Patent ID: 9366655
Filing Date: 2016-06-14
CPC Classification: G01N

Claim Text:
1. A method for inspecting a portion of a part having a surface of unknown radiused shape, the method comprising: (a) positioning and orienting a linear array of ultrasonic transducer elements at a location whereat the linear array can be operated to transmit focused and steered ultrasonic beams in a scan plane that will impinge on a radiused surface of the part having a curved concave profile in the scan plane; (b) while the linear array is stationary at said location, electrically pulsing the ultrasonic transducer elements of different apertures of the linear array using phasing to transmit a sequence of successive focused and steered ultrasonic beams directed toward one and the same target location on the radiused surface, each focused and steered ultrasonic beam being formed by pulsing the ultrasonic transducer elements of a respective one of the different apertures to produce a respective focused ultrasonic beam having a respective different steering angle; (c) while the linear array is stationary at said location and after the ultrasonic transducer elements making up each aperture have been pulsed, forming electrical signals from the ultrasonic transducer elements of the respective aperture into a respective return signal representing a respective echo returned to the respective aperture from the target location on the radiused surface following electrical pulsing of the ultrasonic transducer elements of the respective aperture; (d) processing said return signals to derive respective values of a parameter characterizing said return signals from the target location; and (e) selecting one of said respective parameter values that satisfies a first condition, wherein steps (b) through (e) are repeated for each of a multiplicity of target locations disposed on the radiused surface at spaced intervals along a scan line in the scan plane.