System and method for monitoring a weld operation

• US 20070068907A1
• Filed: 09/28/2005
• Published: 03/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ge Inspection Technologies GmbH (General Electric Company), General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Faidi, Waseem, Chandrasekharan, Rajagopalan, Ramaswamy, Sivaramanivas, Batzinger, Thomas, Oberdoerfer, York, Buechler, Johannes, Meethal, Manoj Kumar, Splitt, Gerhard, Roye, Werner
• Granted Patent: US 8,183,493 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 219/109
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 11/252 using digital means
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0252 Melting, molten solids
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0421 Longitudinal waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0422 Shear waves, transverse waves, horizontally polarised waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/102 one emitter, one receiver
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/267 Welds
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/11 by measuring attenuation of acoustic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/4427 with stored values, e.g. threshold values

Abstract

A system for monitoring a weld operation is provided. The system includes an ultrasonic wave generator adapted to deliver an ultrasonic wave to a target material during the weld operation and an ultrasonic receiver adapted to receive the ultrasonic wave propagated through the target material. The system also includes a signal processor adapted to determine a quality level of a weld created during the weld operation by extracting data corresponding to a torsional mode from the ultrasonic wave and comparing the data to a profile that corresponds to an acceptable quality level.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring a weld operation, comprising:

an ultrasonic wave generator adapted to deliver an ultrasonic wave to a target material during the weld operation;

an ultrasonic receiver adapted to receive the ultrasonic wave propagated through the target material; and

a signal processor adapted to determine a quality level of a weld created during the weld operation by extracting data corresponding to a torsional ultrasonic mode and comparing the data to a profile that corresponds to an acceptable quality level.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic wave generator is disposed on a welding shank on a first side of the target material.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic receiver is disposed on the welding shank on a second side that is opposite the first side of the target material.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic wave generator and the ultrasonic receiver comprise at least two piezoelectric elements mounted on the welding shank, wherein the piezoelectric elements are adapted to generate torsional guided waves in the welding shank.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the piezoelectric elements comprise piezoelectric materials, or piezoelectric composites.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein a frequency of the torsional guided waves is above 1 MHz.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the frequency of the torsional guided waves is in the range of about 1 MHz to about 2 MHz.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic wave generator and the ultrasonic receiver comprise electromagnetic acoustic transducers, or capacitive micro-machined ultrasound transducers.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the signal processor employs digital pattern classification for determining the quality level of the weld created during the weld operation.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the signal processor is configured to generate an amplitude profile corresponding to the torsional mode from the ultrasonic wave.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the signal processor is configured to analyze the frequency of the ultrasonic wave to separate the torsional mode from other ultrasonic wave modes.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the signal processor employs a time-frequency filter to separate the torsional mode from the ultrasonic wave.

13. A method of monitoring a weld quality in a weld operation, comprising:

delivering an ultrasonic wave to a target material during the weld operation;

receiving the ultrasonic wave propagated through the target material;

extracting data corresponding to a torsional mode of the ultrasonic wave; and

evaluating the data to determine a quality level of a weld created during the weld operation.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein delivering the ultrasonic wave comprises exciting piezoelectric elements out of phase to generate guided torsional waves, wherein the piezoelectric elements are mounted on two opposite sides of a welding shank.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein evaluating the data comprises comparing the data to a profile that corresponds to an acceptable quality level.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the quality level of the weld is determined based on reduction of transmission of the ultrasonic wave through the target material during the weld operation.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising determining an amplitude profile corresponding to the torsional mode of the ultrasonic wave.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising determining the quality level of the weld based on a digital signal pattern classification.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising analyzing a frequency of the ultrasonic wave through the target material to separate the torsional mode from other ultrasonic wave modes.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising analyzing the extracted data via a time-frequency analysis to separate the torsional mode from the ultrasonic wave.

21. The method of claim 13, further comprising controlling a parameter of the weld operation.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the parameter comprises an applied current, an applied pressure, or a time and duration of application of current or pressure.

23. The method of claim 13, further comprising determining a parameter of the weld created during the weld operation.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the parameter comprises a weld thickness, or a weld diameter.

25. A method of creating a weld, comprising:

delivering an ultrasonic wave to a target material during a weld operation;

receiving the ultrasonic wave propagated through the target material;

extracting data corresponding to a torsional mode of the ultrasonic wave;

evaluating the data to determine a quality level of the weld created during the weld operation; and

controlling a welding parameter based upon the quality level of the weld to achieve an acceptable quality level of the weld.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein evaluating the data comprises comparing the data to a profile that corresponds to the acceptable quality level.

27. A system for monitoring a weld operation, comprising:

means for delivering an ultrasonic wave to a target material during the weld operation;

means for receiving the ultrasonic wave propagated through the target material;

means for extracting data corresponding to a torsional mode of the ultrasonic wave; and

means for processing the data to determine a quality level of the weld created during the weld operation.