The Boeing Company

University of Washington

William Paul Motzer

Gary E Georgeson

Alan Frank Stewart

Scott Wesley Lea

James C Kennedy

James J Troy

Jeffrey Reyner Kollgaard

Steven Kenneth Brady

Jill Paisley Bingham

Clarence Lavere Gordon, Iii

Richard Henry Bossi

Matthew N O'Donnell

Ivan Pelivanov

Jeffry J Garvey

Jeong-Beom Ihn

Steven Ray Walton

Michael C Hutchinson

Peter J Hellenbrand

Joseph Lawrence Hafenrichter

Barry Allen Fetzer

Nathan Rylan Smith

Morteza Safai

Daniel James Wright

William Joseph Tapia

Hien T Bui

Michael J Duncan

Nancy L Wood

Martin L Freet

David A Lilienthal

Mark L Little

Kevin Puterbaugh

Richard C Krotzer

Ronald E VonWahlde

Sadie Lee Fieni

Jinjun Xia

David Fortner

Chen-Wei Wei

Eddie Thelonious Boyd

Dennis Coffey

Clarence L Gordon

Jill P Bingham

Gary Ernest Georgeson

Clarence L Gordon Iii

Jeffery Reyner Kollgaard

Iii Clarence Lavere Gordon

Michael Joseph Duncan

Clarence Lavere Iii Gordon

Ronald E Vonwahlde

Joseph I Hafenrichter

Described herein is a system for determining structural characteristics of an object, the system including a first laser, a second laser, one or more processors, and a computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to perform functions. The functions include illuminating, by the first laser, a surface region of an object with an incident light pulse, thereby causing the object to exhibit vibrations; illuminating, by the second laser, the surface region with an incident light beam, thereby generating responsive light that is indicative of the vibrations; detecting the responsive light and determining a difference between a characteristic of the responsive light and a reference characteristic that corresponds to the surface region; determining a position of the surface region within a three-dimensional space; and displaying the surface region such that the difference is indicated at the position of the surface region.

Laser ultrasound imaging

Non-destructive test systems and associated methods. A non-destructive test system includes an infrared thermography assembly and an ultrasonic test assembly for testing a test piece. The infrared thermography assembly may include one or more thermography sensor modules and a thermography test controller. The ultrasonic test assembly may include one or more ultrasonic sensor subassemblies with respective excitation modules and respective detector modules and an ultrasonic test controller. Each excitation module may be configured to produce a respective ultrasonic beam within the test piece, and each detector module may be configured to detect a respective reflected vibration of the test piece. In some examples, a method of performing a non-destructive test on a test piece includes testing an infrared test region of the test piece with an infrared thermography assembly and testing an ultrasonic test region of the test piece with an ultrasonic test assembly.

Non-destructive test systems with infrared thermography assemblies and ultrasonic test assemblies, and associated methods

A method for testing a structure includes steps of: identifying a three-dimensional position of a surface of the structure relative to a reference frame; transmitting laser light from an output of a transmitter onto the surface of the structure to form ultrasonic waves in the structure and to detect a response to the ultrasonic waves; based on the three-dimensional position of the surface, moving the laser light over the structure along a scan path so that the output of the transmitter is located at a constant offset distance from the surface and that the laser light, transmitted from the output of the transmitter, is directed onto the surface at a constant angle of projection; and based on the response to the ultrasonic waves, determining whether an inconsistency is present in the structure.

System and method for testing a structure using laser ultrasound

A method for testing a structure using laser ultrasound includes steps of: (1) directing positioning light on a surface of the structure; (2) determining a spatial location and a spatial orientation of the surface from an evaluation of the positioning light reflected back from the surface; (3) directing pump light onto the surface to generate ultrasonic waves in the structure; (4) selectively locating a probe-light focal point of probe light on the surface, based on the spatial location determined for the surface; (5) selectively angularly orienting the probe light normal to the surface, based on the spatial orientation determined for the surface; and (6) directing the probe light onto the surface to detect a response to the ultrasonic waves.

Systems and methods for automatic alignment and focusing of light in laser ultrasound testing

Described herein is an apparatus, for shielding light generated by a laser during non-destructive inspection of an object. The apparatus includes a light shield at least partially enveloping the laser and defining a first opening through which light generated by the laser passes from the laser to the object. The light shield is opaque and includes at least one first biasing mechanism. The apparatus also includes at least one first light seal coupled to the light shield about the first opening of the light shield. The at least one first biasing mechanism is configured to urge resilient deformation of the at least one first light seal against the object. When the at least one first light seal is resiliently deformed against the object, light generated by the laser is constrained within a light containment space defined between the light shield, the at least one first light seal, and the object.

