance versus frequency for the predetermined frequency range. The method may further include extracting selected parameters from the impedance curve to diagnose the health of the transducer.
Abstract:
A method and system for controlling probe heating in an ultrasound system is disclosed. The method and system comprises electrically exciting a transducer within the probe; and detecting at least one pulse characteristic from the excited transducer. The method and system further includes analyzing at least one pulse characteristic to determine if the probe is coupling into a reflecting medium such as air or into tissue. Accordingly, a system and method in accordance with the present invention detects when an ultrasound transducer is coupling energy into a patient or into a reflecting medium such as air. In so doing, the thermal performance of the transducer improves by allowing an increase in the duration and level of the transducer excitation voltage.