APPARATUSES, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS FOR INSPECTING A COMPONENT

• US 20160123934A1
• Filed: 10/30/2014
• Published: 05/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Fetzer, Barry A., Brown, Christopher R., Sarr, Dennis P., Duncan, Michael J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,746,447 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/044 Internal reflections (echoes), e.g. on walls or defects
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/105 two or more emitters, two or more receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/2638 Complex surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/043 in the interior, e.g. by shear waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/225 Supports, positioning or alignment in moving situation
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/265 by moving the sensor relative to a stationary material
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/28 providing acoustic coupling , e.g. water impedance matching G10K11/02

Abstract

Described herein is an apparatus for inspecting a component includes a first feature inspector with at least one wave transducer configured to inspect a first feature of the component. The first feature inspector further includes at least one displacement sensor configured to detect a displacement of the at least one wave transducer of the first feature inspector relative to the first feature of the component. The apparatus further includes a second feature inspector with at least one wave transducer configured to inspect a second feature of the component. The second feature inspector further includes at least one displacement sensor configured to detect a displacement of the at least one wave transducer of the second feature inspector relative to the second feature of the component.

Claims

1. An apparatus for inspecting a component, comprising:

a first feature inspector comprising at least one wave transducer configured to inspect a first feature of the component, the first feature inspector further comprising at least one displacement sensor configured to detect a displacement of the at least one wave transducer of the first feature inspector relative to the first feature of the component; and

a second feature inspector comprising at least one wave transducer configured to inspect a second feature of the component, the second feature inspector further comprising at least one displacement sensor configured to detect a displacement of the at least one wave transducer of the second feature inspector relative to the second feature of the component.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first feature inspector further comprises first and second housings spaced longitudinally apart from each other along the first feature, and wherein each of the first and second housings of the first feature inspector houses at least one wave transducer.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first feature inspector comprises a first displacement sensor movably coupled to the first housing of the first feature inspector, and a second displacement sensor movably coupled to the second housing of the first feature inspector.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second feature inspector further comprises first and second housings spaced laterally apart from each other across the second feature, wherein each of the first and second housings of the second feature inspector houses at least one wave transducer.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the second feature inspector comprises a first displacement sensor movably coupled to the first housing of the second feature inspector, and a second displacement sensor movably coupled to the second housing of the second feature inspector.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first feature comprises a cap, and the second feature comprises opposing webs angled with respect to the cap.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein displacement of the at least one wave transducer of the first feature inspector relative to the first feature of the component corresponds with a pitch of the component, and displacement of the at least one wave transducer of the second feature inspector relative to the second feature of the component corresponds with a roll of the component.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an optical sensor configured to detect changes in a profile of the first and second features of the component.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein changes in the profile of the first and second features of the component detected by the optical sensor correspond with at least one of height and lateral changes in the profile of the first and second features of the component.

10. A system for inspecting a component, comprising:

a probe comprising (i) a first feature inspector comprising at least one wave transducer configured to inspect a first feature of the component, the first feature inspector further comprising at least one displacement sensor configured to detect a displacement of the at least one wave transducer of the first feature inspector relative to the first feature of the component; and

(ii) a second feature inspector comprising at least one wave transducer configured to inspect a second feature of the component, the second feature inspector further comprising at least one displacement sensor configured to detect a displacement of the at least one wave transducer of the second feature inspector relative to the second feature of the component;

an actuator coupled to the probe, the actuator being actuatable to adjust at least one of a linear or angular position of the probe; and

a controller operably coupled to the probe and actuator, the controller being configured to control actuation of the actuator based on at least one of the displacement of the at least one wave transducer of the first feature inspector relative to the first feature of the component or the displacement of the at least one wave transducer of the second feature inspector relative to the second feature of the component.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the controller controls actuation of the actuator to adjust a pitch of the probe based on the displacement of the at least one wave transducer of the first feature inspector relative to the first feature of the component, and to adjust a roll of the probe based on the displacement of the at least one wave transducer of the second feature inspector relative to the second feature of the component.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the probe further comprises at least one optical sensor configured to detect a profile of the first and second features of the component, wherein the controller is further configured to control actuation of the actuator based on changes in the profile of the first and second features of the component detected by the at least one optical sensor.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the controller controls actuation of the actuator to adjust a lateral or height position of the probe based on changes in the profile of the first and second features of the component detected by the at least one optical sensor.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the controller controls actuation of the actuator to adjust at least one of roll or pitch of the probe based on changes in the profile of the first and second features of the component detected by the at least one optical sensor.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the controller controls actuation of the actuator based solely on one or more of the displacement of the at least one wave transducer of the first feature inspector relative to the first feature of the component, the displacement of the at least one wave transducer of the second feature inspector relative to the second feature of the component, and changes in the profile of the first and second features of the component detected by the at least one optical sensor.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the controller comprises an input module and an output module, the input module being configured to receive signals from the at least one displacement sensor of the first feature inspector and the at least one displacement sensor of the second feature inspector, and the output module being configured to convert the signals received from the at least one displacement sensor of the first feature inspector and the at least one displacement sensor of the second feature inspector into actuation commands for actuating the actuator.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein:

the first feature inspector comprises at least two wave transducers and at least two displacement sensors each configured to detect a displacement of a respective one of the at least two wave transducers of the first feature inspector;

the second feature inspector comprises at least two wave transducers and at least two displacement sensors each configured to detect a displacement of a respective one of the at least two wave transducers of the second feature inspector;

the input module is configured to aggregate signals received from the at least two displacement sensors of the first feature inspector into a first aggregated signal, and aggregate signals received from the at least two displacement sensors of the second feature inspector into a second aggregated signal; and

the output module is configured to convert the first aggregated signal into a pitch command for actuating a pitch actuator of the actuator, to convert the second aggregated voltage into a roll command for actuating a roll actuator of the actuator.

18. A method for inspecting a component, comprising:

initiating inspection of a 3-dimensional structure of the component using at least one wave transducer;

detecting displacement of the at least one wave transducer relative to the 3-dimensional structure; and

adjusting a position of the at least one wave transducer based on detected displacement of the at least one wave transducer relative to the 3-dimensional structure.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising determining a pitch of the 3-dimensional structure based on detected displacement of the at least one wave transducer relative to the 3-dimensional structure, and wherein adjusting the position of the at least one wave transducer comprises adjusting a pitch of the at least one wave transducer.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising determining a roll of the 3-dimensional structure based on detected displacement of the at least one wave transducer relative to the 3-dimensional structure, and wherein adjusting the position of the at least one wave transducer comprises adjusting a roll of the at least one wave transducer.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising detecting a profile of the 3-dimensional structure of the component using at least one optical sensor, the method further comprising adjusting a linear position of the at least one wave transducer based on a change in the detected profile of the 3-dimensional structure.