Hybrid inspection system and method employing both air-coupled and liquid-coupled transducers

• US 9,310,339 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2008
• Issued: 04/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Bossi, Richard H., Georgeson, Gary E., Tat, Hong H.
• Primary Examiner(s): SAINT SURIN, JACQUES M
• Application Number:
  US12/182,572
• Publication Number:
  US 20100024559A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,813 Days
• Field of Search: 736/44, 736/34, 736/35, 736/39, 736/40, 736/41, 736/43, 736/49, 310/309, 367/181
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/048 Transmission, i.e. analysed material between transmitter and receiver
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/102 one emitter, one receiver
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/2694 Wings or other aircraft parts
• 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

A hybrid inspection system and method are provided which utilize both an air-coupled transducer and a liquid-coupled transducer in order to enjoy the advantages offered by both types of transducers. The hybrid inspection system may include a first probe that includes the air-coupled transducer, such as a capacitive machined ultrasonic transducer, which is configured to emit ultrasonic signals and to air couple the ultrasonic signals into a workpiece. The hybrid inspection system may also include a second probe that includes the liquid-coupled transducer, such as a piezoelectric transducer, configured to receive the ultrasonic signals emitted by the air-coupled transducer of the first probe via a liquid coupling between the transducer and the workpiece.

Claims

1. A hybrid inspection system comprising:

a first probe comprising an air-coupled transducer configured to emit ultrasound signals and to air couple the ultrasonic signals into a workpiece, wherein the workpiece has opposed interior and exterior surfaces; and

a second probe comprising a liquid coupled transducer configured to receive the ultrasonic signals emitted by the air-coupled transducer of the first probe via a liquid couplant between the liquid coupled transducer and the workpiece,

wherein the air-coupled transducer of the first probe is a different type of transducer than the liquid-coupled transducer of the second probe, and

wherein the first probe comprising the air-coupled transducer is configured to be positioned proximate the interior surface of the workpiece that has limited accessibility in that the interior surface of the workpiece is less accessible than the opposed exterior surface.

2. A hybrid inspection system according to claim 1 wherein the air-coupled transducer of the first probe comprises a capacitive machined ultrasonic transducer.

3. A hybrid inspection system according to claim 2 wherein the capacitive machined ultrasonic transducer comprises an array of micromachined cells.

4. A hybrid inspection system according to claim 1 wherein the air-coupled transducer of the first probe is configured to emit ultrasonic signals having a frequency of at last 1 MHz into the workpiece.

5. A hybrid inspection system according to claim 1 wherein the liquid coupled transducer of the second probe comprises a piezoelectric transducer.

6. A hybrid inspection system according to claim 1 wherein the first and second probes each comprise magnets such that the first and second probes are configured to be magnetically coupled to one another.

7. A hybrid inspection system according to claim 6 wherein the second probe comprises a mechanical connection to a scanning system so as to be driven to a plurality of inspection positions relative to the workpiece, and wherein the first probe is without an independent motive force such that the first probe passively follows the second probe.

8. A hybrid inspection system according to claim 1 wherein the second probe comprising the liquid-coupled transducer is configured to be positioned proximate the exterior surface of the workpiece.

9. A hybrid inspection system comprising:

a first probe positioned proximate a first surface of a workpiece, the first probe comprising a transducer configured to emit ultrasound signals that are coupled into the workpiece, the workpiece having opposed interior and exterior surfaces; and

a second probe positioned proximate a second surface of the workpiece, opposite the first surface, the second probe comprising a transducer configured to receive the ultrasonic signals emitted by the transducer of the first probe,

wherein the transducer of one of the first and second probes comprises an air-coupled transducer configured to couple ultrasonic signals between the air-coupled transducer and the respective surface of the workpiece via a layer of air, and wherein the transducer of the other of the first and second probe comprises a liquid-coupled transducer configured to couple ultrasonic signals between the liquid-coupled transducer and the respective surface of the workpiece via a liquid couplant,

wherein the air-coupled transducer of one of the first and second probes is a different type of transducer than the liquid-coupled transducer of the other of the first and second probes, and

wherein the probe that comprises the air-coupled transducer is configured to be positioned proximate the interior surface of the workpiece that has limited accessibility in that the interior surface of the workpiece is less accessible than the opposed exterior surface.

10. A hybrid inspection system according to claim 9 wherein the air-coupled transducer comprises a capacitive machined ultrasonic transducer.

11. A hybrid inspection system according to claim 10 wherein the capacitive machined ultrasonic transducer comprises an array of micromachined cells.

12. A hybrid inspection system according to claim 9 wherein the liquid coupled transducer comprises a piezoelectric transducer.

13. A hybrid inspection system according to claim 9 wherein the first and second probes each comprise magnets such that the first and second probes are configured to be magnetically coupled to one another.

14. A hybrid inspection system according to claim 13 wherein one of the first and second probes comprises a mechanical connection to a scanning system so as to be driven to a plurality of inspection positions relative to the workpiece, and wherein the other of the first and second probes is without an independent motive force so as to passively follow the driven probe.

15. A hybrid inspection method comprising:

providing a first probe with a transducer that is of a different type than a transducer of a second probe;

emitting ultrasonic signals from the first probe positioned proximate a first surface of a workpiece with the ultrasonic signals being air coupled to the first surface of the workpiece, wherein the workpiece has opposed interior and exterior surfaces;

air coupling the ultrasonic signals form the first probe to the workpiece; and

receiving the ultrasonic signals at the second probe positioned proximate a second surface of the workpiece, opposite the first surface, following propagation through the workpiece, wherein receiving the ultrasonic signals comprises liquid coupling the ultrasonic signals from the second surface of the workpiece,

wherein the first surface to which the first probe is proximate and to which the ultrasonic signals emitted from the first probe are air coupled is an interior surface of the workpiece that has limited accessibility in that the interior surface of the workpiece is less accessible than an opposed exterior surface.

16. A hybrid inspection method according to claim 15 wherein emitting ultrasonic signals comprises emitting ultrasonic signals having a frequency of at least 1 MHz into the workpiece.

17. A hybrid inspection method according to claim 15 further comprising magnetically coupling the first and second probes.

18. An inspection method according to claim 17 further comprising moving the second probe to a plurality of inspection positions relative to the workpiece and passively following the second probe with the first probe as a result of the magnetic coupling therebetween.

19. A hybrid inspection method according to claim 15 further comprising providing the first probe within a capacitive machined ultrasonic transducer, and providing the second probe with a piezoelectric transducer.

20. A hybrid inspection method according to claim 19 further comprising providing a liquid couplant between the piezoelectric transducer and the second surface of the workpiece while receiving the ultrasonic signals.