Structural bond inspection
First Claim
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1. A method for determining a presence of damage in a bond of a structure, comprising:
- applying a first energy, a second energy, and a third energy comprising at least one laser beam to an excitation region of the structure with a wave form induction tool in slidable contact with a surface of the structure to induce first, second, and third tension shockwaves in the structure, wherein the second energy is a higher energy than the first energy and the third energy;
detecting first, second, and third sound waves caused by the first, second, and third tension shockwaves using at least two acoustic emission sensors in contact with the surface of the structure, the at least two acoustic emission sensors independent from one another and one of the at least two acoustic emission sensors is positioned a first distance apart from the excitation region and the other of the at least two acoustic emission sensors is positioned at a second distance apart from the excitation region, the first distance is different from the second distance, wherein the first energy, the second energy, and the third energy are applied at the surface of the structure at a position between the at least two acoustic emission sensors; and
determining the presence of damage in the bond of the structure due to the applied energy based on a comparison between the detected first and third sound waves and a variation between the first and third sound waves detected from the comparison.
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Abstract
A method for determining the presence of damage in a structure includes applying energy to the structure to induce tension shockwaves in the structure. The method also includes detecting sound waves caused by the tension shockwaves using at least one acoustic emission sensor on the surface of the structure. Additionally, the method includes determining the presence of damage in the structure due to the applied energy based on detected sound waves.
19 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method for determining a presence of damage in a bond of a structure, comprising:
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applying a first energy, a second energy, and a third energy comprising at least one laser beam to an excitation region of the structure with a wave form induction tool in slidable contact with a surface of the structure to induce first, second, and third tension shockwaves in the structure, wherein the second energy is a higher energy than the first energy and the third energy; detecting first, second, and third sound waves caused by the first, second, and third tension shockwaves using at least two acoustic emission sensors in contact with the surface of the structure, the at least two acoustic emission sensors independent from one another and one of the at least two acoustic emission sensors is positioned a first distance apart from the excitation region and the other of the at least two acoustic emission sensors is positioned at a second distance apart from the excitation region, the first distance is different from the second distance, wherein the first energy, the second energy, and the third energy are applied at the surface of the structure at a position between the at least two acoustic emission sensors; and determining the presence of damage in the bond of the structure due to the applied energy based on a comparison between the detected first and third sound waves and a variation between the first and third sound waves detected from the comparison. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A system for concurrently determining strength of a bonded structure and presence of disbonds in the bonded structure, comprising:
- a wave induction tool that transmits a laser beam onto the bonded structure, when in slidable contact with a surface of the bonded structure, to induce first, second, and third shockwaves in the bonded structure, wherein the second shockwave is stronger than the first and third shockwave;
a sound wave sensing device comprising at least two acoustic emission sensors that detects first, second, and third sound waves induced by the first, second, and third shockwaves, respectively, the sound wave sensing device being in direct contact with the surface of the bonded structure, the at least two acoustic emission sensors independent from one another and positioned a distance apart from each other on each side of the wave induction tool with at least one of the at least two acoustic emission sensors in slidable contact with the surface of the structure, wherein a first of the at least two acoustic emission sensors is a first distance away from a shockwave induction region in the bonded structure and a second of the at least two acoustic emission sensors is a second distance away from the shockwave induction region, wherein the first distance is different than the second distance, wherein the wave induction tool transmits the laser beam at a position on the surface between the at least two acoustic emission sensors; and
a controller that determines the presence of disbonds in the bonded structure based on a variation of characteristics of the first and third sound waves detected by the sound wave sensing device, and determining the strength of the bonded structure based on the presence of disbonds in the bonded structure. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 19)
- a wave induction tool that transmits a laser beam onto the bonded structure, when in slidable contact with a surface of the bonded structure, to induce first, second, and third shockwaves in the bonded structure, wherein the second shockwave is stronger than the first and third shockwave;
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18. An apparatus for concurrently testing strength of a bonded structure and determining a presence of disbonds in the bonded structure, comprising:
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a laser bond inspection module configured to command a transmission of a laser beam, from a wave form induction tool in slidable contact with a surface of the bonded structure, onto an excitation region of the bonded structure to induce first, second, and third shockwaves in the bonded structure, wherein the second shockwave is stronger than the first and third shockwave; at least two acoustic emission sensors in contact with the surface of the bonded structure, the at least two acoustic emission sensors independent from one another and positioned in contact with the surface of the bonded structure a distance apart from each other with at least one of the at least two acoustic emission sensors positioned at a first distance from the excitation region and the other of the at least two acoustic emission sensors positioned at a second distance apart from the excitation region with the first distance being different from the second distance, wherein the energies are applied at the surface of the structure at a position between the at least two acoustic emission sensors; and an acoustic emission detection module configured to determine the presence of a disbond in the bonded structure and verify a strength of the bond based on at least one frequency characteristic of first, second, and third sound waves in the bonded structure induced by the first, second, and third shockwaves, respectively, the first, second, and third sound waves being detected by the at least one acoustic emission sensor.
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Specification