Sound-Speed Sensor for Gas Pipeline Applications

A sensor, based on a small cylindrical acoustic resonator that may be suitable for measuring the speed of sound in natural and other process gases under pipeline conditions is described. The resonator is physically robust and requires minimal calibration. The speed of sound is obtained from the resonance frequency of a single longitudinal mode of oscillation that is isolated in the frequency spectrum of the cavity and can therefore be located and measured automatically. The design and acoustic model of the sensor are discussed. The performance of a prototype device was validated by means of measurements on three pure gases: argon, nitrogen and methane. The results of these measurements agree with the predictions of the most accurate equations of state with an absolute average deviation of about 0.02% and a maximum absolute deviation of 0.06% at temperatures between 293.15 K and 333.15 K and at pressures between 0.1 MPa and 10 MPa. Additional design features have been tested that may facilitate the deployment of the sensor in a pipeline system by: (a) preventing problems with condensate when operating near or below the dew temperature and (b) ensuring that the sensor is filled with a representative sample of the pipeline gas. Finally, we discuss how the design methodology may be applied to optimize the sensor dimensions for different operating conditions, such as high or low gas pressure.     

Multiscale mechanics of hierarchical structure/property relationships in calcified tissues and tissue/material interfaces

This paper presents a review plus new data that describes the role hierarchical nanostructural properties play in developing an understanding of the effect of scale on the material properties (chemical, elastic and electrical) of calcified tissues as well as the interfaces that form between such tissues and biomaterials. Both nanostructural and microstructural properties will be considered starting with the size and shape of the apatitic mineralites in both young and mature bovine bone. Microstructural properties for human dentin and cortical and trabecular bone will be considered. These separate sets of data will be combined mathematically to advance the effects of scale on the modeling of these tissues and the tissue/biomaterial interfaces as hierarchical material/structural composites. Interfacial structure and properties to be considered in greatest detail will be that of the dentin/adhesive (d/a) interface, which presents a clear example of examining all three material properties, (chemical, elastic and electrical). In this case, finite element modeling (FEA) was based on the actual measured values of the structure and elastic properties of the materials comprising the d/a interface; this combination provides insight into factors and mechanisms that contribute to premature failure of dental composite fillings. At present, there are more elastic property data obtained by microstructural measurements, especially high frequency ultrasonic wave propagation (UWP) and scanning acoustic microscopy (SAM) techniques. However, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and nanoindentation (NI) of cortical and trabecular bone and the dentin–enamel junction (DEJ) among others have become available allowing correlation of the nanostructural level measurements with those made on the microstructural level.     

Acoustic characterization of microbubble dynamics in laser-induced optical breakdown

A real-time acoustic technique to characterize microbubbles produced by laser-induced optical breakdown (LIOB) in water was developed. Femtosecond laser pulses are focused just inside the surface of a small liquid tank. A tightly focused, high frequency, single-element ultrasonic transducer is positioned so its focus coincides axially and laterally with this laser focus. When optical breakdown occurs, a bubble forms and a pressure wave is emitted (i.e., acoustic emission). In addition to this acoustic signal, the microbubble is actively probed with pulse-echo measurements from the same transducer. After the bubble forms, received pulse-echo signals have an extra pulse, describing the bubble location and providing a measure of axial bubble size. Wavefield plots of successive recordings illustrate the generation, growth, and collapse of cavitation bubbles due to optical breakdown. These same plots also can be used to quantify LIOB thresholds.     

微孔聚合物皮层厚度测量的扫描声显微方法

微孔发泡是一种有广泛应用前景的聚合物改性方法。皮层的存在对微孔结构材料的性能有很大的影响,皮层厚度的测量、工艺控制和理论计算是微孔材料加工中的主要问题。文章介绍了一种测量微孔聚合物皮层厚度的新的有效方法——扫描声显微(SAM)方法,并测量了微孔聚苯乙烯和微孔聚碳酸酯的皮层厚度。     

Parametric study of the effect of phase anisotropy on the micromechanical behaviour of dentin-adhesive interfaces.

