A comparative study for determining rock joint normal stiffness with destructive uniaxial compression and nondestructive ultrasonic wave testing

Rock joints are one of the vital discontinuities in a natural rock mass.How to accurately and conveniently determine joint normal stiffness is therefore significant in rock mechanics.Here,first,seven existing methods for determining joint normal stiffness were introduced and reviewed,among which MethodⅠ(the indirect measurement method),MethodⅡ(the direct determination method),MethodⅢ(the across-joint strain gauge measurement method)and MethodⅣ(the deformation measuring ring method)are via destructive uniaxial compression testing,while MethodⅤ(the best fitting method),MethodⅥ(the rapid evaluation method)and MethodⅦ(the effective modulus method)are through wave propagation principles and nondestructive ultrasonic testing.Subsequently,laboratory tests of intact and jointed sandstone specimens were conducted following the testing requirements and pro-cedures of those seven methods.A comparison among those methods was then performed.The results show that Method I,i.e.the benchmark method,is reliable and stable.MethodⅡhas a conceptual drawback,and its accuracy is acceptable at only very low stress levels.Relative errors in the results from MethodⅢare very large.With MethodⅣ,the testing results are sufficiently accurate despite the strict testing environment and complicated testing procedures.The results from MethodⅤare greatly unstable and significantly dependent on the natural frequency of the transducers.The joint normal stiffness determined with MethodⅥis stable and accurate,although data processing is complex.MethodⅦcould be adopted to determine the joint normal stiffness corresponding to the rock elastic deformation phase only.Consequently,it is suggested that MethodsⅠ,ⅣandⅥshould be adopted for the mea-surement of joint normal stiffness.The findings could be helpful in selecting an appropriate method to determine joint normal stiffness and,hence,to better solve discontinuous rock mass problems.

EFFECT OF ULTRASONIC WAVE ON THE ELECTROPOLYMERIZATION OF PYRROLE

Electropolymerization of pyrrole under ultrasonic field at 20kHz was performed in a series of aqueous and propylene carbonate (PC) solutions. The ultrasonic wave with moderate intensity at the power of 44W, which is the power threshold of the ultrasonic generator used in this work to produce cavitation effect, enhance the conductivity and tensile strength of the polypyrrole films as prepared. However, too high intensity of the ultrasonic wave is harmful to the polymerization.

Non-contact evaluation of the resonant frequency of a microstructure using ultrasonic wave

This paper presents a novel non-contact method for evaluating the resonant frequency of a microstructure, Firstly, the microstructure under test is excited by ultrasonic waves. This excitation method does not impose any undefined load on the specimen like the electrostatic excitation and also this is the first actual use of ultrasonic wave for exciting a microstructure in the literature. Secondly, the amplitudes of the microstructure are determined by image edge detection using a Mexican hat wavelet transform on the vibrating images of the microstructure. The vibrating images are captured by a CCD camera when the microstructure is vibrated by ultrasonic waves at a series of discrete high frequencies （〉30 kHz）. Upon processing the vibrating images, the amplitudes at various excitation frequencies are obtained and an amplitude-frequency spectrum is obtained from which the resonant frequency is subsequently evaluated. A micro silicon structure consisting of a perforated plate （192 × 192 μm） and two cantilever beams （76 × 43 μm） which is about 4 μm thickness is tested. Since laser interferometry is not required, thermal effects on a test object can be avoided. Hence, the setup is relatively simple. Results show that the proposed method is a simple and effective approach for evaluating the dynamic characteristics of microstructures.

Damage Detection in CFST Column by Simulation of Ultrasonic Waves Using STFT-Based Spectrogram and Welch Power Spectral Density Estimate

Structural health monitoring employs different tools and techniques to provide a prediction for damages that occur in various structures.Damages such as debond and cracks in concrete-filled steel tube column(CFST)are serious defects that threaten the integrity of the structural members.Ultrasonic waves monitoring applied to the CFST column is necessary to detect damages and quantify their size.However,without appropriate signal processing tools,the results of the monitoring process could not be crucial.In this research,a monitoring process based on a Multiphysics numerical simulation study was carried out.Two signal processing tools:short time Fourier transform(STFT)and Welch Power Spectral Density Estimate(PSD)were used to analyse the captured raw signals.The STFT spectrogram was effective in identifying the different size of damage based on a graphical interpretation.The results show that the increasing of frequency of the excited signal give a better results.The increase in peak magnitude values in Welch PSD was found to be proportionate to the change in damage length whereas the damage depth has a less effect.The results for the crack size identification were less promising than those of debond damage because of the different type of the signal’s propagation path.Simulation process conducted by COMSOL software has proved the validity of the adopted signal processing techniques in detecting such damages in CFST columns.

