Improved limited view ultrasound tomography via machine learning.

Tomographic reconstruction is used extensively in medicine, non-destructive testing and geology. In an ideal situation where measurements are taken at all angles around an object, known as full view configuration, a full reconstruction of the object can be produced. One of the major issues faced in tomographic imaging is when measurements cannot be taken freely around the object under inspection.

Simulation of ultrasound backscatter coefficient measurement using the finite element method.

Ultrasound backscatter coefficient (BSC) measurement is a method for assessing tissue morphology that can inform on pathologies such as cancer. The BSC measurement is, however, limited by the accuracy with which the investigator can normalise their results to account for frequency dependent effects of diffraction and attenuation whilst performing such measurements. We propose a simulation-based approach to investigate the potential sources of error in assessing the BSC.

Attenuation of Rayleigh waves due to three-dimensional surface roughness: A comprehensive numerical evaluation.

The phenomenon of Rayleigh wave attenuation due to surface roughness has been well studied theoretically in the literature. Three scattering regimes describing it have been identified-the Rayleigh (long wavelength), stochastic (medium wavelength), and geometric (short wavelength)-with the attenuation coefficient exhibiting a different behavior in each. Here, in an extension to our previous work, we gain further insight with regard to the existing theory, in three dimensions, using finite element (FE) modeling, under a unified approach, where the same FE modeling techniques are used regardless of the scattering regime.

Fatigue state characterisation of steel pipes using ultrasonic shear waves.

The phenomenon of the reduction in the propagation speed of an ultrasonic wave when it travels through a fatigue zone has been well studied in the literature. Additionally, it has been established that shear waves are more severely affected by the presence of such a zone, compared with longitudinal waves. Our study utilises these phenomena to develop a method able to characterise the fatigue state of steel pipes.

Short Range Pipe Guided Wave Testing Using SH0 Plane Wave Imaging for Improved Quantification Accuracy.

Detection and criticality assessment of defects appearing in inaccessible locations in pipelines pose a great challenge for many industries. Inspection methods which allow for remote defect detection and accurate characterisation are needed. Guided wave testing (GWT) is capable of screening large lengths of pipes from a single device position, however it provides very limited individual feature characterisation.

Finite-element and semi-analytical study of elastic wave propagation in strongly scattering polycrystals.

This work studies scattering-induced elastic wave attenuation and phase velocity variation in three-dimensional untextured cubic polycrystals with statistically equiaxed grains using the theoretical second-order approximation (SOA) and Born approximation models and the grain-scale finite-element (FE) model, pushing the boundary towards strongly scattering materials. The results for materials with Zener anisotropy indices > 1 show a good agreement between the theoretical and FE models in the transition and stochastic regions. In the Rayleigh regime, the agreement is reasonable for common structural materials with 1<< 3.

Attenuation of Rayleigh waves due to surface roughness.

Rayleigh waves are well known to attenuate due to scattering when they propagate over a rough surface. Theoretical investigations have derived analytical expressions linking the attenuation coefficient to statistical surface roughness parameters, namely, the surface's root mean squared height and correlation length and the Rayleigh wave's wavenumber. In the literature, three scattering regimes have been identified-the geometric (short wavelength), stochastic (short to medium wavelength), and Rayleigh (long wavelength) regimes.

Longitudinal wave attenuation in polycrystals with elongated grains: 3D numerical and analytical modeling.

This work develops a second-order approximation (SOA) model and a three-dimensional (3D) finite element (FE) model to calculate scattering-induced attenuation for elastic wave propagation in polycrystals with elongated grains of arbitrary crystal symmetry. The SOA model accounts for some degree of multiple scattering, whereas the 3D FE model includes all scattering possibilities. The SOA model incorporates the accurate geometric two-point correlation function obtained from the FE material systems to enable comparative studies between the two models.

High-resolution thickness maps of corrosion using SH1 guided wave tomography.

