Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation

Alliant Techsystems Inc.

Orbital Atk, Inc.

Xarion Laser Acoustics Gmbh

Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems, Inc.

Clint D Thomson

George Papadopoulos

Nicholas Tiliakos

Jeremy D Palmer

Lukas Balthasar Fischer

Wolfgang Rohringer

Robert N Andersen

Igor V Ivakhnenko

Fabian Luecking

Kenneth B Riding

Gabriel Benel

Methods, devices, and systems for detecting one or more discontinuities of a structure may include a laser emitter configured to generate and direct an ultrasonic signal into a structure and a receiver comprising an optical microphone. The optical microphone may comprise an array of optical microphones configured in a complementary manner to the emitter.

Inspection devices with laser emitters and optical microphones, and related systems and methods

An inspection fixture is provided that includes a fixture, a lens, an ultrasonic phase array, a mirror and a liquid supply connector. The fixture body includes an inner chamber and an opening to the inner chamber. The lens defines a portion of the inner chamber. The ultrasonic phase array generates ultrasonic signals and is positioned to send the ultrasonic signals through the lens. The mirror is received within the inner chamber and is positioned at 45&#xb0; in relation to the lens to reflect the ultrasonic signals from the lens out an opening to an inspection area of a body to be inspected and to reflect returned ultrasonic signals from the inspection area to the lens. The liquid supply connector is in fluid communication with the inner chamber.

Ultrasonic testing phased array inspection fixture and related methods

A non-intrusive sensor for in-situ measurement of recession rate of heat shield ablatives. An ultrasonic wave source is carried in the housing. A microphone is also carried in the housing, for collecting the reflected ultrasonic waves from an interface surface of the ablative material. A time phasing control circuit is also included for time-phasing the ultrasonic wave source so that the waves reflected from the interface surface of the ablative material focus on the microphone, to maximize the acoustic pressure detected by the microphone and to mitigate acoustic velocity variation effects through the material through a de-coupling process that involves a software algorithm. A software circuit for computing the location off of which the ultrasonic waves scattered to focus back at the microphone is also included, so that the recession rate of the heat shield ablative may be monitored in real-time through the scan-focus approach.

Non-intrusive sensor for in-situ measurement of recession rate of ablative and eroding materials

Growing community of inventors

Smithfield, UT, United States of America

Clint D Thomson