Shock pressure gauge for laser peening apparatus

• US 6,539,773 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2001
• Issued: 04/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LSP Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: LSP Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Clauer, Allan H., Lahrman, David F., Walters, Craig T.
• Primary Examiner(s): NOORI, MAX H
• Application Number:
  US09/883,712
• Publication Number:
  US 20010042397A1
• Time in Patent Office: 652 Days
• Field of Search: 73/110.1, 73/110.2, 73/120.1, 73/120.4, 73/120.8, 73/120.9, 73/12, 73/261
• US Class Current: 73/11.02
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/03 Observing, e.g. monitoring, the workpiece
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/356 by shock processing
• CPC Class Codes: C21D 10/005 by laser shock processing
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 5/0052 measuring forces due to impact G01L5/0061, G01L5/14 take precedence; impact testing of structures G01M7/08; impact testing of material G01N3/00

Abstract

An apparatus for measuring the strength of a pressure pulse created from a laser peening device. The apparatus is reusable, and includes a pressure-sensitive medium, a back-up disk, and a cap, all disposed within a housing having a removable lid. All components of the apparatus are replaceable, thereby allowing an operator to utilize the apparatus more than once despite the harsh environment of laser peening.

Claims

1. A pressure gauging system, comprising:

a pressure transducer for gauging pressure, said pressure transducer being provided with an energy-absorbing overlay configured for converting laser energy into a pressure pulse; and

a laser shock processor, said laser shock processor operatively delivering laser energy to said pressure transducer.

2. The pressure gauging system as recited in claim 1, wherein said pressure transducer further comprises:

a first component being provided with said energy-absorbing overlay thereupon, said first component operatively receiving laser energy from said laser shock processor and converting such laser energy into a pressure pulse via said energy-absorbing overlay; and

a pressure sensor, said pressure sensor being disposed in operative pressure sensing relationship with said first component.

3. The pressure gauging system as recited in claim 2, wherein said pressure sensor is operative to sense shock wave activity developed within and transmitted by said first component in response to laser energy applied thereto.

4. The measurement system as recited in claim 2, further comprises a housing to removably house said first component and said pressure sensor.

5. The measurement system as recited in claim 2, wherein said first component further comprises a disk-shaped member.

6. The pressure gauging system as recited in claim 1, wherein said pressure transducer further comprises:

a pressure-conducting element having said energy-absorbing overlay thereupon, said pressure-conducting element being suitably disposed via said energy-absorbing overlay to enable operative laser energy communication from said laser shock processor thereto, said pressure-conducting element operatively acting in response to laser energy applied thereto, via said energy-absorbing overlay thereon, to have shock wave activity developed therein and transmitted to said pressure-sensing element; and

a pressure-sensing element disposed in operative pressure sensing relationship with said pressure-conducting element.

7. The measurement system as recited in claim 6, further comprises:

a back-up disk coupled to said pressure-sensing element; and

a momentum trap suitably disposed relative to said back-up disk to operatively attenuate pressure energy associated therewith.

8. The pressure gauging system as recited in claim 6, wherein said pressure-conducting element further comprises a transparent overlay.

9. A pressure gauging system, comprising:

a laser shock processor;

a pressure-conductive component having an energy-absorbing overlay thereon, said pressure-conductive component being operative via activation of said energy-absorbing overlay to receive laser energy from said laser shock processor said laser shock processor operatively delivering laser energy to said pressure-conductive component, said energy-absorbing overlay converting the laser energy into a pressure pulse; and

a pressure sensor, said pressure sensor being disposed in operative pressure sensing relationship with said pressure-conductive component.

10. The measurement system as recited in claim 9, further comprises:

a housing to removably house said pressure-conductive component and said pressure sensor.

11. The measurement system as recited in claim 9, wherein said pressure-conductive component further comprises at least one of a transparent overlay and a coating overlay.

12. The measurement system as recited in claim 9, wherein said pressure-conductive component includes a disk-shaped element, said measurement system further comprises a back-up disk coupled to said pressure sensor, a momentum trap coupled to said back-up disk, and a housing to removably house said disk-shaped element, said pressure sensor, said back-up disk, and said momentum trap.

