Monitoring

• US 6,443,012 B2
• Filed: 04/01/1999
• Issued: 09/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: GE Aviation UK (GE Aerospace)
• Original Assignee: Smiths Industries Public Limited Company
• Inventors: Beardmore, Geoffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Hezron
• Assistant Examiner(s): MILLER, ROSE MARY
• Application Number:
  US09/283,279
• Publication Number:
  US 20020000125A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,251 Days
• Field of Search: 735/98, 736/00, 736/25, 736/26
• US Class Current: 73/626
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0231 Composite or layered materials
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/044 Internal reflections (echoes), e.g. on walls or defects
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/106 one or more transducer arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/2694 Wings or other aircraft parts
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/07 by measuring propagation velocity or propagation time of acoustic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/223 Supports, positioning or alignment in fixed situation mounting transducers per se G10K11/004
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/262 by electronic orientation or focusing, e.g. with phased arrays phased arrays per se G10K11/34
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/28 providing acoustic coupling , e.g. water impedance matching G10K11/02
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/34 using electrical steering of transducer arrays, e.g. beam steering constructional aspects B06B1/0607, B06B1/085

Abstract

An aircraft has several ultrasonic phased arrays acoustically bonded to parts of its structure to be monitored. The arrays are energized to produce an ultrasonic beam that scans the structure in two planes. A monitor receives the output from the arrays produced by reflection of energy from discontinuities within the structure. When there is a change in these outputs, the monitor signals a pilot display unit and a flight control system such that the aircraft flight envelope can be restricted to minimize damage.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring defects in a solid component, the system comprising:

at least one phased acoustic array;

means for fixedly mounting the array to the component for acoustically coupling the array to said component; and

a monitor arranged to energize said array to generate a scanned beam of acoustic energy propagated into said component and to monitor the output of said array during use of said component, wherein said monitor is responsive to defects as they arise during use of said component and provides an output in accordance therewith.

2. A monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein said monitor is arranged to energize said array to scan a beam of acoustic energy in two planes.

3. A monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein said array is provided by a square of PZT material diced into an array of square elements.

4. A monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein said array is operative at ultrasonic frequencies.

5. A monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein said array is mounted to said component by bonding to said component.

6. A monitoring system according to claim 1 including a plurality of said arrays distributed over said component.

7. A system for monitoring defects in a solid component, the system comprising:

at least one phased ultrasonic array having a plurality of elements in two orthogonal directions;

means for fixedly mounting the array to the component for acoustically coupling the array to said component; and

a monitor for energizing said array to produce a beam of ultrasonic energy that scans the component in two planes, wherein said monitor is arranged to monitor the output of said array in response to ultrasonic energy received from said component during use of said component, and wherein said monitor is responsive to defects as they arise during use of said component and provides an output in accordance therewith.

8. A method of monitoring defects in a solid component during use of said component comprising the steps of:

fixedly mounting and acoustically coupling to said component at least one phase acoustic array, energizing said array to produce a scanned beam of acoustic energy propagated into said component, and monitoring the output of said array during use of said component so as to detect any defect as they arise during use of said component.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the output of said array is monitored for a change in output.

10. A method according to claim 8, wherein said array is energized to produce a beam of acoustic energy that scans said component in two planes.

11. A method of monitoring defects in a solid component during use of said component comprising the steps of:

fixedly mounting and acoustically coupling to said component at least one phased acoustic array, energizing said array to produce a beam of ultrasonic energy that scans said component in two planes, monitoring the output of said array produced ultrasonic energy received by said array after reflection from discontinuities in said component, and determining when said output changes in a manner indicative of change in discontinuities in said component as they arise during use of said component.