WAVEGUIDE TECHNIQUE FOR THE SIMULTANEOUS MEASUREMENT OF TEMPERATURE DEPENDENT PROPERTIES OF MATERIALS

• US 20160153938A1
• Filed: 07/14/2014
• Published: 06/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Indian Institute of Technology Madras
• Original Assignee: Indian Institute of Technology Madras
• Inventors: Balasubramaniam, Kirshnan, Suresh, Periyannan
• Granted Patent: US 10,794,870 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/011 Velocity or travel time
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/015 Attenuation, scattering
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/022 Liquids
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/023 Solids
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/02818 Density, viscosity
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/02827 Elastic parameters, strength or force
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/02836 Flow rate, liquid level
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/02881 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/042 Wave modes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/044 Internal reflections (echoes), e.g. on walls or defects
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/024 by measuring propagation velocity or propagation time of acoustic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/032 by measuring attenuation of acoustic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/07 by measuring propagation velocity or propagation time of acoustic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/11 by measuring attenuation of acoustic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/223 Supports, positioning or alignment in fixed situation mounting transducers per se G10K11/004
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/228 related to high temperature conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/2437 Piezoelectric probes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/2462 Probes with waveguides, e.g. SAW devices

Abstract

This invention discloses a method and a system for measuring mechanical properties of a solid material using standard ultrasonic wave modes characterized in the solid material which forms the wave guide encased a fluid media, particularly at high temperatures, with an ultrasonic transducer placed at one end of a wave guide and to generate multiple wave modes which travel in different path along with the length and reflected a set of corresponding sensors for detecting the amplitude and time of flights, and a processor means to analyze with the detected signals.

Claims

1. A method for measuring mechanical properties of a solid material using guided ultrasonic wave modes characterized in the solid material which forms the wave guide encased in a fluid media comprising:

a. generating plurality guided ultrasonic wave modes using an ultrasonic transducer at one end of the wave guide, which plurality of waves travel in different path along the length of waveguide to interact with a corresponding end of the wave guide and gets reflected therefrom,

b. detecting plurality of ultrasonic amplitudes and time of flights from the plurality of reflected signals, and

c. analyzing and calculating a plurality of properties of the waveguide material and the surrounding fluid using detected plurality of ultrasonic amplitudes and time of flights

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein material may be a solid or a fluid

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the plurality of properties maybe at least physical properties such as elastic properties, viscoelastic properties of the material, density, viscosity and temperature over a range of temperatures.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 may comprise of arranging plurality of the process which will provide gradients of properties of material means at least physical/elastic/viscoelastic properties of the material, density, viscosity and temperature over a range of temperatures.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 characterized in the path which includes at least one bend at one end.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 characterized in the path which includes at least one notch at one end.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 characterized in the path which includes plurality of bends and/or notches at one end.

8. A system for measuring mechanical properties of a solid material using standard ultrasonic wave modes characterized in the solid material which forms the wave guide encased in a fluid media comprising:

a. an ultrasonic transducer positioned at one end of the wave guide to generate a plurality of ultrasonic wave modes each of which waves travel in different path along the length of wave guide and gets reflected therefrom,

b. a plurality of sensors for detecting plurality of ultrasonic amplitude and time of flights from the plurality of reflected signals, and

c. a processor means for analyzing and calculating a plurality of properties of the wave guide material and the surrounding fluid.

9. The system as claimed in claim 8 wherein the material may be a solid or a fluid.

10. The system as claimed in claim 8 wherein properties of material means at least physical/elastic/viscoelastic properties of the material, density, viscosity and temperature over a range of temperatures.

11. The system as claimed in claim 8 may comprise of plurality of systems which will provide gradients of properties of material means at least physical/elastic/viscoelastic properties of the material, density, viscosity and temperature over a range of temperatures.

12. The system as claimed in claim 8 characterized in the configuration which includes at least one bend at one end.

13. The system as claimed in claim 8 characterized in the configuration which includes at least one notch at one end.

14. The system as claimed in claim 8 characterized in the configuration which includes plurality of bends and/or notches at one end.