Quantifying corrosion damage is vital for the petrochemical industry, and guided wave tomography can provide thickness maps of such regions by transmitting guided waves through these areas and capturing the scattering information using arrays. The dispersive nature of the guided waves enables a reconstruction of wave velocity to be converted into thickness. However, existing approaches have been shown to be limited in in-plane resolution, significantly short of that required to accurately image a defect target of three times the wall thickness (i.

Elastic wave velocity dispersion in polycrystals with elongated grains: Theoretical and numerical analysis.

The phase velocity dispersion of longitudinal waves in polycrystals with elongated grains of arbitrary crystallographic symmetry is studied in all frequency ranges by the theoretical second-order approximation (SOA) and numerical three-dimensional finite element (FE) models. The SOA and FE models are found to be in excellent agreement for three studied polycrystals: cubic Al, Inconel, and a triclinic material system. A simple Born approximation for the velocity, not containing the Cauchy integrals, and the explicit analytical quasi-static velocity limit (Rayleigh asymptote) are derived.

Maximizing the accuracy of finite element simulation of elastic wave propagation in polycrystals.

Three-dimensional finite element (FE) modelling, with representation of materials at grain scale in realistic sample volumes, is capable of accurately describing elastic wave propagation and scattering within polycrystals. A broader and better future use of this FE method requires several important topics to be fully understood, and this work presents studies addressing this aim. The first topic concerns the determination of effective media parameters, namely, scattering induced attenuation and phase velocity, from measured coherent waves.

Realistic Film Noise Generation Based on Experimental Noise Spectra.

Generating 2D noise with local, space-varying spectral characteristics is vital where random noise fields with spatially heterogeneous statistical proper-ties are observed and need to be simulated. A realistic, non-stationary noise generator relying on experimental data is presented. That generator is desired in areas such as photography and radiography.

Sizing Subwavelength Defects With Ultrasonic Imagery: An Assessment of Super-Resolution Imaging on Simulated Rough Defects.

There is a constant drive within the nuclear power industry to improve upon the characterization capabilities of current ultrasonic inspection techniques in order to improve safety and reduce costs. Particular emphasis has been placed on the ability to characterize very small defects which could result in extended component lifespan and help reduce the frequency of in-service inspections. Super-resolution (SR) algorithms, also known as sampling methods, have been shown to demonstrate the capability to resolve scatterers separated by less than the diffraction limit when deployed in representative inspections and therefore could be used to tackle this issue.

Eliminating backwall effects in the phased array imaging of near backwall defects.

Ultrasonic array imaging is widely used to provide high quality defect detection and characterization. However, the current imaging techniques are poor at detecting and characterizing defects near a surface facing the array, as the signal scattered from the defect and the strong reflection from the planar backwall will overlap in both time and frequency domains, masking the presence of the defect. To address this problem, this paper explores imaging algorithms and relevant methods to eliminate the strong artefacts caused by the backwall reflection.

Ultrasonic Wave-Speed Diffraction Tomography With Undersampled Data Using Virtual Transducers.

Ultrasonic diffraction tomography offers a way to achieve high-resolution imaging of the wave-speed map, and hence, has strong potential applications in medical diagnosis and nondestructive evaluation. Ideal images can be obtained with a complete array of sensors surrounding the scatterer, provided that the measurement data are fully sampled in space, obeying the Nyquist criterion. Spatial undersampling causes the image to be distorted and introduce unwanted circular artifacts.

The Application of the Factorization Method to the Subsurface Imaging of Surface-Breaking Cracks.

A common location for cracks to appear is at the surface of a component; at the near surface, many nondestructive evaluation techniques are available to inspect for these, but at the far surface this is much more challenging. Ultrasonic imaging is proposed to enable far surface defect detection, location, and characterization. One specific challenge here is the presence of a strong reflection from the backwall, which can often mask the relatively small response from a defect.

A multiband approach for accurate numerical simulation of frequency dependent ultrasonic wave propagation in the time domain.

