Patent · US Expired

Acoustic detection of defects in structures

US4603584A · kind A · utility

21Cited by
7References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 31, 1985
Grant dateAug 5, 1986
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 31, 2005

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01N2291/102
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A method of monitoring a structure comprising the steps of: PA0 (a) transmitting a burst of acoustic energy through the structure from a transducer coupled to it, PA0 (b) detecting a received wave resulting from the burst at one or more transducers coupled to the structure, and PA0 (c) monitoring for any change in the structure after a given time (or event) by repeating the steps (a) and (b) with the coupling of the transducers being essentially unaltered, to detect a further received wave or waves; comparing the further received wave or waves with a corresponding reference received wave or waves; and determining for each comparison whether the received wave differs from the reference, any difference being indicative of the formation or growth of a defect in the overall acoustic path travelled by the acoustic energy.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.