Acoustic ranging
What is NDT?
An acoustic ranging apparatus directs a burst of acoustic energy towards an acoustically reflective target object. The time it takes for an echo to return to the ranging apparatus is measured to determine the distance between the ranging apparatus and the object. The echo is received, amplified and compared with a threshold voltage, which decays in time in a manner which simulates the attenuation of acoustic energy as a function of distance travelled in the medium. The attenuation function is substantially simulated over the distance range that the ranging apparatus is intended to accurately measure by means of a simple, low-cost first order linear circuit. The ranging apparatus responds only to echoes having a magnitude which exceeds the threshold voltage. Spurious or false echoes, such as those due to reflection of acoustic energy in the side lobes produced by an acoustic energy transducer in the ranging apparatus, are ignored.
