The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 26, 1993
Filed:
Jun. 03, 1991
Ronald A Kline, Norman, OK (US);
Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK (US);
Abstract
A method and apparatus for non-destructively determining fiber volume fraction and resin porosity of a composite material or prepreg wherein the composite material or prepreg is moved between a roller and a roller-transducer housing. A transducer assembly is supported in the roller-transducer housing for propagating two independent acoustic waves through the composite material. A water medium is disposed in the roller-transducer housing. The two acoustic waves are propagated through the water medium, through the thickness of the roller-transducer housing and through the composite material or prepreg. The velocity of each of two acoustic waves, V.sub.1 and V.sub.2, are determined and the thickness of the composite material or prepreg is determined. The fiber volume fraction in resin porosity of the composite material or prepreg are then determined using the velocities V.sub.1 and V.sub.2, the thickness and known parameters of density, elastic modulii of the constituent material and layup sequence.