Loading patent…
AssigneeMaterials Research Corporation
InventorsAnil V. Virkar, Ram Natesh
Estimating the term…
Structural failures, as in metal aircraft structures, are rapidly detected and measured by use of a new detection system comprising a thin film adhesively bonded to the metal structural surface to be monitored, said film containing a plurality of thin continuous strips which are adapted to be broken when a crack appears under the strips, said strips being substantially parallel but insulated from each other and the metal structural surface and arranged in a pattern such that there is frequent change in direction of the strips as in a zig-zag or rectangular pattern, each of said strips constituting a separate circuit joined to an electric power source and a sensing and recording means capable of detecting and recording any circuit failure caused by disruption of the metal strip, said disruption being caused by the formation of a crack under the said strip.
An in-situ on-line structural failure detection system for use in detecting cracks in metal structures which comprises a thin film adhesively bonded to the metal structural surface to be monitored, said film containing a plurality of thin continuous metal strips which are adapted to be broken when a crack appears under the strips, said strips being substantially parallel but insulated from each other and the metal structural surface and arranged in a pattern such that there is frequent change in direction of the strips as in a zig-zag or rectangular pattern, each of said strips constituting a separate circuit joined to an electric power source and a sensing and recording means capable of detecting and recording any circuit failure which may be caused by disruption of the metal strips.
A process for detecting structural failures in metal surfaces as evidenced by the appearance of a crack in the metal surface which process comprises applying to the metal surface to be monitored a thin adhesively bonded film, said film containing a plurality of thin continuous metallic strips which are adapted to be broken when a crack appears under the said strips, said strips being substantially parallel but insulated from each other and the metal structural surface and arranged in a pattern such that there is a frequent change in direction of the strips as in a zig-zag or rectangular pattern, each of said strips constituting a separate circuit joined to an electric power source and a sensing and recording means capable of detecting and recording any circuit failure such as may be caused by disruption of the metal strips, passing a current through each of the said metal strip circuits and monitoring the sensing and recording means so as to detect the formation of any cracks on the metal surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.