STRUCTURAL DAMAGE INDEX MAPPING SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20120330570A1
• Filed: 06/27/2011
• Published: 12/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Hedl, Radek, Finda, Jindrich, Adamek, Karel
• Granted Patent: US 8,831,895 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/39
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0258 Structural degradation, e.g. fatigue of composites, ageing of oils
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/105 two or more emitters, two or more receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/106 one or more transducer arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/043 in the interior, e.g. by shear waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/0645 Display representation or displayed parameters, e.g. A-, B- or C-Scan
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/069 Defect imaging, localisation and sizing using, e.g. time of flight diffraction [TOFD], synthetic aperture focusing technique [SAFT], Amplituden-Laufzeit-Ortskurven [ALOK] technique
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/07 by measuring propagation velocity or propagation time of acoustic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/245 Ceramic probes, e.g. lead zirconate titanate [PZT] probes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/4427 with stored values, e.g. threshold values
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/4436 with a reference signal amplitude comparison G01N29/48

Abstract

A system and method for detecting and evaluating structural defects are provided. Baseline data representative of sensed ultrasonic waves that were transmitting into a structure with no defects are stored. Ultrasonic waves are transmitted into the structure from a plurality of actuators that are coupled to the structure. The ultrasonic waves that are transmitted into the structure from the plurality of actuators are sensed, with a plurality of sensors that are coupled to the structure and spaced apart from the actuators, to thereby generate and supply sensor data. Signal difference coefficients are calculated from the baseline data and the sensor data. The calculated signal difference coefficients are spatially mapped to detect one or more structural defects in the structure.

Claims

1. A method for detecting and evaluating structural defects, comprising the steps of:

storing baseline data associated with a structure, the baseline data representative of sensed ultrasonic waves that were transmitting into the structure with no defects;

transmitting ultrasonic waves into the structure from a plurality of actuators that are coupled to the structure;

sensing, with a plurality of sensors that are coupled to the structure and spaced apart from the actuators, the ultrasonic waves transmitted into the structure from the plurality of actuators, to thereby generate and supply sensor data;

calculating signal difference coefficients from the baseline data and the sensor data; and

spatially mapping the calculated signal difference coefficients to detect one or more structural defects in the structure.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a damage map from the spatially mapped signal difference coefficients.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising rendering an image representative of the damage map.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal difference coefficients (SDCs) are calculated using the following equation:

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the SDCs are spatially mapped using a basis function, which is defined using the following equation:

B_wij(x, y)=B_ij(x, y)w_ij(x, y),

wherein;

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising generating a damage map using the following equation:

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising rendering an image representative of the damage map.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

each of the plurality of actuators is configured to selectively act as a sensor;

each of the plurality of sensors is configured to selectively act as an actuator, and

the method further comprises;

selectively configuring each sensor to act as an actuator and transmitting ultrasonic waves therefrom,

selectively configuring each actuator to act as a sensor and sensing the ultrasonic waves therewith.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

mounting each actuator on a first flexible printed circuit;

mounting each sensor on a second flexible printed circuit.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising coupling the first and second printed circuits to the structure.

11. A structural defect detection and evaluation system, comprising:

a plurality of first sensor/actuators adapted to be coupled to a structure, each first sensor/actuator configured to selectively transmit ultrasonic waves into the structure;

a plurality of second sensor/actuators adapted to be coupled to the structure and, when coupled thereto, to be spaced apart from each of the first sensor/actuators, each second sensor/actuator configured to selectively sense the ultrasonic waves transmitted from one or more of the first sensor/actuators and generate sensor data; and

a processor coupled to receive the sensor data and configured, upon receipt thereof, to;

calculate signal difference coefficients from the sensor data and baseline data, the baseline data representative of sensed ultrasonic waves that were transmitting into the structure with no defect present, and

spatially map the calculated signal difference coefficients to detect one or more structural defects in the structure.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to generate a damage map from the spatially mapped signal difference coefficients.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising

a display device coupled to receive image rendering display commands from the processor and configured, upon receipt thereof, to selectively render images representative of the image rendering display commands,

wherein the processor is further configured to selectively generate image rendering display commands representative of the damage map.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to calculate the signal difference coefficients (SDCs) using the following equation:

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the processor is configured to spatially map the SDCs using a basis function, which is defined using the following equation:

B_wij(x, y)=B_ij(x, y)w_ij(x, y),

wherein;

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to generate a damage map using the following equation:

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising:

a display device coupled to receive image rendering display commands from the processor and configured, upon receipt thereof, to selectively render images representative of the image rendering display commands,

wherein the processor is further configured to selectively generate image rendering display commands representative of the damage map.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein:

each second sensor/actuator is further configured to selectively to transmit ultrasonic waves; and

each first sensor/actuator is further configured to selectively sense transmitted ultrasonic waves.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein:

each first sensor/actuator is mounted on a first flexible printed circuit; and

each second sensor/actuator is mounted on a second flexible printed circuit.

20. A structural defect detection and evaluation system, comprising:

a plurality of first sensor/actuators, each of the first sensor/actuators mounted on a first flexible printed circuit and adapted to be coupled to a structure, each first sensor/actuator configured to selectively transmit ultrasonic waves into the structure;

a plurality of second sensor/actuators, each of the second sensor/actuators mounted on a second flexible printed circuit and adapted to be coupled to the structure, each second sensor/actuator, when coupled to the structure, spaced apart from each of the first sensor/actuators, each second sensor/actuator configured to selectively sense the ultrasonic waves transmitted from one or more of the first sensor/actuators and generate sensor data;

a display device coupled to receive image rendering display commands and configured, upon receipt thereof, to selectively render images representative of the image rendering display commands; and

a processor coupled to receive the sensor data and configured, upon receipt thereof, to;

calculate signal difference coefficients from the sensor data and baseline data, the baseline data representative of sensed ultrasonic waves that were transmitting into the structure with no defect present,

spatially map the calculated signal difference coefficients to detect one or more structural defects in the structure,

to generate a damage map from the spatially mapped signal difference coefficients, and

selectively generate image rendering display commands representative of the damage map.

21. A method for detecting and evaluating structural defects, comprising the steps of:

storing baseline data associated with a structure, the baseline data representative of sensed ultrasonic waves that were transmitting into the structure with no defects;

transmitting ultrasonic waves into the structure from a plurality of actuators that are coupled to the structure;

sensing, with a plurality of sensors that are coupled to the structure and spaced apart from the actuators, the ultrasonic waves transmitted into the structure from the plurality of actuators, to thereby generate and supply sensor data;

calculating signal difference coefficients from the baseline data and the sensor data;

supplying the signal difference coefficients to a trained neural network to detect whether a defect is present; and

using the trained artificial neural network to estimate a size of a defect that is determined to be present.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

spatially mapping the calculated signal difference coefficients to detect one or more structural defects in the structure generating; and

generating a damage map from the spatially mapped signal difference coefficients.

23. A method for detecting and evaluating structural defects, comprising the steps of:

storing baseline data associated with a structure, the baseline data representative of sensed ultrasonic waves that were transmitting into the structure with no defects;

transmitting ultrasonic waves into the structure from a plurality of actuators that are coupled to the structure;

sensing, with a plurality of sensors that are coupled to the structure and spaced apart from the actuators, the ultrasonic waves transmitted into the structure from the plurality of actuators, to thereby generate and supply sensor data;

calculating signal difference coefficients from the baseline data and the sensor data;

spatially mapping the calculated signal difference coefficients to detect one or more structural defects in the structure generating;

a damage map from the spatially mapped signal difference coefficients;

identifying and localizing the individual defects using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and image segmentation; and

estimating defect size.