Ultrasonic detector and method for ultrasonic detection

• US 6,584,847 B1
• Filed: 09/04/2001
• Issued: 07/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: H & B System Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: H & B System Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Hirose, Masayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Kwok, Helen
• Assistant Examiner(s): SAINT SURIN, JACQUES M
• Application Number:
  US09/926,108
• Time in Patent Office: 665 Days
• Field of Search: 735/79, 735/97, 735/98, 735/99, 736/00, 736/02, 736/28
• US Class Current: 73/579
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 17/00 Measuring arrangements characterised by the use of infrasonic, sonic or ultrasonic vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 17/02 for measuring thickness
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0231 Composite or layered materials
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0232 Glass, ceramics, concrete or stone
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/02458 Solids in solids, e.g. granules
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0258 Structural degradation, e.g. fatigue of composites, ageing of oils
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/02854 Length, thickness
• 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 2291/0428 Mode conversion
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/102 one emitter, one receiver
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/2632 flat
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/2636 cylindrical from inside
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/348 with frequency characteristics, e.g. single frequency signals, chirp signals measuring frequency of mechanical vibrations or acoustic waves in general G01H1/06, G01H3/04; measuring frequency or analysing frequency spectra G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/4472 Mathematical theories or simulation
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/46 by spectral analysis, e.g. Fourier analysis or wavelet analysis spectral signal processing per se G06F17/14
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/00 Seismology; Seismic or acoustic prospecting or detecting

Abstract

While a transmitting transducer (2a) for transmitting an ultrasonic wave and a receiving transducer (2b) for receiving an ultrasonic wave are moved within a predetermined circular region (7) on a surface of a material being measured, ultrasonic waves are transmitted and received 10,000 times. Then, arithmetic averaging is performed every time an ultrasonic wave is received, on the ultrasonic wave and ultrasonic waves that have been received until then. For example, the aforementioned predetermined frequency is given by ((n±(½))×(10⁶×v/ΔL))(Hz), where ΔL is a variation in distance between the transmitting transducer and the receiving transducer, v is a transmission velocity of an ultrasonic wave transmitting in a material being detected, and n is a natural number. Consequently, it is possible to detect, with high accuracy, the thickness of a concrete material having a narrow width and a thick thickness, the thickness of the covering of a reinforcing bar and the diameter thereof, the depth of a crack and the like.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic detection apparatus, including a receiving transducer configured to receive a plurality of ultrasonic waves transmitted by a transmitting transducer, comprising:

an arithmetic averaging device configured to perform an arithmetic averaging process a plurality of times per one detection, each of said plurality of times performed in response to one of said plurality of ultrasonic waves being received by said receiving-transducer, said arithmetic averaging process includes averaging said one of said plurality of ultrasonic waves and at least one prior received ultrasonic wave of the plurality of ultrasonic waves so as to produce a set of averaged ultrasonic waves; and

an extractor configured to extract an extracted ultrasonic wave from said set of averaged ultrasonic waves, said extracted ultrasonic wave having a predetermined frequency as a center frequency,

wherein said predetermined frequency is given by ((n±

(½

)×

(10⁶×

v/Δ

L)(Hz), where Δ

L is a variation in a distance between said transmitting transducer and said receiving transducer, v is an ultrasonic wave transmission velocity of a material being detected, and n is a natural number.

2. The ultrasonic detection apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a transducer-distance adjusting device configured to adjust said distance between said transmitting transducer and said receiving transducer by a predetermined value every time a predetermined number of arithmetic averaging operations is performed.

3. The ultrasonic detection apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

a transmitting circuit configured to output an electrical signal to said transmitting transducer;

a receiving circuit provided in a housing different from one for said transmitting circuit and configured to receive an electrical signal from said receiving transducer; and

a received-wave determination device connected to said receiving circuit and configured to determine an earliest ultrasonic wave when predetermined ultrasonic waves are included in a plurality of ultrasonic waves received at a measurement point, said earliest ultrasonic wave having the earliest time of generation among said predetermined ultrasonic waves received wave at said measurement point.

4. The ultrasonic detection apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said transducer-distance varying device comprises:

a plurality of transmitting oscillators evenly spaced apart from said receiving transducer and disposed within said transmitting transducer.

5. The ultrasonic detection apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said transducer-distance adjusting device comprises:

a plurality of receiving oscillators evenly spaced apart from said transmitting transducer and disposed within said receiving transducer.

6. The ultrasonic detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said arithmetic averaging device is configured to perform arithmetic averaging 1,000 times or more per one detection.

7. The ultrasonic detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said distance between said transmitting transducer and said receiving transducer is adjustable.

8. An ultrasonic detection apparatus, including a receiving transducer configured to receive a plurality of ultrasonic waves transmitted by a transmitting transducer, comprising:

an arithmetic averaging device configured to perform an arithmetic averaging process a plurality of times per one detection, each of said plurality of times performed in response to one of said plurality of ultrasonic waves being received by said receiving transducer, said arithmetic averaging process includes averaging said one of said plurality of ultrasonic waves and at least one prior received ultrasonic wave of the plurality of ultrasonic waves, said one of said plurality of ultrasonic waves being formed by applying a step function voltage to an oscillator,

wherein said predetermined frequency is given by ((n±

(½

)×

(10⁶×

v/Δ

L)(Hz), where Δ

L is a variation in a distance between said transmitting transducer and said receiving transducer, v is an ultrasonic wave transmission velocity of a material being detected, and n is a natural number.

