FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS OF ULTRASONIC PHASED ARRAY INSPECTIONS ON ANISOTROPIC WELDS

This paper describes a theoretical investigation into the behaviour of anisotropic welds under phased array inspection procedures using a 128 element linear array. Two advanced inspection techniques are simulated, and their suitability compared. A finite element (FE) model, configured in PZFlex, is used to represent both the variations in crystal orientation found in a typical anisotropic weld, and also the linear array configuration. Firstly, through transmission spectra of the weld are used to determine the optimum operating frequency and configuration of the array in order to detect a 3 mm SDH in the weld. Next, the Full Matrix Capture (FMC) technique is simulated, and an image of the weld constructed using the Total Focussing Method (TFM). This is accomplished by transmitting on each element sequentially, while receiving on the remaining 127 elements. This approach provides spatial averaging over the weld area, reducing the distortion caused by the anisotropic media. Finally, Time Reversal Acoustic (TRA) methods were employed to coherently focus the array at the defect and compensate for the elemental timing variations caused by the complex medium. Results illustrate the potential for inspecting anisotropic welds when using correctly designed arrays and implementing novel inspection procedures.