Ultrasonic Inspectability Margin for Composite Ramp Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ultrasonic inspection methods face challenges with non-parallel surfaces in composite structures, such as ramps, leading to scattered ultrasonic waves that cannot be received by the transducer array, making it difficult to inspect these areas without limiting ramp angles, adding weight, or increasing inspection costs.
Innovation Solution
A method for quantitatively evaluating the ultrasonic inspectability of parts with non-parallel surfaces using an ultrasonic inspectability metric, which calculates the distance between the receive location and the center of the transducer array due to scattering effects, allowing for the incorporation of this metric into design and manufacturing tools as a constraint.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If non-parallel surfaces (ramps) are used in part design, then design flexibility and structural requirements are improved, but ultrasonic inspection capability deteriorates due to wave scattering
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs ultrasonic ray tracing simulations during the design phase to predict inspectability issues before manufacturing. By calculating potential scattering locations and receive location offsets in advance, the system identifies problematic ramp geometries early, allowing designers to modify the geometry before production while maintaining design flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides feedback on inspectability margins to the design process. By calculating the offset between transmit and receive locations and comparing it to the receive aperture size, the system generates quantitative feedback that guides design modifications to ensure both structural requirements and inspection capability are satisfied.
2Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If ramp angles are limited to ensure inspectability, then ultrasonic inspection capability is improved, but design flexibility and structural requirements deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of imposing fixed ramp angle limits, the patent calculates inspectability margins based on actual ray tracing results for each specific geometry. This parameter-based approach allows optimization of ramp angles for each application, maintaining design flexibility while ensuring inspection capability through quantitative assessment rather than arbitrary restrictions.
3Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If special inspection procedures are used for ramped structures, then inspection capability is improved, but inspection cost and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs virtual inspection simulations during design to identify parts that will be difficult to inspect. By flagging problematic geometries before manufacturing, the need for special inspection procedures is reduced, allowing standard inspection methods to be used for most parts, thereby reducing inspection time and cost.
4Reliability
If part design is rejected due to non-inspectability, then inspection reliability is improved, but manufacturing productivity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system evaluates inspectability during the design phase using ray tracing simulations, identifying and resolving inspection issues before manufacturing. This preliminary assessment prevents rejection of manufacturable parts and ensures that only designs with adequate inspectability margins proceed to production, maintaining both inspection reliability and manufacturing productivity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables the identification of inspectable and non-inspectable areas during part design, preventing invalid designs and optimizing inspection procedures by determining the ultrasonic inspectability margin, thus ensuring structural integrity and reducing costs.
Implementation Method 1
an ultrasonic transducer array transmits an interrogating ray of ultrasound that is refracted at a first interface (e.g., an acoustic couplant—part interface) and then reflected at a second interface (e.g., a part—air interface)
Implementation Method 2
an ultrasonic transducer array transmits an interrogating ray of ultrasound that is refracted at a first interface (e.g., an acoustic couplant—part interface) and then reflected at a second interface (e.g., a part—air interface)
Implementation Method 3
Non-parallel surfaces create angled interfaces which cause impinging ultrasonic waves to scatter. If the ultrasonic inspection is performed in the pulse echo mode, the ultrasound will be scattered far enough away so that the return ultrasound cannot be received by the ultrasonic transducer array
Data Source
AI summary
A method for quantitatively evaluating the expected ultrasonic inspectability of a designed part using ray tracing. First, a model of a part imported. Materials having different indices of refraction are selected for the part and an acoustic coupling medium. Then the following structures and positional relationships are defined: an ultrasonic transducer array comprising a plurality of elements, a position of the acoustic coupling medium between the transducer array and the part, and a plurality of positions of a transmit aperture relative to the part. For each defined position of the transmit aperture, a path of a respective ray is traced from a center of the transmit aperture through the part and then to a respective receive location on the transducer array. Also, a respective value of an inspectability margin is calculated based at least in part on a respective distance between a center of the receive aperture and the respective receive location. Each value of the inspectability margin is compared to a threshold value.