Atomic Energy Commission Report 1075

Abstract: This report describes a system based on electromagnetic-acoustic transducers (EMATs) as an approach to automated nondestructive evaluation of thick weldments (>25 mm). Good signal-to-noise ratios, often a problem with EMATs, were possibTe through careful design of the transducers and associated electronic circuits and the use of signal averaging. At 454 kHz, the transducers produce shear-horizontal waves of approximately 7-mm wavelength in steel. The long wavelength permits determination of through-thickness flaw depth from the amplitudes of scattered ultrasonic waves. A minicomputer controlled transducer positioning and acquired the digitized ultrasonic waveforms for synthetic aperture processing. The synthetic aperture technique further improved signal quality and yielded flaw localization through the weld thickness. Measurements on artificial flaws demonstrated a detectability threshold of 0.5 mm (through thickness) and sizing ability up to 2.5 mm, in agreement with theoretical predictions. Details include the design of the transducers and electronics, as well as the mechanical positioner, signal processing algorithms, and complete computer program listing