Comparison of Fuzzy Synthetic Evaluation and Field Measurement of Internal Defects in Assembled Concrete Detected by Ultrasonic Waves

Analyze and compare the basic principles of ultrasonic detection of voids in concrete,choose ZBL-U520/510 non-metallic ultrasonic detector,and use the opposite detection method to test the void size in the joints of prefabri-cated concrete structures.The results show that:ultrasonic method by testing the waveform,sound,and speed of sound analysis can effectively determine the position of the defect,and through the conversion formula can estimate the void size.Ultrasonic parameters are used to distinguish the internal defects of Assembly concrete.Sometimes there are diferent results with different para-meters.It is difficult for engineers to directly determine the internal de fects.Fuzzy comprehensive ev aluation can establish an overall evaluation of things or objects controlled by multiple factors by establishing membership functions.Through the inspection of engineering examples:the fuzzy comprehensive judgment method has no difference between the judgment of some good quality points and the judg-ment results of the original criteria,but for some abnormal points or points near the critical value,the advantages of fiuzzy criteria can be achieved.The judgment process will be more scientific by considering several parameters in a comprehen-sive manner and digtizing the original subjective judgments.

A gas kick early detection method outside riser based on Doppler ultrasonic wave during deepwater drilling

The feasibility of gas kick early detection outside the riser was analyzed based on gas-liquid multiphase flow theory.Then an experimental platform for gas kick early detection based on Doppler ultrasonic wave was established and the propagation experiments in two-phase flow of gas-water(sucrose solutions)were conducted.The time and frequency domains of the Doppler ultrasonic wave signals during the experiments were analyzed.The results show that:(1)No matter the pump was on or off,the detected average Doppler ultrasonic signal voltage increased first and then decreased with the increase of the gas void fraction,and had a quadratic function relation with gas void fraction,so the average voltage change of the monitored signals can be used to deduce the approximate gas void fraction.The Doppler ultrasonic wave signal voltage was significantly reduced in magnitude and variation in the solution with higher viscosity,and the viscosity has stronger impact on the magnitude of signal than density.(2)When the pump was stopped,the Doppler shift increased with the increase of gas void fraction,and the two showed a nearly linear relation,so the detected amount of Doppler shift can reflect the variation of gas void fraction quantitatively.When the pump was on,the sound energy produced by frequency converter had a more significant impact on amplitude spectrum than gas void fraction,so it is impossible to determine whether gas kick occurs by frequency domain signal analysis.(3)This method is a non-contact measurement,with no contact with the drilling fluid and no disruption to the drilling operation.It can quantitatively characterize the gas void fraction according to the change of Doppler ultrasonic signal,enabling earlier detection of gas kick.

A Review on Prerequisites of a Set-Up for Particle Detection by Ultrasonic Waves in Aluminium Melts

In many applications in aluminium industry, the number of inclusion-critical products increases and the quality of those products depend on the inclusion concentration and size. In order to improve the quality of aluminium products and the effectiveness of the processes, a reliable and cheaper on-line detection method is needed. Ultrasonic detection has been used in steel industry, but relatively rare in aluminium industry, although it would theoretically allow for an online non-intrusive detection of the cleanliness of the melt. In this work, the current information on ultrasonic inclusion detection was gathered and recommendations were provided on the Prerequisites for a set-up for ultrasonic detection of non-metallic inclusions in aluminium as a contribution on previous works. It has been concluded that ultrasonic waves seem promising, and should be experimented more on an industrial level to have a clear view on the potentials of the method.

Detection of internal crack growth in polyethylene pipe using guided wave ultrasonic testing

Despite the success of guided wave ultrasonic inspection for internal defect detection in steel pipes,its application on polyethylene(PE)pipe remains relatively unexplored.The growth of internal cracks in PE pipe severely affects its pressure-holding capacity,hence the early detection of internal cracks is crucial for effective pipeline maintenance strategies.This study extends the scope of guided wave-based ultrasonic testing to detect the growth of internal cracks in a natural gas distribution PE pipe.Laboratory experiments and a finite element model were planned to study the wave-crack interaction at different stages of axially oriented internal crack growth with a piezoceramic transducer-based setup arranged in a pitch-catch configuration.Mode dispersion analysis supplemented with preliminary experiments was performed to isolate the optimal inspection frequency,leading to the selection of the T(0,1)mode at 50-kHz for the investigation.A transmission index based on the energy of the T(0,1)mode was developed to trace the extent of simulated crack growth.The findings revealed an inverse linear correlation between the transmission index and the crack depth for crack growth beyond 20%crack depth.

