ZeMat
Efficient analysis of high-dimensional ultrasound data in non-destructive testing
Joint BMBF research project
ZeMat1: Reconstruction of 3D defect characteristics in welds

Project coordinator: Prof. Dr. Gerlind Plonka-Hoch
Project member: Dr. Florian Boßmann

In this project, a new efficient reconstruction method will be developed that is specially designed for weld testing with ultrasonic phased-array probes. We apply the total focussing method (TFM) which has, in contrast to the typically used Time-of-Flight-Diffraction method (ToFD), a high data redundancy. The obtained data shall be employed to improve the denoising of the given b-scans. Therefor, a suitable function system for b-scan representation is needed, e.g. real valued Gabor functions. The problem becomes even more challenging considering more detailed models incorporating influences of sound absorption, refraction, defraction and interferences.
However, although TFM data contains more information concerning different angles of incident, the hight amount of data needs to be treated efficiently. Since measurements can only be done from limited angle directions depending on the test setting the reconstruction accurancy is bounded. Thus, the algorithm should allow a good partial reconstruction. In this way, defect characteristics should be determined that allow a robust and improved classification of inclusions.