Apparatus, systems, and methods for inspecting a part

Methods and systems may be configured to integrate data from fixed nondestructive inspection sensors positioned on a test specimen and data from laser ultrasound scans of the test specimen, in order to monitor and track damage and stress indications in the test specimen in real-time during mechanical stress testing of the test specimen. Data from the laser ultrasound scans may identify emergent areas of interest within the test specimen that were not predicted by stress analysis, and further allow for reconfiguration of the test plan in view of the emergent areas of interest, without having the stop the test. Laser ultrasound scans may be performed on the entire test specimen, with high-resolution scans being performed on emergent areas of interest. Thus, stress indications, or stress effects, in the test specimen may be measured, identified, and tracked in real-time (e.g., as growth is propagating) in a test specimen undergoing structural tests.

Laser ultrasound scanning for visualizing damage or irregularities

A method of detecting local material changes in a composite structure is presented. A pulsed laser beam is directed towards the composite structure comprised of a number of composite materials. Wide-band ultrasonic signals are formed in the composite structure when radiation of the pulsed laser beam is absorbed by the composite structure. The wide-band ultrasonic signals are detected to form data. The data is processed to identify a local frequency value for the composite structure. The local frequency value is used to determine if local material changes are present in the number of composite materials.

Composite inspection

A method of detecting material changes in a composite structure is presented. A pulsed laser beam is directed towards the composite structure comprised of a number of composite materials. Wide-band ultrasonic signals are formed in the composite structure when radiation of the pulsed laser beam is absorbed by the composite structure. The wide-band ultrasonic signals are detected to form data. The data comprises a number of ultrasonic A-scans. The data is processed to identify a plurality of frequency measurements for each of the number of ultrasonic A-scans. A frequency image is displayed using the plurality of frequency measurements. The material changes are represented in the frequency image.

A method of detecting inconsistencies in a composite structure is presented. A pulsed laser beam is directed towards the composite structure comprised of a number of composite materials. Wide-band ultrasonic signals are formed in the composite structure when radiation of the pulsed laser beam is absorbed by a surface of the composite structure. The wide-band ultrasonic signals are detected over a duration of time to form data. The data comprises an ultrasonic A-scan spectrum. The data is processed to identify a structure signal in a frequency domain of the ultrasonic A-scan spectrum. The structure signal of the ultrasonic A-scan spectrum is compared to a structure signal of a composite structure standard to determine whether the inconsistencies are present in the number of composite materials.

Method and apparatus for enabling ultrasonic inspection of a changing, insufficiently defined or unknown shape (e.g., a variable radius or a noncircular radius caused by the use of soft tooling) at a rate that meets production requirements. The apparatus comprises a linear ultrasonic array (i.e., sensor) incorporated in a toppler, which in turn is slidably supported by an oscillating sensor mechanism carried by a traveling trailer vehicle. As a result of this arrangement, the sensor can undergo a back-and-forth sweeping motion coupled with motion along the spar radius. The sensor is further able to displace radially relative to a sweep pivot axis and rotate (hereinafter 'topple') about a topple pivot axis. In this manner, the orientation of the sensor can adjust to the contour of the inspected surface as the sensor scans.

Variable radius inspection using sweeping linear array

Self-contained, remotely operated, mobile measurement and inspection systems for stand-off inspection of large target objects located at sites distant from an operations center. The systems comprise a mobile platform with on-board instrumentation capable of making dimensional measurements in the local coordinate system of the target object. The systems comprise multiple hardware and software components networked to a control interface that enables the operator at the operations center to teleoperate the equipment. Various embodiments include rough-terrain and floatable mobile measurement and inspection systems.

Remotely operated mobile stand-off measurement and inspection system

A method of detecting inconsistencies in a structure is presented. A pulsed laser beam is directed towards the structure. A plurality of types of ultrasonic signals is formed in the structure when radiation of the pulsed laser beam is absorbed by the structure. The plurality of types of ultrasonic signals is detected to form data.

Inspection of structures

Systems and methods for automated maintenance of the top and bottom surfaces or skins of an integrally stiffened hollow structure (e.g., a horizontal stabilizer) using surface crawling vehicles. Each system uses dynamically controlled magnetic coupling to couple an external drive tractor to a pair of passive trailers disposed in the interior of the hollow structure on opposite sides of a vertical structural element. The external drive tractor is also coupled to an external maintenance tool, which the tractor pushes or pulls across the surface skin to perform a maintenance function. The systems allow maintenance operations to be performed on both surface skins without turning the hollow structure over. Each system is modular and can be transported to and easily set up in a building or factory.

Automated maintenance of surface skins using transporter system

Growing community of inventors

Seattle, WA, United States of America

William Paul Motzer