Apparatus for automated non-destructive inspection of airfoil-shaped bodies

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9746445-B2
Application number	US-201313863415-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 16, 2013
Priority date	Apr 16, 2013
Publication date	Aug 29, 2017
Grant date	Aug 29, 2017

Abstract

An automated blade crawler capable of scanning a multiplicity of non-destructive inspection sensors over a surface of an airfoil-shaped body such as a blade component. The blade crawler is movable in a spanwise direction, thereby enabling a sensor array to inspect the surface area on one or both sides of the blade component in one pass. The sensors concurrently output scan imaging data which is multiplexed, the multiplexed being transmitted (via an electrical cable or wirelessly) to data collection and display hardware at an operations control center.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A blade crawler comprising:
a chassis comprising forward and rearward body parts, a first elongated support member spanning a space between said forward and rearward body parts, and a plurality of rolling elements which are coupled to one or the other of said forward and rearward bodies and which enable said forward and rearward body parts to roll in a spanwise direction along a blade;
a first mounting rail attached to or integrally formed with said first elongated support member, said first mounting rail comprising a rail keyway comprising a straight groove defined by interior surfaces of said mounting rail;
a first multiplicity of adjustment mechanisms distributed at intervals along said first mounting rail, each of said first multiplicity of adjustment mechanisms comprising a respective pair of keyway nuts seated inside said rail keyway of said first mounting rail and in contact with said straight groove of said rail keyway;
a first multiplicity of probe support assemblies respectively attached to said first multiplicity of adjustment mechanisms, each of said first multiplicity of probe support assemblies comprising a respective self-orienting gimbal;
a first multiplicity of inspection probes respectively coupled to said respective self-orienting gimbals of said first multiplicity of probe support assemblies; and
an actuator for driving rotation of at least one of said rolling elements.

2. The blade crawler as recited in claim 1 , wherein said probe support assemblies of said first multiplicity of probe support assemblies are configured so that said inspection probes of said first multiplicity of inspection probes are distributed alternatingly in first and second rows, the inspection probes of said second row being staggered relative to the inspection probes of said first row and being further away from said first elongated support member than are the inspection probes of said first row.

3. The blade crawler as recited in claim 1 , wherein said chassis further comprises a second elongated support member spanning said space between said forward and rearward body parts, further comprising:
a second mounting rail attached to or integrally formed with said second elongated support member, said second mounting rail comprising a rail keyway;
a second multiplicity of adjustment mechanisms distributed at intervals along said second mounting rail, each of said second multiplicity of adjustment mechanisms comprising a respective pair of keyway nuts seated inside said rail keyway of said first mounting rail;
a second multiplicity of probe support assemblies respectively attached to said second multiplicity of adjustment mechanisms, each of said second multiplicity of probe support assemblies comprising a respective self-orienting gimbal; and
a second multiplicity of inspection probes respectively coupled to said respective self-orienting gimbals of said second multiplicity of probe support assemblies.

4. The blade crawler as recited in claim 3 , wherein said first and second multiplicities of inspection probes are arranged so that inspection probes of said second multiplicity of inspection probes can receive wave energy transmitted by inspection probes of said first multiplicity of inspection probes.

5. The blade crawler as recited in claim 1 , wherein each of said first multiplicity of adjustment mechanisms further comprises:
a pair of screws respectively threadably coupled to said pair of keyway nuts seated inside said first rail keyway;
a first slider plate comprising a slider keyway, said first slider plate being coupled to said first mounting rail by said pair of screws and said pair of keyway nuts; and
a second slider plate comprising a rail which fits inside said slider keyway of said first slider plate.

6. The blade crawler as recited in claim 5 , wherein each of said first multiplicity of adjustment mechanisms further comprises a plunger swivel plate that is fastened to said second slider plate, said plunger swivel plate being rotatable relative to said second slider plate when not fastened thereto and being attached to one of said first probe support assemblies.

7. The blade crawler as recited in claim 1 , wherein said profile of said rail keyway is trapezoidal.

8. An apparatus for non-destructive inspection of an airfoil-shaped body, comprising:
a chassis adapted to be mounted to and travel in its entirety in a spanwise direction along the airfoil-shaped body without movement in a chordwise direction, said chassis comprising a plurality of rolling elements configured to roll in the spanwise direction when said chassis is mounted to the airfoil-shaped body and a first elongated support member extending in a chordwise direction, said first elongated support member being positioned adjacent to a first side of the airfoil-shaped body when said chassis is mounted to the airfoil-shaped body;
a first mounting rail attached to or integrally formed with said first elongated support member, said first mounting rail comprising a rail keyway comprising a straight groove defined by interior surfaces of said mounting rail;
a first multiplicity of adjustment mechanisms distributed at intervals along said first mounting rail, each of said first multiplicity of adjustment mechanisms comprising a respective pair of keyway nuts seated inside said rail keyway of said first mounting rail and in contact with said straight groove of said rail keyway;
a first multiplicity of probe support assemblies respectively attached to said first multiplicity of adjustment mechanisms, each of said first multiplicity of probe support assemblies comprising a respective self-orienting gimbal;
a first multiplicity of inspection probes respectively coupled to said respective self-orienting gimbals of said first multiplicity of probe support assemblies, said first multiplicity of inspection probes being directed toward the first side of the airfoil-shaped body; and
an actuator for causing said chassis to move in the spanwise direction along the airfoil-shaped body.

9. The apparatus as recited in claim 8 , wherein a probe support assembly of said first multiplicity of probe support assemblies comprises means for urging an inspection probe of said first multiplicity of inspection probes into contact with a surface of the first side of the airfoil-shaped body.

10. The apparatus as recited in claim 8 , wherein said probe support assemblies of said first multiplicity of probe support assemblies are configured so that said inspection probes of said first multiplicity of inspection probes are distributed alternatingly in first and second rows, the inspection probes of said second row being staggered relative to the inspection probes of said first row and being further away from said first elongated support member than are the inspection probes of said first row.

11. The apparatus as recited in claim 8 , wherein said inspection probes of said first multiplicity of inspection probes comprise pitch-catch sensors.

12. The apparatus as recited in claim 8 , further comprising:
a pulser/receiver unit; and
a multiplexer coupling said first multiplicity of inspection probes to said pulser/receiver unit.

13. The apparatus as recited in claim 8 , wherein said chassis further comprises a second elongated support member extending in the chordwise direction, said second elongated support member being positioned adjacent to a second side the airfoil-shaped body when said chassis is mounted to the airfoil-shaped body, and wherein said apparatus further comprises:
a second mounting rail attached to or integrally formed with said second elongated support member, said second m

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Hafenrichter Joseph L
• Georgeson Gary E
• Tapia William Joseph
• Fogarty Michael D

Classifications

• G01N29/225

  Supports, positioning or alignment in moving situation · CPC title

• G01N2291/2694

  Wings or other aircraft parts · CPC title

• G10K11/355

  Arcuate movement · CPC title

• G01N29/265

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

• G01N2291/106

  one or more transducer arrays · CPC title