Finite element (FE) simulations are popular for studying propagation and scattering of ultrasonic waves in nondestructive evaluation. For a large number of degrees of freedom, time domain FE simulations are much more efficient than the equivalent frequency domain solution. However, unlike frequency domain simulations, time domain simulations are often poor at representing the speed and the attenuation of waves if the material is strongly damping or highly dispersive.

Ultrasonic attenuation and phase velocity of high-density polyethylene pipe material.

Knowledge of acoustic properties is crucial for ultrasonic or sonic imaging and signal detection in nondestructive evaluation (NDE), medical imaging, and seismology. Accurately and reliably obtaining these is particularly challenging for the NDE of high-density polyethylene (HDPE), such as is used in many water or gas pipes, because the properties vary greatly with frequency, temperature, direction and spatial location. Therefore the work reported here was undertaken in order to establish a basis for such a multiparameter description.

Eliminating incident subtraction in diffraction tomography.

Diffraction tomography is a powerful algorithm for producing high-resolution quantitative reconstructions across a wide range of applications. A major drawback of the method is that it operates on the scattered field, which cannot generally be directly measured, but must instead be calculated by subtracting the incident field, i.e.

Guided wave tomography with an improved scattering model.

Producing accurate thickness maps of corrosion damage is of great importance for assessing life in the petrochemical industry. Guided wave tomography provides a solution for this, by sending guided waves through the region of interest, then using tomographic imaging techniques to reconstruct the thickness map, importantly eliminating the need to take measurements at all points across the surface. However, to achieve accurate maps, the imaging algorithm must account for the way in which the guided waves interact with corrosion defects, and the complex scattering which occurs.

Experimental Studies of the Inspection of Areas With Restricted Access Using A0 Lamb Wave Tomography.

Corrosion damage in inaccessible regions presents a significant challenge to the petrochemical industry, and determining the remaining wall thickness is important to establish the remaining service life. Guided wave tomography is one solution to this and involves transmitting Lamb waves through the area of interest and, subsequently, using the received signals to reconstruct a thickness map of the remaining wall thickness. This avoids the need to access all points on the surface, making the technique well suited to inspection for areas with restricted access.

Improving accuracy through density correction in guided wave tomography.

The accurate quantification of wall loss caused by corrosion is critical to the reliable life estimation of pipes and pressure vessels. Traditional thickness gauging by scanning a probe is slow and requires access to all points on the surface; this is impractical in many cases as corrosion often occurs where access is restricted, such as beneath supports where water collects. Guided wave tomography presents a solution to this; by transmitting guided waves through the region of interest and exploiting their dispersive nature, it is possible to build up a map of thickness.

Finite element modelling of elastic wave scattering within a polycrystalline material in two and three dimensions.

Finite element modelling is a promising tool for further progressing the development of ultrasonic non-destructive evaluation of polycrystalline materials. Yet its widespread adoption has been held back due to a high computational cost, which has restricted current works to relatively small models and to two dimensions. However, the emergence of sufficiently powerful computing, such as highly efficient solutions on graphics processors, is enabling a step improvement in possibilities.

Robust helical path separation for thickness mapping of pipes by guided wave tomography.

Pipe wall loss caused by corrosion can be quantified across an area by transmitting guided Lamb waves through the region and measuring the resulting signals. Typically the dispersive relationship for these waves, which means that wave velocity is a known function of thickness, is exploited, enabling the wall thickness to be determined from a velocity reconstruction. The accuracy and quality of this reconstruction is commonly limited by the angle of view available from the transducer arrays.

Mode selection for corrosion detection in pipes and vessels via guided wave tomography.

Guided wave tomography offers a method to accurately quantify wall thickness losses in pipes and vessels caused by corrosion, using ultrasonic waves transmitted over distances of approximately 1 to 2 m, and measured by an array of transducers. These measurements are then used to reconstruct a map of wall thickness throughout the inspected region. To achieve accurate estimations of remnant wall thickness, it is vital that a suitable Lamb mode is chosen.