Structure evaluation system, structure evaluation apparatus, and structure evaluation method

• US 10,352,912 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2017
• Issued: 07/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Iida, Sanae, Usui, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Barbee, Manuel L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nimox, Raymond L
• Application Number:
  US15/455,976
• Publication Number:
  US 20180074019A1
• Time in Patent Office: 858 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0258 Structural degradation, e.g. fatigue of composites, ageing of oils
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/0672 by acoustic tomography medical tomography A61B8/13
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/07 by measuring propagation velocity or propagation time of acoustic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/14 using acoustic emission techniques echo of particles G01N29/046; measuring mechanical vibrations or acoustic waves in solids in general G01H1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/4427 with stored values, e.g. threshold values
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/4454 Signal recognition, e.g. specific values or portions, signal events, signatures

Abstract

According to an embodiment, a structure evaluation system has a plurality of sensors, a signal processor, and an evaluator. The sensors detect an elastic wave generated from a structure. The signal processor acquires a reliability from a source of the elastic wave to the plurality of sensors by performing signal processing on the elastic wave detected by the plurality of sensors. The evaluator evaluates the soundness of the structure on the basis of the acquired reliability.

Claims

1. A structure evaluation system comprising:

a plurality of sensors configured to detect an elastic wave generated from a structure;

a signal processor configured to acquire a reliability of the elastic wave from a source of the elastic wave to the plurality of sensors by performing signal processing on the elastic wave detected by the plurality of sensors; and

an evaluator configured to evaluate soundness of the structure on the basis of the acquired reliability,

wherein the signal processor comprises a waveform shaping filter or a gate generation circuit,

wherein the reliability is a value indicating a degree of unexpectedness of the latest data with respect to past statistical data,

wherein the signal processor acquires the reliability having a relationship such that, when the unexpectedness is low, the reliability is low;

when the reliability is low, the soundness of the structure is low;

when the unexpectedness is high, the reliability is high; and

when the reliability is high, the soundness of the structure is high.

2. The structure evaluation system according to claim 1, wherein the evaluator divides an evaluation region of the structure to be evaluated for soundness into a plurality of regions and assigns a value according to the reliability to each of the divided regions to generate a reliability map indicating soundness of the evaluation region.

3. The structure evaluation system according to claim 2, wherein, when a reliability map is newly generated, the evaluator updates a reliability map using reliability maps of the same evaluation region generated up to the previous time and the newly generated reliability map.

4. The structure evaluation system according to claim 1, wherein the evaluator locates a velocity of the elastic wave on the basis of an arrival time of the elastic wave and generates a velocity field map indicating a relationship between the velocity and the reliability in the evaluation region of the structure using the velocity and the reliability map.

5. The structure evaluation system according to claim 4, wherein the evaluator generates the velocity field map so that the velocity is higher on the velocity field map with as a reliability is higher on the reliability map and is lower on the velocity field map with a reliability is lower on the reliability map.

6. The structure evaluation system according to claim 1, further comprising a selector configured to select data of an elastic wave to be used in the evaluation according to the reliability,

wherein the evaluator uses the selected data and evaluates the soundness of the structure.

10. The structure evaluation system of claim 1, wherein the signal processor comprises a waveform shaping filter.

11. The structure evaluation system of claim 1, wherein the signal processor comprises a gate generation circuit.

12. The structure evaluation system of claim 1, wherein the signal processor comprises a waveform shaping filter and a gate generation circuit.

7. A structure evaluation apparatus comprising:

a signal processor configured to perform signal processing on an elastic wave detected by a plurality of sensors, which are configured to detect an elastic wave generated from a structure, and acquire a reliability of the elastic wave from a source of the elastic wave to the plurality of sensors; and

an evaluator configured to evaluate soundness of the structure on the basis of the acquired reliability, wherein the signal processor comprises a waveform shaping filter or a gate generation circuit,

wherein the reliability is a value indicating a degree of unexpectedness of the latest data with respect to past statistical data,

wherein the signal processor acquires the reliability having a relationship such that, when the unexpectedness is low, the reliability is low;

when the reliability is low, the soundness of the structure is low;

when the unexpectedness is high, the reliability is high; and

when the reliability is high, the soundness of the structure is high.

13. The structure evaluation apparatus of claim 7, wherein the signal processor comprises a waveform shaping filter.

14. The structure evaluation apparatus of claim 7, wherein the signal processor comprises a gate generation circuit.

15. The structure evaluation apparatus of claim 7, wherein the signal processor comprises a waveform shaping filter and a gate generation circuit.

8. A structure evaluation method comprising:

performing signal processing on an elastic wave detected by a plurality of sensors, which are configured to detect an elastic wave generated from a structure, such that a reliability of the elastic wave from a source of the elastic wave to the plurality of sensors is acquired; and

deriving soundness of the structure is evaluated on the basis of the acquired reliability,

wherein the signal processing is performed using a waveform shaping filter or a gate generation circuit,

wherein the reliability is a value indicating a degree of unexpectedness of the latest data with respect to past statistical data,

wherein the signal processing includes acquiring the reliability having a relationship such that, when the unexpectedness is low, the reliability is low;

when the reliability is low, the soundness of the structure is low;

when the unexpectedness is high, the reliability is high; and

when the reliability is high, the soundness of the structure is high.

9. A structure evaluation system comprising:

a plurality of sensors configured to detect an elastic wave generated from a structure;

a signal processor configured to acquire a reliability of the elastic wave from a source of the elastic wave to the plurality of sensors by performing signal processing on the elastic wave detected by the plurality of sensors; and

an evaluator configured to evaluate soundness of the structure on the basis of the acquired reliability,

wherein signal processor comprises a waveform shaping filter or a gate generation circuit, and

wherein the evaluator divides an evaluation region of the structure to be evaluated for soundness into a plurality of regions and assigns a value according to the reliability to each of the divided regions to generate a reliability map indicating soundness of the evaluation region.

16. The structure evaluation system of claim 9, wherein the signal processor comprises a waveform shaping filter.

17. The structure evaluation system of claim 9, wherein the signal processor comprises a gate generation circuit.

18. The structure evaluation system of claim 9, wherein the signal processor comprises a waveform shaping filter and a gate generation circuit.