Improvements to Flaw Mapping with Ultrasonic Guided Waves through Signal Control and Spectral Processing

Project details
Ultrasound is used to find flaws in man-made structures to assure their structural integrity. Sometimes this involves the use of relatively low frequency ultrasound that is transmitted over tens of meters to rapidly screen for flaws in large volumes that could otherwise be inaccessible to other techniques. These inspections can be used to prevent serious incidents of structural failure, such as oil spills, and to prolong the operational life of engineering infrastructure. Signal processing techniques are involved to both construct the signals to be transmitted and to process the signals that are received.

This PhD programme will develop these techniques further and design new techniques to improve the reliability of the detection of discontinuities and for automating data analysis to reduce the burden on the operator. The developed techniques will be applied to both simulated and experimental multi-modal signals from complex structures for quantitative performance assessment. The techniques will be validated to provide useful information such as time of arrival, propagation distance and wave velocity information. Furthermore, a quantitative comparison is expected to be provided between the novel techniques developed during the PhD programme and the techniques previously employed in the supporting literature for both broadband and narrowband waveforms.

NSIRC
The project will be based at NSIRC, a state-of-the-art postgraduate facility established and managed by structural integrity specialist TWI in Cambridge. NSIRC is sponsored by TWI, BP and Lloyds Register Foundation and students work to deliver industry relevant research.

The PhD will be supervised and awarded by Loughborough University.

The PhD Studentship must start by 1 October 2016 and is expected to last 3 years. A bursary of £16,000 per annum will be provided and all UK/EU tuition fees will be paid.

Due to funding restrictions, applications are open to students who are eligible to pay UK/EU tuition fees. Candidates should have a relevant degree at 2.1 minimum, or an equivalent overseas degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or another scientific field that includes signal processing. Candidates with suitable work experience and strong capacity in programming or signal processing are particularly welcome to apply. All students must meet the minimum English Language entry requirements, see http://www.lboro.ac.uk/international/applicants/english/

General information about the Department of Aeronautical and Automotive Engineering can be found at: http://www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/aae/

For informal enquiries about the project, please contact Dr Stephen Walsh, [Email Address Removed]

To apply, please complete the online application http://www.lboro.ac.uk/study/apply/research/. Under programme name, select
Aeronautical and Automotive Engineering.

The closing date for applications: 20 July 2016

Please quote the following reference when applying: AAE-SJW-1610