NOVEL SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR NON-DESTRUCTIVE INSPECTION OF AIRPLANES

• US 20130261876A1
• Filed: 09/26/2011
• Published: 10/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aerobotics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Aerobotics Incorporated
• Inventors: Froom, Douglas Allen, Manak, William T.
• Granted Patent: US 9,031,734 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/29.3
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 5/00 Designing, manufacturing, assembling, cleaning, maintaining or repairing aircraft, not otherwise provided for; Handling, transporting, testing or inspecting aircraft components, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 5/40 Maintaining or repairing aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 5/60 Testing or inspecting aircraft components or systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 5/0016 of aircraft wings or blades
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 5/0033 by determining damage, crack or wear
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 5/0041 by determining deflection or stress
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 5/0091 by using electromagnetic excitation or detection
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2223/646 flaws, defects
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/2694 Wings or other aircraft parts
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 23/00 Investigating or analysing materials by the use of wave or particle radiation, e.g. X-rays or neutrons, not covered by groups G01N3/00 – G01N17/00, G01N21/00 or G01N22/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 23/044 using laminography or tomosynthesis
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/04 Analysing solids using acoustic emission techniques G01N29/14
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/44 Processing the detected response signal , e.g. electronic circuits specially adapted therefor digital signal processing per se G06F17/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/44 inspection

Abstract

A method for managing an airplane fleet is described. The method includes: (i) developing a gold body database for an airplane model for each non-destructive inspection system implemented to detect defects; (ii) inspecting, over a period of time, a plurality of candidate airplanes of the airplane model, using different types of non-destructive inspection systems and the gold body database associated with each of the different types of non-destructive inspection systems, to identify defects present on the plurality of candidate airplanes; (iii) repairing or monitoring defects detected on the plurality of candidate airplanes; (iv) conducting a trend analysis by analyzing collective defect data obtained from inspecting of plurality of candidate airplanes; and (v) maintaining the airplane fleet, which includes plurality of candidate airplanes, by performing predictive analysis using results of trend analysis.

Claims

1. A method for managing an airplane fleet, said method comprising:

developing a gold body database for an airplane model for each non-destructive inspection system implemented to detect defects;

inspecting, over a period of time, a plurality of candidate airplanes of said airplane model, using different types of non-destructive inspection systems and said gold body database associated with each of said different types of non-destructive inspection systems, to identify defects present on said plurality of candidate airplanes;

repairing or monitoring defects detected on said plurality of candidate airplanes;

conducting a trend analysis by analyzing collective defect data obtained from said inspecting of said plurality of candidate airplanes; and

maintaining said airplane fleet, which includes said plurality of candidate airplanes, by performing predictive analysis using results of said trend analysis.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said non-destructive inspection systems is at least one system selected from a group consisting of X-ray inspection system, N-ray inspection system and laser ultrasonic inspection system.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said X-ray inspection system inspects for at least one defect selected from a group consisting of moisture, corrosion, cracks, fatigue damage, collateral damage, flaws, deformation, and foreign objects.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said N-ray inspection system inspects for at least one defect selected from a group consisting of internal moisture, corrosion, internal fuel leaks, and voids in sealants.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein said laser ultrasonic inspection inspects for at least one defect selected from a group consisting of disbond, delamination, impact damage, material life, porosity and voids.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said inspecting is carried out at an inspection facility, which includes a robotic envelope, and said repairing is carried out at a repair facility, which is different from said inspection facility.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said inspecting further comprises:

