Ultrasonic Instrumentation Design

Abstract

Ultrasonic instrumentation design combines one or more electroacoustic transducers, means for making ultrasonic propagation and/or noise measurements, and means for interpreting such measurements so that the sought characteristic can be determined accurately, quickly, easily, and without significant interference from parameters other than the one of major interest. Ideally, one strives to make the measurement while disturbing the medium's boundaries or the medium itself as little as possible. Judicious choice of wave mode, frequency, coupling, path, and other parameters often leads to a satisfactory solution. But sometimes the medium or its enclosure, or other environmental restrictions, preclude obtaining a totally adequate solution. The present sensor and measurement examples are from industry (process control, NDT). Different, but sometimes analogous examples, may be found in the medical ultrasound literature. High‐power ultrasonics as used in cleaning, welding, and sonochemistry form a different part of ultrasonic instrumentation design and are beyond this section's scope.