ISO/TR 13115:2011

TECHNICAL ISO/TR
REPORT 13115
First edition
2011-12-15
Non-destructive testing — Methods for
absolute calibration of acoustic emission
transducers by the reciprocity technique
Essais non destructifs — Méthodes d'étalonnage absolu des capteurs
d'émission acoustique par la technique de réciprocité

Reference number
©
ISO 2011
©  ISO 2011
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ii © ISO 2011 – All rights reserved

Contents Page
Foreword . iv
Introduction . v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Preparation for calibration. 3
4.1 Transfer medium and calibration signal . 3
4.2 Mounting of acoustic emission transducer . 4
4.3 Calculation of reciprocity parameters . 5
5 Method for three-transducer calibration . 6
5.1 Apparatus to be used . 6
5.2 Method of measurement . 6
5.3 Method for determination of absolute sensitivity . 9
6 Method for two-transducer calibration . 9
6.1 Apparatus to be used . 10
6.2 Method of measurement . 10
6.3 Method for determination of absolute sensitivity . 10
7 Method for impulse response calibration . 11
7.1 Apparatus to be used . 11
7.2 Method of measurement . 11
7.3 Method for determination of frequency response . 13
7.4 Method for determination of impulse response . 15
8 Method for representing calibration results . 16
8.1 Representation items for calibration results . 16
8.2 Method for representing frequency response of absolute sensitivity . 16
8.3 Method for representing impulse response of absolute sensitivity . 17
Bibliography . 18

Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards bodies
(ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through ISO
technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical committee has been
established has the right to be represented on that committee. International organizations, governmental and
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International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.
International Standards are drafted in accordance with the rules given in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2.
The main task of technical committees is to prepare International Standards. Draft International Standards
adopted by the technical committees are circulated to the member bodies for voting. Publication as an
International Standard requires approval by at least 75 % of the member bodies casting a vote.
In exceptional circumstances, when a technical committee has collected data of a different kind from that
which is normally published as an International Standard (“state of the art”, for example), it may decide by a
simple majority vote of its participating members to publish a Technical Report. A Technical Report is entirely
informative in nature and does not have to be reviewed until the data it provides are considered to be no
longer valid or useful.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of patent
rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
ISO/TR 13115 was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 135, Non-destructive testing, Subcommittee
SC 9, Acoustic emission testing.

iv © ISO 2011 – All rights reserved

Introduction
[1]
A standard method for primary calibration of acoustic emission transducers, ISO 12713:1998 , introduced the
seismic surface pulse method for Rayleigh surface wave calibration, wherein the breaking of a glass capillary
is employed for the sound source and a standard capacitive transducer is used for the measurement of
[2]
dynamic displacements of the surface. In ISO 12714:1999 , on secondary calibration of acoustic emission
sensors, a transducer which has been calibrated by the seismic surface pulse method is employed for
comparison of reception sensitivity.
This Technical Report describes the methods for calibrating absolute sensitivity of acoustic emission
transducers, both to Rayleigh surface waves and longitudinal waves, by means of a reciprocity technique.
Since reciprocity parameters have been derived, absolute sensitivity can be determined by purely electrical
measurements without the use of mechanical sound sources or reference transducers.
Procedures of the seismic surface pulse method and reciprocity technique differ from each other; however,
there is a common theoretical basis in the two calibration methods. For the seismic surface pulse method,
theoretical surface displacements were calculated on the basis of Lamb's theory (Reference [7]). For the
reciprocity calibration, reciprocity parameters for the Rayleigh wave calibration were also derived from Lamb's
theory. As for the Rayleigh surface wave calibration, a round robin experiment was carried out in a
collaborative effort between the USA and Japan, and it was ascertained that absolute sensitivities as obtained
by either method agreed well.
The aim of both methods is the same, namely, to establish uniformity of acoustic emission testing, to form a
basis for data correlation, and to provide for the interpretation of results obtained by different laboratories at
different times.
This Technical Report describes methods for three-transducer calibration, two-transducer calibration, and
impulse response calibration, respectively. In three-transducer calibration, three acoustic emission
transducers of the same kind, which are reversible transducers, are prepared to configure three independent
pairs of transmitting and receiving transducers on a solid transfer medium. Transmission signal current and
reception signal voltage are measured on each pair as a function of frequency, and frequency responses of
amplitude of absolute sensitivity both to the Rayleigh surface waves and longitudinal waves are determined on
each transducer. Once three-transducer calibration has been carried out, an optional transducer, which is not
necessarily a reversible transducer, can be calibrated by a relatively simple procedure by using the calibrated
transducer as a reference of transmission or reception. In two-transducer calibration, frequency responses of
amplitude of absolute reception sensitivity are determined on an optional transducer by using one acoustic
emission transducer, the transmission responses of which have been calibrated by the three-transducer
calibration. In addition, by means of three-transducer calibration, impulse responses of each acoustic
emission transducer can also be determined. In the impulse response calibration, frequency responses of
phase angle, in addition to amplitude, of absolute sensitivity are measured by three-transducer calibration on
the basis of complex reciprocity parameters, and impulse responses are determined through inverse Fourier
transform of the frequency responses of amplitude and phase.

