2.

4 The Sound Pressure Values 29

8rf 80°
~O~~~~~~~~~~~~MO ~C=="""''''''''==90°
o a8 1
80°
- - Liquid contact e,l" 2 730 m/s
----- Solid contact e1/= "30 m/s
60° ezr5900m/s
-----longitudinol wove 2
in perspex on air 50°/ c2/" J2JOm/s
:-,-'---.,---:~---'-"--
+OO&~\
30°
00 100 20°

Fig.2.12. Interface Perspex/steel. Incident longitudinal wave in Perspex

wave. The pronounced dependence of the coefficient of reflection on the coupling

conditions in the case of the longitudinal wave in Perspex allows a practical coup-
ling check [953]. For comparison the reflection of the longitudinal wave at the free
Perspex interface is therefore also shown (dash-dot-dash line).
When using ,the echo method for testing purposes it is desirable to transmit as
much as possible of the sound wave into the test specimen and to receive the maxi-
mum possible echo. According to Fig. 2.9 approx. 80 %of the sound pressure of the
incident wave is lost in the reflected wave. Also in the reverse process as shown in
Figs.2.10 and 2.11, large portions of the two types of wave are lost again through
reflection when leaving the solid body. Figure 2.13 answers the question how to de-
fine a measure for the transmission losses. Assuming a large plane reflector in the
second medium the amplitude of the echo is the product of the transmittances in
both directions, and it can be called the echo transmittance for this specific combi-
nation of materials and angle of incidence. Within the solid body we can operate
either with the longitudinal or with the transverse wave, having therefore two trans-
mittances Ell and E lt . Both are shown in Fig. 2.14 for several combinations of mate-
rials.
As in the previous case, it is assumed that the sound pressure of the incident
wave is 1. The length of the vector then indicates the sound pressure of the return-
ing wave.

Solid

Fig. 2.13. Explanation of echo transmittance at an interface