identifying critical defects; and

articulating around a tool point at or near a location of at least one of said critical defects to obtain a volumetric measurement of said at least one of said critical defects.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said articulating around said tool point includes imaging one of said critical defects from eight different locations.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said maintaining said fleet includes keeping in a supply facility spare parts for components or sub-components of said plurality of candidate airplanes, as each of said spare parts are waiting assignment to a specific airplane tail number.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said trend analysis includes at least one analysis selected from a group consisting of tracking categories of defects found in said component or sub-component of said plurality of candidate airplanes through an overlay of images obtained from one or more systems selected from a group consisting of an X-ray system, an N-ray system and a laser ultrasonic inspection system, tracking single site defect location or multi-site defect locations, tracking defect dimension, tracking growth of defect over a period of time, tracking low observable coatings on said plurality of candidate airplanes, tracking paint deficiencies on said plurality of candidate airplanes, applying Boolean logic rules, and statistical analysis to determine fleet condition and defect trends.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said trend analysis assigns a defect to one of said plurality of candidate airplanes by associating said defect with at least one item selected from a group consisting of airplane manufacturer, airplane type, airplane model, airplane tail number, airplane part noun, airplane part serial number, and airplane component or sub-component location by number.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said repairing is carried out by removing components or sub-components from said plurality of candidate airplanes and then repairing said components or said sub-components, or repairing said components or said sub-components in their assembled configuration on said plurality of candidate airplanes.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said predictive analysis includes at least one analysis selected from a group consisting of applying Boolean logic rules, projecting remaining life of components or sub-components of said plurality of candidate airplanes, projecting remaining life of said plurality of candidate airplanes, projecting when said components or said sub-components of said plurality of candidate airplanes should be removed from service, projecting load limitations for said components or said sub-components of said plurality of candidate airplanes, projecting needed maintenance cycles for said plurality of candidate airplanes and projecting spare parts inventory demand for said plurality of candidate airplanes.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said applying Boolean logic rules provides predicting a next maintenance cycle.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said inspecting includes generating a defect report, which presents at least one item selected from a group consisting of category of defect, defect location, defect count and defect dimensions, defect statistical analysis, and said defect report being generated for each component or said sub-component of each candidate airplane subject to said inspecting.

20. A method of developing a gold body database for a particular non-destructive inspection method, said method of developing a gold body database comprises:

locating a reference airplane of a particular model in space within a robotic envelope;

locating a component or a sub-component in space within said robotic envelope such that during a subsequent inspection of a plurality of candidate airplanes of said particular model for presence of defects, a corresponding component or sub-component in each of said plurality of candidate airplanes is automatically located in space using a robot; and

teaching a scan plan for said component or said sub-component located in space for each non-destructive inspection system subsequently implemented to detect defects in each of said plurality of candidate airplanes.

16. The method of claim 20, wherein said defect location is a location of a defect in (x, y) coordinates of said component or said sub-component.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

aggregating one or more defect locations to form a defect map for said component or said sub-component for each said non-destructive inspection system implemented;

overlaying said defect maps produced from each said non-destructive inspection system implemented for said component or said sub-component to produce an integrated defect map, which is used as historical record for said component or said sub-component.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising taking an image of said defect in said (x, y) coordinates of said component or said sub-component to produce a defect image to facilitate one process selected from a group consisting of repairing said defect, monitoring said defect and subjecting said defect to engineering disposition.

19. The process of claim 18, further comprising associating said defect image with a tail number of one of said candidate airplane.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising storing on a database said scan plan for said component or sub-component, and said scan plan is part of said gold body database.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein said locating a reference airplane in space includes:

aligning a nose gear or a main landing gear tire to a center line and a line on a floor of said robotic envelope, respectively;

immobilizing said reference airplane;

taking load off tires or actuators of said reference airplane;

defining point to point movement of a robot to approach said reference airplane such that said robot does not collide with an external object or said reference airplane;

teaching a robot, using machine vision, at least two edges defining a boundary of said reference airplane such that during said subsequent inspection of said plurality of candidate airplanes, each of said plurality of candidate airplanes is automatically located in space using said robot.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said locating said component or said sub-component in space includes:

teaching a robot, using machine vision, at least two edges defining a boundary of said component or said sub-component;

teaching said robot registration points on said component or said sub-component to define shape of said component or said sub-component located in space, such that during said subsequent inspection of said plurality of candidate airplanes, said corresponding component or said sub-component in each of said plurality of candidate airplanes is automatically located in space using said robot; and

establishing a zero-zero coordinate in x-y plane for said component or said sub-component such that a scan plan determined for each non-destructive inspection system and for said component or said sub-component is implemented.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising for each non-destructive inspection method:

establishing a value for location of said component or said subcomponent in z-axis; and

aligning pitch, rotate and yaw for proper alignment to internal structures.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein said teaching a scan plan includes programming said robot to follow a specific raster scan path depending on the non-destructive inspection system.

