Patent ID: 6789427
Filing Date: 2004-09-14
Classification: G01N,G01S,G10K

Abstract:
A method of inspecting a component comprising:(a) exciting a plurality of transducers forming an array to produce an ultrasonic transmission beam focused into the component along a selected ray path from the array, the array being separated from the component by a standoff with a material velocity (b) generating a plurality of echo signals using the transducers as receive elements; and (c) processing the echo signals in a plurality of channels, said processing comprising: (i) dynamically focusing the echo signals along the selected ray path on at least one focal point P in the component, wherein said dynamic focusing comprises: adjusting a delay profile to compensate for refraction of the ultrasonic transmission beam at an interface between the component and the standoff; and applying the delay profile to the echo signals in the respective channels to generate a plurality of delayed echo signals; (ii) adjusting the number of active receive elements as a function of a range Rs to provide a dynamic aperture on receive, wherein said adjustment of the number of receive elements comprises compensating for refraction of the ultrasonic transmission beam at the interface between the component and the standoff; and (iii) summing the delayed echo signals from all of the active receive elements to generate a focused echo signal.