Real Time Low Cost Ultrasound Camera for Rocket Motor Casing Inspection

The efficient, intuitive use of ultrasonic inspection techniques is critical in assuring that motor cases (as well as other components) are manufactured and maintained correctly. Present inspection methodology generally uses a point-by-point scan of theitem that can be very time consuming with results that are not easily interpreted. In Phase I, the feasibility of using a wide-area ultrasonic imaging system was demonstrated using a laboratory, water tank set-up. A variety of composite motor casesamples were tested in the lab, and it was successfully proven that areas of damage were easily visualized through the resulting ultrasound images. Phase II research will extend the earlier work by designing and constructing a prototype camera that can beused for production and in-service composite inspection. This ultrasound camera will be tested in a production environment to determine its applicability and improvements in manufacturing efficiency as well as cost savings. This Phase II program willdevelop a device enable a non-specialized technician to simply place a handheld probe up to a composite motor casing and get a real time image of subsurface faults.