System for non-contact ultrasonic study of mediums and materials intended for embedding into automated manufacturing systems

Abstract

The main feature of ultrasound waves is their high frequency, allowing to be broadcast in the form of a narrow beam of rays and their distribution to be examined by the methods of geometrical optics. This allows ultrasound to be used for scientific and applied research. By the nature of distribution and absorption in gases, liquids and solids can be obtained valuable information about the structure and properties of substances. This article examines the use of hardware-software system designed for noncontact ultrasonic study of mediums and materials. INTRODUCTIONIn various industrial processes there is requirement for registration and studying of substances, materials, mediums and conditions with the purpose to improve the production quality. In the practice are used various contact-and non-contact methods which allow automation of the processes of registration and studying. One of them is noncontact ultrasonic method which is based on the effect of reflection. It is one of the base methods applied in conventional non-destructive control among with radiography, magnetic-particle methods, methods with penetrating liquids, and etc.When passing through a given medium the ultrasound reduces its intensity, leading to its weakening. This is due to phenomena such as scattering, absorption, reflection, refraction and ray divergence. The absorption of ultrasonic energy from the medium in which ultrasound is spread depends on the characteristics of that medium (density and elasticity) and also from the frequency of the used ultrasound. As a result, the characteristic parameters of the reflected acoustic wave in the direction of its spread are modified. Thus, the ultrasonic signal carries information about the characteristics of the medium between the transmitter and the receiver [1]. The developed intelligent sensor system extracts this information and allow to be studied the controllable object.Applied scientific idea underlying in this development lies in the use of non-contact ultrasonic method for determining the status of objects and mediums with the purpose of their identification and classification of their production phases in real time.