METHODS FOR CHARACTERIZING THE SYSTEM FUNCTIONS OF ULTRASONIC LINEAR PHASED ARRAY INSPECTION SYSTEMS

This work characterizes all the electrical and electromechanical aspects of a linear phased array system, using a matrix of system functions that are obtained from the measured response of the array elements in a simple reference experiment. It is shown that for the arrays tested all these system functions are essentially identical, allowing one to use a single system function to characterize the entire array, as done for an ordinary single element transducer. The variation of this single system function with the number of elements firing in the array or with changes of the delay law used is described. It is also demonstrated that once such a single system function is obtained for an array, it can be used in a complete ultrasonic measurement model to accurately predict the array response measured from of a reference reflector in an immersion setup.