ASSEMBLY FOR NONDESTRUCTIVE MATERIAL TESTING

• US 20170205374A1
• Filed: 05/26/2015
• Published: 07/20/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fraunhofer Gesellschaft Zur Foerderung Der Angewandten Forsching E.V.
• Original Assignee: Fraunhofer Gesellschaft Zur Foerderung Der Angewandten Forsching E.V.
• Inventors: SCHUBERT, Frank, LIESKE, Uwe, KOEHLER, Bernd
• Granted Patent: US 10,379,085 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 1/06 operating with piezoelectric effect or with electrostriction piezoelectric or electrostrictive devices per se H10N30/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0422 Shear waves, transverse waves, horizontally polarised waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/105 two or more emitters, two or more receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/106 one or more transducer arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/041 on the surface of the material, e.g. using Lamb, Rayleigh or shear waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/2437 Piezoelectric probes
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/702 based on piezoelectric or electrostrictive fibres

Abstract

The invention relates to an assembly for nondestructive material testing with which shear waves are emitted and detected in elastic surfaces of components or workpieces, in which piezoelectric transducer elements are arranged above one another in multiple planes and the piezoelectric transducer elements arranged in adjacent planes can each be operated oppositely to one another. The piezoelectric transducer elements can be piezoelectric fibers and/or piezoelectric plate-like elements that are connected to or embedded in an elastically deformable material.

Claims

1. An assembly for nondestructive material testing with which shear waves are emitted and detected in elastic surfaces of components or workpieces, in which piezoelectric transducer elements (2) are arranged above one another in multiple planes and the piezoelectric transducer elements (2) arranged in adjacent planes can each be operated oppositely to one another, wherein the piezoelectric transducer elements (2) are piezoelectric fibers and/or piezoelectric plate-like elements that are connected to or embedded in an elastically deformable material.

2. An assembly in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that piezoelectric fibers are respectively aligned in a plane in parallel with one another and piezoelectric fibers are aligned in an adjacent plane inclined at an angle to the piezoelectric fibers that are arranged in the respective other plane.

3. An assembly in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that electrodes having an alignment inclined at an angle to the longitudinal fiber axes of both planes are present at piezoelectric fibers arranged in adjacent planes.

4. An assembly in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that electrodes (3) having an alignment inclined at a respective angle to one another are present at plate-like piezoelectric elements arranged in adjacent planes.

5. An assembly in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that a plurality of electrodes (3) that are arranged at a spacing from one another are present at the individual piezoelectric transducer elements (2).

6. An assembly in accordance with claim 5, characterized in that the spacings between electrodes (3) are of different sizes.

7. An assembly in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the assembly (1) is rectangular or square.

8. An assembly in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that plate-like piezoelectric transducer elements have a thickness with which a stretching or shortening can be achieved in at least one axial direction with an applied electric voltage and/or on formation of at least one electrical field.

9. An assembly in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the assembly (1) is permanently connected to a workpiece or component with material continuity and/or with shape matching.