13. A pressure gauging apparatus, comprising:

a laser shock processor; and

a pressure gauging device for operative use with said laser shock processor;

said pressure gauging device comprising;

a pressure-conductive component having an energy-absorbing overlay thereupon, said laser shock processor operatively delivering laser energy to said pressure-conductive component, said energy-absorbing overlay converting the laser energy into a pressure pulse, and

a pressure sensor, said pressure sensor being disposed in operative pressure sensing relationship with said pressure-conductive component.

14. The measurement apparatus as recited in claim 13, wherein said measurement device further comprises:

a housing to removably house said pressure-conductive component and said pressure sensor.

15. The measurement apparatus as recited in claim 14, wherein said measurement device further comprises:

a support member disposed in support relationship to said pressure sensor; and

a component to operatively attenuate pressure energy operatively associated with said support member.

16. The pressure gauging apparatus as recited in claim 13, wherein said pressure-conductive component further comprises a transparent overlay.

17. A pressure gauging system, comprising:

a laser shock processor; and

a pressure gauging assembly for operative use with said laser shock processor;

said pressure gauging assembly comprising;

a pressure sensor,

a first component having an energy-absorbing overlay thereupon, said first component being operative to receive laser energy from said laser shock processor and to transmit a pressure-related representation thereof to said pressure sensor, and

a housing to house said first component and said pressure sensor.

22. The pressure gauging apparatus as recited in claim 17, wherein said cap member further comprises a transparent overlay.

18. An pressure gauging apparatus for use with a laser shock processor, said apparatus comprising:

a housing having a base;

a cap member disposed in said housing, said laser shock processor operatively delivering laser energy to said cap member, said cap member having an energy-absorbing overlay thereupon, said energy-absorbing layer being capable of converting laser energy into a pressure pulse;

a pressure sensor disposed in said housing, said pressure sensor being disposed in operative pressure sensing relationship to said cap member;

a back-up disk disposed between said pressure sensor and said base; and

a momentum trap disposed between said back-up disk and said base.

19. The apparatus as recited in claim 18, further comprises:

a spring disposed in said housing, said spring being disposed in biasing relationship to said momentum trap;

a first insulating element disposed between said pressure sensor and said cap member; and

a second insulating element disposed between said pressure sensor and said back-up disk.

20. The apparatus as recited in claim 19, further comprises:

a lid removably secured to said housing.

21. The apparatus as recited in claim 20, wherein said cap member further comprises an interior surface having a convex portion.

23. A pressure gauging method for use with a laser shock processor, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a target element, said target element having an energy-absorbing layer thereupon;

applying laser energy generated by said laser shock processor to said energy-absorbing layer on said target element, said laser interacting with said energy-absorbing overlay to generate pressure energy activity; and

detecting the pressure energy activity developed within said target element in response to the applied laser energy.

24. The pressure gauging method as recited in claim 23, wherein:

the step of providing said target element further includes the step of providing a pressure-transmitting element operatively arranged to receive the pressure energy activity initiated by the laser energy; and

the detection step further includes the step of providing a pressure-sensing element operatively arranged to sense pressure energy transmitted by said pressure-transmitting element.

25. The pressure gauging method as recited in claim 24, further comprises the step of:

providing said pressure-transmitting element with a transparent overlay.

26. A pressure gauging method for use with a laser shock processor, said method comprising the steps of:

activating said laser shock processor to generate a laser emission;

transforming the laser emission into a representative pressure energy signal through use of an energy-absorbing material; and

detecting the pressure energy signal.

27. The method as recited in claim 26, wherein the transformation step further comprises the steps of:

applying the laser emission to a pressure-conducting element, wherein application of the laser emission causes pressure energy activity to develop within said pressure-conducting element.

28. The method as recited in claim 27, wherein the detection step further comprises the steps of:

providing a pressure-sensing element to sense pressure energy activity operatively communicated by said pressure-conducting element.

29. The pressure gauging method as recited in claim 28, wherein the energy-absorbing material is a coating overlay, the pressure gauging method further comprising the step of:

providing said pressure-transmitting element with a transparent overlay.