JPS59155755A - Excitation of ultrasonic vibrator array - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To miniaturize equipment in a simplified configuration by arranging one binary/decimal counter, one decoder and a presetting means to excite or control seventeen vibrators according to an object to be inspected. CONSTITUTION:When a clock pulse 7 is inputted into a binary/decimal counter 6 connected to a decoder 8, the counter starts to count and an output of 1, namely, an pulse output is generated sequentially at output terminals D1-D9 of the decoder 8. The terminals are connected to vibrators as follows: D1 to A9, D2 to A8 and A10, D3 to A7 and A11 and likewise sequentially. Then, the vibrators are excited as follows: A9, A8 and A10, A7 and A11 and likewise sequentially. The final D9 excites A1-A17 positioned on the outermost side of A1-A17. When the flaw detection range varies with the size of the material being inspected, the vibrators from A1 to A17 can be excited partially centered on the vibrator A9 by changing the preset value. For example, to excite the vibrators only from A3 to A15, the preset value is determined as '7' and the counter 6 returns to '0' after counting '1'-'7'. Thus, the vibrators A3-A15 alone are excited.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an ultrasonic flaw detection apparatus that inspects defects in a material to be inspected by sector scanning.

The present invention relates to a method for exciting an ultrasonic sensor array in which a plurality of ultrasonic sensors are arranged side by side at equal intervals on a backing material.

First, a conventional method of this type will be explained.

In FIG. 1, C1) is an ultrasonic sensor array in which a plurality of ultrasonic sensors A1 to A7 are linearly arranged in parallel at predetermined intervals on one surface of a plate-shaped backing material (2). Each resonator AI-A7 has a corresponding delay circuit D.
I%D7 is connected, and delay pulses such as P1 to P7 are applied to the respective (2) actuators A1 to A7 from the corresponding delay circuits to excite them.

The ultrasonic waves Bl generated from the transducers A1 to A7 in this way
-B7 has a fan-shaped wavefront and checks for defects (5) in the material to be inspected 14).

Note that (3) is a signal line for commonly supplying the reference signal PO to the delay circuits D+-D7, and is connected to a reference signal generation source (not shown).

In the conventional method configured in this way, the deflection angle (or also called refraction angle) of the ultrasonic beam is determined by each transducer Al-
A? The delay time is determined by the delay time of the delay circuit provided correspondingly. Therefore, even if it is attempted to change the deflection angle depending on the thickness of the material 14+ to be inspected, the inspection area, etc., it will not be possible unless the delay circuit is changed.

Furthermore, it is impossible to change the ultrasonic generation speed because the delay time relative to the reference signal is fixed depending on each delay circuit.

Furthermore, since one delay circuit is required for each vibrator constituting the array, there is a problem in that as the number of vibrators increases (3), the number of delay circuits also increases proportionally.

This invention was made to improve some of these problems, and in addition to improving the above-mentioned conventional problems, it also proposes an excitation method that allows the number of vibrators to be excited to be changed arbitrarily. This will be explained in detail below using the embodiment shown in FIG.

In FIG. 2, (6) is a binary coded 1o-base counter, which counts each time a clock pulse (7) is input.

(8) is a decoder that converts the output of the counter (6) into a decimal number, and the output terminals D1 to D9 of this decoder are connected to the camera element Al-Al? are connected.

That is, Dl has A9, D2 has A8 and A, t
o is connected to Da, A7 and An are connected to each output terminal in the same way, and the last D9 is connected to Al and A17. Such a binary coded decimal counter (6) and a decoder (
8), the clock pulse (7) is connected to the counter (
6) When input, the counter starts counting, and outputs of @1'', that is, pulse outputs, are produced in order at the output terminals D1 to D9 of the decoder (8).

(4) As is well known, the pulse outputs are output in order, and are output in P4 in FIG. Pa, P2. This is the same as the PL pulse generation order.

Therefore, terminal D1 is connected to camera element A9, D2 is connected to As, A
To.

And D3 to A7. If you connect it to All (connect it in the same way below), the cell A9 will be excited and the 9th one will be connected to A8.
．． AIG, then A7. All... is excited.

And the last D9 excites A1-A17 located at the outermost side of Al-Aty.

(9) is a preset setting means for the counter (6), which inputs the preset value input using the numeric keypad Cl0), the numeric keypad IIG, and the output terminals TI, T2. T4
．． The output of the minus circuit (12) is input as a reset signal to the reset terminal RT of the counter. In cases where the flaw detection width changes depending on the size of In order to avoid exciting the oscillator of At, A2. Ate, Al?5), set the preset value to "7" and the counter (6) will count after counting from "1" to "7". It will return to "0". Therefore, only A3 to A1s are excited.

Since the present invention is configured as described above, it is possible to excite and control 17 vibrators depending on the material to be inspected using one binary coded decimal counter, one decoder, and a preset setting means.

Therefore, the hardware can be simplified.

Furthermore, changing the delay time and the deflection angle can be easily accomplished by simply changing the clock pulse and controlling the clock pulse generation source.

Furthermore, by changing the frequency and pulse width of the clock pulse, the interval and pulse width of the excitation pulses can also be changed arbitrarily.

As described above, according to the present invention, the vibrator array can be excited with a simple configuration, and thus contributes to downsizing of the sector scan ultrasonic flaw detection apparatus.

(6)

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a conventional ultrasonic transducer array excitation method, and FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an ultrasonic transducer array excitation method according to the present invention. Child array (2) is backing material. (6) is a binary coded decimal counter, and (7) is a clock pulse. (8) is a decoder, (9) is a preset setting means, 1
10+ is a numeric keypad, 11 is a matching circuit, 02 is a reset signal, A1-A17 is a camera, Tt, T2. T
4. T8 is the output terminal of the counter. Dl-D9 is the output terminal of the decoder. Note that in FIG. 1, the same or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals. Agent Shin Kuzuno - (7)

Claims (1)

[Claims] In an excitation method for an ultrasonic transducer array in which a plurality of ultrasonic transducers arranged in parallel at equal intervals on one surface of a backing material are individually excited, a clock pulse of a desired frequency is applied. A binary coded decimal counter for counting, a decoder for converting the count value of the binary coded decimal counter into decimal, and a preset setting means for setting a preset value of the counter,
One oscillator located in the middle of a plurality of oscillators arranged in parallel receives a signal corresponding to the decimal "1" which is the output of the decoder,
Or given to the two center sensors, the signal corresponding to ``-2'' in decimal notation is given to the above one transducer, or to the two sensors located outside of the two sensors, and is given as decimal ``. 3"
The signal corresponding to decimal ``2'' is applied to two image sensors located outside of the transducer to which the signal corresponding to ``2'' is applied, and the output signal of the decoder is similarly applied to the two transducers forming the set in order. Furthermore, the two outermost vibrators of the juxtaposed (1) vibrators are given an output signal corresponding to the largest decimal number among the outputs of the decoder. The feature is that the preset value is changed depending on the flaw detection width of the material to be inspected, etc., and the number of sensors that are sequentially excited from the center to the outside of multiple sensor devices installed in parallel is thereby changed. Ultrasonic imager array excitation method.