26. A method for repairing airplane defects, comprising:

locating a candidate airplane in space within a robotic envelope, said candidate airplane being a candidate for inspection by one or more non-destructive inspection systems;

locating a component or sub-component of said candidate airplane in space within said robotic envelope;

scanning said component or said sub-component located in space according to a scan plan developed for said component or said sub-component and developed for each non-destructive inspection system;

detecting presence of defects in said component or said sub-component;

determining whether any of said defects on said component or said sub-component require repair, if one or more defects are detected on said component or said sub-component;

monitoring said one or more defects during a life cycle of at least one item selected from a group consisting of said candidate airplane, said component and said sub-component, if it is determined that said one or more defects do not require repair;

removing said component or said sub-component from said candidate airplane if it is determined that said one or more defects require repair;

repairing said component or said sub-component removed from said candidate airplane, said repairing is performed after said removing;

developing an off-the-airplane scan plan for each non-destructive inspection system;

inspecting said component or said sub-component to determine whether repair of said component or said sub-component satisfies a predetermined repair criteria associated with each category of defect detected;

re-repairing said component or said sub-component one or more times until said predetermined repair criteria associated with each category of defect detected is satisfied, if said predetermined repair criteria associated with each category of defect detected is not satisfied;

storing on a database said off-the-airplane scan plan as a historical record of said component or said sub-component if said predetermined repair criteria associated with each category of defect detected is satisfied; and

wherein said repairing and said re-repairing produces a repaired component or a repaired sub-component.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein said scan plan and said off-the-airplane scan plan are images.

28. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

recording a serial number for said repaired component or said repaired sub-component comprising;

assigning said off-the-airplane scan plan said serial number.

29. The method of claim 26, further comprising installing on said candidate airplane said repaired component or said repaired sub-component.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising incorporating results of said off-the-airplane scan plan for said repaired component or said repaired sub-component in an overall scan plan of said candidate airplane.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein said incorporating includes assigning said off-the-airplane scan plan to an airplane tail number associated with said candidate airplane.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising holding said repaired component or said repaired sub-component in a spare part inventory as a repaired replacement component or a repaired replacement sub-component as a replacement part for installation on another candidate airplane.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising recording a serial number for repaired replacement component or said repaired replacement sub-component such said repaired replacement component or said repaired replacement sub-component is identified.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising installing said repaired replacement component or said repaired replacement sub-component on said another candidate airplane, which is different from said candidate airplane.

35. The method of claim 34, further comprising incorporating results of said off-the-airplane scan plan for said repaired component or said repaired sub-component in an overall scan plan of said another candidate airplane.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein said incorporating includes assigning said serial number of said repaired replacement component or said repaired replacement sub-component to an airplane tail number of said another candidate airplane.

37. The method of claim 26, wherein said detecting includes generating a defect report, which presents at least one item selected from a group consisting of category of defect, defect location, defect dimensions, defect count, and defect statistical analysis.

44. The method of claim 26, further comprising obtaining a first baseline information of a component or a sub-component of one of said plurality of candidate airplanes to subsequently perform a comparison of said first base line information with a second baseline information of said component or said sub-component that is obtained after a period of time has lapsed.

