Porosity Inspection System for Composite Structures with Non-Parallel Surfaces
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsRoger W. Engelbart, Christopher Mark Vaccaro, Nancy L. Wood
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for inspecting a composite structure. A thickness profile of a portion of a region of a composite structure is identified. The region has a cross-section with non-parallel surfaces. An estimated thickness for a location within the region and outside of the portion is identified using the thickness profile. An indication of whether the location has undesirable porosity is generated based on information about attenuation of response sound signals and the estimated thickness for the location.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- identifying a thickness profile of a portion of a region of a composite structure, the region having a cross-section with non-parallel surfaces;
- identifying an estimated thickness for a location within the region and outside of the portion using the thickness profile;
- and
- generating an indication of whether the location has undesirable porosity based on information about attenuation of response sound signals and the estimated thickness for the location.
A method for inspecting a composite structure, the method comprising:
- identifying information about attenuation of response sound signals in the composite structure;
- identifying an estimated thickness for a location in a region in the composite structure from a thickness profile of the region, the region having a cross-section with non-parallel surfaces;
- and
- identifying a porosity of the composite structure at the location based on the estimated thickness for the location and the information about the attenuation of the response sound signals at the location in the composite structure.
An ultrasound inspection system for a composite structure, the ultrasound inspection system comprising:
- a number of transducers configured to send sound signals into the composite structure and detect response sound signals to the sound signals sent into the composite structure;
- and
- an analyzer in communication with the number of transducers, wherein the analyzer is configured to identify a thickness profile of a portion of a region of the composite structure, the region having a cross-section with non-parallel surfaces;
- identify an estimated thickness for a location within the region and outside of the portion using the thickness profile;
- and generate an indication of whether the location has undesirable porosity using the estimated thickness for the location and information about attenuation of the response sound signals detected by the number of transducers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.