Systems, methods, and apparatus for ultra-sonic inspection of a surface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12366557-B2
Application number	US-202418602829-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 12, 2024
Priority date	Apr 22, 2021
Publication date	Jul 22, 2025
Grant date	Jul 22, 2025

Abstract

Systems, methods, and apparatus for ultra-sonic inspection of a surface are described. An example system may include an inspection robot structured to move in a direction of travel on an inspection surface. The inspection robot may include a payload including a first ultrasonic (UT) phased array and a second UT phased array, the first UT phased array and the second UT phased array being arranged in a parallel configuration. The inspection robot may include a rastering device structured to move the payload in a direction of inspection, the direction of inspection being distinct from the direction of travel and the direction of inspection being distinct from the parallel configuration of the first UT phased array and the second UT phased array.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
an inspection robot structured to move in a direction of travel on an inspection surface, the inspection robot comprising:
a payload comprising a first ultrasonic (UT) phased array and a second UT phased array, the first UT phased array and the second UT phased array being arranged in a parallel configuration, wherein the first UT phased array is orthogonally oriented relative to the inspection surface, the second UT phased array is obliquely oriented relative to the inspection surface, and the first and second UT phased arrays are in a fixed position relative to each other; and
a rastering device structured to move the payload in a direction of inspection, the direction of inspection being distinct from the direction of travel and the direction of inspection being distinct from the parallel configuration of the first UT phased array and the second UT phased array.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the direction of inspection is orthogonal to the direction of travel.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the direction of inspection is orthogonal to the parallel configuration of the first and second UT phased arrays, and wherein the parallel configuration is parallel to the inspection surface.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the direction of inspection is orthogonal to the parallel configuration of the first and second UT phased arrays, and wherein the parallel configuration is parallel to the inspection surface.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the rastering device is structured to maintain a fixed orthogonal orientation of the first and second UT phased arrays relative to the direction of inspection during an inspection mode.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the inspection mode comprises moving the payload in the direction of inspection, then moving the inspection robot in the direction of travel, and then moving the payload in the direction of inspection.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second UT phased array is oriented at an angle between 30 degrees and 60 degrees, inclusive, relative to inspection surface.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first UT phased array comprises a first plurality of elements arranged linearly and the second UT phased array comprises a second plurality of elements arranged linearly, and wherein the first plurality of elements and the second plurality of elements are arranged in the parallel configuration.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the first plurality of elements and the second plurality of elements comprise an equal number of elements arranged linearly.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the inspection robot is configured to repeatedly perform an operation set in order until the payload reaches an end of a traversing region of the inspection surface, the operation set consisting of:
cease movement in the direction of travel,
emit a first beam with the first UT phased array at a first angle,
emit a second beam with the first UT phased array at a second angle,
emit a third beam with the second UT phased array, and
move the payload one increment in the direction of inspection.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the first angle is 0 degrees relative to the first UT phased array and the second angle is between 15 and 45 degrees relative to the first UT phased array.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the emitting the first beam and the emitting the second beam occurs while the first UT phased array maintains an orientation relative to the inspection surface.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the emitting the second beam comprises steering the second beam.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the payload further comprises a base, and the base of the payload includes an acoustic barrier interposed between the first UT phased array and the second UT phased array.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the payload further comprises a base, and wherein the first UT phased array and the second UT phased array are each attached to the base of the payload such that the base of the payload maintains the first UT phased array and the second UT phased array in the fixed position relative to each other.

16. A method, comprising:
moving an inspection robot in a direction of travel on an inspection surface,
wherein the inspection robot includes a payload having a first ultrasonic (UT) phased array and a second UT phased array, wherein the first UT phased array and the second UT phased array are arranged in a parallel configuration, the first UT phased array is orthogonally oriented relative to the inspection surface, the second UT phased array is obliquely oriented relative to the inspection surface, and the first UT phased array and the second UT phased array are in a fixed position relative to each other; and
using a rastering device, moving the payload including the first UT phased array and the second UT phased array in a direction of inspection, the direction of inspection being distinct from the direction of travel and the direction of inspection being distinct from the parallel configuration of the first UT phased array and the second UT phased array.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the payload includes a base and the base of the payload includes an acoustic barrier interposed between the first UT phased array and the second UT phased array.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the payload includes a base, and the first UT phased array and the second UT phased array are each attached to the base of the payload such that the base of the payload maintains the first UT phased array and the second UT phased array in the fixed position relative to each other.

19. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
maintaining, using the rastering device, a fixed orthogonal orientation of the first and second UT phased arrays relative to the direction of inspection during an inspection mode.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising:
during the inspection mode, moving the payload in the direction of inspection, then moving the inspection robot in the direction of travel, and then moving the payload in the direction of inspection.

21. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
repeatedly performing an operation set in order until the payload reaches an end of a traversing region of the inspection surface, wherein the operation set includes:
ceasing movement in the direction of travel,
emitting a first beam with the first UT phased array at a first angle,
emitting a second beam with the first UT phased array at a second angle,
emitting a third beam with the second UT phased array, and
moving the payload one increment in the direction of inspection.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the emitting the first beam and the emitting the second beam occurs while the first UT phased array maintains an orientation relative to the inspection surface.

23. The method of claim 21 , wherein the emitting the second beam comprises steering the second beam.

24. A system, comprising:
an inspection robot structured to move in a direction of travel on an inspection surface, the inspection robot comprising:
a payload comprising a first ultrasonic (UT) phased array and a second UT phased array, the first UT phased array and the second UT phased array being arranged in a parallel configuration, wherein the first UT phased array is orthogonally oriented relative to the inspection surface, and the second UT phased array is obliquely oriented relativ

Assignees

• Gecko Robotics Inc

Inventors

• David Chase
• Aparicio Jose
• Mora Juan Roberto Mendoza
• Low Kevin Y
• Demmer Troy
• Bryner Edward A
• Corl Scott Ashley

Classifications

• G01N2291/0289

  Internal structure, e.g. defects, grain size, texture · CPC title

• G01N29/04

  Analysing solids (using acoustic emission techniques G01N29/14) · CPC title

• G01N29/043

  in the interior, e.g. by shear waves · CPC title

• G01N29/07

  by measuring propagation velocity or propagation time of acoustic waves · CPC title

• G01N29/262

  by electronic orientation or focusing, e.g. with phased arrays (phased arrays per se G10K11/34) · CPC title