Method and system for damage localization

A system, comprising:

• a memory storing instructions;
• one or more communication interfaces;
• and
• one or more hardware processors coupled to the memory via the one or more communication interfaces, wherein the one or more hardware processors are configured by the instructions to:
• transmit a plurality of active piezoelectric sensors among a plurality of piezoelectric sensors controlled by one or more hardware processors, an ultrasonic tone burst on a damaged surface, and on a damage-free surface, wherein the plurality of piezoelectric sensors is arranged to form a grid structure;
• receive the plurality of active piezoelectric sensors among the plurality of piezoelectric sensors controlled by one or more hardware processors, an ultrasonic tone burst response from i) the damaged surface to create a sample dataset, and ii) the damage-free surface to create a reference dataset;
• apply to the sample dataset and the reference dataset, a reconstruction algorithm for probabilistic inspection of defects (RAPID) to identify an initial probabilistic damage location, a centroid of the initial probabilistic damage location, a quadrant of the initial probabilistic damage location and a first set of active piezoelectric sensors among the plurality of piezo electric crystals surrounding the initial probabilistic damage location,
• wherein the initial probabilistic damage location is obtained by calculating a signal dissimilarity coefficient (SDC) based on dissimilarity between
• i) a first received signal, representing a response received by a first piezoelectric sensor of the grid acting as a receiver (Rx) to the ultrasonic tone burst transmitted from a second piezoelectric sensor of the grid acting as a transmitter (Tx) positioned on the damage free surface, wherein the receiver (Rx) and the transmitter (Tx) forms a Tx-Rx path, and
• ii) a second received signal, representing a response received by the first piezoelectric sensor acting as the receiver (Rx) to the ultrasonic tone burst transmitted from the second piezoelectric sensor acting as the transmitter (Tx) positioned on the damaged surface, and
• wherein a second set of piezoelectric sensors from among the first set of piezoelectric sensors surrounding the centroid of the first damage location forms a reduced grid;
• estimate a size of the reduced grid;
• iteratively calculate a ratio of received signal energy of Tx-Rx paths of damaged surface and received signal energy of Tx-Rx paths of damage free surface until the reduced grid size is greater than a pre-defined grid size,
• wherein the active piezoelectric sensors of the reduced grid transmitting the ultrasonic tone burst (Tx) and the plurality of active piezoelectric sensors of the reduced grid receiving the ultrasonic tone burst response (Rx) forms a Tx-Rx path;
• apply iteratively a modified RAPID (M-RAPID) into the reduced grid to identify a plurality of subsequent probabilistic damage locations, one or more quadrants of the subsequent probabilistic damage locations and a third set of piezoelectric sensors within the second set of piezoelectric sensors surrounding each of the subsequent probabilistic damage locations, wherein the M-RAPID factors the ratio of the received signal energy of the Tx-Rx path of damaged surface and the received signal energy of the Tx-Rx path of damage free surface while estimating damage in the reduced grid;
• and
• average the subsequent probabilistic damage locations obtained by iterative application of the M-RAPID on the reduced grid to estimate an actual place of damage.

One or more non-transitory machine-readable information storage mediums comprising one or more instructions which when executed by one or more hardware processors cause:

• transmitting, via a plurality of active piezoelectric sensors among a plurality of piezoelectric sensors controlled by one or more hardware processors, an ultrasonic tone burst on a damaged surface, and on a damage-free surface, wherein the plurality of piezoelectric sensors is arranged to form a grid structure;
• receiving the plurality of active piezoelectric sensors among the plurality of piezoelectric sensors controlled by one or more hardware processors, an ultrasonic tone burst response from i) the damaged surface to create a sample dataset, and ii) the damage-free surface to create a reference dataset;
• applying to the sample dataset and the reference dataset, a reconstruction algorithm for probabilistic inspection of defects (RAPID) to identify an initial probabilistic damage location, a centroid of the initial probabilistic damage location, a quadrant of the initial probabilistic damage location and a first set of active piezoelectric sensors among the plurality of piezo electric crystals surrounding the initial probabilistic damage location, wherein the initial probabilistic damage location is obtained by calculating a signal dissimilarity coefficient (SDC) based on dissimilarity between
• i) a first received signal, representing a response received by a first piezoelectric sensor of the grid acting as a receiver (Rx) to the ultrasonic tone burst transmitted from a second piezoelectric sensor of the grid acting as a transmitter (Tx) positioned on the damage free surface, wherein the receiver (Rx) and the transmitter (Tx) forms a Tx-Rx path, and
• ii) a second received signal, representing a response received by the first piezoelectric sensor acting as the receiver (Rx) to the ultrasonic tone burst transmitted from the second piezoelectric sensor acting as the transmitter (Tx) positioned on the damaged surface, and wherein a second set of piezoelectric sensors from among the first set of piezoelectric sensors surrounding the centroid of the first damage location forms a reduced grid;
• estimating a size of the reduced grid;
• iteratively calculating a ratio of received signal energy of Tx-Rx paths of damaged surface and received signal energy of Tx-Rx paths of damage free surface until the reduced grid size is greater than a pre-defined grid size,
• wherein the active piezoelectric sensors of the reduced grid transmitting the ultrasonic tone burst (Tx) and the plurality of active piezoelectric sensors of the reduced grid receiving the ultrasonic tone burst response (Rx) forms a Tx-Rx path;
• applying iteratively a modified RAPID (M-RAPID) into the reduced grid to identify a plurality of subsequent probabilistic damage locations, one or more quadrants of the subsequent probabilistic damage locations and a third set of piezoelectric sensors within the second set of piezoelectric sensors surrounding each of the subsequent probabilistic damage locations, wherein the M-RAPID factors the ratio of the received signal energy of the Tx-Rx path of damaged surface and the received signal energy of the Tx-Rx path of damage free surface while estimating damage in the reduced grid;
• and
• averaging the subsequent probabilistic damage locations obtained by iterative application of the M-RAPID on the reduced grid to estimate an actual place of damage.