Application Cases

Cement concrete, known for its excellent durability and high compressive strength, is widely used in large-scale construction projects such as infrastructure and bridges. The hydration characteristics of cement determine the physical properties of concrete structures, including compactness and compressive/flexural strength. Due to factors such as insufficient hydration and fatigue damage, defects like pitting surfaces, honeycombs, and cracks may appear inside and on the surface of cement concrete. Studying the formation of cement paste structures and establishing a system for detecting concrete damage is of significant importance. Piezoelectric ultrasonic sensors, owing to their simple structure, low cost, and good adaptability, are the most widely used ultrasonic sensors in non-destructive testing of concrete.

Aigtek's ATA-2000 Series High-Voltage Amplifiers, with a maximum output voltage of 1600 Vpp and a bandwidth range of DC to 1 MHz, can drive most piezoelectric ultrasonic sensors available on the market. They are also suitable for other scientific experiments requiring high-voltage AC signals.

Experimental Name: Ultrasonic Detection of Concrete Damage

Experimental Principle:
A signal generator is used to excite a piezoelectric ultrasonic sensor, causing it to emit an ultrasonic signal. This ultrasonic signal propagates through the concrete, carrying internal information about the concrete, and is received by another piezoelectric ultrasonic sensor. Compared to undamaged concrete under the same conditions, when ultrasonic waves propagate through defective concrete, diffraction occurs upon encountering defects, complicating the propagation path. Consequently, the propagation time, waveform amplitude, and frequency of the ultrasonic waves within the concrete change. By analyzing these changes, the damage condition of the concrete can be assessed.

Experimental Block Diagram:

Laboratory Setup Photo:

Experimental Process:
A signal generator drives a piezoelectric ultrasonic sensor, causing it to emit an ultrasonic signal. The ultrasonic signal propagates through the test concrete specimen, carrying internal information about the concrete, and is received by another piezoelectric ultrasonic sensor. Simultaneously, a compression testing machine applies varying levels of pressure to the test concrete specimen to induce cracks. The echoes received by the piezoelectric sensor under different crack conditions are then tested.

Experimental Results:
While the piezoelectric ultrasonic sensor was transmitting electrical signals, different forces were applied to the concrete specimen to induce damage. Under varying force levels, internal cracks developed within the concrete. After crack formation, the oscilloscope clearly showed reflection and refraction phenomena of the ultrasonic signals. Waveforms superimposed on each other, and multiple wave packets appeared in the received signal.

Application Fields: Construction, Communication Engineering, Industry

Application Scenarios: Geological Exploration, Structural Damage Detection, etc.

Product Recommendation: ATA-2000 Series High-Voltage Amplifier

Figure: ATA-2000 Series High-Voltage Amplifier Specifications and Parameters

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