MANAGING NON-DESTRUCTIVE EVALUATION DATA

• US 20100235112A1
• Filed: 11/12/2009
• Published: 09/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Etegent Technologies, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Sheet Dynamics Ltd.
• Inventors: Roth, Richard A. II, Kesler, Joseph M., Sharp, Thomas D., Liggett, Uriah M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,521,480 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/35
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/10 Complex mathematical operations function generation by table look-up G06F1/03; evaluation of elementary functions by calculation G06F7/544
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/20 Design optimisation, verification or simulation optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention include methods to manage non-destructive evaluation (“NDE”) data. The method includes receiving NDE data for at least a portion of an asset along with inspection information associated with the at least a portion of the asset, and determining at least one alignment algorithm to align the NDE data to a simulated model of the at least a portion of the asset based on at least one of the NDE data or the inspection information. The method further includes automatically aligning The NDE data to the simulated model with the at least one alignment algorithm and analyzing the aligned NDE data on the simulated model to determine coverage of the simulated model by the NDE data. Additional methods include retrieving NDE data that has previously been aligned to the simulated model and determining coverage or determining trends associated with indications thereof.

Claims

1. A method of managing non-destructive evaluation (NDE) data in a system of the type that includes at least one processing unit and a memory, the method comprising:

receiving NDE data for at least a portion of an asset, including receiving inspection information associated with the at least a portion of the asset;

determining at least one alignment algorithm to align the NDE data to a simulated model of the at least a portion of the asset based upon at least one of the NDE data and the inspection information;

automatically aligning the NDE data to the simulated model with the at least one alignment algorithm; and

analyzing the aligned NDE data on the simulated model to determine coverage of the simulated model by the NDE data.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining an area of at least a portion of the simulated model that is covered with the aligned NDE data.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

indicating a statistical measure of coverage of the simulated model with the aligned NDE data based at least in part upon the area that is covered.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

indicating a statistical measure of coverage of the at least a portion of the simulated model with the aligned NDE data based at least in part upon the area that is covered.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining an area of at least a portion of the simulated model that is not covered with the aligned NDE data.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

indicating a statistical measure of the lack of coverage of the simulated model with the aligned NDE data based at least in part upon the area that is not covered.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

indicating a statistical measure of the lack of coverage of the at least a portion of the simulated model with the aligned NDE data based at least in part upon the area that is not covered.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the coverage of the simulated model satisfies a predetermined condition related to the coverage thereof.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to user interaction with at least a second portion of the simulated model that is not associated with aligned NDE data, selectively determining at least one dataset of NDE data that should have been associated with that second portion.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to user interaction with at least a second portion of the simulated model that is not associated with aligned NDE data, selectively determining information about at least one dataset of NDE data that should have been associated with that second portion.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the aligned NDE data on the simulated model to determine the coverage of the simulated model by the NDE data includes:

determining the location of a vertex of the simulated model; and

determining whether a portion of the NDE data is aligned with the vertex of the simulated model.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the aligned NDE data on the simulated model to determine the coverage of the simulated model by the NDE data includes:

determining whether a portion of the simulated model is associated with a corresponding portion of the NDE data.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the aligned NDE data on the simulated model to determine the coverage of the simulated model by the NDE data includes:

utilizing a floodfill algorithm to determine a boundary of at least a portion of the simulated model; and

determining whether an area of the simulated model defined by the boundary is associated with at least a portion of the NDE data.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the aligned NDE data on the simulated model to determine the coverage of the simulated model by the NDE data includes:

detecting a feature associated with the simulated model; and

determining whether the feature is associated with a corresponding feature of the NDE data.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the aligned NDE data on the simulated model to determine the coverage of the simulated model by the NDE data includes:

determining a plurality of features associated with the simulated model; and

determining whether the NDE data is associated with a corresponding number of plurality of features.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the aligned NDE data on the simulated model to determine the coverage of the simulated model by the NDE data includes:

establishing a region of the simulated model to determine coverage thereof, the region defined by a boundary; and

determining whether an area within the boundary of the region is associated with at least a portion of the NDE data.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the aligned NDE data on the simulated model to determine the coverage of the simulated model by the NDE data includes:

establishing a boundary of a region of the simulated model to determine the coverage thereof; and

determining whether the boundary of the region is associated with a corresponding boundary in the NDE data.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the aligned NDE data on the simulated model to determine the coverage of the simulated model by the NDE data includes:

establishing a boundary of a region on the simulated model; and

determining whether data associated with the boundary of the region is associated with corresponding data associated with a corresponding boundary of a region in the NDE data.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the aligned NDE data on the simulated model to determine the coverage of the simulated model by the NDE data includes:

determining a statistical measure of the coverage of the simulated model by the NDE data.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically aligning the NDE data to the simulated model includes:

transforming a coordinate system of the NDE data to a coordinate system for the simulated model.

21. A method of managing non-destructive evaluation (NDE) data in a system of the type that includes at least one processing unit and a memory, the method comprising:

retrieving NDE data for at least a portion of an asset, the NDE data having previously been aligned to a simulated model of the at least a portion of the asset; and

determining coverage of the simulated model by the NDE data.

22. A method of managing non-destructive evaluation (NDE) data in a system of the type that includes at least one processing unit and a memory, the method comprising:

retrieving first NDE data for at least a portion of an asset, the first NDE data having previously been aligned to a simulated model of the at least a portion of the asset;

retrieving second NDE data for the at least a portion of the asset, the second NDE data having previously been aligned to the simulated model; and

determining an indication of a potential problem associated with at least one of the first NDE data and the second NDE data, including determining a trend associated with the indication in turn associated with a difference between the first NDE data and the second NDE data.