INTERNAL INSPECTION OF LONG TUBES

A REQUIREMENT EXISTS FOR THE PRECISION INSPECTION OF THE AEDC TRACK G FACILITY BETWEEN SHOTS TO SURVEY FOR DAMAGE TO AS WELL AS MISALIGNMENT. THE CRITICAL FACILITY ELEMENTS WHICH PROVIDE BEARING SURFACES FOR THE HYPERVELOCITY MODEL. THE PROPOSED PROGRAM ADDRESSES THIS NEED. A BASELINE SELF-CONTAINED INSPECTION SYSTEM DESIGN WITH DIGITAL MEMORY AND MICROPROCESSOR AUTOMATED DATA REDUCTION HAS BEEN DEVELOPED. THIS DESIGN PROVIDES AN IMPORTANT POINT OF DEPARTURE FOR THE PROPOSED INVESTIGATION. TWO BASIC TYPES OF INSPECTION SYSTEMS WILL BE INVESTIGATED: (1) A HIGH RESOLUTION SELF-CONTAINED PRECISION INSPECTION DEVICE AND (2) AN INSPECTION PROJECTILE WHICH CAN SENSE ALIGNMENT AND FACILITY DAMAGE INDUCED LOADS. THE PROPOSED PROGRAM IS DIVIDED INTO SIX TECHNICAL TASKS AS FOLLOWS: (1) SENSOR RESEARCH, (2) DAMAGE CHARACTERISTICS TESTING, (3) SENSOR EVALUATION, (4) ELECTRONIC DESIGN AND TESTING, AND PRELIMINARY DESIGN. THE ACTIAL FABRICATION OF AN INSPECTION SYSTEM WOULD BE PART OF THE PHASE II PROGRAM.