The focus of this paper is an ultrasonic position indication system that is capable of determining one-dimensional target location in a high-temperature steel container with gaseous medium. The combination of the very high acoustical impedance of steel and the very low impedance of a gas, for example, ambient air , causes significant reflections at the interfaces. The strategy of this investigation was to develop an ultrasonic transducer capable of replacing a small portion of pressure vessel wall. In building such a transducer, acoustic matching layers for the steel-gas interface, a mechanically and acoustically competent housing, an efficient piezoelectric element, and appropriate backing materials are developed and tested. The results include a successful housing design, high- temperature acoustic matching layers, and subsequent successful wave forms with good signal-to-noise ratio. Target location through of ambient air was possible, with a steel pressure boundary thick, and the use of one matching layer. Our transducer was tested repeatedly to without apparent degradation. In addition to the experimental results, this investigation includes numerical simulations. Sample wave forms were predicted one dimensionally with the coupled acoustic piezoelectric analysis, a finite element program that predicts wave forms based on Navier’s equation for elastic wave propagation.
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Toward An Ultrasonic Sensor for Pressure Vessels
J. S. Sandman,
J. S. Sandman
Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics,
The Pennsylvania State University
, University Park, PA 16802
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B. R. Tittmann
B. R. Tittmann
Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics,
The Pennsylvania State University
, University Park, PA 16802
Search for other works by this author on:
J. S. Sandman
Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics,
The Pennsylvania State University
, University Park, PA 16802
B. R. Tittmann
Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics,
The Pennsylvania State University
, University Park, PA 16802J. Pressure Vessel Technol. May 2008, 130(2): 021501 (5 pages)
Published Online: March 17, 2008
Article history
Received:
March 31, 2006
Revised:
February 5, 2007
Published:
March 17, 2008
Citation
Sandman, J. S., and Tittmann, B. R. (March 17, 2008). "Toward An Ultrasonic Sensor for Pressure Vessels." ASME. J. Pressure Vessel Technol. May 2008; 130(2): 021501. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.2892030
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