0000000000417489
AUTHOR
Robert E. Green
Laser-Generated Acoustic Signal Interaction with Surface Flaws on Rail Wheels
Long- and short-range acoustic-signal interaction with surface-breaking cracks and geometric boundaries of the rail-wheel tread area are presented in this article. Ultrasonic signals are generated using a laser-line source of varying length and distance from a crack and are detected with a 1-MHz contact transducer to map the sound field behind the crack in the near, intermediate, and far fields of the insonified region. The factors that affect the behavior of a laser-generated surface acoustic wave propagating along the tread area of a rail wheel are discussed. A signal normalization method is proposed to help in sensing the presence of a crack from the transmitted signal unaffected by the …
Generation of narrowband antisymmetric lamb waves using a formed laser source in the ablative regime
A formed laser source, using a four-element lenticular array, is used in the ablative regime to generate select, narrowband, acoustic plate waves. The arrangement of the array produces acoustical signals that have frequencies compatible with the response of the broadband capacitive air-coupled transducer used in this study. A simplified concept is presented to explain the effect of a line array source on the frequency content of acoustic waves. The analytical model for a point pulse surface displacement is derived from the point load solution to Lamb's problem. The point pulse displacement elements of a line array source are summed mathematically, taking into account all applicable propagat…
Review of Advanced Acoustical Imaging Techniques for Nondestructive Evaluation of Art Objects
Proper preventative diagnosis of different art objects, including wooden, bronze and marble sculptures, frescoes, and paintings (on canvas, wood, metal, and glass), is very important for conservation purposes. Various advanced ultrasonic imaging methods for analysis and assessment of art objects can bring about drastic changes in the regular evaluation and inventory carried out by museums and can bring advanced, powerful, and new techniques for objective assessment of physical conditions of museum resplendence. Using these methods, it will be possible to plan ad hoc repair works on art objects, and, as a result, we will preserve our heritage. The goal of this review is to introduce recent a…