The practical design of ultrasonic test tanks

A systematic approach to the design of ultrasonic test tanks is outlined in which criteria are given first for the choice of tank length and subsequently for the choice of tank width and height. Calculations are presented for typical transducer beam measurements in the low megahertz frequency range, indicating the individual and combined effects of side lobe inclusion and excitation pulse length. The methods used may be easily extended to determine, for a given situation, either the minimum tank size that needs to be used, or the limits imposed by an existing tank on the experiments that can be performed in it.