SBIR Phase I: Nondestructive Inspection and Monitoring System for Curved Structures

SBIR第一期：弧形结构无损检测监测系统

• 批准号: 1046322
• 负责人: Rahul Singh
• 金额: $ 15万
• 依托单位: Farus, LLC
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2011
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2011-01-01 至 2011-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1046322&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SBIR; Phase; Nondestructive; Inspection; Monitoring

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will explore, design, and implement a novel flexible ultrasound transducer-based nondestructive inspection and monitoring system to improve and simplify the inspection of curved and non-planar structures. Ultrasound is ideally suited to detection of internal flaws in hard materials, but existing systems are limited to planar or nearplanar surfaces. Flexible ultrasound transducer arrays are an emerging technology that can potentially enable rapid inspection of curved structures, while maintaining high angular coverage, high resolution and a large field of view. The proposed system will feature flexible transducer arrays that wrap and conform to curved structures as well as a novel damage index detection algorithm, which together will allow for early detection and monitoring of defects in curved materials before catastrophic failure. Initial development will target two important applications: curved composite aerospace structures and steel oil pipelines. The initial system will be a low cost, portable, handheld device capable of rapid, accurate non-destructive inspection of nonplanar structures. The system will also be designed for adaptation to remote monitoring in harsh environments. The proposed project is an innovative systems engineering approach that fills a significant unmet need in the energy, aerospace, and military sectors. The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is focused on two industries in particular, the oil and aerospace industries. Both would significantly benefit from a system that could rapidly, efficiently, and accurately inspect and monitor curved surfaces. The application of composite materials has been increasing rapidly for contoured aero structures in the civilian and military aerospace industries, such missile systems, the new Boeing 787, and many Airbus models; however composite materials are highly susceptible to hidden flaws and impact-related damage sometimes resulting in catastrophic failure. Similarly curved steel oil pipelines are subject to corrosion and fatigue damage, especially in harsh environments such as frozen, desert, and underwater environments. The incidence of ruptures is likely to occur more frequently as pipeline infrastructure across the world continues to age. A flexible ultrasound transducer-based system featuring near autonomous signal detection algorithms that can wrap conformally around curved structures would have a large market in the aerospace, energy, and military sectors and may lead to a prevention of impact-related failure in aircraft and missile systems, as well as a reduction of blowouts in oil pipelines.

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）一期项目将探索、设计和实现一种新型的基于柔性超声换能器的无损检测和监测系统，以改进和简化弯曲和非平面结构的检测。超声非常适合于检测坚硬材料的内部缺陷，但现有的系统仅限于平面或近平面表面。柔性超声换能器阵列是一种新兴技术，可以实现对弯曲结构的快速检测，同时保持高角度覆盖、高分辨率和大视野。该系统将采用柔性传感器阵列，包裹并符合弯曲结构，以及一种新的损伤指数检测算法，这将允许在灾难性失效之前早期检测和监测弯曲材料的缺陷。最初的开发将针对两个重要应用：弯曲复合材料航空航天结构和钢制输油管道。最初的系统将是一个低成本、便携、手持设备，能够快速、准确地对非平面结构进行无损检测。该系统还将用于适应恶劣环境下的远程监控。拟议的项目是一种创新的系统工程方法，填补了能源、航空航天和军事部门的重大未满足需求。该项目的广泛影响/商业潜力主要集中在两个行业，即石油和航空航天工业。如果有一个能够快速、高效、准确地检测和监测曲面的系统，两者都将受益匪浅。复合材料在民用和军用航空航天工业中的应用迅速增加，例如导弹系统、新的波音787和许多空中客车模型；然而，复合材料极易受到隐藏缺陷和冲击相关损伤的影响，有时会导致灾难性失效。同样弯曲的钢制输油管道在冰冻、沙漠、水下等恶劣环境下容易受到腐蚀和疲劳损伤。随着世界各地管道基础设施的不断老化，破裂的发生率可能会更频繁地发生。一种基于柔性超声换能器的系统，具有接近自主的信号检测算法，可以在弯曲结构上进行保形包裹，将在航空航天、能源和军事领域拥有巨大的市场，并可能导致飞机和导弹系统的碰撞相关故障的预防，以及石油管道爆裂的减少。