H ow Phased A rrays W ork

and W hatC an They do?

H ouston O pen H ouse
January 15-17,2003

Phased arrays a definition

A m osaic oftransducerelem entsin which
the tim ing ofthe elem ents'excitation can
be individually controlled to produce certain
desired effects,such assteering the beam
axisorfocusing the beam .

Source: NDT On-line

Illustration -Beam G eneration and Focusing

Beam shaping is
performed by pulsing
the elements with
different time delays.
This picture shows the
elements in the array,
and the delay applied
to each element
These time delays
(green histogram)
generate a focused
normal beam, from the
symmetrical
parabolic time
delays

Illustration -Beam D eflection

For shear waves,
the time delay
pattern has a
slant as shown
here.
Focusing can be
performed by
using parabolic
time delays (see
previous slide),
as well as the
slant.

Illustration -Beam D eflection and Focusing

The picture shows the
generated beams in very
early, mid-stage, late and
at focus.
For angling and focusing,
we use a combined slant
and parabola.

Beam Generation

Physics ofPhased A rrays

H ow Phased A rrays W ork

U ltrasonic phased arraysconsistofa seriesof
individualelem ents,each with itsown connector,
tim e delay circuit,and A /D converter.
Elem entsare acoustically insulated from each
other.
Elem entsare pulsed in groupswith pre-calculated
tim e delaysforeach elem ent,i.e.phasing.
Foreconom ic reasons,pulsersare usually
m ultiplexed.Instrum entation nom enclature such
asa FO CU S 32/128 refersto an instrum entwith
32 m ultiplexed pulsersand a totalof128
ultrasonic channels.

H ow Phased A rrays W ork

The elem entsare purchased asan array with
known geom etry.
These arraysare m anufactured using several
designs,and each array isspecifically builtfor
the application,aswith conventionalultrasonic
transducers.
Typicalarray designsare:

Linear
M atrix
Circular
Sectorial-annular

C om m on Probe G eom etrys

Y=8.0

Y=1.9

1

9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

Linear
1 D linear
array
2 D m atrix

12

16

20

24

28

32

11

15

19

23

27

31

10

14

18

22

26

30

13

17

21

25

29

X=-3.9, Y=-1.9 --> X=3.9

X=-7.9, Y=-8.0 --> X=7.9

Y=6.5
47

46

30

29

17

16

7
2

14

26

42

13

25

41

61

48
Y=4.4

2
1

7
6

16
15
14
13
12
11
10
9
8

49

C ircular
1 D annular
array
2 D sectorial
annular

50

45

31

32

18

51

33

19

52

34

20

10

11

12

22

23

37

38

56

57

15

43

27

53

35
54

21
36
55

X=-6.5, Y=-6.5 --> X=6.5

X=-4.4, Y=-4.4 --> X=4.4

44

28

24
39
58

40
59

60

Phased-array probe
Basically, a phased-array is a long conventional probe

Cut into many elements

H ow Phased A rrays W ork

Lineararraysare the m ostcom m on type,and can
perform scanning in one dim ension only.Linear
arraystypically m inim ize the num berofelem ents
required,and hence cost.
M atrix arrayscan scan in two dim ensions,and
offerconsiderably m ore flexibility,albeitata price.
Circularand sectorial-annulararraysare specific
fornorm albeam inspections,e.g.billets,forgings.

H ow Phased A rrays W ork

The operatorinputsthe focaldepth(s),inspection
angle(s)and/orcouplant,plushow m any and
which elem entsare to be fired.
The operatoralso m ustinputdetailson the array
and wedge.(Thisinform ation isengraved on the
side ofthe array and wedge.)
The phased array calculatorcalculateswhattim e
delaysto apply to each elem ent.
The operation ofthe calculatorisshown in the
nextslides.
Forstandard scans(e.g.electronic orsectorial),
the set-up isessentially straightforward.

Operator defines depth and refracted angle

The calculator searchs the Snell point. It considers the center of the active aperture
(from elements2 to 7 in this example).
Then, the X, Z point of the focal point is determined
The wedge delay is calculated and the focal law is offset accordingly

Snell point

Xaxis or Scan axis

interface

law scan offset

Focal point(X,Z)

Depth

Angle

H ow Phased A rrays W ork

The calculatorproducesa file called a
FO C A L LA W ,which definesthe elem ents
to be fired,tim e delays,voltages,forboth
the transm itterand receiverfunctions.
Thisisan A SCIIfile,and can be edited,em ailed etc.asrequired.

Phased Array Basics

For linear scans, arrays are multiplexed using the same Focal Law.
For sectorial scans, the same elements are used, but the Focal Laws are
changed.
For DDF, the receiver Focal Laws are changed in hardware.

Phased Array Beamforming

Beamforming requires precise pulsing and time delays.

Receiving is the reverse of pulsing.