Propagation Characteristics of Ultrasonic Guided Waves in Grouted Rockbolt Systems with Bond Defects under Different Confining Conditions

A rockbolt acting in the rock mass is subjected to the combined action of the pull-out load and confining pressure, and the bond quality of the rockbolt directly affects the stability of the roadway and cavern. Therefore, in this study, confining pressure and pull-out load are applied to grouted rockbolt systems with bond defects by a numerical simulation method, and the rockbolt is detected by ultrasonic guided waves to study the propagation law of ultrasonic guided waves in defective rockbolt systems and the bond quality of rockbolts under the combined action of pull-out load and confining pressure. The numerical simulation results show that the length and location of bond defects can be detected by ultrasonic guided waves under the combined action of pull-out load and confining pressure. Under no pull-out load, with increasing confining pressure, the low-frequency part of the guided wave frequency in the rockbolt increases, the high-frequency part decreases, the weakening effect of the confining pressure on the guided wave propagation law increases, and the bond quality of the rockbolt increases. The existence of defects cannot change the strengthening effect of the confining pressure on the guided wave propagation law under the same pull-out load or the weakening effect of the pull-out load on the guided wave propagation law under the same confining pressure.

Output of an Ultrasonic Wave-Driven Nanogenerator in a Confi ned Tube

The output of an ultrasonic wave-driven nanogenerator(NG)has been found to depend on the excitation conditions and geometry.Incidence angle tests indicate that the effective area of an NG determines the amount of power that can be generated.The output power of an NG is also directly related to its distance from the ultrasonic source.A sinusoidal profile of the electrical output was observed when an NG was moved inside a long tube filled with water with the ultrasonic source located at one end.This is due to the oscillation of the wave intensity inside the tube as a function of the distance from the excitation source.

Evaluation of the cement bond quality through filtering the reflected ultrasonic waves

High cement bond quality is required to keep an oil well from hydraulic commu- nication between zones. In the cement bond evaluation, the ultrasonic echo method is widely used for its capability of channeling azimuth detection. Full waveforms reflected from the cased hole are simulated for different bonding conditions by the generalized transfer matrix method. Because of the high acoustic impedance of casing, the amplitudes of the reflected waves from the cement and the formation are small and cannot easily be used to evaluate the cementing condition. The wave that can propagate into the cement and the formation through the casing concentrates closely on the casing resonant frequency. To reduce the amplitude of the reflected wave from the casing inner surface and highlight the part of the reflected wave which carries the cementing quality information, the reflected full wave is filtered according to the casing resonant frequency. There are several wave packets in the filtered waveform. When the amplitude of the second wave packet is low, the cement bonds well with the casing, otherwise poorly. A low amplitude third wave packet is an indication of a good bond of the cement with the formation, otherwise poor. To reveal the sensitivity of the reflection wave amplitudes to the incident angle, reflected full waveform is modeled when an acoustic beam with finite width is incident on the casing. It is shown that the bond evaluation method based on filtered wave packets is valid for incident angle less than 5 degrees.

Study on the double transmission of ultrasonic waves through statistic rough surfaces

A model evaluating the signal loss of the double transmitted acoustic beams through random rough surfaces was established based on the Fresnel approximation and phase- screen approximation. A simple analytical solution was achieved using the exponential substi- tution approach to remove the nonlinear integral terms. The factors that affect the signal of double transmissions from random rough surfaces were analyzed. The research results demon- strated that the signal loss is not only related to the root-mean-squire height of the roughness, but also to the distance of wave traveling in the materials. The model can be very helpful for improving the reliability of NDT (Non-Destructive Testing).

Ultrasonic wave scattering in a fiber reinforced composite

In order to cvaluate the fiber / matrix interfaccs in a fiber reinforced compo site, a mathematical algorithm is prescnted for predicting the scattering cross scction of a cylindrical three-layered medium and the sound attenuation due to scattering in the composite. When the thickness of the fiber / matrix interface layer is small compared to the wavelength, two stiffness constants are used to simulate the boundary condi tions and a simplified method for predicting the sound scattering is developed. Nu mcrical computations have been made for the relations of longitudinal wave attcnuation coefficients in a glass fiber / aluminum composite with the interface properties and wave frequency.

