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J. Zhang et al.
With the development of AE technology and the advent of AE equipment, related
institutions in the world have successively developed and issued standards for AE
instruments and sensors performance testing. At present, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the American Society for Testing and Materials
(ASTM), the European Committee for Standardization (CEN), and the Standardization Administration of China (SAC) have all issued standards for AE equipment
performance test. Based on these standards, performance testing and calibration
testing of AE instruments and sensors of in-use are performed.
This paper summarized the development process of AE instruments in the world,
and the performance testing standards and current status of AE instruments and
sensors were introduced and compared. The testing purposes and contents of different
standards are sorted out and analyzed to provide a reference for testers to select
standards and methods according to actual needs. It also helps users understand the
performance differences of AE equipment from different countries.
4.2 The Development of AE Equipment
The development of AE instruments experienced three stages including analog,
semi-digital, and fully digital [1]. In 1965, Dunegan Corporation of the United
States launched the first commercial AE instrument in the world. In the late
1970, the Shenyang Institute of Electronics in China developed a single-channel
acoustic emission instrument. In the early 1980, the American PAC introduced
modern micro-processing computer technology into the AE system and designed a
second-generation source-location instrument with a smaller size and weight. China
Changchun Testing Machine Research Institute developed a 32-channel AE location and analysis system controlled by a microprocessor computer. In the 1990,
the American PAC and the German Vallen Systeme developed the third-generation
digital multi-channel AE detection and analysis system with a higher degree of
computerization and a smaller volume and weight. China Boiler and Pressure Vessel
Inspection and Research Center has developed a multi-channel AE detection and
analysis system with PC-AT bus for hardware and WINDOWS interface for software. Since the beginning of the twenty-first century, the research and development
of AE instrument have adopted more advanced technologies and developed more
comprehensive functions in data transmission, analysis and processing. The development of AE sensors is also proceeding simultaneously with the development of
instruments. At present, sensors have a variety of specifications in terms of type,
frequency band and size, which can meet different actual detection requirements.
AE instruments and sensors currently on the market mainly come from PAC
(USA), Vallen Systeme (Germany), Beijing Soundwel Technology Co., Ltd (China)
and INTERUNIS-IT (Russia). Each manufacturer produces different types of
instruments and sensors, which have their own performance characteristics.
J. Zhang et al.
With the development of AE technology and the advent of AE equipment, related
institutions in the world have successively developed and issued standards for AE
instruments and sensors performance testing. At present, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the American Society for Testing and Materials
(ASTM), the European Committee for Standardization (CEN), and the Standardization Administration of China (SAC) have all issued standards for AE equipment
performance test. Based on these standards, performance testing and calibration
testing of AE instruments and sensors of in-use are performed.
This paper summarized the development process of AE instruments in the world,
and the performance testing standards and current status of AE instruments and
sensors were introduced and compared. The testing purposes and contents of different
standards are sorted out and analyzed to provide a reference for testers to select
standards and methods according to actual needs. It also helps users understand the
performance differences of AE equipment from different countries.
4.2 The Development of AE Equipment
The development of AE instruments experienced three stages including analog,
semi-digital, and fully digital [1]. In 1965, Dunegan Corporation of the United
States launched the first commercial AE instrument in the world. In the late
1970, the Shenyang Institute of Electronics in China developed a single-channel
acoustic emission instrument. In the early 1980, the American PAC introduced
modern micro-processing computer technology into the AE system and designed a
second-generation source-location instrument with a smaller size and weight. China
Changchun Testing Machine Research Institute developed a 32-channel AE location and analysis system controlled by a microprocessor computer. In the 1990,
the American PAC and the German Vallen Systeme developed the third-generation
digital multi-channel AE detection and analysis system with a higher degree of
computerization and a smaller volume and weight. China Boiler and Pressure Vessel
Inspection and Research Center has developed a multi-channel AE detection and
analysis system with PC-AT bus for hardware and WINDOWS interface for software. Since the beginning of the twenty-first century, the research and development
of AE instrument have adopted more advanced technologies and developed more
comprehensive functions in data transmission, analysis and processing. The development of AE sensors is also proceeding simultaneously with the development of
instruments. At present, sensors have a variety of specifications in terms of type,
frequency band and size, which can meet different actual detection requirements.
AE instruments and sensors currently on the market mainly come from PAC
(USA), Vallen Systeme (Germany), Beijing Soundwel Technology Co., Ltd (China)
and INTERUNIS-IT (Russia). Each manufacturer produces different types of
instruments and sensors, which have their own performance characteristics.