9. An ultrasonic detection apparatus, including a receiving transducer configured to receive a plurality of ultrasonic waves transmitted by a transmitting transducer, comprising:

an arithmetic averaging device configured to perform an arithmetic averaging process a plurality of times per one detection, each of said plurality of times performed in response to one of said plurality of ultrasonic waves being received by said receiving transducer, said arithmetic averaging process includes averaging said one of said plurality of ultrasonic waves and at least one prior received ultrasonic wave of the plurality of ultrasonic waves, said one of said plurality of ultrasonic waves being formed by applying a step function voltage to an oscillator; and

an extractor configured to extract an extracted ultrasonic wave from said set of averaged ultrasonic waves, said extracted ultrasonic wave having a predetermined frequency as a center frequency,

wherein said predetermined frequency is given by ((n±

(½

)×

(10⁶×

v/Δ

L)(Hz), where Δ

L is a variation in a distance between said transmitting transducer and said receiving transducer, v is an ultrasonic wave transmission velocity of a material being detected, and n is a natural number.

10. A method for detecting an ultrasonic wave, comprising the steps of:

transmitting a plurality of ultrasonic waves with a transmitting transducer;

receiving said plurality of ultrasonic waves with a receiving transducer;

moving said transmitting transducer and said receiving transducer within a predetermined region on a surface of a material being detected;

performing arithmetic averaging every time on a received ultrasonic wave and on a plurality of previously received ultrasonic waves so as to produce a set of averaged ultrasonic waves; and

extracting an extracted ultrasonic wave having a predetermined frequency as a center frequency from said set of averaged ultrasonic waves,

wherein said predetermined frequency is given by ((n±

(½

)×

(10⁶×

v/Δ

L)(Hz), where Δ

L is a variation in a distance between said transmitting transducer and said receiving transducer, v is an ultrasonic wave transmission velocity of a material being detected, and n is a natural number.

11. The method for detecting an ultrasonic wave according to claim 10, wherein said moving step comprises:

moving said receiving transducer within a first region, said first region set to be outside a predetermined transmitting transducer movement region.

12. The method for detecting an ultrasonic wave according to claim 10, wherein said moving step comprises:

moving said transmitting transducer and said receiving transducer immediately above a target being detected in said material being detected.

13. The method for detecting an ultrasonic wave according to claim 10, wherein said ultrasonic wave is transmitted and received 1,000 times or more.

14. The method for detecting an ultrasonic wave according to claim 10, wherein said transmitting step comprises:

applying a step function voltage to an oscillator.

15. A method for detecting an ultrasonic wave comprising the steps of:

transmitting a plurality of ultrasonic waves with a transmitting transducer;

receiving said plurality of ultrasonic waves with a receiving transducer, said receiving transducer is moved within a predetermined region on a surface of a material being detected;

performing arithmetic averaging every time on a received ultrasonic wave and on a plurality of previously received ultrasonic waves so as to produce a set of averaged ultrasonic waves; and

extracting an ultrasonic wave having a predetermined frequency as a center frequency from said set of averaged ultrasonic waves,

wherein said predetermined frequency is given by ((n±

(½

))×

(10 ⁶×

v/Δ

L)(Hz), where Δ

L is a variation in a distance between said transmitting transducer and said receiving transducer, v is an ultrasonic wave transmission velocity of a material being detected, and n is a natural number.

16. A method for detecting an ultrasonic wave comprising the steps of:

repeating a predetermined number of times the steps of;

transmitting a plurality of ultrasonic waves with a plurality of times a transmitting transducer;

receiving said plurality of ultrasonic waves with a receiving transducer, said receiving transducer within a predetermined region on a surface of a material being detected;

performing arithmetic averaging every time on a received ultrasonic wave and on a plurality of previously received ultrasonic waves so as to produce a set of averaged ultrasonic waves;

varying a distance between said transmitting transducer and said receiving transducer by a predetermined amount;

determining an arithmetic mean of ultrasonic waves obtained as results of said arithmetic averaging; and

extracting an ultrasonic wave having a predetermined frequency as a center frequency from said set of averaged ultrasonic waves,

wherein said predetermined frequency is given by ((n±

(½

))×

(10 ⁶×

v/Δ

L))(Hz), where Δ

L is a variation in a distance between said transmitting transducer and said receiving transducer, v is an ultrasonic wave transmission velocity of a material being detected, and n is a natural number.

17. A method for detecting an ultrasonic wave comprising the steps of iteratively:

transmitting a plurality of ultrasonic waves with a transmitting transducer;

receiving said plurality of ultrasonic waves with a receiving transducer, said receiving transducer within a predetermined region on a surface of a material being detected;

performing arithmetic averaging every time on a received ultrasonic wave and on a plurality of previously received ultrasonic waves so as to produce a set of averaged ultrasonic waves;

extracting an ultrasonic wave having a predetermined frequency as a center frequency from said set of averaged ultrasonic waves; and

moving said transmitting transducer and said receiving transducer on a surface of a material being detected,

wherein said predetermined frequency is given by ((n±

(½

))×

)10⁶×

v/Δ

L))(Hz), where Δ

L is a variation in a distance between said transmitting transducer and said receiving transducer, v is an ultrasonic wave transmission velocity of a material being detected, and n is a natural number.

18. The method for detecting an ultrasonic wave according to claim 17, further comprising:

calculating a transmission velocity of an ultrasonic wave in said material being detected in association with a time of generation of a predetermined wave appearing in a result, obtained at a different position, of said arithmetic averaging.