Spatially Coherent Optical Velocimeter Array for Rapid Guided-wave NDE

The pace and progress of new sensor technology development continues to lag far behind the broad ranging potential offered by guided wave NDE. In response to NASA solicitation H13.01 for Advanced NDE Techniques for Complex Built-up Structures, Advanced Systems and Technologies Inc., propose a collaborative program which seeks to combine an advanced sensor technology for rapid wide-area capture of ultrasound wave-field data with recent advances in NDE guided wave signal processing. This proposal describes how the Spatially Coherent Optical Vibrometer Array (SCOVA), combined with chirped ultrasound excitation and narrow tone-band decomposition provide deep data sets for application of new spatio-temporal and spatio-spectral analyses to address a broad range of NDE functions pertinent to NASA spaceflight structures. In form and function, SCOVA offers a sensor geared towards practical deployment of guided wave NDE. The ability of SCOVA to capture swept ultrasound data at hundreds of points simultaneously, offers a major advancement in the practical application of guided wave NDE targeting multiple defect modalities in current and future complex spaceflight structures.