Non-destructive testing systems and methods
AssigneeProto Manufacturing Ltd.
InventorsMohammed Belassel, E. Michael Brauss, James A. Pineault, Robert John Drake
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and method for non-destructively determining the grain orientation of a crystalline material using x-ray diffraction techniques to non-destructively analyze material and, more particularly, to a system and method for determining the grain orientation of an underlying crystalline material covered by an overlying polycrystalline material. Further, the system and method relate to the use of x-ray diffraction to non-destructively characterize parts and components to determine whether to accept or reject those components or parts for use in application.
Claims32
An x-ray diffraction apparatus comprising:
- a mounting device configured to hold an article to be tested;
- an x-ray emitter for directing x-rays at the held article;
- a load applying mechanism for exerting a predetermined load on the article;
- an x-ray detector for detecting diffracted x-rays from the held article under different load conditions;
- and
- a control system for controlling operation of the x-ray emitter and the load applying mechanism, and wherein the control system causes the x-ray emitter to direct x-rays at the held article in an unloaded condition before the load applying mechanism applies a load, and causes the x-ray emitter to direct x-rays at the held article in a loaded condition where the load applying mechanism applies the predetermined load to the held article.
An x-ray diffraction system for generating differential loading on an article to be tested using x-ray diffraction to non-destructively determine a material characteristic of an underlying material of the article under an overlying material, the underlying material otherwise not subject to non-destructive x-ray analysis, the x-ray diffraction system comprising:
- an x-ray diffraction device for directing x-rays at the article and detecting x-rays diffracted from the overlying material of the article;
- a load applying device for holding the article and generating different load conditions on the article;
- a controller connected to the x-ray diffraction device for measuring a material characteristic of the overlying material of the article to be tested under the different load conditions;
- a processing unit of the controller for calculating a slope of the material characteristic of the overlying material versus load conditions for the article to be tested;
- a memory unit of the controller including a database containing a plurality of slopes correlated to material characteristics of underlying material of a plurality of similarly configured articles;
- and
- a comparison unit of the controller for comparing the slopes in the database of the memory unit to the calculated slope from the processing unit and determining the material characteristic of the underlying material of the article to be tested without subjecting the underlying material thereof to non-destructive material testing techniques.
A method comprising:
- providing an article to be tested including different materials with one of the materials being responsive to the other material under predetermined test conditions;
- measuring a predetermined material characteristic of the one material for a plurality of similarly configured articles to the article to be tested under the predetermined test conditions;
- measuring a different material characteristic of the other material for the plurality of similarly configured articles;
- correlating the measured predetermined material characteristic to the measured different material characteristic for each one of the similarly configured articles;
- testing the article to be tested by measuring the predetermined material characteristic of the one material for the article under the predetermined test conditions;
- comparing the measured predetermined material characteristic of the one material for the article to be tested to measured predetermined material characteristics of the one material for the similarly configured articles;
- and
- determining the different material characteristic for the other material of the article to be tested based on the comparison of the measured predetermined material characteristic for the article to be tested with the similarly configured article without requiring measurement of the different material characteristic of the other material of the article to be tested.
A method for determining an unknown orientation angle of an underlying crystalline material in an article to be tested having an overlying polycrystalline layer, the method comprising:
- (1) measuring a first stress at a location in the polycrystalline layer to provide a first stress value;
- (2) applying a predetermined load to the article greater than that to which the article is exposed to during the measurement of the first stress;
- (3) measuring a second stress under the predetermined load at the same location in the polycrystalline layer to provide a second stress value;
- (4) calculating a slope of stress versus load;
- and,
- (5) comparing the slope to previously determined slopes of similarly configured articles having underlying crystalline material of known orientation angles and overlying polycrystalline material to determine the unknown orientation angle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.