A finite element (FE) model has been developed based upon the recently measured micro-scale morphological, chemical and mechanical properties of dentin-adhesive (d-a) interfaces using confocal Raman microspectroscopy and scanning acoustic microscopy (SAM). The results computed from this FE model indicated that the stress distributions and concentrations are affected by the micro-scale elastic properties of various phases composing the d-a interface. However, these computations were performed assuming isotropic material properties for the d-a interface. The d-a interface components, such as the peritubular and intertubular dentin, the partially demineralized dentin and the so-called "hybrid layer" adhesive-collagen composite, are probably anisotropic. In this paper, the FE model is extended to account for the probable anisotropic properties of these d-a interface phases. A parametric study is performed to study the effect of anisotropy on the micromechanical stress distributions in the hybrid layer and the peritubular dentin phases of the d-a interface. It is found that the anisotropy of the phases affects the region and extent of stress concentration as well as the location of the maximum stress concentrations. Thus, the anisotropy of the phases could effect the probable location of failure initiation, whether in the peritubular region or in the hybrid layer.     

Extending acoustic microscopy for comprehensive failure analysis applications

In manufacturing of microelectronic components, non-destructive failure analysis methods are important for quality control. These non-destructive methods enable rapid defect localization which then guides micro-structural investigations involving destructive sample preparation. Scanning acoustic microscopy (SAM) is a powerful tool for the inspection of internal structures in optically opaque materials. Depth-specific information can be extracted and applied to create two- and three-dimensional images without the need for time consuming tomographic scan procedures. While traditional SAM imaging of the signal intensity is very valuable, it leaves most of the potential of acoustic microscopy unused. The aim of the current work was to develop comprehensive analysis algorithms to utilize the full potential of SAM and thus to extend the range of its applications. Examples representing different application fields were investigated in the current study. The examples include advanced flip-chip devices, bonded wafer pairs, solder tape connectors of a photovoltaic solar panel and high density chip-to-chip interconnects relevant for 3D integration. Progress achieved during this work can be divided into four categories: Signal Analysis and Parametric Imaging, Signal Analysis and Defect Evaluation, Image Processing and Resolution Enhancement and acoustic GHz microscopy (GHz-SAM). For the first three categories, data acquisition was performed using a commercially available scanning acoustic microscope equipped with several ultrasonic transducers covering the frequency range from 15 to 175 MHz. In the fourth category, data acquisition was performed employing a prototype of a novel acoustic GHz microscopy tool which is currently under development into a commercial system. In the first three categories, recorded acoustic data were subjected to sophisticated algorithms operating in time, frequency and spatial domains for performing signal and image analysis. Acoustic microscopy, combined with such advanced signal and image processing algorithms, proved to be a powerful tool for non-destructive inspection.     

Wide-band piezoelectric polymer acoustic sources

The design of a wideband acoustic source made of the piezoelectric polymer polyvinylidine fluoride (PVDF) is described. The source was developed for the characterization and absolute calibration of ultrasonic hydrophone probes. Construction details are described and performance characteristics of the wideband PVDF transmitter, including its transmitting voltage response and directivity patterns, are compared with theoretical predictions in the frequency range up to 40 MHz. The Krimholtz-Leedom-Mattaei (KLM) model was used to examine the influence of the PVDF polymer film thickness, the backing acoustic impedance, the cable length, and the electrical source resistance on overall transmit transfer characteristics. A comparison is made with traditional piezoelectric ceramic acoustic sources, and it is shown that piezopolymer transmitters exhibit some improved properties and are well suited for certain ultrasound dosimetry applications. In particular, the polymer sources have been found useful in measurements based on swept-frequency excitation. Those measurements allow characterization of transmitters and receivers to be performed as a virtually continuous function of frequency.     

