PART EVALUATION SYSTEM/METHOD USING BOTH RESONANCE AND SURFACE VIBRATION DATA

• US 20130074600A1
• Filed: 06/19/2012
• Published: 03/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vibrant Corproation
• Original Assignee: Vibrant Corproation
• Inventors: Hunter, Lemna J., Jauriqui, Leanne, Weaver, Greg
• Granted Patent: US 9,157,788 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/579
• CPC Class Codes: G01H 13/00 Measuring resonant frequency
• CPC Class Codes: G01H 7/00 Measuring reverberation time ; room acoustic measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G01H 9/002 for representing acoustic field distribution sonar systems for imaging G01S7/56, G01S15/89; acoustic holography G03H3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01H 9/008 by using ultrasonic waves measuring position using ultrasonic waves G01S15/02
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/014 Resonance or resonant frequency
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/017 Doppler techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/103 one emitter, two or more receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/12 by measuring frequency or resonance of acoustic waves measuring frequency or resonant frequency of mechanical vibrations or acoustic waves in general G01H1/06, G01H3/04, G01H13/00; acoustic resonators G10K11/04; vibration or shock testing of structures G01M7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/223 Supports, positioning or alignment in fixed situation mounting transducers per se G10K11/004
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/2418 using optoacoustic interaction with the material, e.g. laser radiation, photoacoustics photoacoustic cells G01N21/1702; measuring characteristics of vibrations by using radiation-sensitive means G01H9/00; acousto-optical conversion techniques for short-range imaging G01S15/8965; sound-producing devices using laser bundle G10K15/046
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/44 Processing the detected response signal , e.g. electronic circuits specially adapted therefor digital signal processing per se G06F17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/4436 with a reference signal amplitude comparison G01N29/48

Abstract

A part (120) may be subjected to both a resonance inspection and a surface vibration inspection. Various protocols (230; 240; 250; 280; 260) are disclosed as to how the results of one or more of these inspections may be used to evaluate the part (120).

Claims

1. A method of evaluating a part, wherein a resonance inspection comprises exciting a part-under-test at a plurality of input frequencies and obtaining a frequency response of a part-under-test at each of said plurality of input frequencies, wherein a surface vibration inspection comprises vibrating a part-under-test and assessing surface vibrations of a part-under test, and wherein said method comprises the steps of:

conducting a first inspection of a first part-under-test, wherein said first inspection comprises performing said resonance inspection on said first part-under-test;

conducting a second inspection of said first part-under-test, wherein said second inspection comprises performing said surface vibration inspection on said first part-under-test; and

evaluating said first part-under-test based upon each of said first and second inspections.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said resonance inspection comprises using a first transducer that excites said first part-under-test at each of multiple frequencies, and also using said first transducer to measure said frequency response of said first part-under-test.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said resonance inspection comprises obtaining said frequency response of said first part-under-test using at least one receive transducer that is maintained in spaced relation to said first part-under-test throughout said resonance inspection.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said at least one receive transducer comprises a laser.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said resonance inspection comprises obtaining said frequency response of said first part-under-test using laser vibrometry.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said frequency response is obtained from a single location on said first part-under-test using laser vibrometry.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said frequency response is obtained by laser scanning multiple locations on said first part-under-test.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said resonance inspection comprises exciting said first part-under-test using at least one drive transducer that is maintained in spaced relation to said first part-under-test throughout said resonance inspection.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said at least one drive transducer comprises a laser.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein said surface vibration inspection is selected from the group consisting of holographic interferometry, laser vibrometry, laser Doppler velocimetry, scanning laser vibrometry, and 2-d and 3-d scanning laser vibrometry.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein said evaluating step comprises determining if said first part-under-test is equivalent to a control group.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

disposing said first part-under-test in a fixture, wherein each of said first and second inspections are completed with said first part-under-test remaining in said fixture.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein said evaluating step comprises using results from said first inspection to assess an anomaly in results from said second inspection.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein said evaluating step comprises using results from said second inspection to assess an anomaly in results from said first inspection.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein said evaluating step comprises using results from said second inspection to associate a first resonance frequency peak in resonance inspection results with a vibrational mode.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein said evaluating step comprises using results from said second inspection to associate each of a plurality of resonance frequency peaks in resonance inspection results with a different vibrational mode.

