New designs of ultrasonic 2d array probes
Abstract
Phased-Array ultrasonic probes bring efficiency and flexibility for fast and accurate testing of various parts. Inspections using 2D arrays are still very rare because of the high cost of the electronic when the number of channels increases. Several authors have proposed regular and irregular designs to decrease the element density while maintaining the same phased-array capabilities. Designing such complex 2D probes can become a difficult task without the help of dedicated tools. We have introduced in the CIVA software the possibility to define non-conventional 2D-array probes with complex element patterns and arrangements to solve these difficulties. We describe this new tool and present two probes designed with it: One constituted of hexagonal elements and one sparse array.