Photoelastic Visualisation_Ultrasonic Pulse Interactions

Part 6-Pulse tuning – Phase and number of cycles

Ed GINZEL
Materials Research Institute, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
e-mail: eginzel@mri.on.ca

Keywords: Photoelastic visualisation, ultrasonic

The video to this article can be seen here www.ndt.net/search/docs.php3?id=13998&content=1

1. Introduction
This technical note is Part 6 of a series started in NDT.net. A video has been made of a
photoelastic visualised ultrasonic pulse with essential parameters varied. Description of the
associated video is provided in this technical note and remarks are made on some of the
features seen. In Part 6 we consider the photoelastic visualised pulse of a transverse mode as
the pulser voltage and duration are held constant and the phase and number of cycles are
adjusted.

The photoelastic demonstration uses a 12mm diameter 5MHz compression mode probe (made
by Xactex) mounted on a refracting wedge made of cross-linked polystyrene. The incident
angle of the wedge is configured to produce a shear mode in steel at 45°. This probe was
driven using a PCPR100 pulser. A standard coupling gel (Sonotech SH1001) coupled the
probe to a glass sample (soda-lime float glass) using. The photoelastic imaging system was
configured to provide an optimised image of the pulse with the illumination strobe delay
adjusted to observe the pulse at a point approximately 23mm soundpath into the glass. This
placed the pulse approximately 1mm prior to a 5 mm diameter side drilled hole.

In Part 5 of this series, the voltage and pulse-duration were varied. It was determined that for
the probe used, the optimum pulse-duration occurred when the pulser was tuned to generate a
5MHz square wave.

The PCPR100 pulser is considered a tone-burst pulser. In addition to adjusting the frequency
and applied voltage, the phase and number of cycles applied to the probe can be controlled.
In Part 6 we examine the effects of adjusting the pulse shape and the number of cycles
applied. Pulse shape is determined by the initial phase of the applied voltage and may be one
of four options:
Positive uni-polar square wave
Positive bipolar square wave
Negative unipolar square wave
Negative bipolar square wave

Up to 8 cycles of the pulse shape can be repeated.

Pulse options used in Part 6 are represented in Figures 1 and 2.

 Negative
uni-polar

Positive
uni-polar

Negative Positive
bi-polar bi-polar
Figure 1 Pulse shape options

Negative Negative
uni-polar 1 uni-polar 4
cycle cycles

Positive Positive
uni-polar 1 uni-polar 4
cycle cycles

Positive Positive
bipolar 1 bipolar 5
cycle cycles

Figure 2 Pulse cycle options

In Part 5 we determined that the optimum amplitude was obtained using a pulse tuned to
5MHz with 200V applied voltage. It should be noted that the voltage indicated is the absolute
value. A uni-polar pulse will move the voltage either positive or negative from the zero volt
position. However, a bi-polar pulse moves the indicated voltage level in both directions.
2. Comments on the Video
The video is comprised of a sequence of still captures. Each image incorporates the
photoelastic image, an A-scan and text labelling the phase, polarity and number of cycles
applied. An image of a ruler is also overlaid to the right to allow the viewer to gauge the size
of the effect.

First the phase of the pulse is set to negative uni-polar and then one to four cycles are used.
Next, the phase is changed to negative uni-polar and again one to four cycles used. The effect
of phase is seen to merely change the initial direction of the probe displacement without
significant effect on the amplitude. After the uni-polar pulse shape variations are illustrated,
the pulser is set to negative bipolar and one to five cycles are used.

Figure 3 illustrates the components of the images in Part 6. An A-scan is captured for each
parametric change. A maximum signal was obtained for the 1 cycle negative bipolar pulse
and this was set to approximately 100% screen height. The A-scan display seen in each
frame has the receiver value fixed so amplitude comparisons can be made using the A-scan
amplitudes.

Figure 3 Pulse shape variation effects

In the uni-polar images it is seen how the intensity is noticeably lower compared to the bi-
polar. The A-scan indicates there is approximately 7-8dB increase in amplitude when
switching from uni-polar to bi-polar

Figure 4 indicates the negative phased pulse with uni-polar and bipolar single and double
cycles. Maximum amplitude appears to occur for the second cycle in the 2-cycle bi-polar
pulse. Additional cycles do not result in increased amplitude over the second cycle. In fact,
amplitude tends to reduce slightly with added cycles.

Figure 4 Increasing pulse amplitude with increasing cycles

From the images in the video it can be seen that a tone-burst pulser can be useful in providing
an optimised pulse output for an ultrasonic inspection system.

Parts 5 and 6 of this series illustrate how photoelastic visualisation can provide a means of
identifying the effects of pulse-parameter adjustments. Significant changes in transmitted
amplitude, pulse duration and frequency content can be monitored using this visualisation.
The effect of applied voltage has also been illustrated. This indicates that there is a maximum
limit of applied voltage above which there is no increase to the amplitude of the transmitted
pulse. Finding the optimum frequency, pulse-shape and voltage to drive an ultrasonic probe
can result in a maximum transmitted pulse-pressure. This can help to reduce the noise
associated with receiver amplification of weak signals.

The video images end with a couple of frames showing the 5 cycle pulse interacting with the
side drilled hole.

For more information about the photoelastic system see www.eclipsescientific.com.

The video to this article can be seen here www.ndt.net/search/docs.php3?id=13900&content=1