U T Phased-A rray
Principles & C apabilities

Introduction
Phased-array technology isthe ability to m odify
electronically the acoustic probe characteristics
Probe m odificationsare perform ed by introducing
tim e shiftsin the signalssentto (pulse)and
received from (echo)individualelem entsofan
array probe.
A ny U T technique forflaw detection and sizing
can be applied using phased-array probes.

C onventionalW aveform ing

Delay

Excitation pulse
Crystal
A

Wedge
B

Material
A

Location

Wave front

Beam steering using conventionalU T probe (EM ISSIO N ):

acoustic beam generated by H uyghensprinciple
angled wedge introducesappropriate delaysduring em ission to
generate angle beam

Phased-A rray W aveform ing

Delay
Time
Focal law

Wave front

Element

Beam steering using phased-array probe (EM ISSIO N ):

acoustic beam generated by H uyghensprinciple
appropriate delaysintroduced electronically during em ission to
generate angle beam

Phased-A rray W aveform ing

Beam steering using phased-array probe (RECEPTIO N ):

appropriate delaysintroduced electronically during reception
O nly signalssatisfying delay law shallbe in phase and generate
significantsignalaftersum m ation

Phased-A rray W aveform ing

G lobaloverview ofphased-array signalprocessing

D esign Param eters ofPhased-A rray Probes

A
e

Beam Focusing
Isthe capability to converge the acoustic energy
into a sm allfocalspot
A llowsforfocusing atseveraldepths,using a
single probe
Sym m etrical(e.g.parabolic)focallaws(tim e delay
vs.elem entposition)
Islim ited to near-field only
Can only perform ed in the steering plane,when
using a 1D -array

Beam Steering
Isthe capability to m odify the refracted angleof
the beam generated by the array probe.
A llowsform ultiple angle inspections,using a
single probe
A ppliesasym m etrical(e.g.linear)focallaws
Can only be perform ed in steering plane,when
using 1D -arrays
Can generate both L (com pression)and SV (shear
vertical)waves,using a single probe

Electronical(Linear) Scanning
Isthe ability to m ove the acoustic beam along the
axisofthe array withoutany m echanicalm ovem ent.
The beam m ovem entisperform ed by tim e
m ultiplexing ofthe active elem ents
Scanning extentislim ited by :
num berofelem entsin array
num berofchannels in acquisition system

C om bined Beam Processing

The phased-array technique allowsfor
alm ostany com bination ofprocessing
capabilities:
focusing + steering
linearscanning + steering

O ther Types ofA rray Probes

D U A L-A RRA Y PRO BES :

Consistofseparate transm itter(T)and
Receiver(R)arrays

In side-by-side configuration,allconsiderationsfor
conventionalTRL probesrem ain valid :

Pseudo-focusing effect
A bsence ofinterface echo
Im proved SN R in attenuating m aterials

In addition,alladvantagesofthe PA technique
are available

W hatPhased A rrays C an D o

H ow Phased A rrays W ork

Thissection illustratestypicalscansthatcan be
perform ed using phased arrays:

Electronic (linear)scans
Sectorial(azim uthal)scans
Transverse scans
D ynam ic D epth Focusing
Tim e-O f-FlightD iffraction

W ith the Tom oview software,operatorscan

custom -design theirown scan patterns,displays
and output.

Electronic or Linear Scanning

M ultiplex A Single FocalLaw
A crossthe A rray

Electronic Scanning
The ability to m ove the beam
along one axis ofan array w ithout
any m echanicalm ovem ent.

The m ovem entis perform ed only
by tim e m ultiplexing the active
elem ent

The beam m ovem entdepends on
the probe geom etry and could be

linear scanning
sectorialscanning
lateralscanning
a com bination

Electronic Scanning
This animation shows a conceptual weld inspection using electronic
(linear) scanning. This approach can easily emulate typical ASMEtype 45 and 60 shear wave inspections, and is much faster than raster
scanning.

Typical weld inspection requires two or more angles with implied

raster size, step size etc. Need to cover weld, HAZ, any position
errors => significant amount of scanning.

Electronic (linear) Scanning on

C ircular C om ponents

Electronic scanning permits very rapid scanning of components

with constant geometry, e.g. tubes, pipes.

Tandem Probes for V erticalD efects

Sectorial(A zim uthal) Scanning

Changing the Inspection A ngle
withoutM oving the A rray

Illustration ofSectorialScanning

SectorialScanning
Sectorialscanning isthe ability to scan a
com plete sectorofthe volum e withoutany
probe m ovem ent.

U sefulforinspection ofcom plex geom etry
sor
those with space restrictions

Com binesthe advantage ofwide beam and/or
m ultiple focused probesin a single phased array
probe

2......

Sectorial(A zim uthal) Scans

Sectorial scanning by changing the
incident angle without changing position
can be used for a variety of inspections.

SectorialScanning A nim ation

This illustration
shows a turbine blade
root being inspected
using S-scans
(sectorial scanning).

