A Portable, Vibro-Acoustic Based NDI System for Composite Structures

Impact Technologies, in collaboration with our commercialization partner Boeing, propose to develop a portable, non-destructive inspection (NDI) system that can quickly and accurately determine the damage state of an aircraft composite structure using vibro-acoustic feature analysis. The high-frequency analysis method proposed can be applied in an automated manner using a modal hammer and vibro-acoustic accelerometers capable of assessing the location and severity of various forms of damage, including dis-bonds and delamination. The application of the proposed developments will be focused on the F-15 vertical stabilator region, which our commercialization partner Boeing to assist with design specific knowledge. The core innovations of this project include: 1) Implementation of practical, real-time, non-destructive inspection (NDI) methods (including sensors and signal processing software) that can be applied to critical regions of aircraft structures using piezo-electric response measurements for damage assessments; 2) Development of an integrated frequency, damping and mode shape sensitivity algorithm for damage detection and localization; 3) Development of a stress wave analysis algorithm that incorporates an optimized triangulation procedure for improved damage localization once damage is detected; and 4) Validation of the portable NDI system prototype (including hardware, software and sensors) based on performing a series of well-organized and realistic tests on composite panels with various levels of external and internal damage and baseline testing of the F-15 vertical stabilator region.