DIGITAL TANGENTIAL X-RAY SCANNER FOR LOADED ROCKET MOTORS

FOR THE LARGE LOADED ROCKET MOTORS, THE ROCKET FUEL IS MOSTLY EXAMINE AT PRESENT BY TAKING MANY SELECTED TANGENTIAL X-RAY FILM EXPOSURES WITH HIGH ENERGY (ACCELERATOR TYPE) X-RAY SOURCE. THESE TANGENTIAL X-RAY EXPOSURE FILMS ARE INTERPRETED BY AN EXPERT RADIOGRAPHER FOR ANY ANOMALY OR PROBLEMS. THIS PROCEDURE HAS POOR VOID AND CRACK DETECTABILITY, IS SLOW AND CUMBERSOME AND REQUIRES MANUAL INTERPRETATION OF THE FILM. OFTEN ONLY A LIMITED X-RAY EXPOSURES ARE TAKEN AND MOST OF THE FUEL IS NOT EVEN FILMED AND PROBLEMS ARE OFTEN MISSED. WE PROPOSE TO INVESTIGATE THE CONTIGUOUS LINEAR SOLID STATE X-RAY DETECTOR ARRAYS INSTEAD OF FILM TO COLLECT AND INTERPRET THE TANGENTIAL X-RAY EXPOSURE DATA. THIS WOULD LEAD TO A TOTALLY AUTOMATIC SCANNING SYSTEM. THE SOLID STATE DETECTORS HAVE SUPERIOR CONTRAST RESOLUTION AND WIDE DYNAMIC RANGE AND WOULD BE ABLE TO DETECT SMALLER CRACKS AND VOIDS. THE SCANNING METHOD AND INTERPRETATION WOULD BE FAST AND AUTOMATIC. ENTIRE ROCKET MOTOR CAN BE INVESTIGATED IN REASONABLE TIME.