Study of inhomogeneous and heterogeneous ultrasonic waves in kidney stones

Renal calculi are inhomogenous, heterogeneous and complex in nature. There is a large variation in their chemical composition due to food habits of patients and hence geography of the inhabitants in different parts of the world. Ultrasonic studies are made to investigate various physical and other constants of such renal calculi. A double-probe through transmission technique is used to study various propagation parameters. The ultrasonic waves displayed on cathode-ray oscilloscope are complex and complicated in nature. Complete analysis of such wave patterns is given in the present study. The data reported would help in the design of an u ltrasonic lithotripter.

Effects of Ultrasonic Seed Treatment on Rice Performances under the Seawater Irrigation

Irrigation with desalinated seawater is an effective way to use ocean resources and save freshwater resources.However,seawater irrigation would cause yield loss of rice.In order to explore the effects of ultrasonic seed treatment on rice performances under seawater irrigation,the present study was conducted with three irrigation treatments(fresh water(SW0),ten times diluted seawater(SW1%,0.34%salinity),and five times diluted seawater(SW2%,0.68%salinity))and two seed treatments(ultrasonic treated seeds(UT)and untreated seeds(CK)).Compared with SW0+CK treatment,SW1+CK and SW2+CK treatments significantly decreased grain yield by 56.19%and 66.69%,spikelets per panicle by 30.11%and 55.80%,seed-setting rate by 23.05%and 18.87%,and 1000-grain weight by 4.55%and 14.50%,respectively.Seawater irrigation also significantly increased malonaldehyde(MDA)and proline contents and the activities of superoxide dismutase(SOD)and peroxidase(POD).Ultrasonic seed treatment significantly increased the grain number per panicle,seed-setting rate,and grain yield of rice under seawater irrigation.Compared with CK,UT treatment substantially reduced MDA content,SOD activity,and POD activity in SW1 and SW2 conditions.Furthermore,UT treatment significantly increased proline content and down-regulated proline dehydrogenase activity under seawater irrigation.We deduced that ultrasonic seed treatment enhanced the salinity tolerance of rice by inducing the proline accmulation.Our findings indicated that ultrasonic seed treatment could an effective strategy to promote rice productivity under seawater irrigation.

Temperature Dependence of Ultrasonic Longitudinal Guided Wave Propagation in Long Range Steel Strands

Ultrasonic guided wave inspection is an effective non-destructive testing method which can be used for stress level evaluation in steel strands.Unfortunately the propagation velocity of ultrasonic guided waves changes due to temperature shift making the prestress measurement of steel strands inaccurate and even sometimes impossible.In the course of solving the problem,this paper reports on quantitative research on the temperature dependence of ultrasonic longitudinal guided wave propagation in long range steel strands.In order to achieve the generation and reception of a chosen longitudinal mode in a steel strand with a helical shaped surface,a new type of magnetostrictive transducer was developed,characterized by a group of thin clips and three identical permanent magnets.Excitation and reception of ultrasonic guided waves in a steel strand were performed experimentally.Experimental results shows that in the temperature range from-4 ℃ to 34 ℃,the propagation velocity of the L（0,1） mode at 160 kHz linearly decreased with increasing temperature and its temperature dependent coefficient was 0.90（m·s-1 ·（℃）-1） which is very close to the theoretical prediction.The effect of dimension deviation between the helical and center wires and the effect of the thermal expansion of the steel strand on ultrasonic longitudinal guided wave propagation were also analyzed.It was found that these effects could be ignored compared with the change in the material mechanical properties of the steel strands due to temperature shift.It was also observed that the longitudinal guided wave mode was somewhat more sensitive to temperature changes compared with conventional ultrasonic waves theoretically.Therefore,it is considered that the temperature effect on ultrasonic longitudinal guided wave propagation in order to improve the accuracy of stress measurement in prestressed steel strands.Quantitative research on the temperature dependence of ultrasonic guided wave propagation in steel strands provides an important basis for the compensation of temperature effects in stress measurement in steel strands by using ultrasonic guided wave inspection.

