Ultrasonic testing phased array inspection fixture and related methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9372173-B2
Application number	US-201313829988-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 14, 2013
Priority date	Mar 14, 2013
Publication date	Jun 21, 2016
Grant date	Jun 21, 2016

Abstract

An inspection fixture is provided that includes a fixture, a lens, an ultrasonic phase array, a mirror and a liquid supply connector. The fixture body includes an inner chamber and an opening to the inner chamber. The lens defines a portion of the inner chamber. The ultrasonic phase array generates ultrasonic signals and is positioned to send the ultrasonic signals through the lens. The mirror is received within the inner chamber and is positioned at 45° in relation to the lens to reflect the ultrasonic signals from the lens out an opening to an inspection area of a body to be inspected and to reflect returned ultrasonic signals from the inspection area to the lens. The liquid supply connector is in fluid communication with the inner chamber.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An inspection fixture, comprising:
a fixture body including an inner chamber and an opening to the inner chamber, an inspection side of the fixture body configured to juxtapose an inspection area of a body to be inspected, the inspection side of the fixture body exhibiting a substantially triangular shape comprising a first larger end having a first width and a second smaller end directly opposing the first larger end having a width less than the first width;
an ultrasonic phased array configured to generate ultrasonic signals and positioned at the first larger end of the fixture body;
a mirror received within the inner chamber, the mirror comprising a substantially planar reflecting surface exhibiting a taper extending along a length of the mirror from a first, relatively larger longitudinal end of the mirror positioned proximate the ultrasonic phased array and at the first larger end of the fixture body to a second, relatively smaller longitudinal end of the mirror positioned distal to the ultrasonic phased array and at the second smaller end of the fixture body, the first, relatively larger longitudinal end of the mirror opposing the second, relatively smaller longitudinal end of the mirror with two lateral tapering sides of the mirror extending and tapering inward from the first, relatively larger longitudinal end to the second, relatively smaller longitudinal end, the mirror positioned to reflect the ultrasonic signals out the opening to the inspection area of the body to be inspected and to reflect returned ultrasonic signals from the inspection area back to the ultrasonic phased array; and
a fluid supply connector in fluid communication with the inner chamber;
a first set of movement elements positioned proximate the first larger end of the fixture body configured to space the fixture body from the body to be inspected and to assist in movement of the fixture body fixture along the body to be inspected; and
a second set of movement elements positioned proximate the second smaller end of the fixture body configured to space the fixture body from the body to be inspected and to assist in movement of the fixture body fixture along the body to be inspected.

2. The inspection fixture of claim 1 , further comprising at least one adjustable member coupled to the body to adjust a position of the inspection fixture in relation to an item to be inspected.

3. The inspection fixture of claim 1 , wherein the fixture body is configured to be adjustable to inspect joints of different degrees.

4. The inspection fixture of claim 1 , further comprising a skirt coupled around at least a portion of the opening to the inner chamber.

5. The inspection fixture of claim 1 , further comprising a porous membrane covering the opening to the inner chamber.

6. The inspection fixture of claim 1 , further comprising a lens defining a portion of the inner chamber, wherein the ultrasonic phased array that generates ultrasonic signals is positioned to send the ultrasonic signals through the lens to the mirror.

7. The inspection fixture of claim 6 , wherein the mirror is positioned at a 45° angle in relation to the lens.

8. The inspection fixture of claim 2 , wherein the at least one adjustable member comprises at least one of a spacer, a roller, and a bearing.

9. The inspection fixture of claim 1 , further comprising:
a roller coupled to the fixture body; and
a linear encoder in communication with the roller to record positional information.

10. The inspection fixture of claim 9 , wherein the linear encoder is further configured to, at least in part, control timing of a phased array data acquisition signal.

11. An inspection fixture, comprising:
a fixture body including an inner chamber, the fixture body further having an opening to the inner chamber;
a lens defining a portion of the inner chamber;
an ultrasonic phased array configured to generate ultrasonic signals and positioned to send the ultrasonic signals through the lens;
a mirror received within the inner chamber, the mirror positioned at an acute angle in relation to the lens to reflect the ultrasonic signals from the lens out the opening to an inspection area of a body to be inspected and to reflect returned ultrasonic signals from the inspection area to the lens, an entirety of a reflective surface of the mirror comprising a taper extending along a length of the mirror from a first, relatively larger end of the mirror positioned proximate the ultrasonic phased array to a second, relatively smaller end of the mirror positioned distal to the ultrasonic phased array and opposing the first, relatively larger end with two lateral tapering sides of the mirror extending between the first, relatively larger end and the second, relatively smaller end, the taper enabling at least a portion of the fixture body and the mirror in the inner chamber of fixture body to be inserted into at least one of a pi-bond joint or a corner of an item to be inspected for inspection of the item; and
a liquid supply connector in fluid communication with the inner chamber.

12. The inspection fixture of claim 11 , further comprising at least one adjustable spacer coupled to the fixture body to adjust a position of the inspection fixture in relation to an item to be inspected.

13. The inspection fixture of claim 11 , further comprising:
a roller coupled to the fixture body; and
a linear encoder in communication with the roller to record positional information.

14. The inspection fixture of claim 11 , wherein the fixture body is configured to be adjustable to inspect joints of different degrees.

15. The inspection fixture of claim 11 , further comprising a skirt coupled around at least a portion of the opening.

16. The inspection fixture of claim 11 , further comprising a porous membrane covering the opening to the inner chamber.

17. A method of inspecting a composite structure, the method comprising:
generating ultrasonic signals with a ultrasonic phased array of an inspection fixture comprising a phased array beam across a width of the ultrasonic phase array, the inspection fixture comprising a first larger end housing the ultrasonic phased array having a first width and a second smaller end opposing the first larger end having a width less than the first width;
directing the ultrasonic signals directly from the ultrasonic phased array to a tapered mirror in a chamber of a body that is filled with a column of liquid, the tapered mirror having a first, relatively larger side positioned proximate the ultrasonic phased array and a second, relatively smaller side positioned distal to the ultrasonic phased array and positioned at the second smaller end of the inspection fixture;
positioning the second smaller end of the inspection fixture and the second, relatively smaller side of the mirror positioned at the second smaller end of the inspection fixture in a corner of an area to be inspected;
reflecting the ultrasonic signals off of the mirror and through an opening in the chamber to the area to be inspected; and
directing reflected ultrasonic signals off of the area to be inspected back to the ultrasonic phased array.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising controlling timing of data acquisition signals from the ultrasonic phased array.

19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising adjusting spacing members to position the body in a desired location during inspection.

20. The method of claim 17 , further comprising monitoring linear movement of the body.

Assignees

• Orbital Atk Inc

Inventors

• Thomson Clint D
• Palmer Jeremy D
• Andersen Robert N
• Riding Kenneth B

Classifications

• G01N2291/045

  External reflections, e.g. on reflectors · CPC title

• G01N29/2456

  Focusing probes (focusing arrangements G01N29/221) · CPC title

• G01N2291/106

  one or more transducer arrays · CPC title

• G01N2291/0231

  Composite or layered materials · CPC title

• G01N29/262

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