Inverse problem methodology and finite elements in theidentification of cracks, sources, materials, and their geometry ininaccessible locations

Inverse problem methodology is extended, through the more difficult geometric differentiation of finite-element matrices, to identify the location, material, and value of unknown sources within an inaccessible region using exterior measurements. This is done through the definition of an object function that vanishes at its minimum when the externally measured electric field matches the electric field given by an assumed configuration that is optimized to match measurements. The method is demonstrated by identifying the shape, permittivity, charge, and location of an electrostatic source through exterior measurement. The procedure is then extended to eddy current problems for the identification of the location and shape of cracks in metallic structures. An example demonstrates that when dealing with eddy current problems the least squares object function used by others has multiple local minima so that gradient methods have to be combined with search methods to identify the one absolute minimum. Procedures are also given for handling situations with no cracks and overdescribed cracks     

Calibration of Curie temperatures for LiTaO/sub 3/ single crystals by the LFB ultrasonic material characterization system

The line-focus-beam ultrasonic material characterization (LFB-UMC) system is applied to a standardized comparison and evaluation of the Curie temperatures, T/sub C/, exclusively used in evaluating the chemical compositions of commercial LiTaO/sub 3/ crystals by measuring the velocities of Rayleigh-type leaky surface acoustic waves (LSAWs), V/sub LSAW/. We measured V/sub LSAW/ and T/sub C/ (standardized) under the same T/sub C/ measurement conditions for 36/spl deg/Y X-LiTaO/sub 3/ single-crystal wafers produced by four manufacturers and related the results to the T/sub C/ (individual) measured by the individual manufacturers. The relationships between V/sub LSAW/ and T/sub C/ (individual) varied from one company to another, and a single straight line of the proportional relationship between V/sub LSAW/ and T/sub C/ (standardized) was obtained for all wafers regardless of the manufacturer. These experimental results clarify that the problem associated with T/sub C/ measurements lies in the measurement conditions and the absolute accuracy of the measurement instruments. Measurements of the center frequencies of SH-type surface acoustic wave (SAW) filter devices are compared with V/sub LSAW/ measurements. A method of calibrating T/sub C/ using this ultrasonic system is proposed to establish standardized specifications of SAW-device crystal wafers.     

基于声学仿真的声学法砝码体积测量装置输入参数的确定

针对声学法砝码体积测量装置的声学腔体内扬声器驱动信号的选择影响测量准确性的问题,提出了一种驱动信号参数确定方法。利用声学有限元法对声学腔体进行建模仿真,获得使体积误差最小的扬声器的最佳驱动信号幅值和频率点,同时在不同的幅值和频率点应用声学法砝码体积测量装置进行实际体积测量验证,结果表明:使体积测量误差最小的驱动信号参数与仿真结果一致。声学腔体的最佳测量频率为46Hz,该驱动频率下体积测量值与液体静力法测得值的偏差小于0.001cm³;在一定的测量范围内,驱动信号的幅值对声学法砝码体积测量准确性无影响。     

Image analysis of delamination cracks in carbon-fibre composites by scanning acoustic microscopy

Fibre-reinforced composite laminates have been widely applied to many kinds of structures because of their superior properties. The delamination resistance of such composites is a weak point, however, and one of the most important problems is the non-destructive detection of delamination cracks. In this study, high-resolving-power observations with a recently developed scanning acoustic microscope (SAM) have been conducted for a study of the applicability of the technique for non-destructive inspection of delamination. The high-resolving-power observations were applied to carbon-fibre/epoxy and carbon-fibre/PEEK unidirectional, multidirectional reinforced and fabric composites. From the results obtained, the delamination micro-mechanisms are discussed and knowledge of non-destructive inspection with a SAM has been obtained.     

Evaluation of diffusion bonds formed between superplastic sheet materials

Diffusion bonds produced in microduplex titanium and stainless steel sheet materials for various bonding conditions have been evaluated using a range of techniques. These include light and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), scanning acoustic microscopy (SAM) and compressive lap shear testing. The potential of other procedures such as ultrasonic inspection and resistivity measurement are also discussed. For imperfect bonds, the bond line in titanium alloys consists of clearly defined interfacial voids separated by metallurgically sound bonded regions, while the unbonded regions in stainless steel often consist of long flat voids in which the opposing surfaces have contacted but not bonded. It was observed that light microscopy and SEM observations provide a convenient and reliable method for the assessment of the bond quality, and in the case of titanium alloys it is possible to obtain quantitative data on the extent of bonding. High frequency SAM also proved to be an effective procedure for qualitative assessment. A linear relationship between the fraction of parent metal strength achieved and bonded area fraction as determined by metallography was observed for titanium alloys.     

