NDI of aircraft fuselage structures using the Dripless Bubbler ultrasonic scanner

Daniel J. Barnard; David K. Hsu

doi:10.1117/12.259116

14 November 1996 NDI of aircraft fuselage structures using the Dripless Bubbler ultrasonic scanner

Daniel J. Barnard, David K. Hsu

Proceedings Volume 2945, Nondestructive Evaluation of Aging Aircraft, Airports, and Aerospace Hardware; (1996) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.259116
Event: Nondestructive Evaluation Techniques for Aging Infrastructure and Manufacturing, 1996, Scottsdale, AZ, United States

Abstract

A need exists in airline maintenance for a method of producing high quality, easily interpreted images that provides details on the soundness of aircraft fuselage structures. The 'dripless bubbler' technique combines the use of broadband focused-beam ultrasonic immersion transducers with a method of maintaining a contained, bubble-free water pool. The use of the dripless bubbler, when combined with a portable robotic scanner and data acquisition system, produces ultrasonic C-scan and B-scan images for evaluating the extent of corrosion within lap and butt joints and ont he interior of fuselage skins. Also easily identifiable are disbonds in the skin-to-structure adhesive joints and delamination type defects in composite structures. The high image quality is not affected when scanning over surface irregularities; the dripless bubbler can be scanned over button-head rivets and lap splices with minimal change in transducer orientation and no loss of couplant.

Citation Download Citation

Daniel J. Barnard and David K. Hsu "NDI of aircraft fuselage structures using the Dripless Bubbler ultrasonic scanner", Proc. SPIE 2945, Nondestructive Evaluation of Aging Aircraft, Airports, and Aerospace Hardware, (14 November 1996); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.259116

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