US 6,633,378 B2 · Scanning system

Abstract

A device for remote detection of surface flaws in enclosed cavities that have been treated with a photoluminescent medium. The device has a non-rotating ultraviolet radiation source, an offset rotary drive means, a passive rotary scanning means that includes a plurality of lenses, reflectors and an optical filter, a non-rotating solid-state photodiode, and support electronic circuitry. Ultraviolet radiation from the illumination source is projected onto the test-part surface and causes dye penetrant that has been previously deposited onto the test-part surface to fluoresce at a different wavelength, thus revealing the presence of surface cracks and flaws. The receiving lenses capture the fluorescent light and project it onto the photodiode, which generates a series of electrical pulses that correspond to the presence of surface flaws. By encoding the linear and angular position of the scanning means, an accurate and quantitative map of the flaw pattern can be constructed.

Claims25

Dependent claims

A scanning probe operable to detect surface flaws in a surface of a cavity that has been treated with a detecting compound, the scanning probe comprising:

a housing adapted to be placed in the cavity;
an optical transmitter coupled to the housing, the optical transmitter operable to generate incident optical energy;
a single-element optical receiver coupled to the housing, the optical receiver operable to develop an electrical signal responsive to received secondary optical energy;
an optical assembly coupled to the housing and operable to move relative to the optical transmitter and optical receiver, the optical assembly focusing incident optical energy from the optical transmitter and applying focused optical energy onto a location on the surface of the cavity, the location being a function of the position of the optical assembly relative to the optical transmitter, and the optical assembly applying to the optical receiver secondary optical energy radiated from the location in response to the applied focused optical energy;
and
a driver coupled to the housing and coupled to the optical assembly, the driver positioning the optical assembly to sequentially apply focused optical energy on respective locations on the surface of the cavity to thereby cause the optical receiver to generate a series of the electrical signals responsive to secondary optical energy radiated from the respective locations, the driver also developing a series of position signals, each position signal indicating the position of the respective location at which the focused optical energy is applied, and the combination of the series of electrical signals and position signals forming a flaw map that provides information about the location of any defects present on the surface of the cavity.

3 more elements

A scanning probe operable to detect surface flaws in an inner surface of a cylindrical cavity that has been treated with a detecting compound, the scanning probe comprising:

a cylindrical housing adapted to be placed in the cavity, the cylindrical housing including an optical window and having a longitudinal axis;
an optical transmitter coupled to the housing, the optical transmitter operable to generate incident optical energy;
a single-element optical receiver coupled to the housing, the optical receiver operable to develop a defect signal responsive to received secondary optical energy;
and
an optical assembly coupled to the housing and operable to rotate about the longitudinal axis, the optical assembly focusing incident optical energy from the optical transmitter and applying focused optical energy from the optical transmitter through the optical window and onto a location on the surface of the cavity, the location being a function of the angular position of the optical assembly, and the optical assembly applying to the optical receiver secondary optical energy radiated from the location through the optical window in response to the applied focused optical energy;
and
a driver coupled to the housing and coupled to the optical assembly, the driver continuously rotating the optical assembly to sequentially apply focused optical energy on respective locations on the surface of the cavity to thereby cause the optical receiver to sequentially generate values of the defect signal responsive to secondary optical energy radiated from the respective locations, the driver also developing a position signal indicating the angular position of the optical assembly, the values of defect signals and the position signal forming a flaw map that provides information about the location of any defects present on the surface of the cavity.

4 more elements

A scanning system, comprising:

a scanning probe operable to detect surface flaws in a surface of a cavity that has been treated with a detecting compound, the scanning probe comprising:
a housing adapted to be placed in the cavity;
an optical transmitter coupled to the housing, the optical transmitter operable to generate incident optical energy;
a single-element optical receiver coupled to the housing, the optical receiver operable to develop an electrical signal responsive to received secondary optical energy;
an optical assembly coupled to the housing and operable to move relative to the optical transmitter and optical receiver, the optical assembly focusing incident optical energy from the optical transmitter and applying focused optical energy onto a location on the surface of the cavity, the location being a function of the position of the optical assembly relative to the optical transmitter, and the optical assembly applying to the optical receiver secondary optical energy radiated from the location in response to the applied focused optical energy;
and
a driver coupled to the housing and coupled to the optical assembly, the driver positioning the optical assembly to sequentially apply focused optical energy on respective locations on the surface of the cavity to thereby cause the optical receiver to generate a series of the electrical signals responsive to secondary optical energy radiated from the respective locations, the driver also developing a series of position signals, each position signal indicating the position of the respective location at which the focused optical energy is applied, and the combination of the series of electrical signals and position signals forming a flaw map that provides information about the location of any defects present on the surface of the cavity;
an electronic interface unit coupled to the scanning probe to receive the electrical signals and position signals and convert these signals to desired logic levels, and the electronic interface unit applying control signals to control the driver and thereby control position of the optical assembly;
and
a computer system coupled to the electronic interface unit to receive the converted electrical and position signals and applying signals to control operation of the electronic interface unit, the computer system storing values of the electrical and position signals and displaying the stored values as a flaw map.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Scanning system

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Scanning system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims25