US-12618805-B2 - System and method for real-time visualization of foreign objects within a material

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a system and method for real-time visualization of a material during ultrasonic non-destructive testing. The system is capable of producing A-scans, B-scans, and C-scans of the test object and automatically highlighting potential foreign objects within the test object based on the scan data. The system includes a graphical user interface (GUI) capable of displaying a three-dimensional (3-D) image of a composite laminate constructed of a series of two-dimensional (2-D) cross sections. In one embodiment, the system includes an artificial intelligence module capable of highlighting foreign objects in order to provide size data, shape data, and/or depth data of the foreign object.

Inventors

• David A. Jack
• Nathaniel J. Blackman
• Benjamin M. Blandford

Assignees

• VERIFI TECHNOLOGIES, LLC

Dates

Publication Date

20260505

Application Date

20240802

Claims (20)

1. 1 . A system for non-destructive testing of composite materials, comprising: a transducer housing assembly in communication with a processor and a display means; wherein an ultrasonic transducer within the transducer housing assembly is operable to emit ultrasonic waves into and receive ultrasonic waves from a test object to produce scan data; wherein the processor is operable to generate an average A-scan for the test object based on the scan data; wherein the processor is operable to determine a number of plies and a depth for each of the plies for the test object based on the average A-scan; wherein the processor is in communication with a material database containing information regarding a plurality of materials, and wherein the processor matches a material of at least one foreign object in the test object to at least one of the plurality of materials; and wherein the processor generates a list including the at least one of the plurality of materials, wherein each material on the list is automatically assigned a probability value corresponding to a likelihood that each material in the list matches the at least one foreign object.
2. 2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is operable to determine a depth of at least one foreign object within the test object based on at least one B-scan.
3. 3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the probability value for each material on the list is determined by an artificial intelligence module.
4. 4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the information regarding the plurality of materials includes a characteristic A-scan signal for each of the plurality of materials.
5. 5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the ultrasonic transducer operates at a frequency greater than 2.25 MHz.
6. 6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is operable to generate a characteristic length and/or a surface area for the at least one foreign object.
7. 7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor generates at least one C-scan for at least one depth of the test object, and wherein boundaries of the at least one foreign object at the at least one depth are determined by mapping the gradient of amplitude data for the at least one C-scan.
8. 8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein an artificial intelligence module automatically detects boundaries of the at least one foreign object on the at least one C-scan and automatically provides a surface area of the at least one foreign object based on the detected boundaries.
9. 9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor generates a three-dimensional (3-D) graphical representation of the test object, including the at least one foreign object, and the 3-D graphical representation is displayed via the display means.
10. 10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the test object includes less than about two lamina between a testing surface of the test object and the at least one foreign object.
11. 11 . A system for non-destructive testing of composite materials, comprising: a transducer housing assembly in communication with a processor and a display means; wherein an ultrasonic transducer is disposed within a sealed fluid chamber within the transducer housing assembly; wherein the ultrasonic transducer is operable to emit ultrasonic waves into and receive ultrasonic waves from a test object to produce scan data; wherein the processor is in communication with a material database containing information regarding a plurality of materials, and wherein the processor matches a material of at least one foreign object in the test object to at least one of the plurality of materials based on a characteristic A-scan signal for the at least one of the plurality of materials; wherein the processor generates a list including the at least one of the plurality of materials, wherein each material is automatically assigned a probability value corresponding to a likelihood that each material in the list matches the material of the at least one foreign object.
12. 12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the processor is operable to generate an average A-scan for the test object based on the scan data, and wherein the processor is operable to determine a number of plies and a depth for each of the plies for the test object based on the average A-scan.
13. 13 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the probability value for each material on the list is determined by an artificial intelligence module.
14. 14 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the information regarding the plurality of materials includes a speed of sound for each of the plurality of materials and/or a density of each of the plurality of materials.
15. 15 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the ultrasonic transducer operates at a frequency greater than 2.25 MHz.
16. 16 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the processor generates at least one C-scan for at least one depth of the test object, and wherein boundaries of the at least one foreign object at the at least one depth are determined by mapping the gradient of amplitude data for the at least one C-scan.
17. 17 . The system of claim 16 , wherein an artificial intelligence module automatically detects boundaries of the at least one foreign object on the at least one C-scan and automatically provides a surface area of the at least one foreign object based on the detected boundaries.
18. 18 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the at least one foreign object has a characteristic length smaller than 3 mm.
19. 19 . A system for non-destructive testing of composite materials, comprising: a transducer housing assembly in communication with a processor and a display means; wherein an ultrasonic transducer is disposed within a sealed fluid chamber within the transducer housing assembly; wherein the ultrasonic transducer is operable to emit ultrasonic waves into and receive ultrasonic waves from a test object to produce scan data; wherein the processor is operable to generate at least one B-scan based on the scan data; wherein the processor is operable to determine a depth of at least one foreign object within the test object based on the at least one B-scan; wherein the processor is in communication with a material database containing information regarding a plurality of materials, and wherein the processor is operable to match a material of the at least one foreign object to at least one of the plurality of materials; wherein the processor generates a list including the at least one of the plurality of materials, wherein each material on the list is automatically assigned a probability value corresponding to a likelihood that each material in the list matches the at least one foreign object; and wherein the probability value for each material on the list is determined by an artificial intelligence module.
20. 20 . The system of claim 19 , wherein the ultrasonic transducer operates at a frequency greater than 2.25 MHz.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application relates to and claims priority from the following U.S. patent applications. This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/396,174, filed Aug. 6, 2021, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/336,937, filed Jun. 2, 2021, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/188,559, filed Mar. 1, 2021, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/184,061, filed Feb. 24, 2021, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/172,723, filed Feb. 10, 2021, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/149,320, filed Jan. 14, 2021, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/148,205, filed Jan. 13, 2021, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/123,970, filed Dec. 16, 2020, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/122,410, filed Dec. 15, 2020, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/108,472, filed Dec. 1, 2020, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/091,774, filed Nov. 6, 2020, which claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/001,608, filed Mar. 30, 2020. Each of the above-mentioned applications is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The disclosure relates to the field of non-destructive testing and non-destructive inspection and more specifically to systems and methods for visualizing defects within a structure during non-destructive testing. 2. Description of Related Art Non-destructive Testing (NDT), also known as Non-destructive Evaluation (NDE) or Non-destructive Inspection (NDI), has achieved popularity in testing materials and parts of larger machines as the methods do not generally render the material or part unfit for its intended purpose. Traditional methods of NDT include ultrasonic and thermographic techniques, as well as ones based on the use of eddy currents, radiation (including gamma, X-ray, and microwave), magnetic particles, dye penetrants, and more. NDT has traditionally been used to detect surface flaws of a material, detect delamination between different layers of a material, or indicate the presence of other defects within the material. Prior art patent documents include the following: U.S. Pat. No. 9,207,639 for Transforming A-scan data samples into a three-dimensional space for facilitating visualization of flaws by inventor Ratering, filed Jan. 24, 2013 and issued Dec. 8, 2015, discloses visualizing one-dimensional A-scan data samples in a three-dimensional space. Each of the data samples represents ultrasonic signals received from a test material. The data samples are transformed into the three-dimensional space as a geometric shape corresponding to a relative amount of ultrasonic energy reflected back from the test material. The data samples as transformed into the three-dimensional space with the geometric shapes rendered therein can be displayed. U.S. Pat. No. 8,265,886 for Non-destructive testing, in particular for pipes during manufacture or in the finished state by inventors Bisiaux et al., filed Jun. 25, 2007 and issued Sep. 11, 2012, discloses a non-destructive testing device for pipes. The device extracts information on defects from signals captured by ultrasound receivers following the selective excitation of ultrasound transmitters according to a selected time rule. The receivers form an arrangement with a selected geometry, coupled in an ultrasound fashion, with relative rotation/translation movement, with the pipe. The device includes a converter that selectively isolates a digital representation of echoes in designated time windows, as a function of the movement, and by extracting an image of defects, a filter which determines presumed defect zones and properties of these, a combiner to prepare working digital inputs from an extract of images of a defect zone, a neural circuit receiving the working inputs, a digital decision and alarm stage working on the basis of the output of the neural circuit, and a sorting and marking robot. U.S. Pat. No. 9,121,817 for Ultrasonic testing device having an adjustable water column by inventors Roach et al., filed Jul. 9, 2012 and issued Sep. 1, 2015, discloses an ultrasonic testing device having a variable fluid column height. An operator is able to adjust the fluid column height in real time during an inspection to produce optimum ultrasonic focus and separate extraneous, unwanted UT signals from those stemming from the area of interest. U.S. Pat. No. 10,302,600 for Inspection devices and related systems and methods by inventors Palmer et al., filed Jan. 19, 2016 and issued May 28, 2019, discloses inspection devices including a nozzle portion having at least one opening and a transducer disposed in