Tunable Diode Laser Spectroscopy for Industrial Process Applications: System Characterization in Conventional and New Approaches

Tunable diode laser spectroscopy (TDLS) can only be successfully implemented if a number of system characterization procedures and critical parameter measurements can be made accurately. These include: application of a wavelength/frequency scale to the signals recovered in time; measurement of the frequency dither applied to the laser; measurement of the relative phase between the laser power modulation and frequency modulation; determination of the background amplitude modulation for normalization purposes and measurement of required cross broadening coefficients for the host/target gas mixtures. Easy to implement, accurate and low-cost systems and procedures for achieving these are described and validated below. They were developed for two new approaches to TDLS measurements, viz the residual amplitude modulation (RAM) technique and the phasor decomposition (PD) method, but are equally applicable to all forms of TDLS. Following full system characterization using the new techniques, measurements of the absolute transmission function of the 1650.96 nm absorption line of methane over a wide range of concentration and pressure were made using the RAM technique. The close agreement with theoretical traces derived from HITRAN data validated the entire approach taken, including the system characterization procedures. In addition, measurements of a wide range of gas concentration and pressure were made by curve fitting theoretical traces to the measured transmission functions obtained using a variety of operating conditions. Again, the low errors confirmed the validity of the new methods and the system characterization/measurement procedures described here.     

Use of a High-Temperature Integrating Sphere Reflectometer for Surface-Temperature Measurements

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has developed a new facility for the characterization of the infrared spectral emissivity of samples between 150 and 1,000°C. For accurate measurement of the sample surface temperatures above 150°C, the system employs a high-temperature reflectometer to obtain the surface temperature of the sample. This technique is especially useful for samples that have significant temperature gradients due to the thermal conductivity of the sample and the heating mechanism used. The sample temperature is obtained through two measurements: (a) an indirect sample emissivity measurement with an integrating sphere reflectometer and (b) a relative radiance measurement (at the same wavelengths as in (a)) of the sample as compared to a blackbody source. The results are combined with a knowledge of the blackbody temperature and Planck’s law to obtain the sample temperature. The reflectometer’s integrating sphere is a custom design that accommodates the sample and heater to allow reflectance measurements at temperature. The sphere measures the hemispherical-near- normal (8°) reflectance factor of the sample compared relative to a previously calibrated room-temperature reference sample. The reflectometer technique of sample temperature measurement is evaluated with several samples of varying reflectance. Temperature results are compared with values simultaneously obtained from embedded thermocouples and temperature-drop calculations using a knowledge of the sample’s thermal conductivity.     

Ultrasonic tissue characterization of atherosclerosis by a speed-of-sound microscanning system

We have been developing a scanning acoustic microscope (SAM) system for medicine and biology featuring quantitative measurement of ultrasonic parameters of soft tissues. In the present study, we propose a new concept sound speed microscopy that can measure the thickness and speed of sound in the tissue using fast Fourier transform of a single pulsed wave instead of burst waves used in conventional SAM systems. Two coronary arteries were frozen and sectioned approximately 10 microm in thickness. They were mounted on glass slides without cover slips. The scanning time of a frame with 300 x 300 pixels was 90 s and two-dimensional distribution of speed of sound was obtained. The speed of sound was 1680 +/- 30 m/s in the thickened intima with collagen fiber, 1520 +/- 8 m/s in the lipid deposition underlying the fibrous cap, and 1810 +/- 25 m/s in a calcified lesion in the intima. These basic measurements will help in the understanding of echo intensity and pattern in intravascular ultrasound images.     

