Impulse response extraction and parametric modelling of reverberating ultrasonic echoes from thin layers

Enhancement of material impulse response buried in reverberating ultrasonic echoes from thin layered materials can be exploited in order to be able to detect possible flaws. One of the methods presented in this study is to enhance the impulse response of a material by training an adaptive filter that promotes an appropriate statistical characteristic such as asymmetry. The other approach is to employ a parametric linear model of reverberations that utilizes Maximum Likelihood Estimation on its parameters, to later suppress the reverberations and reveal possible flaws. Both approaches are investigated and shown to succeed under certain conditions and supported with experiments.