System and method for evaluating components using computed tomography and thermography
AssigneePratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
InventorGuy Joel ROCHER
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems and methods for non-destructive evaluation of components using computed tomography and infrared thermography are provided. A method includes acquiring, using X-ray computed tomography, a digital three-dimensional representation of the component, and identifying a region of the component containing the defect from the digital three-dimensional representation of the component. The component is mechanically excited to induce a thermal response in the region of the component containing the defect. A thermographic image of the region of the component containing the defect is acquired with an infrared sensor while the thermal response is exhibited. The component is evaluated using the thermographic image.
Claims20
A method of evaluating a component containing a defect using non-destructive inspection, the method comprising:
- acquiring, using X-ray computed tomography, a digital three-dimensional representation of the component;
- identifying a region of the component containing the defect from the digital three-dimensional representation of the component;
- mechanically exciting the component to induce a thermal response in the region of the component containing the defect;
- acquiring, with an infrared sensor while the thermal response is exhibited, a thermographic image of the region of the component containing the defect;
- and
- evaluating the component using the thermographic image.
A method of determining a health condition of a component using X-ray computed tomography and infrared thermography, the method comprising:
- acquiring, using X-ray computed tomography, a three-dimensional scan of the component;
- executing a first machine learning algorithm to process the three-dimensional scan of the component to identify a region of the component containing a defect based on the three-dimensional scan;
- mechanically exciting the component to induce a thermal response in the region of the component containing the defect;
- acquiring a thermographic image of the region of the component containing the defect while the thermal response is exhibited;
- executing a second machine learning algorithm to process the thermographic image to determine the health condition of the component based on the thermographic image;
- and
- generating an output indicative of the health condition of the component.
A system for performing non-destructive inspection of a component, the system comprising:
- a fixture configured to hold the component;
- an X-ray source and an X-ray detector cooperatively operable to perform X-ray computed tomography of the component while the component is held by the fixture;
- a transducer operable to induce a vibration in the component and generate a thermal response in a region of the component containing a defect while the component is held by the fixture;
- and
- an infrared sensor operable to acquire a thermographic image of the region of the component containing the defect while the thermal response is exhibited.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.