Structural repair having optical witness and method of monitoring repair performance

US9085052B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• The Boeing Company · US

Inventors

• Gary E. Georgeson · Tacoma, US
• Kenneth H. Griess · Kent, US
• Russell L. Keller · Maple Valley, US
• Everett A. Westerman · Des Moines, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 2, 2011
• Grant date: Jul 21, 2015
• Expiry date: Apr 28, 2032

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10T428/28
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A structural repair includes a tell-tale optical witness that allows the health of the repair to be visually monitored. The optical witness includes a stress sensitive fluorescent dye that shows changes in local strain/stress patterns when the repair is subjected to electromagnetic energy of a particular wavelength. The dyes fluoresce more or less strongly as a function of the local stress/strain.