Abstract
Computerized tomography (CT) algorithms have been used mainly in the medical field but their powerful capabilities are being exploited more and more in industrial applications. This paper demonstrates that the technology is capable of detecting material loss on real aircraft components using embedded piezoelectric sensors on hidden surfaces. The work is novel in more than one respect. Firstly, it demonstrates that Lamb wave ultrasonic tomography can be used to accurately map material loss on an exposed aircraft surface with sensors embedded on the structure's hidden surface. Hidden, in this case, refers to the surface that is not exposed to the atmosphere - the underneath of an aircraft wing, for example. Secondly, it compares tomographic images generated by fan-beam back projection and the signal difference coefficient methods, showing clearly that the latter are more sensitive to material loss.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Article number | 007 |
| Pages (from-to) | 946-951 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Smart Materials and Structures |
| Volume | 15 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Aug 1 2006 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Signal Processing
- Civil and Structural Engineering
- Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
- General Materials Science
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Mechanics of Materials
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering