Method and apparatus for acoustic emission monitoring

Claim 1

A system for monitoring acoustic emissions from a source, the system comprising: a first single transducer array which includes at least three transducer elements mounted adjacent one another in a single package and having acoustically exposed surfaces in the same plane; first threshold detecting means for sensing when each respective element receives an impinging acoustic wave from the source; first means connected at its input to the threshold detecting means for measuring the time of arrival of the sensed acoustic wave at each element; first means connected at its input to the measuring means for storing data representing the sequence and time periods during which the individual elements are affected by the wave; first memory means for storing a first look-up table, the first memory means comparing the stored data with the contents of the first look-up table for determining a corresponding angular direction of the wave relative to the first transducer array; a second single transducer array which includes at least three transducer elements mounted adjacent one another in a single package and having acoustically exposed surfaces in the same plane; second threshold detecting means for sensing when each respective second transducer element receives an impinging acoustic wave from the source; second means connected at its input to the second threshold detecting means for measuring the time of arrival of the sensed acoustic wave at each element of the second transducer array; second means connected at its input to the second measuring means for storing data representing the sequence and time periods during which the individual elements are affected by the wave; and second memory means for storing a second look-up table, the second memory means comparing the stored data of the second storing means with the contents of the second look-up table for determining the angular direction of the wave relative to the second transducer array; third memory means for storing a third look-up table for comparing the first and second directions obtained from the first and second memory means with the contents of the third look-up table, the third memory means determining the X-Y intersection of the first and second waves incident to the transducer arrays thereby establishing the location of the source.

Claim 2

A system for monitoring acoustic emissions from a source, the system comprising: a first single transducer array which includes at least three transducer elements mounted adjacent one another in a single package and having acoustically exposed surfaces in the same plane; first threshold detecting means for sensing when each respective element receives an impinging acoustic wave from the source; first means connected at its input to the threshold detecting means for measuring the time of arrival of the sensed acoustic wave at each element; first means connected at its input to the measuring means for storing data representing the sequence and time periods during which the individual elements are affected by the wave; first memory means for storing a first look-up table, the first memory means comparing the stored data with the contents of the first look-up table for determining a corresponding angular direction of the wave relative to the first transducer array; a second single transducer array which includes at least three transducer elements mounted adjacent one another in a single package and having acoustically exposed surfaces in the same plane; second threshold detecting means for sensing when each respective second transducer element receives an impinging acoustic wave from the source; second means connected at its input to the second threshold detecting means for measuring the time of arrival of the sensed acoustic wave at each element of the second transducer array; second means connected at its input to the second measuring means for storing data representing the sequence and time periods during which the individual elements are affected by the wave; and second memory means for storing a second look-up table, the second memory means comparing the stored data of the second storing means with the contents of the second look-up table for determining the angular direction of the wave relative to the second transducer array; third memory means for storing a third look-up table for comparing the first and second directions obtained from the first and second memory means with the contents of the third look-up table, the third memory means determining the X-Y intersection of the first and second waves incident to the transducer arrays thereby establishing the location of the source.

Claim 3

A method for monitoring acoustic emissions from a source, the method comprising the steps: positioning a first single multi-element transducer array within a zone to be monitored, multi-elements mounted adjacent one another in a single package and having acoustically exposed surfaces in the same plane; sensing when each respective element receives an impinging acoustic wave from the source; measuring the time of arrival of the sensed acoustic wave at each element; storing data representing the sequence and time periods during which the individual elements are affected by the wave; storing a first look-up table for comparing the stored data with the contents of the first look-up table for determining the angular direction of the wave relative to the first transducer array; positioning a second single multi-element transducer array within a zone to be monitored, multi-elements mounted adjacent one another in a single package and having acoustically exposed surfaces in the same plane; sensing when each respective element of the second transducer array receives an impinging acoustic wave from the source; measuring the time of arrival of the sensed acoustic wave at each element of the second transducer array; storing data representing the sequence and time periods during which the individual elements of the second transducer array are affected by the wave; storing a second look-up table for comparing the stored data with the contents of the second look-up table for determining the angular direction of the wave relative to the second transducer array; storing third look-up table for comparing the first and second angular directions obtained from the waves relative to the first and second transducer arrays with the contents of the third look-up table for determining the X-Y intersection of the first and second incident to the transducer arrays thereby establishing the location of the source.

Claim 4

A method for monitoring acoustic emissions from a source, the method comprising the steps: positioning a first single multi-element transducer array within a zone to be monitored, multi-elements mounted adjacent one another in a single package and having acoustically exposed surfaces in the same plane; sensing when each respective element receives an impinging acoustic wave from the source; measuring the time of arrival of the sensed acoustic wave at each element; storing data representing the sequence and time periods during which the individual elements are affected by the wave; storing a first look-up table for comparing the stored data with the contents of the first look-up table for determining the angular direction of the wave relative to the first transducer array; positioning a second single multi-element transducer array within a zone to be monitored, multi-elements mounted adjacent one another in a single package and having acoustically exposed surfaces in the same plane; sensing when each respective element of the second transducer array receives an impinging acoustic wave from the source; measuring the time of arrival of the sensed acoustic wave at each element of the second transducer array; storing data representing the sequence and time periods during which the individual elements of the second transducer array are affected by the wave; storing a second look-up table for comparing the stored data with the contents of the second look-up table for determining the angular direction of the wave relative to the second transducer array; storing third look-up table for comparing the first and second angular directions obtained from the waves relative to the first and second transducer arrays with the contents of the third look-up table for determining the X-Y intersection of the first and second incident to the transducer arrays thereby establishing the location of the source.