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:
Jun. 20, 2006
Filed:
Sep. 19, 2003
Max Rothenfusser, Munich, DE;
Christian Homma, Munich, DE;
Paul John Zombo, Cocoa, FL (US);
Paul D. Vona, Cocoa, FL (US);
Robert E. Shannon, Export, PA (US);
Max Rothenfusser, Munich, DE;
Christian Homma, Munich, DE;
Paul John Zombo, Cocoa, FL (US);
Paul D. Vona, Cocoa, FL (US);
Robert E. Shannon, Export, PA (US);
Siemens Power Generation, Inc., Orlando, FL (US);
Abstract
A method and apparatus for calibrating an acoustic thermography systemand/or enhancing the flaw detection abilities of such a system is provided. The method allows applying a material (e.g.,) to a specimenundergoing acoustic thermography inspection. The material is thermally responsive to acoustic energy transmitted to the specimen by the acoustic thermography system. In one aspect thereof, a thermal response of the material applied to the specimen when subjected to acoustic energy is processed to determine whether the level of acoustic energy applied by the acoustic thermographic system appropriately meets a desired amount of acoustic energy for inspecting the specimen. In another aspect thereof, the thermal response of the specimen in combination with the applied material may be processed to determine whether certain types of flaws (e.g., relatively wide flaws) are actually present in the specimen or to enhance the detectability of other flaws that would only faintly show up on the infrared images.