Piston Seal Integrity Testing via Rotating Sensor Probes

The patent replaces manual mechanical inspection with optical sensors, lasers, and acoustic sensors to detect seal defects. The sensing probes use optical fields and acoustic waves instead of mechanical contact, enabling non-contact detection of surface and subsurface defects with high precision while automating the inspection process.

The patent introduces sensing probes as intermediaries between the inspection system and the seal. These probes contain optical sensors, lasers, or acoustic sensors that act as mediators to detect defects indirectly through light reflection, absorption, or acoustic wave interaction with the seal material, enabling precise defect detection without direct mechanical contact.

The patent performs preliminary actions by pre-positioning multiple sensing probes at critical locations on the seal before rotation begins. The optical sensors and acoustic sensors are pre-aligned to scan specific high-risk areas, allowing parallel data collection during a single rotation cycle and reducing the need for multiple inspection passes.

The patent uses periodic action by rotating the seal at controlled speeds while the sensing probes continuously scan during each rotation cycle. The rotation creates periodic contact between the probes and seal surface, enabling comprehensive defect detection through multiple passes in a single continuous operation, thereby reducing total inspection time.