Arrays and transducers for non-destructive testing and liquid characterization using ultrasound

• Grant number: 13/13801-1
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Visiting Researcher Grant - International
• Start date: November 16, 2013
• End date: November 30, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Electrical Engineering - Electrical, Magnetic and Electronic Measurements, Instrumentation
• Principal Investigator: Ricardo Tokio Higuti
• Grantee: Ricardo Tokio Higuti
• Visiting researcher: Francisco Ramon Montero de Espinosa Freijo
• Visiting researcher institution: Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Spain
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Engenharia (FEIS). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Ilha Solteira. Ilha Solteira , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The visiting professor, Dr. Francisco Montero de Espinlisa (CSIC - Spain) will visit two laboratories: LUS - Unesp (Ultrasound Laboratory, Unesp, Ilha Solteira) and LUS - USP (Ultrasound Laboratory, USP Polytechnic School, São Paulo). Dr. Montero de Espinosa is an experienced researcher (theory and practice) in the areas of design, manufacturing and tests of ultrasonic arrays and transducers, as well as in the applications in non-destructive testing and characterization of liquids. At the LUS-UNESP the main research topics are related to the use of guided acoustic waves in the characterization of liquids and non-destructive testing. At the LUS-USP, the same research topics are undertaken, but using mostly bulk waves. In all applications, a fundamental point is the correct and efficient generation and detection of the waves, which can be done using piezoceramics or piezocomposites (single transducers and arrays). When working with guided acoustic waves, there are some important characteristics such as the existence of several propagation modes for each excitation frequency and the effect of dispersion, which may complicate the interpretation of the results significantly. At the LUS-Unesp there are three running projects, which will have the collaboration of Dr. Montero de Espinosa: (i) Characterization of liquids using guided acoustic waves (Funding: CNPq, process 560825/2010-2); (ii) Generation of guided acoustic waves (scientific initiation grant, FAPESP process 2013/00985-7); (iii) Ultrasonic non-destrucive testing of plate-like structures using piezoelectric transducer arrays (direct PhD grant, FAPESP process 2010/16400-0). Furthermore, there is a recently ended research project that has given the laboratory infrastructure for the ongoing researches (Techniques for non-destructive testing of structures using guided acoustic waves, FAPESP process 2010/02240-0). Dr. Montero de Espinosa will collaborate in these projects, with undergraduate and graduate students, in the area of generation and detection of guided waves, improving the transducer assembly techniques, as well as in the interpretation of the signals related to non-destructive testing and characterization of liquids. At the LUS-USP there is a running project entitled "Development of a technological platform for ultrasound equipments", with FINEP funding and the participation of several institutions. The LUS-USP is responsible for the fabrication of ultrasonic arrays, which presents several difficulties, such as cuts, metallizations and cable conections/soldering in very small scales. The experience of Dr. Montero de Espinosa will be valuable in the arrays assembly, which requires a high level of practical knowledge. Furthermore, there are PhD students working with the fabrication and use of arrays, and the interaction with these students will be also very important. Dr. Montero de Espinosa will also present seminars and visit laboratories in the two institutions. (AU)