26. The method of any of claim 1, wherein said evaluating step comprises using results from said second inspection to identify at least one vibrational mode in results from said first inspection.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein each said vibrational mode is selected from the group consisting of any one of multiple orders of each of a bending mode, a torsional mode, longitudinal modes, coupling modes, flexural modes, and axial modes.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein said second inspection comprises identifying a plurality of mode shapes in results from said second inspection for use by said first inspection.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein said identifying a plurality of mode shapes comprises associating a frequency with each of said plurality of mode shapes, and wherein said first inspection comprises utilizing said frequencies associated with said plurality of mode shapes.

33. The method of claim 1, wherein said evaluating step further comprises comparing results from said first inspection with at least one resonance standard, wherein each said resonance standard is stored on a computer-readable storage medium, wherein said evaluating step comprises using at least one processor, and wherein each said resonance standard is based upon spectra from conducting a separate said resonance inspection on each of a plurality of parts.

36. The method of claim 33, wherein said resonance standard is further based upon conducting a separate said surface vibration inspection on each of said plurality of parts, and correlating results from said surface vibration inspection with results from said resonance inspection for each of said plurality of parts.

39. The method of claim 36, wherein said resonance standard comprises a plurality of subgroups, wherein said method further comprises defining said subgroups using results from said surface vibration analysis on each of said plurality of parts and from said resonance inspection for each of said plurality of parts.

40. The method of claim 33, wherein said resonance standard is further based upon conducting a separate thermal surface analysis on each of said plurality of parts during said resonance inspection of said plurality of parts, and correlating results from said thermal surface analysis with results from said resonance inspection for each of said plurality of parts.

44. The method of claim 1, wherein a first part group comprises a first plurality of parts that in turn comprises said first part-under-test, wherein a second part group comprises a second plurality of parts, and wherein said method further comprises the step of comparing said first part group with said second part group.

45. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

executing said method on each of a first plurality of parts that were manufactured over a first time frame, wherein said first plurality of parts comprises said first part-under-test, and wherein each part of said first plurality of parts are in accordance with first specifications;

executing said method on each of a second plurality of parts that were manufactured over a second time frame that is different from said first time frame, wherein said first and second plurality of parts are from a common manufacturer, and wherein each part of said second plurality of parts are in accordance with first specifications; and

assessing manufacturing operations based upon differences between results from conducting said method on said first and second pluralities of parts.

46. The method of claim 1, wherein said first part-under-test comprises a plurality of common first structures, wherein said evaluating step comprises conducting a separate said resonance inspection on each of said first structures in response to at least one of said first and second inspections identifying an anomaly in results from said first and second inspections.

47. The method of claim 1, wherein said second inspection is performed only when there is at least one anomaly in results provided by said first inspection.

48. The method of claim 1, wherein said first inspection is performed only when there is at least one anomaly in results provided by said second inspection.

49. The method of claim 1, wherein said evaluating step comprises identifying a phase shift using said first inspection, and thereafter using said second inspection to identify a cause of said phase shift.

50. The method of claim 1, wherein said evaluating step comprises identifying an existence of a defect comprising identifying a phase shift in results from said first inspection, and wherein said evaluating step further comprises identifying a location of said defect comprising identifying a phase shift in results from said second inspection.

51. The method of claim 1, wherein said evaluating step comprises identifying a change in amplitude of at least one resonance frequency peak using said first inspection, and thereafter using said second inspection to identify a cause of said phase shift.

52. The method of claim 1, wherein said evaluating step comprises identifying an existence of a defect comprising identifying an amplitude shift in results of said first inspection, and wherein said evaluating step further comprises identifying a location of said defect comprising identifying and amplitude shift in results from said second inspection.

53. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of modeling a first defect, wherein said evaluating step comprises at least one of comparing results from said first inspection with results from said modeling step and comparing results from said second inspection with results from said modeling step.

2-5. -5. (canceled)

7-8. -8. (canceled)

14. (canceled)

20-21. -21. (canceled)

29. (canceled)

31-32. -32. (canceled)

34-35. -35. (canceled)

37-38. -38. (canceled)

41-42. -42. (canceled)

43. The method of 1, wherein said evaluating step further comprises comparing results from said first inspection with at least one resonance standard, wherein said evaluating step further comprises using results from said second inspection to compare said results from said first inspection with said at least one resonance standard.

54-55. -55. (canceled)