Hybrid NDI Technology for Rapid Inspection of Large Aircraft

ABSTRACT: The United States Air Force has over 3000 active combat aircraft in operation. Maintenance of these aircraft is an integral part in keeping the fleet operational. Defects greatly impact the stability and integrity of the aircraft and can directly affect its performance. Since most of these defects and fractures occur beneath the skin on the plane, visual inspection is insufficient. Eddy current testing (ECT) is one of the NDI technologies that can be used for this detection and classification. The present method of ECT inspection of aircraft requires two separate scans at different frequencies. Running two scans and changing the scanning apparatus leads to long, costly maintenance times. A faster and more efficient way to do NDI is necessary to decrease the cost of maintenance and the downtime of each aircraft. RMD will address this by developing a hybrid multimode ECT-based scanning technology, which will have higher sensitivity than traditional ECT methods, and scan multiple frequencies simultaneously. This hybrid technology has the potential will reduce the inspection time to one half to one quarter of the time presently needed to inspect an airplane. RMD will work with Wyle Aerospace to develop new hybrid sensors for rapid non-destructive inspection of large aircraft. ; BENEFIT: The NDI system that RMD is developing is a breakthrough in eddy current testing that will reduce the time to perform to less than half the time required using existing commercial technology. Our technology can be used for a variety of NDI procedures on both military and commercial aircraft. These include: Detection of subsurface flaws in aircraft Evaluating bonded lap joints Cyclic loading to discover cracks Inspection of welds Testing of axles and wheels in trains Measurement of graphite nodularity in cast iron Detection of variations in alloy, heat treatment, case depth, and the hardness of various metals RMD anticipates a five year commercialization plan, two years during the Phase II period, plus three years product development, marketing and sales ramp-up. During Phase I, we will identify and characterize market segments. We will establish detailed marketing and business strategies for the most promising market areas using company funds during Phase II. We will develop products that meet the needs of the Air Force. RMD will manufacture the sensors and sell OEM the sensors and system components to major NDI instrument manufacturers.