High Precision Ultrasonic Guided Wave Technique for Inspection of Power Transmission Line

Due to the merits of high inspection speed and long detecting distance, Ultrasonic Guided Wave（UGW） method has been commonly applied to the on-line maintenance of power transmission line. However, the guided wave propagation in this structure is very complicated, leading to the unfavorable defect localization accuracy. Aiming at this situation, a high precision UGW technique for inspection of local surface defect in power transmission line is proposed. The technique is realized by adopting a novel segmental piezoelectric ring transducer and transducer mounting scheme, combining with the comprehensive characterization of wave propagation and circumferential defect positioning with multiple piezoelectric elements. Firstly, the propagation path of guided waves in the multi-wires of transmission line under the proposed technique condition is investigated experimentally. Next, the wave velocities are calculated by dispersion curves and experiment test respectively, and from comparing of the two results, the guided wave mode propagated in transmission line is confirmed to be F（1,1） mode. Finally, the axial and circumferential positioning of local defective wires in transmission line are both achieved, by using multiple piezoelectric elements to surround the stands and send elastic waves into every single wire. The proposed research can play a role of guiding the development of highly effective UGW method and detecting system for multi-wire transmission line.

Selective generation of ultrasonic Lamb waves by electromagnetic acoustic transducers

In this paper, we describe a modal expansion approach for the analysis of the selective generation of ultrasonic Lamb waves by electromagnetic acoustic transducers （EMATs）. With the modal expansion approach for waveguide excitation, an analytical expression of the Lamb wave＇s mode expansion coefficient is deduced, which is related to the driving frequency and the geometrical parameters of the EMAT＇s meander coil, and lays a theoretical foundation for exactly analyzing the selective generation of Larnb waves with EMATs. The influences of the driving frequency on the mode expansion coefficient of ultrasonic Lamb waves are analyzed when the EMAT＇s geometrical parameters are given. The numerical simulations and experimental examinations show that the ultrasonic Lamb wave modes can be effectively regulated （strengthened or restrained） by choosing an appropriate driving frequency of EMAT, with the geometrical parameters given. This result provides a theoretical and experimental basis for selectively generating a single and pure Lamb wave mode with EMATs.

Defect detection in brazed weldment with lattice structure using ultrasonic Lamb wave technique

In this paper, defects detection in brazed weldment with lattice structure is studied using ultrasonic Lamb wave. Based on the ultrasonic guided wave theory, the frequency dispersion curves for phase and group velocity of I Cr18Ni9Ti are obtained by solving the Rayleigh-Lamb equation. The incident angles of different modes are determined through theoretical calculation and experimental analyses. Artificial defects of through-wall slots with different dimensions are made and tested. Experimental scattering effects of the fundamental symmetric mode S2 and asymmetric modes A1 and A0 are analysed and compared. The results show that mode Ao is suitable for detecting artificial defect, and the amplitude of the received signals are in good agreement with the defect size. Brazed weldment specimen containing lack of brazing with certain dimensions is made. Using the same methodology, scattering effects produced by weld defects are measured. The results show that the clutter wave brought about by the filler metal will certainly disturbs the identification of defect signal. But, when the defect is 3.0 mm in width, the presented mode Ao could be used potentially.

Modeling of kinetic characteristics of alkaline-surfactant-polymer-strengthened foams decay under ultrasonic standing wave

Foaming issues are encountered at the stages in crude oil production, transportation, processing, especially in chemical flooding enhanced oil recovery(EOR) oilfields. These accumulated foams would cause a lot of trouble for downstream operation. The destruction of foams under ultrasonic has been increasingly paying attention in the background of green oilfield development. This study focuses on the decay kinetic characteristics of alkaline-surfactant-polymer-strengthened foams under the ultrasonic standing wave.The performance of the diverse foams was characterized. A decay kinetic model incorporating the energy correlation was developed and validated. The factors that affect the decay kinetic characteristics were discussed. The results indicated that the collapse rate and the collapse volume fraction decreased when the foam size decreased, the gas-liquid ratio decreased and the surface tension increased. Ultrasonic standing wave parameters have a significant impact on the decay behavior of the foam. Both the ultrasonic frequency and ultrasonic amplitude were increased by 50%, the collapse volume fraction of foams increased by about 1.25 times in the identical irradiation time. The relative deviation between the measured results and the model prediction was less than 10%. The potential collapse mechanism was also explained using the principle of energy correlation of foam surface. This study is not only beneficial to provide a robust and rigorous way to defoam of produced liquid in the alkaline/surfactant/polymer(ASP)flooding EOR process but also meaningful to well understand the decay process of oil-based foams.