Inspection apparatus and inspection method for inspection target

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11579059-B2
Application number	US-201816190390-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 14, 2018
Priority date	Jun 26, 2018
Publication date	Feb 14, 2023
Grant date	Feb 14, 2023

Abstract

Whether an internal defect is present in an inspection target is readily judged. Provided is an inspection method for an inspection target that is a layered structure including an FRP material and/or a structure made of resin, the method including the steps of: tapping, with a tapping tool, an inspection target area on a surface of the inspection target; detecting, by an accelerometer mounted to the tapping tool, an acceleration signal corresponding to acceleration of the tapping tool due to reaction force against the tapping; recording waveform data about the detected acceleration signal; creating a contour map corresponding to the inspection target area, based on the recorded waveform data; displaying the contour map on a display unit; and judging whether an internal defect is present in the inspection target, based on the contour map displayed on the display unit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An inspection method for an inspection target that is a layered structure including a fiber reinforced plastic material and/or a structure made of resin, the method comprising the steps of: using an inspection apparatus mounted on an unmanned aerial vehicle or a drone; tapping, with a tapping tool, an inspection target area on a surface of the inspection target in a state that the inspection apparatus is pressed against the inspection target by an operation of the unmanned aerial vehicle or the drone; detecting, by an accelerometer mounted to the tapping tool, an acceleration signal corresponding to acceleration of the tapping tool due to reaction force against the tapping; recording waveform data about the detected acceleration signal; creating a contour map corresponding to the inspection target area based on the recorded waveform data using a data processing unit, the contour map indicating whether an internal defect is present in the inspection target displaying the contour map on a display unit; and judging whether the internal defect is present in the inspection target, based on the contour map displayed on the display unit s wherein the inspection target is a curved surface portion of a wind turbine blade of a wind turbine generation facility, and wherein the inspection apparatus comprises: a tapping device including the tapping tool and the accelerometer; a frame for mounting the tapping device; and a protrusion protruding from one side of the frame facing the surface of the inspection target in the state that the inspection device is pressed against the inspection target by an operation of the unmanned aerial vehicle or the drone.

2. The inspection method according to claim 1 , further comprising steps of: measuring, by a sound collecting microphone, a tapping sound of the tapping;
wherein the step of recording includes recording waveform data about the tapping sound, the step of creating the contour map includes creating the contour map based on the recoded waveform data about the acceleration signal, and the contour map based on the waveform data about the tapping sound, and
the step of judging includes judging whether the internal defect is present, respectively based on at least one of the contour map created based on the acceleration signal or the contour map created based on the tapping sound, and preparing an alarm system and/or an eyewear head mounted display, for issuing a notification to an inspector if necessary.

3. The inspection method according to claim 1 , further comprising a step of acquiring and recording, in advance, waveform data about the acceleration signal in a non-defective portion of the inspection target,
wherein the step of judging includes judging whether the internal defect is present by comparing the waveform data acquired during inspection with the waveform data about the non-defective portion recorded in advance.

4. The inspection method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of tapping includes tapping each grid of the inspection target area segmented into grids.

5. The inspection method according to claim 1 , wherein the inspection apparatus further comprises:
a movement unit configured to be capable of changing an arrangement of the tapping device relative to the frame,
wherein the movement unit includes:
first rails extending in a first direction along the one side of the frame;
a first slider movable along the first rail;
a second rail that is attached to the first slider, extends along the one side, and extends in a second direction intersecting with the first direction; and
a second slider that carries the tapping device and is movable along the second rail.

6. The inspection method according to claim 5 , wherein the inspection apparatus, further comprises:
a first driving source, a second driving source, and a third driving source that provide driving force to the first sliders, the second slider, and the tapping tool, respectively; and
a controller that controls an operation of at least the first driving source, the second driving source, and the third driving source, and
wherein the controller is configured to control the first driving source, the second driving source, and the third driving source to tap each grid of the inspection target area segmented into grids.

7. The inspection method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of judging judges whether the internal defect is present by comparing the waveform data about the acceleration signal acquired during inspection with the waveform data about a nondefective portion of the inspection target or the waveform data at any single point of the inspection target, the waveform data being acquired in advance.

8. The inspection method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of creating the contour map includes:
acquiring a component (Ln) of a target frequency band by performing frequency analysis on time series data (Tn) acquired for each measurement point of the inspection target area;
obtaining, as data (Zn) on said each measurement point of the inspection target area, respectively, an average value of results (Ln/Fn) each obtained by dividing the component (Ln) by exciting force (Fn) at a timing of the acquisition, the average value being based on number of times of the acquisition to the each measurement point; and
calculating a band level for the target frequency band based on the data (Zn).

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Heavy Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Miyake Hisao
• Fujioka Yoshihiro
• Morii Yoshiyuki

Classifications

• G01N29/449

  Statistical methods not provided for in G01N29/4409, e.g. averaging, smoothing and interpolation · CPC title

• G01N29/265

  by moving the sensor relative to a stationary material · CPC title

• G01N29/045 Primary

  by imparting shocks to the workpiece and detecting the vibrations or the acoustic waves caused by the shocks (measuring resonant frequency G01H13/00; measuring strength properties by application of mechanical stress G01N3/00) · CPC title

• G01N29/225

  Supports, positioning or alignment in moving situation · CPC title

• G01N2291/2693

  Rotor or turbine parts · CPC title