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Ultrasonic Pulse-Echo Subwavelength Defect Detection Mechanism: Experiment and Simulation

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Abstract

The ultrasonic pulse-echo backscattered amplitude integral (BAI)-mode imaging technique [IEEE Trans. UFFC, 45:30 (1998)] has demonstrated sensitive detection of subwavelength channel defects (38-μm diameter reliably and 6-μm diameter occasionally) in flexible 220-μm-thick food package seals (17.3 MHz, λ ≈ 86 μm). However, the underlying subwavelength defect detection mechanism is poorly understood. In this contribution, a theoretical modeling study was undertaken to elucidate the mechanism. The subwavelength diameter channel was fused in-between two plastic package films by applying heat from one side of the films. The sample cross-section microstructure was characterized from both optical and acoustic images. The cross-section impedance profiles along sample thickness dimension were determined. Although identical in nominal impedance properties before sealing, the two binding films showed an asymmetric impedance profile after sealing. Transient finite-element heat conduction analysis and impedance profiles of multiple-sealed package samples showed that the single-sided heating process caused an asymmetric impedance profile. A generalized impedance model was proposed based on these observations. An efficient two-dimensional simulation tool using a finite-difference time-domain method and the perfectly matched layer numerically evaluated the defect detection behavior of the radio-frequency (rf) echo waveforms. The normalized correlation coefficients between the simulated and the measured rf echo waveforms were greater than 95% for this generalized model, which suggested the validity of the proposed impedance model.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bioacoustics Research Laboratory, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, 61801

    Xiangtao Yin & William D. O'Brien Jr.

  2. Packaging Program, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, 61801

    Scott A. Morris

Authors
  1. Xiangtao Yin
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  2. Scott A. Morris
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  3. William D. O'Brien Jr.
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Correspondence to William D. O'Brien Jr..

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Yin, X., Morris, S.A. & O'Brien, W.D. Ultrasonic Pulse-Echo Subwavelength Defect Detection Mechanism: Experiment and Simulation. Journal of Nondestructive Evaluation 22, 103–115 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:JONE.0000010737.63227.f4

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