STTR Phase I: Ultrasonic Guided Wave Phased Array Inspection System for Large Area NDE

This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I research project aims to enhance large area Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) by exploiting the long-distance propagation capability of ultrasonic guided waves in combination with state-of-the-art phased array technology. Currently, embedded guided wave sensor technology is limited by the inability of low-profile sensors to efficiently excite guided waves that can travel long distances. Novel piezoceramic sensor designs will be incorporated into the phased array system to facilitate large area inspection. The research will demonstrate improved guided wave propagation and inspection capability using novel embedded sensor designs. It will also demonstrate the ability to improve inspection performance using theimproved sensors in combination with state of the art phased array technology.The technology is targeted towards reducing inspection costs in the aerospace, military, storage vessel, and pipeline industries by providing real time, large area inspection. An NDE method that is capable of inspecting large structures from a single sensing position will enhance the electronics and sensors industry by eliminating the need for time-consuming point by point inspections.