TECHNICAL REPORT ISO/TR 13115:2011(E)

Non-destructive testing — Methods for absolute calibration of
acoustic emission transducers by the reciprocity technique
1 Scope
This Technical Report describes the method of three-transducer calibration for calibrating frequency
responses of absolute sensitivity by means of a reciprocity technique using three reversible acoustic emission
transducers of the same kind, the method of two-transducer calibration for calibrating frequency responses of
reception sensitivity of an optional acoustic emission transducer by using one acoustic emission transducer,
the transmission responses of which have been calibrated by three-transducer calibration, the method for
impulse response calibration for calibrating impulse responses of absolute sensitivity through inverse Fourier
transform of the frequency responses measured by the three-transducer calibration, and the method for
representing the calibration results.
2 Normative references
The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this document. For dated
references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced
document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO 12716:2001, Non-destructive testing — Acoustic emission inspection — Vocabulary
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in ISO 12716 and the following apply.
3.1
reciprocity technique
calibration method on three reversible acoustic emission transducers of the same kind, wherein transducers
are arranged on a solid transfer medium so that they configure three independent pairs of transmitting and
receiving transducers, and absolute sensitivity is determined only by electrical measurements of transmission
current and reception voltage on each pair
3.2
reversible transducer
transducer which can be used both for transmission and reception
3.3
absolute sensitivity
quantity of reception voltage sensitivity or transmission current response of an acoustic emission transducer
3.4
reception voltage sensitivity
ratio of the open-circuit output voltage of an acoustic emission transducer used for reception to the vertical
component of displacement velocity at the position where the transducer is to be placed
3.5
transmission current response
ratio of the vertical component of displacement velocity at the index point to the input current of an acoustic
emission transducer used for transmission
3.6
index point
position on the surface of the transfer medium, which is located at the specified distance in the specified
direction from the acoustic emission transducer used for transmission, and used as the reference of
transmission response
3.7
reciprocity parameter
ratio of reception sensitivity to transmission response of an acoustic emission transducer which is a reversible
transducer
3.8
transfer medium
solid block on the surfaces of which transducers are placed in the calibration so that they configure a pair of
transmitting and receiving transducers of the Rayleigh surface waves or longitudinal waves
3.9
calibration signal
electrical voltage signal which is applied to the transmitting transducer in the calibration
3.10
tone burst signal
calibration signal consisting of sinusoidal waves with a specified frequency and a specified period modulated
so that the envelope forms one squared cosine
3.11
calibration frequency
frequency of sinusoidal waves of which a tone burst signal consists
3.12
squared-cosine signal
calibration signal which trigonometrically increases from zero to a maximum and decreases to zero during a
specified period
3.13
Hanning window
cosine-type time window with a specified period, which is used for Fourier transform of transmission and
reception signals measured in the impulse response calibration
3.14
Rayleigh wave calibration
calibration by which sensitivity to Rayleigh surface waves is determined by using Rayleigh waves for
transmission and reception
3.1
...