Carbon nanotube acoustic lens for underwater high intensity acoustic delivery
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorMorteza Safai
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and method for evaluating a bond using an acoustic lens is provided. The acoustic lens focuses an underwater plasma generated compression wave towards a bond in a structure being inspected. The acoustic lens can be formed of a plurality of cylindrical shaped structures, each of the cylindrical shaped structures can be formed of a material that possesses a stiffness and a strength to withstand damage from the underwater plasma and resultant compression wave, such as, for example, carbon nanotubes. The length and diameter dimensions of each of the plurality of cylindrical shaped structures can be configured to phase shift the compression wave towards the structure being inspected.
Claims20
An acoustic lens comprising:
- an array of tubular shaped structures, wherein
- each tubular shaped structure of the array comprises a length and a diameter,
- a long axis of each tubular shaped structure of the array is oriented in a same direction,
- the array of tubular shaped structures is formed of a plurality of carbon nanotubes;
- an incident side of the acoustic lens formed by a first end of the array of tubular shaped structure comprises a concave shape, and
- the length and the diameter of each tubular shaped structure of the array are configured to phase shift a compression wave.
A method for evaluating a bond, comprising:
- placing an open portion of a first vessel against a bonded structure being inspected;
- pulling a vacuum between an outer surface of the first vessel and an inner surface of a second vessel that encloses the first vessel, wherein pulling the vacuum seals the first vessel to the bonded structure;
- filling the first vessel with a liquid, wherein the liquid contacts a surface of the bonded structure to be inspected at the open portion;
- initiating a spark discharge in the liquid to form a plasma that generates a compression wave in the liquid,
- using an acoustic lens to focus the compression wave to a focal point at or near the surface of the bonded structure to apply a force to a bond in the bonded structure;
- and
- inspecting the bond in the bonded structure.
A system for evaluating a bond comprising:
- a first vessel comprising,
- one or more sidewalls and an endwall,
- a liquid port configured to connect to a source to fill the first vessel with a liquid, and
- an open portion configured to be placed against a bonded structure to be inspected;
- a second vessel surrounding the open portion of the first vessel, comprising a vacuum port configured to connect to a vacuum system to pull a vacuum in a space between an outer surface of the first vessel and an inner surface of the second vessel when the open portion of the first vessel and an open portion of the second vessel are adjacent to the bonded structure to be inspected;
- a pair of electrodes disposed within the first vessel and positioned to generate a compression wave in the liquid within the first vessel directed towards the bonded structure to be inspected, and
- an acoustic lens disposed within the first vessel between the pair of electrodes and the open portion,
- wherein the acoustic lens comprises an array of tubular shaped structures formed of carbon nanotubes, and
- wherein a length and diameter of each tubular shaped structure is configured to phase shift the compression wave.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.