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.

这项小型企业创新研究（SBIR）I阶段项目将探索，设计和实施一种新型的灵活性超声传感器的非破坏性检查和监测系统，以改善和简化弯曲和非平面结构的检查。超声检查非常适合在硬材料中检测内部缺陷，但现有系统仅限于平面或近型表面。灵活的超声传感器阵列是一种新兴技术，可以潜在地实现弯曲结构的快速检查，同时保持高角度覆盖，高分辨率和较大的视野。所提出的系统将采用柔性换能器阵列，这些阵列包裹并符合弯曲结构以及一种新型的损伤指数检测算法，该算法将共同允许在灾难性失败之前早期检测和监测弯曲材料中的缺陷。最初的开发将针对两个重要的应用：弯曲的复合航空航天结构和钢油管道。初始系统将是一种低成本，便携式，手持设备，能够快速，准确地对非平面结构进行非破坏性检查。该系统还将设计用于适应恶劣环境中的远程监视。拟议的项目是一种创新的系统工程方法，它满足了能源，航空航天和军事部门的重要需求。该项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力集中在两个行业，尤其​​是石油和航空航天行业。两者都将从一个可以快速，有效并准确检查和监视弯曲表面的系统中显着受益。在平民和军事航空航天工业，这样的导弹系统，新波音787和许多空中客车模型中，复合材料的应用已迅速增加了轮廓的航空结构的迅速增加。但是，复合材料极易受到隐藏缺陷的影响，有时会导致灾难性损坏。类似的弯曲钢油管道也会受到腐蚀和疲劳损害，尤其是在诸如冷冻，沙漠和水下环境之类的恶劣环境中。随着世界各地的管道基础设施持续衰老，破裂的发生率可能更频繁。一种柔性超声传感器的系统，具有近乎自主信号检测算法，可以在弯曲结构周围缠绕，将在航空航天，能源和军事部门中具有较大的市场，并可能导致防止飞机和导弹系统中与冲击相关的失败，并减少油管管道的爆炸爆炸。