Electromagnetic inductive coupling analysis (EMICA) for on-board or in-lab detection of defects in thick or thin carbon fiber laminates
AssigneeTDA Research, Inc.
InventorsJoshua R Biller, David Long, Bradley Spatafore, Kevin Finch
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Abstract
A device and a method of using the device to detect flaw and defects in carbon fiber laminates. The device contains an electromagnetic inductive coupling flaw detection for carbon fiber laminates with an excitor-detector operated with alternating current, an impedance matched RLC circuit and a vector-network-analyzer. The device can generate a 2-dimensional or a 3-dimensional representation to indicate a flaw location in a carbon fiber laminate.
Claims12
An electromagnetic inductive coupling flaw detection device for carbon fiber laminates:
- comprising, an excitor-detector supplied with alternating current, an impedance matched RLC circuit, and a vector-network-analyzer;
- wherein the impedance matched RLC circuit and the vector-network-analyzer are impedance matched to 50 Ohm;
- and wherein, when the electromagnetic inductive coupling flaw detection device is used to measure a sample, the impedance matched RLC circuit comprises the sample.
A method of detecting a flaw in a carbon fiber laminate, the method comprising:
- providing an electromagnetic inductive coupling flaw detection device for carbon fiber laminates, comprising:
- an excitor-detector supplied with alternating current, an impedance matched RLC circuit, and a vector-network-analyzer, wherein the impedance matched RLC circuit and the vector-network-analyzer are impedance matched to 50 Ohm, further comprising a display that can show a 2-dimensional or a 3-dimensional representation to indicate a flaw location in a carbon fiber laminate;
- providing a carbon fiber laminate;
- using the device to apply an electromagnetic field on the carbon fiber laminate;
- inducing a response in the electromagnetic field in the carbon fiber laminate;
- using changes in the electromagnetic field to detect the presence or absence of defects including voids, delamination, cuts, inclusions, compression, or impact damage;
- using an impedance matched RLC circuit and a vector-network-analyzer (VNA) to produce a 2-dimensional or a 3-dimensional map of a flaw location in the carbon fiber laminate, and;
- using an excitor circuit which is impedance matched to 50 Ohm using a RLC circuit, the same impedance as the VNA and any amplifiers in between the excitor coil and VNA, to ensure high efficiency power transmission and detection.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.