45. A method for detecting defects on an airplane, comprising:

taking a first image, using an non-destructive inspection system, of a component or a sub-component of an airplane, said image first describes location of defects in (x, y) coordinates of said component and said sub-component;

storing said first image on a database;

taking a second image, using said non-destructive inspection system, of said component or said sub-component after a period of time has lapsed and said second image describes location of defects in (x, y) coordinates of said component and said sub-component;

retrieving said first image from said database; and

comparing said first image and said second image to identify change or growth of defects after said period of time has lapsed.

38. The method of claim 45, wherein said defect location is a location of a defect in (x, y) coordinates of said component or said sub-component.

39. The method of claim 38, further comprising taking an image of said defect in said (x, y) coordinates of said component or said sub-component to produce a defect image to facilitate one process selected from a group consisting of repairing, monitoring or subjecting to engineering disposition.

40. The method of claim 39, further comprising associating said defect image with a tail number of said candidate airplane.

41. The method of claim 38, further comprising:

aggregating one or more defect locations to form a defect map for said component or said sub-component for each non-destructive inspection system implemented;

overlaying said defect maps produced from each non-destructive inspection system implemented for said component or said sub-component to produce an integrated defect map, which represents electronically stored information regarding defect locations and is used as historical record for said component or said sub-component.

42. The method of claim 41, further comprising:

developing an integrated defect map for each of said plurality of candidate airplanes to generate a collection of integrated defect maps; and

conducting a trend analysis on said collection of said integrated defect maps.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein said trend analysis includes at least one analysis selected from a group consisting of tracking categories of defects found in said component or sub-component of said plurality of candidate airplanes through an overlay of images obtained from one or more systems selected from a group consisting of an X-ray system, an N-ray system and a laser ultrasonic inspection system, tracking single site defect location or multi-site defect locations, tracking defect dimension, tracking growth of defect over a period of time, tracking low observable coatings on said plurality of candidate airplanes, and tracking paint deficiencies on said plurality of candidate airplanes.

46. The method of claim 45, further comprising performing at least one of selected from a group consisting of monitoring at least some of said defects, repairing at least some of defects and forwarding for engineering disposition for at least some of said defects.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein said engineering disposition establishes a repair procedure for at least some of said defects or deems further monitoring is required.

48. A method for repairing airplane defects, comprising:

locating a candidate airplane in space within a robotic envelope to arrive at a location of said candidate airplane in space, said candidate airplane being a candidate for inspection by one or more non-destructive inspection systems;

comparing said location of said candidate airplane with a reference location of a gold body database airplane to generate an airplane offset, which facilitates alignment of robots associated with each non-destructive inspection system;

locating, using said airplane offset, a component or a sub-component of said candidate airplane in space within said robotic envelope;

comparing said location of said component or said sub-component with a reference location of a gold body database component or a gold body database sub-component to generate a component offset or a sub-component offset, which further facilitates alignment of robots associated with each non-destructive inspection system;

scanning said component or said sub-component located in space according to a scan plan developed for each non-destructive inspection system implemented and developed for said component or said sub-component, and said scan plan being based on said component offset or said sub-component offset;

detecting presence of defects in said component or said sub-component;

determining whether any of said defects on said component or said sub-component require repair or engineering disposition, if one or more defects are detected on said component or said sub-component;

monitoring said one or more defects during a life cycle of at least one item selected from a group consisting of said candidate airplane, said component and said sub-component, if it is determined that said one or more defects do not require repair;

repairing said component or said sub-component, if it is determined that one or more defects require repair, and said repairing produces a repaired component or a repaired sub-component;

inspecting said component or said sub-component to determine whether repair of said component or said sub-component satisfies a predetermined repair criteria associated with each category of defect detected;

re-repairing said component or said sub-component one or more times until said predetermined repair criteria associated with each category of defect detected is satisfied, if said predetermined repair criteria associated with each category of defect detected is not satisfied; and

developing a baseline as a historical record for said component or said sub-component for each said non-destructive inspection system, if said predetermined repair criteria associated with each category of defect detected is satisfied.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein said baseline includes a defect map for each said non-destructive inspection system, and an image of each said defect on said defect map.

