Patent ID: 8770027

Claim:
Method for non-destructive ultrasound inspection, wherein at least one ultrasonic pulse is radiated by means of at least one ultrasonic transmitter into a workpiece to be inspected and the at least one ultrasonic pulse is reflected on boundary surfaces in the workpiece, a reflected ultrasound is received by means of at least one ultrasonic receiver and a plurality of associated signals are evaluated, and the at least one ultrasonic pulse passes through a leading body which is disposed between the workpiece and the transmitter or receiver, wherein the method comprises at least one step for determining sound velocity in the leading body by means of a phased array comprised of selectively controllable transducers, wherein at least one first transducer of the phased array acts as a transmitter of the at least one ultrasonic pulse, and at least one second transducer of the phased array acts as a receiver of the at least one ultrasonic pulse, respectively, wherein the at least one first transducer of the phased array and the at least one second transducer of the phased array are spaced as distant from one another as possible, the sound velocity in the leading body is determined at least by means of a travel time measurement of the at least one ultrasonic pulse along a shortest sound path of the at least one ultrasonic pulse between the at least one first transducer of the phased array and the at least one second transducer of the phased array, and the sound velocity in the leading body is used in an evaluation of the at least one ultrasonic pulse from the ultrasound inspection of the workpiece.