@Article{sdhm.2025.071189,
AUTHOR = {Jianhua Du, Shaofeng Wang, Ting Gao, Huiwen Sun, Wenjing Liu},
TITLE = {Ultrasonic Defect Localization Correction Method under the Influence of Non-Uniform Temperature Field},
JOURNAL = {Structural Durability \& Health Monitoring},
VOLUME = {20},
YEAR = {2026},
NUMBER = {1},
PAGES = {0--0},
URL = {http://www.techscience.com/sdhm/v20n1/65359},
ISSN = {1930-2991},
ABSTRACT = {In ultrasonic non-destructive testing of high-temperature industrial equipment, sound velocity drift induced by non-uniform temperature fields can severely compromise defect localization accuracy. Conventional approaches that rely on room-temperature sound velocities introduce systematic errors, potentially leading to misjudgment of safety-critical components. Two primary challenges hinder current methods: first, it is difficult to monitor real-time changes in sound velocity distribution within a thermal gradient; second, traditional uniform-temperature correction models fail to capture the nonlinear dependence of material properties on temperature and their effect on ultrasonic velocity fields. Here, we propose a defect localization correction method based on multiphysics coupling. A two-dimensional coupled heat transfer–wave propagation model is established in COMSOL, and a one-dimensional steady-state heat transfer condition is used to design a numerical pulse–echo experiment in 1020 steel. Temperature-dependent material properties are incorporated, and the intrinsic relationship between sound velocity and temperature is derived, confirming consistency with classical theories. To account for gradient temperature fields, a micro-element integration algorithm discretizes the propagation path into segments, each associated with a locally computed temperature from the steady-state heat conduction solution. Defect positions are dynamically corrected through cumulative displacement along the propagation path. By integrating heat conduction and elastic wave propagation in a multiphysics framework, this method overcomes the limitations of uniform-temperature assumptions. The micro-element integration approach enables dynamic tracking of spatially varying sound velocities, offering a robust strategy to enhance ultrasonic testing accuracy in high-temperature industrial environments.},
DOI = {10.32604/sdhm.2025.071189}
}