50. The method of claim 48, further comprising assigning said baseline to an airplane tail number associated with said candidate airplane.

51. The method of claim 50, further comprising discarding a previous baseline of said component or said sub-component before said repairing.

52. The method of claim 48, wherein said detecting includes generating a defect report, which presents at least one item selected from a group consisting of category of defect, defect location and defect dimension.

53. The method of claim 52, wherein said defect location is a location of a defect in (x, y) coordinates of said component or said sub-component.

54. The method of claim 53, further comprising:

aggregating one or more defect locations to form a defect map for said component or said sub-component for each non-destructive inspection system implemented;

overlaying said defect maps produced from each non-destructive inspection system implemented for said component or said sub-component to produce an integrated defect map, which is used as historical record for said component or said sub-component.

55. The method of claim 54, further comprising:

developing an integrated defect map for each of said plurality of candidate airplanes to generate a collection of integrated defect maps; and

conducting a trend analysis on said collection of said integrated defect maps.

56. The method of claim 55, wherein said trend analysis includes at least one analysis selected from a group consisting of tracking categories of defects found in said component or sub-component of said plurality of candidate airplanes through an overlay of images obtained from one or more systems selected from a group consisting of an X-ray system, an N-ray system and a laser ultrasonic inspection system, tracking single site defect location or multi-site defect locations, tracking defect dimension, tracking growth of defect over a period of time, tracking low observable coatings on said plurality of candidate airplanes, and tracking paint deficiencies on said plurality of candidate airplanes.

57. The method of claim 53, further comprising taking an image of said defect in said (x, y) coordinates of said component or said sub-component to produce a defect image to facilitate repair or engineering disposition of said component or said sub-component.

58. A system for managing an airplane fleet, said system comprising:

means for developing a gold body database for an airplane model for each non-destructive inspection system implemented to detect defects;

means for inspecting, over a period of time, a plurality of candidate airplanes of said airplane model, using different types of non-destructive inspection systems and said gold body database associated with each of said different types of non-destructive inspection systems, to identify defects present on said plurality of candidate airplanes;

means for repairing or monitoring defects detected on said plurality of candidate airplanes;

means for conducting a trend analysis by analyzing collective defect data obtained from said inspecting of said plurality of candidate airplanes; and

means for maintaining said airplane fleet, which includes said plurality of candidate airplanes, by performing predictive analysis using results of said trend analysis.

59. The system of claim 58, wherein said means for developing a gold body database includes a non-destructive inspection system which includes one or more inspection systems selected from a group consisting of X-ray inspection system, N-ray inspection system and laser ultrasonic inspection system.

60. The system of claim 58, wherein said trend analysis and said predictive analysis is carried out using a computer.

61. The system of claim 58, wherein said repair is carried out using laser ablation.

62. A system for developing a gold body database for a particular non-destructive inspection method, said system comprising:

means for locating a reference airplane of a particular model in space within a robotic envelope;

means for locating a component or a sub-component in space within said robotic envelope such that during a subsequent inspection of a plurality of candidate airplanes of said particular model for presence of defects, a corresponding component or sub-component in each of said plurality of candidate airplanes is automatically located in space using a robot; and

means for teaching a scan plan for said component or said sub-component located in space for each non-destructive inspection system subsequently implemented to detect defects in each of said plurality of candidate airplanes.

63. The system of claim 62, wherein said means for locating a reference airplane and said means for locating a component or a sub-component in space include a machine vision system associated with each non-destructive inspection system implemented.

64. The system of claim 62, wherein means for teaching a scan plan includes means for teaching an electromagnetic radiation emitter and a detector, both of which are configured to a yoke to provide rotation about at least one axis of pitch, rotate and yaw motion of said at least one of said electromagnetic radiation emitter and said detector, said yoke includes a first and a second members, said first member supports said electromagnetic radiation emitter and said second member supports said detector such that a distance between said electromagnetic radiation emitter and said detector is adjustable.