An Advanced Ultrasonic Imaging System using Time-Reversal MUSIC Technique for Rapid Inspection of Ultra Large, Complex Composite Structures, Phase I

NASA has been of great interest in various nondestructive evaluation (NDE) and/or structural health monitoring (SHM) techniques to detect damage in vehicle structures and airframe components. NASA is specifically interested in the areas of NDE/SHM sensor development, data/information processing, prognostic algorithm development, and integration of diagnosis and prognosis, which can improve safety and lower the life cycle costs of assembly, test, integration and processing of the ground and flight assets at our nation's spaceports and propulsion test facilities. The technology developed in this effort will directly benefit NASA's Vehicle Systems Safety Technologies (VSST) Program. This low cost, light weight, highly automated and reliable NDE system that can provide rapid detection and imaging of various defects (such as cracks, corrosion, delamination and disbond) and damages (e.g., fiber breakage and impact damages) for various complex structures and bonded assemblies should be extremely valuable to advanced mechanical components and systems. This new NDE system could significantly extend an aircraft's service life, reduce maintenance costs, and protect platforms' and crews' safety. The proposed NDE system has many market applications in different industries such as the air and space, defense and energy sectors. Other government agency, including DOD, DOE, DOT, etc, and commercial sectors will benefit from this technology. NDE and SHM technologies are constantly being sought for age-related degradation in complex materials and structures. Innovative and novel approaches to using NDE/SHM technologies to measure properties related to manufacturing defects, flaws, fiber buckling and breakage, etc. in complex composite material systems, adhesively bonded/built-up and/or polymer-matrix composite sandwich structures are of particular interest in many industries. The AUIT system can be readily extended to inspect the bridges, nuclear power plants, pipelines, machines with adapted frequency ranges of excitation signals. More »