•Click to edit Master text styles

–Second level
Click to
Limitations edit
•Third level
Master title style
of Phased Arrays
–Fourth level
»Fifth level
With Thanks to:
Tim Armitt, Lavender International
Olympus NDT Training Academy Member

1
Limitations of phased arrays
 All the usual ultrasonic limitations
 “One scan sees all”
 S-scan angle range
 Focused beams
 Worn Wedges
 One array can be used to test everything!
 Imagination or reality?
 Spatial illusions
 Phased Array TOFD
 Dangerous beliefs
 Lack of experienced operators
 Inconsistent levels of training
2
All the usual ultrasonic limitations
 Coupling
 Frequency, attenuation etc.
 Scanning speed
 Digitization rates
 Ultrasonic wrap-around
 Acoustic impedance mismatch requirements
 Dead zones
 Etc.

3
 “One scan sees all”
Need to
orient
beams to
detect
defects
Same as
any UT
testing
Two defects present in this weld …..
The two S-scans detect only4one defect on one S-scan.
“One scan sees all”
Using two
E-scans
oriented for
weld bevel
detects
both
defects

Note: Data merged through TomoView

5
S-scan angular range
 Cannot scan infinite range with S-scans
 Practical limitations from physics – “λ/e”
factor
 Functional limitations from wedges –
designed for limited angle range
 Code and calibration limitations – must be
able to calibrate using ACG and TCG

6
Focused beams Just because
phased
arrays allow
focusing, the
operator
therefore has
to focus the
beam!
Wrong.

Left: short focus shows 3 mm SDH at 10 mm.

Right: short focus completely misses 3 mm
7
SDH at ~25 mm.
Focused beams

Hole at 20mm depth

Hole at 10mm depth

Fewer active elements may improve overall

sensitivity throughout a test item
8
=> Use appropriate focusing and apertures.
Worn Wedges

Wedges not usually checked for wear.

S-scans compare the effects of worn wedges or
irregular surface profiles on image resolution
Left: perfect contact.
Right: bridging due to worn profile.
9
One array can be used to test everything!
Another misconception! Phased array
transducers are very versatile but not infinitely
flexible.
May need to
change:
15 L1 28 E25
.6 - 6 10 L1 6 E 5-6 •Size
¾’’

•Frequency
5L 12 8E 128 -
12 F 36
•Curvature
5 L 128 E 96 -
1 0 C 40
•Shape
5L 16 E1 6
- 10
10 •Etc.
Imagination or reality?
Beams are not
infinitely small.
Need to
consider beam
width, and
maybe plot
beam profile.
Remember S-
scans etc. are
just stacked A-
11 scans.
Spatial illusions
B scan
(One angular slice) B-scans,
C-scans
and S-
B scan
scans can
be “true
(Volume
Corrected)

depth” or
uncorrect-
ed.
C scan range

True C scan (volume corrected)

Check.

12
Phased Array TOFD

Array probe
TOFD probe

TOFD can work with phased arrays, BUT

•TOFD probes have better damping and shorter pulse
•Can often run at higher frequencies
13
•Probably TOFD wedges at more optimum angles
Dangerous beliefs
 Common theory that 2 days training is OK
 Absolutely not the case; one week is a
minimum, and many courses now running to
several weeks
 Lack of training probably biggest stumbling
block to PA

14
Lack of experienced operators
 Biggestsingle problem with PA
 Olympus NDT has set up ONDT Training
Academy with experienced training
companies
 Courses run worldwide, but
 Operator training is still the limiting factor

15
Inconsistent levels of training
 Another training issue
 Really need national training schemes like
PCN, but far from universal

16
Are phased arrays any good?
 Overall, very good problem solving tool
 PA’s have solved many difficult inspection
problems, and made some standard
inspections easier and better.
 But, has limitations mentioned here
 Once again, the biggest limitation is good
operators.

17
Thank you