Development of a Quantitative Flaw Characterization Module — A Status Report

Ultrasonic waves returning from an internal bulk flaw to a wideband transducer contain information on several characteristics of this flaw. Measurements made with waves of different mode, dominant frequency, incidence angle, beamwidth, etc. are, therefore, necessary to solve the inverse problem for flaw composition, size, and orientation in an unambiguous manner. The plan for the development of a reliable and accurate volumetric-flaw characterization module encompasses three basic elements: a transducer selection protocol, a deconvolution algorithm, and the Born as well as the Franz-Gruber (satellite pulse) models for the interaction of weakly and strongly scattering internal bulk flaws, respectively. The flaw-diameter estimates obtained by applying the Born Inversion Technique (BIT) and the Satellite-Pulse Observation Technique (SPOT), based on the above models, to the results of ultrasonic backscattering experiments are compared in this paper with the nominal effective diameters of five spherical voids in a titanium-alloy specimen tested under blind conditions