Assessing structural repair integrity

• US 8,581,736 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2010
• Issued: 11/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Keller, Russell L., Duong, Cong N., McIver, Keith L., Sidiropoulos, Aristidis
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hung T.
• Application Number:
  US12/823,108
• Publication Number:
  US 20110316712A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,237 Days
• Field of Search: 340/665, 340/539.1, 340/870.03, 340/870.11, 340/506, 702/35, 702/42, 702/183, 702/187, 737/99, 738/00, 738/03, 738/06, 735/88, 738/01, 738/02
• US Class Current: 340/665
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 5/0033 by determining damage, crack or wear
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 5/0091 by using electromagnetic excitation or detection

Abstract

A strain measurement device to assess the integrity of a structural repair to a surface comprises a detector, a processor, and a memory module coupled to the processor. The memory module comprises logic instructions stored in a computer readable medium which, when executed by the processor, configure the processor to use the detector to obtain a first strain measurement from an external strain indicator, use the detector to obtain a second strain measurement from the measurement sensor after at least one stress test is applied to the structural repair, and generate a signal when a difference between the first strain measurement and the second strain measurement exceeds a threshold.

Claims

1. A method to assess the integrity of a structural repair to a structural surface, comprising:

securing a patch over a defect in an underlying structural surface;

verifying a bond between the patch and the underlying structural surface;

applying a strain indicator to the patch;

obtaining, in a strain measurement device, a first strain measurement from the strain indicator when the underlying structural surface is not subject to an external stress;

applying at least one stress test to the structural repair;

obtaining, in the strain measurement device, a second strain measurement from the strain indicator when the underlying structural surface is not subject to an external stress; and

generating, in the strain measurement device, a signal when a difference between the first strain measurement and the second strain measurement exceeds a threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the strain indicator comprises at least one pattern on a surface, and wherein obtaining, in a strain measurement device, a first strain measurement from the strain indicator comprises determining at least one characteristic of the pattern.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the pattern comprises a checkerboard pattern of alternating color blocks.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the pattern comprises a repeating pattern of lines spaced at regular intervals.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein applying at least one stress test to the structural repair comprises applying a load to the surface.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein applying a load to the surface comprises subjecting the surface to stress in an operating environment.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the first strain measurement and the second strain measurement in a memory module coupled to the strain measurement device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting an alert on a user interface coupled to the strain measurement device when a difference between the first strain measurement and the second strain measurement exceeds a threshold.

9. A strain measurement device to assess the integrity of a structural repair to a structural surface, comprising:

a detector;

a processor; and

a memory module coupled to the processor and comprising logic instructions stored in a computer readable medium which, when executed by the processor, configure the processor to;

use the detector to obtain a first strain measurement from an external strain indicator connected to a patch over a defect in an underlying structural surface when the underlying structural surface is not subject to an external stress;

use the detector to obtain a second strain measurement from the measurement sensor after at least one stress test is applied to the structural repair when the underlying structural surface is not subject to an external stress; and

generate a signal when a difference between the first strain measurement and the second strain measurement exceeds a threshold.

10. The strain measurement device of claim 9, wherein the strain indicator comprises at least one pattern on a surface, and further comprising logic instructions stored in a computer readable medium which, when executed by the processor, configure the processor to determine at least one characteristic of the pattern.

11. The strain measurement device of claim 10, wherein:

the pattern comprises at least one of a checkerboard pattern of alternating color blocks or a repeating pattern of lines spaced at regular intervals; and

the detector comprises a camera to acquire an image of the pattern.

12. The strain measurement device of claim 9, further comprising logic instructions stored in a computer readable medium which, when executed by the processor, configure the processor to store the first strain measurement and the second strain measurement in a memory module coupled to the strain measurement device.

13. The strain measurement device of claim 9, further comprising logic instructions stored in a computer readable medium which, when executed by the processor, configure the processor to present an alert on a user interface coupled to the strain measurement device when a difference between the first strain measurement and the second strain measurement exceeds a threshold.

15. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the strain indicator comprises at least one pattern on a surface, and further comprising logic instructions stored in a computer readable medium which, when executed by the processor, configure the processor to determine at least one characteristic of the pattern.

14. A computer program product to assess the integrity of a structural repair to a surface comprising logic instructions stored in a computer readable medium which, when executed by a processor, configure the processor to:

receive a first strain measurement from an external strain indicator connected to a patch over a defect in an underlying structural surface when the underlying structural surface is not subject to an external stress;

receive a second strain measurement from the measurement sensor after at least one stress test is applied to the structural repair when the underlying structural surface is not subject to an external stress; and

generate a signal when a difference between the first strain measurement and the second strain measurement exceeds a threshold.

16. The computer program product of claim 14, further comprising logic instructions stored in a computer readable medium which, when executed by the processor, configure the processor to store the first strain measurement and the second strain measurement in a memory module coupled to the strain measurement device.

17. The computer program product claim 14, further comprising logic instructions stored in a computer readable medium which, when executed by the processor, configure the processor to present an alert on a user interface coupled to the strain measurement device when a difference between the first strain measurement and the second strain measurement exceeds a threshold.

18. A system to assess the integrity of a structural repair to a surface, comprising:

a strain indicator which may be applied proximate the structural repair;

a detector to obtain a first strain measurement from an external strain indicator connected to a patch over a defect in an underlying structural surface when the underlying structural surface is not subject to an external stress and a second strain measurement from the measurement sensor after at least one stress test is applied to the structural repair when the underlying structural surface is not subject to an external stress;

a memory module to store the first strain measurement and the second strain measurement; and

an evaluation module to generate a signal when a difference between the first strain measurement and the second strain measurement exceeds a threshold.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the strain indicator comprises at least one pattern on a surface, and further comprising logic instructions stored in a computer readable medium which, when executed by the processor, configure the processor to determine at least one characteristic of the pattern.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein:

the pattern comprises at least one of a checkerboard pattern of alternating color blocks or a repeating pattern of lines spaced at regular intervals; and

the detector comprises a camera to acquire an image of the pattern.

21. The system of claim 18, further comprising a user interface to present an alert when a difference between the first strain measurement and the second strain measurement exceeds a threshold.