US 9,310,321 B1 · System and method for conducting electromagnetic resonant cavity inspection of gun barrels

Abstract

A system and associated method for quickly and automatically determining if the safety and performance of a gun tube have been compromised by firing damage or by an excessive number of fatigue cycles. An electromagnetic resonant cavity inspection provides a means of rapidly evaluating the health of the gun tube by monitoring the resonant frequencies that evolve from microwave signals introduced into the cavity or bore of the gun tube. This approach exploits the high sensitivity of the electromagnetic cavity resonance phenomena. Defects and degradation in the structure's cavity produce quantifiable changes in the quality factor, frequency shifts, and mode splitting.

Claims9

Dependent claims

An electromagnetic resonant cavity inspection device for evaluating the health of a gun tube, comprising:

a cap secured at a predetermined location along an inner bore of the gun tube;
an antenna secured to the cap;
a network analyzer that is electrically connected to the cap for introducing microwave signals into the inner bore, in order to convert the gun tube into an electromagnetic cavity resonator;
wherein the network analyzer determines:
(i) a resonance frequency, (ii) a quality factor, Q, and (iii) a radio frequency (RF) resistivity at the resonance frequency of the inner bore of the gun tube;
and
wherein the network analyzer correlates the RF resistivity to a number of fatigue cycles for the gun tube, in order to determine the health of the gun tube.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

13/687,259Filed 28 Nov 2012 · continuation in part

Priority

26 Mar 2010

Granted

12 Apr 2016

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

G01N 22/02
Investigating or analysing materials by the use of microwaves or radio waves, i.e. electromagnetic waves with a wavelength of one millimetre or…
F41A 31/02
Testing arrangements: for checking gun barrels
G01N 29/045
Analysing solids: by imparting shocks to the workpiece and detecting the vibrations or the acoustic waves caused by the shocks
G01N 29/14
Investigating or analysing materials by the use of ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves; Visualisation of the interior of objects by…

System and method for conducting electromagnetic resonant cavity inspection of gun barrels

Life of this patent

System and method for conducting electromagnetic resonant cavity inspection of gun barrels

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims9