Beam generating and sound field modeling of flexible phased arrays for inspecting complex geometric components

Abstract The flexible phased array ultrasonic technology has been developed to tackle the long-term challenge of damage inspection in complex-profiled components. However, due to the influences of curved interfaces, it is sometimes difficult to control the transmission signal of the sound field, thereby creating unreliable transducer performances. This paper proposes the time delay laws for generating steering or focusing beams on curved surfaces (concave, convex, concave/convex) based on the ray acoustics theory. Then, we derive the analytic expression of the entire flexible array ultrasonic field based on the multiple line source model and the time delay laws. Finally, the acoustic pressure distribution of curved structures is simulated to verify the feasibility of the derived principles. The numerical results show that the beams can realize dynamic steering and focusing without distortions or disorientations even when the steering angle reaches 45 degrees. Furthermore, the influences of the specimen surface profile, steering angle and focusing distance on the acoustic field are also analyzed by the axial sound pressure plots. These preliminary results represent an essential step in the development of a NDT system for inspecting components with complex surfaces.