Automated Guided Wave Phased Array Scanner for Inspection of ICBM Silo Walls

Existing inspection techniques for corrosion detection and wall thickness monitoring on ICBM silo walls are highly inefficient. Guidedwave (FBS, Inc. d.b.a. Guidedwave) has developed a revolutionary guided wave phased array (GWPA) ultrasound technology for the efficient inspection of large-area structures for plate and weld defects. The patented GWPA technology performs rapid 360-degree volumetric guided wave scans of plates over an area up to 10 from the probe. Guidedwave proposes utilizing a remotely-deployed crawler robot equipped with the GWPA technology as the most efficient way to scan the ICBM silo walls. The crawler would automatically collect GWPA scans on a sparse grid, and at each data collection point, the probe would be deployed to the surface to collect a rapid (30-60 second) scan of the area around the probe. After completing the scans, the software would automatically compile them into a composite image of the entire structure, which would provide a quick, easy-to-understand representation of any indications of flaws across the structure. High-resolution UT point thickness measurements or scans would then be performed only in the corrosion areas indicated by the GWPA scan, rather than wasting time and money performing precise wall thickness measurements across the entire structure.