Apparatus, system, and method for non-destructive testing of an object using a laser beam directed out of a plurality of apertures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10078049-B2
Application number	US-201615158057-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 18, 2016
Priority date	May 18, 2016
Publication date	Sep 18, 2018
Grant date	Sep 18, 2018

Abstract

Described herein is an apparatus for non-destructive testing that includes a cavity. The apparatus also includes an input element coupled with the cavity and configured to receive a laser beam and to direct the laser beam into the cavity. The apparatus additionally includes multiple output elements formed in the cavity and spaced apart along the cavity. Each output element of the multiple output elements is configured to direct a portion of the laser beam out of the cavity such that each portion of the laser beam directed out of a respective one of the multiple output elements has a substantially similar intensity.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a cavity having an annular shape, wherein the cavity is disposed within a first annular shaped side of a beam guide and a second annular shaped side of the beam guide;
an input element comprising an input aperture coupled with the cavity and configured to receive a laser beam and to direct the laser beam into the cavity; and
a plurality of output elements, wherein each output element of the plurality of output elements comprises an output aperture formed in the cavity and the plurality of output elements are spaced apart along the cavity, each output element of the plurality of output elements is configured to direct a portion of the laser beam out of the cavity such that each portion of the laser beam directed out of a respective one of the plurality of output elements has a substantially similar intensity, the substantially similar intensity comprises being within ten percent of other intensities of the plurality of output elements, at least one output element of the plurality of output elements comprises a partially reflective material, and a first portion of the laser beam is directed through the partially reflective material and a second portion of the laser beam is reflected by the partially reflective material.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
each of the plurality of output elements comprises a material; and
the material of at least one of the output elements of the plurality of output elements is different from that of at least another of the output elements of the plurality of output elements.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
a first output element of the plurality of output elements comprises the partially reflective material;
a last output element of the plurality of output elements comprises a non-reflective material through which a remaining portion of the laser beam is directed out of the cavity; and
the first portion of the laser beam and the remaining portion of the laser beam comprise substantially similar intensities.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
a first output element of the plurality of output elements comprises a first partially reflective material that directs the first portion of the laser beam out of the cavity;
a second output element of the plurality of output elements comprises a second partially reflective material that directs a second portion of the laser beam out of the cavity; and
the first and second partially reflective materials comprise different reflective properties, and the first portion of the laser beam and the second portion of the laser beam comprise substantially similar intensities.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein:
the first portion of the laser beam is directed out of the cavity before the second portion of the laser beam is directed out of the cavity;
the first portion of the laser beam comprises a first percentage of the laser beam;
a remaining portion of the laser beam remains in the cavity after the first portion of the laser beam is directed out of the cavity;
the second portion of the laser beam comprises a second percentage of the remaining portion of the laser beam; and
the second percentage is greater than the first percentage.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the cavity is enclosed.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each output element of the plurality of output elements is spaced apart from an adjacent output element of the plurality of output elements by a substantially equal distance.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the cavity comprises a first side and a second side, opposite the first side;
the input element is disposed on the first side of the cavity; and
the plurality of output elements are disposed on the second side of the cavity.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein an interior surface of the first side of the cavity comprises a reflective coating.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein an interior surface of the second side of the cavity comprises a partially reflective material having an opacity that varies from a first opacity to a second opacity, the first opacity being greater than the second opacity.

11. A system, comprising:
a laser, selectively operable to generate a laser beam;
an apparatus, comprising:
a cavity having an annular shape, wherein the cavity is disposed within a first annular shaped side of a beam guide and a second annular shaped side of the beam guide;
an input element comprising an input aperture coupled with the cavity and configured to receive the laser beam and to direct the laser beam into the cavity; and
a plurality of output elements, wherein each output element of the plurality of output elements comprises an output aperture formed in the cavity and the plurality of output elements are spaced apart along the cavity, each output element of the plurality of output elements is configured to direct a portion of the laser beam out of the cavity such that each portion of the laser beam directed out of a respective one of the plurality of output elements has a substantially similar intensity, the substantially similar intensity comprises being within ten percent of other intensities of the plurality of output elements, at least one output element of the plurality of output elements comprises a partially reflective material, and a first portion of the laser beam is directed through the partially reflective material and a second portion of the laser beam is reflected by the partially reflective material; and

at least one laser beam diverter configured to diffuse the portion of the laser beam that exits each output element of the plurality of output elements.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the at least one laser beam diverter comprises a plurality of laser beam diverters each configured to diffuse the portion of the laser beam that exits a respective one of the plurality of output elements.

13. The system of claim 11 , further comprising at least one polarizer positioned between the plurality of output elements and the at least one laser beam diverter, wherein the at least one polarizer is configured to polarize the portion of the laser beam that exits each output element of the plurality of output elements.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the at least one polarizer is configured to polarize the portion of the laser beam that exits each output element of the plurality of output elements to be polarized in a substantially similar direction.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the at least one polarizer is configured to polarize the portion of the laser beam that exits each output element of the plurality of output elements to be polarized in a plurality of directions.

16. The system of claim 11 , further comprising a camera configured to capture an image illuminated by each portion of the laser beam exiting each output element of the plurality of output elements.

17. The system of claim 11 , wherein each portion of the laser beam exiting each output element of the plurality of output elements has a substantially similar phase.

18. A method of non-destructive testing of an object, comprising:
illuminating an object using an apparatus, wherein the apparatus comprises:
a cavity having an annular shape, the cavity is disposed within a first annular shaped side of a beam guide and a second annular shaped side of the beam guide;
an input element comprising an input aperture coupled with the cavity and configured to receive a laser beam and to direct the laser beam into the cavity; and
a plurality of output elements, wherein each output el

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Safai Morteza
• Meredith Kimberly D

Classifications

• G01N21/88

  Investigating the presence of flaws or contamination · CPC title

• G01N21/45 Primary

  using interferometric methods; using Schlieren methods · CPC title

• G01B9/02098 Primary

  Shearing interferometers · CPC title

• G01B11/162

  by speckle- or shearing interferometry · CPC title

• G01N2021/8848

  Polarisation of light · CPC title