Turbine Welded Rotor Inspection

Phased-array inspection:
Sectorial scan 30-60 SW
Step of 1 degree
Mechanical scan along the
circumferential axis
Phased-array probe:
5 MHz, 16 elements, 16 mm x
16 mm
mounted on a wedge
Calibration block:
EDM notches 2 mm x 0.5 mm

Electronic/SectorialScanning A nim ation

C om bined S-Scan and Linear Scan

Com bined scans

offerunique
im aging
possibilities

D ynam ic D epth Focusing

Extending the FocalRange
Electronically

Schematic Representation of
Dynamic Depth Focusing

Mechanical Displacement

FOCUS DEPTH (PULSER)

Beam displacement

DDF is an
excellent way
of inspecting
thick
components in
a single pulse.
The beam is
re-focused
electronically
on its return

DYNAMIC FOCUSING (RECEIVER)

c = velocity in material

D ynam ic D epth Focusing

Standard phased
array

Phased A rray with

D ynam ic D epth
Focusing

D ynam ic D epth Focusing A nim ation

Tim e-O f-FlightD iffraction

O ptim um Sizing Technique for
ThickerCom ponents

TO FD using Phased A rrays

sam e as conventionalU T
Transmitter

Lateral wave

Receiver

Back-wall reflection
BW

LW

Upper tip

Lower tip

W hatD o TO FD Scans Look Like?

Lateral wave is clearly
seen in a good TOFD
scan (top signal).
Backwall signal is
strong (bottom signal).
Both typically used
for calibration.
On clean material,
defects show up well.
Backwall is always
strong. Watch for
perturbations due to
surface-breaking
defects (also on lateral
wave).

R /D Tech Products
H ardware and Software A vailable for
YourA pplication

Leader in Phased A rray Technology

Firstsystem on site
1993

M ore than 400 PA units

sold

Im proved technology
4th generation

A dvanced PA
technology

D D F-V FT-TRM

FO C U S Phased A rray System

FOCUS Phased Array
System

PC interface
Up to 128 channels
20 kHz PRF and
20 MHz bandwidth

IndustrialProductLine
An economical
solution for
industrial
requirements, e.g.
in-line inspections
on production plant.
Rack-mounted.
Similar capabilities
to FOCUS, but less
flexible.
QuickScan PA

Omniscan Portable PA Unit

Cursors

Menu

ESC

ACCEPT

Store /
Print

Start/
Stop

--->

<---

1
CONFIG
ABC

2
FILE
DEF

DISPLAY

4
TOOLS
JKL

5
Utilities
MNO

6
AXIS
PQR

7
USER
STU

8
9
FREEZE CALIB
VWX
YZ

+/-

CHANNEL

_ %#

.*

3
GHI

.
CLEAR
CLR

Function keys and knob interface for field used

Data on RDTIFF exportable and compatible with
Tomoview
Multiview
remote console for easy operation with only one operator.
E-Z View for adequate viewing and control in operation
conditions
Interface

similar to
conventional flaw
detectors
Panametrics
Krautkramer
Mouse and Keyboard
compatible interface
SVGA output

Instrum entation N om enclature

Phased array units(FO CU S orQ uickscan)
are defined astwo num bersdivided by a
backslash,e.g.32/128.
Thisrefersto an instrum entwith 32
m ultiplexed pulsersand 128 individual
channels.
R/D Tech instrum entsare supplied in binary
sizes,e.g.16/64,16/128,32/256 .
Instrum entsare custom -builtforthe
application.

Softw are
Tom oview:phased array software,
which can be set-up ortailored to
yourrequirem ents.

TomoView
PC-based UT software

Real-tim e,m ultichannel,

angle-corrected top,side,
and frontviews
Pulse-echo and TO FD functions
Logarithm ic and linear
12-bitdata
RF,com pressed,and C-scan data
W eld overlays
U ser-defined screen and report
layouts
H andlesG B-size data files
O nline and offline m odes

C orrected S-scan V iew

M erging ofdata
Raw U T data generated by differentfocal
laws(angles,focusing depths)can be
m erged off-lineto generate new U T data
M erged data contain m axim um am plitude
ofthe differentfocallaws
M erged data can be treated asregulardata,
and visualised asV C Top (C-scan),Side (Bscan)and End (D -scan)V iews
Tim e-saving during data analysis

Sum m ary FO C U S,Q uickscan & Tom oview

FO CU S:

Com m ercialsystem ,~ fouryearsold

O vertwo hundred and fifty sold
In service 24/7 in severalindustries
Q uickscan:
Industrialversion ofFO CU S
19 rack-m ounted
Lessflexible than FO CU S,butcheaper
O m niscan:
N ew,portable phased array system
Tom oview :
Established com m ercialsoftware
W idely used on hundredsofsystem s
V ery flexible forinspections,displays,windowsetc.