Cable-suspended non-destructive inspection units for rapid large-area scanning
US11053925B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 19, 2018 |
| Grant date | Jul 6, 2021 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 17, 2038 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02E10/72
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An automated apparatus for large-area scanning of wind turbine blades or other large-bodied structures (such as aircraft fuselages and wings) for the purpose of non-destructive inspection (NDI). One or more vacuum-adhered scanning elements containing NDI sensors are lowered via cables and moved via a motorized cart driven along a leading edge of a horizontally disposed wind turbine blade or via a motorized carriage driven around a track attached to a vertically disposed wind turbine blade. Scan passes are based upon sequenced horizontal and vertical motions of scan heads provided by cart/carriage and cable spool motion. A conformable array of sensors attached to the cart may be used to collect NDI data along the leading edge of a horizontally disposed wind turbine blade if the scan heads cannot reach that area.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.