Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference:	GR/A93016/01
Title:	APPLICATIONS AND CHARACTERISATION OF NOVEL NON-CONTACTING ULTRASONIC TECHNIQUES
Principal Investigator:	Dixon, Professor SM
Other Investigators:
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Department:	Physics
Organisation:	University of Warwick
Scheme:	Advanced Fellowship (Pre-FEC)
Starts:	01 October 1999	Ends:	30 September 2004	Value (£):	197,149
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:	Instrumentation Eng. & Dev.
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:	Manufacturing No relevance to Underpinning Sectors
Related Grants:
Panel History:
Summary on Grant Application Form
The aim of this project is to (i) design novel techniques in the field of ultrasonic inspection that can be used and exploited by both academia and industry, and (ii) to gain a better understanding of the physical processes, properties and interactions that can be monitored with these methods. The methods will be developed to a stage where they are practical for use in industry in terms of cost, complexity and portability. The project is focused into three main areas.The plasma/blast wave ultrasonic generation mechanism that was recently discovered by the applicant will be investigated in detail in conjunction with any effects it may have on fragile specimens. Less expensive and less complex methods for generating plasma/blast wave sources will be designed and characterised with the aim of making the technique more accessible to other researchers or end users.Adhesive bonding has been extensively used in the aerospace industry and is becoming increasingly common in the automotive sector. Both areas require reliable non-destructive inspection for basic reasons of safety. New experimental techniques will be developed that can non-destructively test and measure the properties of the adhesives and bonds both during manufacture and in-service, with emphasis being placed on non-contacting ultrasonic methods, particularly electromagnetic acoustic transducers (EMATs).Laser-generated ultrasound is currently used in a few specialised industrial applications where a truly remote non-contact method is required, such as at high temperatures or on rapidly moving components. In most cases laser generated ultrasonic techniques are inferior to conventional contacting methods because experimentalists have tried to mimic conventional contacting ultrasonic measurements using the laser. New techniques that exploit the complex nature of laser generated ultrasonic wavefronts will be developed for inspecting a range of joined components of industrial importance, that will take less time and give a.nlpre thorough examination than the existing techniques in common use.
Key Findings
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Potential use in non-academic contexts
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Organisation Website:	http://www.warwick.ac.uk