31 results about "Thermographic inspection" patented technology

Systems and methods for thermographically inspecting a composite material or honeycombed type structures are disclosed. In one embodiment, a system includes a thermal heat source configured to be either removably coupled to or positioned proximate to the composite material to generate a localized thermal field in a selected area of the composite material. A thermal imaging device generates a visible image of the generated thermal field.

A method for the thermographic inspection of nonmetallic materials, particularly coated nonmetallic materials, is provided. The method includes heating at least one part of the surface of the nonmetallic material, preferably a part of the surface furnished with a nonmetallic coating, by a short energy pulse, preferably a light pulse, or by periodic input of heat, and recording the temporal and spatial temperature profile at least at a plurality of successive time points.

A method for thermographic imaging is described. The method captures a plurality of thermal images of a surface of an object, at non-linear intervals over a period of time, each of the thermal images being associated with temporal data. The method then processes the plurality of thermal images and the temporal data, and identifies features within the object based on the processing.

Thermographic inspection of an internal component (28, 34) of power production equipment (20) by inserting an ultrasound energizer (74A) into an inspection portal of the equipment to contact an exterior of the component, and inserting a camera scope via a second portal into an interior (52, 54) of the component. A motorized drive (66) may mount on a pilot fuel port (58) of a gas turbine to move the scope robotically within a combustor (28) and transition duct (34). A distal camera housing (69) on the scope pivots (64) and contains an infrared camera with a lateral field of view (85) that rotates about an axis 78 by rotating (73) a distal mirror head (70) on the housing or by rotating (73′) the housing (69′). Circumferential sets of thermographic images are acquired by rotating the field of view and translating it along a navigation path in the component interior.

A system and method include an acoustic thermography stack and a frame that the stack is slidably mounted to. The frame includes an end frame portion with a blade stop, and an air cylinder provides force to move the stack up and down a rail of the frame such that a turbine blade may be clamped between a cap of the stack and the blade stop. The clamped blade is excited using the stack, and an infrared camera is used to detect critical indications in the blade.

The invention discloses an infrared thermographic inspection system (10), which includes a heat source (12) configured to be removably attached to an exterior surface (28) of an object (26). A thermal imaging device (16) obtains a thermal image of the object (26), and an analyzing device (20) determines a location of a defect (24) in the object (26) based on the thermal image. The heat source (12) consists of a flexible polyimide heater (12) comprising a plurality of heating elements (42) which are independently controlled and the flexible heater can conform to the exterior surface (28) of the object (26).

A system for performing acoustic thermography inspection of a turbine blade while the blade is in place in an assembled turbine. The system includes an acoustic thermography stack with a cap and a frame that the acoustic thermography stack is slidably mounted to, said frame including an end frame portion that allows the blade to be clamped between the cap and the end frame portion. The system also includes an air cylinder that provides force to move the acoustic thermography stack up and down a rail of the frame such that the turbine blade may be clamped between the cap and the end frame portion and then excited using the acoustic thermography stack, and a casing that encases the air cylinder, a portion of the acoustic thermography stack and a portion of the frame.

A system and method for nondestructive inspection of unitized composite structures is provided. The system includes an infrared thermographic camera and a carriage that can be mounted on, for example,adjacent frames of the unitized composite structure. The carriage can move along the length of the frames while the infrared thermographic camera collects and analyzes thermographic images of the frame, skin, and stiffeners. The carriage can be moved to other frames and the inspection continued until the entire unitized composite structure has be inspected.

A thermographic examination device for non-destructive examination of a near-surface structure at a test object includes a heating device for applying heat energy to a surface region to be heated of the test object; a thermal sensor device for detecting a time profile, following the application of heat energy, of a spatial temperature distribution on a surface region to be measured of the test object, the surface region to be measured including the surface region to be heated as well as an outer surface region to be measured which is adjacent to the surface region to be heated; and an evaluator for evaluating the time profile of the spatial temperature distribution so as to detect at least one parameter of the near-surface structure at the surface region to be measured.

A system for detecting the presence of an anomaly within a component includes a motorized apparatus configured to move around the component. The system also includes an excitation device and a camera mounted to the motorized apparatus. The excitation device is configured to emit an excitation signal toward the component to cause the anomaly within the component to generate a detectable reactionary thermal signal in response to the excitation signal. The camera is configured to capture thermal images of the component. The thermal images include the detectable reactionary thermal signal and indicate the presence of the anomaly within the component. The system further includes a controller communicatively coupled to the excitation device and the camera. The controller is configured to receive and analyze the thermal images to detect the presence of the anomaly within the component. The controller is configured to adjust one or more operating parameters of the system to affect a characteristic of the detectable reactionary signal based on the thermal images.

A thermographic inspection system is provided for inspecting electrical equipment. The system may be used while the electrical equipment is energized to monitor active performance of the equipment. The system may be used to monitor temperature differences of various components in the equipment.

The invention relates to a thermographic inspection for tape layup machines. Systems and methods are provided for thermal inspection of tape layup. One embodiment is a method for performing inspectionof a tape layup. The method comprises laying up tape onto a surface of a laminate, applying heat to tack the tape to the surface, and generating thermographic images of the tape as applied to the surface.