Self-Diagnosing Transducers and Systems and Methods Therefor
First Claim
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1. A method, comprising:
- monitoring a piezoelectric transducer for a change in capacitance of the piezoelectric transducer; and
implementing, as a function of said monitoring, a baseline-free process to determine if a defect condition is present or if the change in capacitance is due to a change in temperature of the piezoelectric transducer.
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Abstract
A transducer system that includes a piezoelectric transducer and a self-diagnosis system electrically connected to the transducer. In one embodiment, the self-diagnosis system is configured to detect when a debonding defect has occurred in the bond between the transducer and a host structure and to detect when a crack has occurred in the transducer itself. The self-diagnosis system implements debonding-detection and crack-detection schemes that can distinguish between debonding and cracking, as well as distinguish these problems from changes arising from temperature variation.
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Citations
58 Claims
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1. A method, comprising:
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monitoring a piezoelectric transducer for a change in capacitance of the piezoelectric transducer; and implementing, as a function of said monitoring, a baseline-free process to determine if a defect condition is present or if the change in capacitance is due to a change in temperature of the piezoelectric transducer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method, comprising:
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repeatingly inputting an input signal into a piezoelectric transducer secured to a host structure; repeatingly generating a response signal representing the response of the piezoelectric transducer to the input signal; repeatingly time-reversing the response signal to obtain a time-reversed response signal; repeatingly inputting the time-reversed response signal into the piezoelectric transducer; repeatingly obtaining a reconstructed signal representing the response of the piezoelectric transducer to time-reversed response signal; repeatingly calculating time-reversal and symmetry indices as a function of the reconstructed signal and the input signal; monitoring the time-reversal and symmetry indices over time to determine when a change occurs in the time-reversal and symmetry indices; and in response to the change occurring, automatedly taking an action. - View Dependent Claims (21)
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22. A method, comprising:
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repeatingly applying a driving signal to the piezoelectric transducer at a selected frequency; repeatingly generating an output signal representing the output of the piezoelectric transducer that corresponds to the driving signal; repeatingly determining a Lamb wave energy ratio index as a function of the driving signal and the output signal; monitoring the Lamb wave energy ratio index over time to determine when a change occurs in the Lamb wave energy ratio index; and in response to the change occurring, automatedly taking an action. - View Dependent Claims (23)
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24. A machine-readable medium containing machine-executable instructions for implementing a method of self-diagnosing a piezoelectric transducer, said machine-executable instructions comprising:
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a first set of machine-executable instructions for monitoring the piezoelectric transducer for a change in capacitance of the piezoelectric transducer; and a second set of machine-executable instructions for implementing, as a function of the monitoring, a baseline-free process to determine if a defect condition is present or if the change in capacitance is due to a change in temperature of the piezoelectric transducer. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. A machine-readable medium containing machine-executable instructions for implementing a method of self-diagnosing a piezoelectric transducer, said machine-executable instructions comprising:
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machine-executable instructions for repeatingly inputting an input signal into a piezoelectric transducer secured to a host structure; machine-executable instructions for repeatingly generating a response signal representing the response of the piezoelectric transducer to the input signal; machine-executable instructions for repeatingly time-reversing the response signal to obtain a time-reversed response signal; machine-executable instructions for repeatingly inputting the time-reversed response signal into the piezoelectric transducer; machine-executable instructions for repeatingly obtaining a reconstructed signal representing the response of the piezoelectric transducer to time-reversed response signal; machine-executable instructions for repeatingly calculating time-reversal and symmetry indices as a function of the reconstructed signal and the input signal; machine-executable instructions for monitoring the time-reversal and symmetry indices over time to determine when a change occurs in the time-reversal and symmetry indices; and machine-executable instructions for automatedly taking an action in response to the change occurring. - View Dependent Claims (39)
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40. A machine-readable medium containing machine-executable instructions for implementing a method of self-diagnosing a piezoelectric transducer, said machine-executable instructions comprising:
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machine-executable instructions for repeatingly applying a driving signal to the piezoelectric transducer at a selected frequency; machine-executable instructions for repeatingly generating an output signal representing the output of the piezoelectric transducer that corresponds to the driving signal; machine-executable instructions for repeatingly determining a Lamb wave energy ratio index as a function of the driving signal and the output signal; machine-executable instructions for monitoring the Lamb wave energy ratio index over time to determine when a change occurs in the Lamb wave energy ratio index; and machine-executable instructions for automatedly taking an action in response to the change occurring.
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41. A machine-readable medium according to claim 340, wherein said machine-executable instructions for automatedly taking an action includes machine-executable instructions for issuing a notification that a cracking defect is present in the piezoelectric transducer.
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42. A transducer system, comprising:
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a piezoelectric transducer having a capacitance; and a self-diagnosis system configured for; monitoring said piezoelectric transducer for a change in the capacitance of said piezoelectric transducer; and implementing, as a function of the monitoring, a baseline-free process to determine if a defect condition is present or if the change in capacitance is due to a change in temperature of the piezoelectric transducer. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58)
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Specification