海底沉积物声学性质测量技术评述

由于资源勘探、军事应用、岩土特性声学调查和声波传播理论研究等的需要,多年来人们一直在进行海底沉积物声学性质的测量。对海底沉积物声学性质的取样测量技术和原位测量技术进行了叙述,分别总结了两种测量技术存在的问题,认为下一步有必要发展海底沉积物低频声学性质的直接测量技术,建议在原位测量海底沉积物声学性质参数的同时测量其他性质参数以便于对比研究,并设法提高原位测量的工作效率。     

Improvement of anisotropy sensitivity in the scanning acoustic microscope

The response of the conventional scanning acoustic microscope (SAM) to anisotropic materials is theoretically investigated. For this purpose, the reflection coefficient of plane acoustic waves incident on a liquid-solid interface is numerically calculated for a general anisotropic solid oriented in any arbitrary direction. In general, the reflection coefficient depends on polar and azimuthal angles of incidence. For the case of a circularly symmetric acoustic microscope lens, a mean reflectance function can be defined that depends only on the polar angle. With this mean reflectance function, it is very easy to predict the anisotropic material response of the acoustic microscope. It is found that, under certain conditions, the amplitude response of the acoustic microscope can depend heavily on the orientation of the solid material under investigation. The amplitude of the acoustic microscope signal is influenced by the orientation of the material because there is a cancellation of acoustic rays reflected from the object surface at different azimuthal angles. This cancellation is revealed as a minimum in the mean reflectance function. It is shown by numerical simulation that the sensitivity to orientation can be increased by the use of a ring-shaped insonification at the back of the acoustic lens.     

Velocity–Moisture Relationships for Sandy Soils: Experimental Results and Data Analysis

Many techniques have been proposed in recent years for in situ soil characterization, and among them, acoustic methods have been revealed to be particularly promising. These methods are based on measurements of the propagation velocities of seismic, sonic, and ultrasonic waves. However, in granular and porous mediums, velocities depend on the state of the saturation of the soil in a complex and not yet fully understood way. In this paper, a refined mathematical model to account for the effects of many soil properties such as porosity, bulk modulus, and pressure on acoustic wave velocity is proposed and investigated. The model has been validated by an experimental comparison between the measured and calculated values of velocities, using a kind of sand of known characteristics. A custom measurement system has been developed and realized for this purpose. The proposed model has potential applications in various areas, including geothermal resource evaluation, petroleum exploration, environmental protection, and archaeological and cultural site protection.     

On‐line Quality Control of Coated Glass. On‐line Qualitätskontrolle von beschichtetem Glas

Properties of optical coatings (e.g. low‐e or solar control) can be described and controlled using transmittance, reflectance and sheet resistance measurements. Multiple in situ transmittance measurement points allow a quick response to adjust different coating processes (layer thickness and homogeneity). For the final characterization of the coated substrate ex situ transmittance, reflectance and sheet resistance measurements are used. Accurate and reproducible measurements in a combination with Reverse Engineering methods admit monitoring all layers and in this way detecting slight drifts.     

实用氦气声学温度计初步研究

对高温气冷堆堆芯温度的可靠测量是目前的技术难题之一。传统温度计依靠实验室标定的材料特性与温度的关系进行测温,然而,长期暴露在高温、高辐照环境中,其测温材料的性质会发生改变且得不到及时校准,温度传感器易发生漂移甚至失效。气体声学温度计通过测量单原子气体的声速可以直接获得热力学温度;由于气冷堆内氦气介质相对稳定,利用氦气声速获得温度具有较高的可靠性。针对实用氦气声学温度计开展了初步研究,基于圆柱声学共鸣法设计了实用声学温度计测试系统,采用声波导管声学传感器测量了488K至806K圆柱共鸣腔内氦气的声学共振频率,修正了热边界层和粘性边界层的影响;基于量子力学从头算得到的氦气声学维里状态方程,获得了热力学温度。对氦气共振频率的测量相对标准偏差小于0.07%,温度测量的信噪比可满足需求,声学温度计与热电偶测温结果差异小于1%。研究结果为未来持续开展极端环境下气体声学温度计的应用研究提供了支持。