Engineering topics

Parker, F. Raymond

Publications and source records attributed to Parker, F. Raymond.

10 records

NASA NTRS2014

Nondestructive Evaluation (NDE) for Inspection of Composite Sandwich Structures

Composite honeycomb structures are widely used in aerospace applications due to their low weight and high strength advantages. Developing nondestructive evaluation (NDE) inspection methods are essential for their safe performance. Flash thermography is a commonly used technique for composite honeycomb structure inspections due to its large area and rapid inspection capability. Flash thermography is shown to be sensitive for detection of face sheet impact damage and face sheet to core disbond. Data processing techniques, using principal component analysis to improve the defect contrast, are discussed. Limitations to the thermal detection of the core are investigated. In addition to flash thermography, X-ray computed tomography is used. The aluminum honeycomb core provides excellent X-ray contrast compared to the composite face sheet. The X-ray CT technique was used to detect impact damage, core crushing, and skin to core disbonds. Additionally, the X-ray CT technique is used to validate the thermography results.

Zalameda, Joseph N.↗

NASA NTRS2014

NDE and SHM Simulation for CFRP Composites

Ultrasound-based nondestructive evaluation (NDE) is a common technique for damage detection in composite materials. There is a need for advanced NDE that goes beyond damage detection to damage quantification and characterization in order to enable data driven prognostics. The damage types that exist in carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites include microcracking and delaminations, and can be initiated and grown via impact forces (due to ground vehicles, tool drops, bird strikes, etc), fatigue, and extreme environmental changes. X-ray microfocus computed tomography data, among other methods, have shown that these damage types often result in voids/discontinuities of a complex volumetric shape. The specific damage geometry and location within ply layers affect damage growth. Realistic threedimensional NDE and structural health monitoring (SHM) simulations can aid in the development and optimization of damage quantification and characterization techniques. This paper is an overview of ongoing work towards realistic NDE and SHM simulation tools for composites, and also discusses NASA's need for such simulation tools in aeronautics and spaceflight. The paper describes the development and implementation of a custom ultrasound simulation tool that is used to model ultrasonic wave interaction with realistic 3-dimensional damage in CFRP composites. The custom code uses elastodynamic finite integration technique and is parallelized to run efficiently on computing cluster or multicore machines.

Leckey, Cara A. C.↗

NASA NTRS2014

Thermal Inspection of Composite Honeycomb Structures

Composite honeycomb structures continue to be widely used in aerospace applications due to their low weight and high strength advantages. Developing nondestructive evaluation (NDE) inspection methods are essential for their safe performance. Pulsed thermography is a commonly used technique for composite honeycomb structure inspections due to its large area and rapid inspection capability. Pulsed thermography is shown to be sensitive for detection of face sheet impact damage and face sheet to core disbond. Data processing techniques, using principal component analysis to improve the defect contrast, are presented. In addition, limitations to the thermal detection of the core are investigated. Other NDE techniques, such as computed tomography X-ray and ultrasound, are used for comparison to the thermography results.

Zalameda, Joseph N.↗

NASA NTRS2013

Simulation Based Investigation of Hidden Delamination Damage Detection in CFRP Composites

Guided wave (GW) based damage detection methods have shown promise in structural health monitoring (SHM) and hybrid SHM-nondestructive evaluation (NDE) techniques. Much previous GW work in the aerospace field has been primarily focused on metallic materials, with a growing focus on composite materials. The work presented in this paper demonstrates how realistic three-dimensional (3D) GW simulations can aid in the development of GW based damage characterization techniques for aerospace composites. 3D elastodynamic finite integration technique is implemented to model GW interaction with realistic delamination damage. A local wavenumber technique is applied to simulation data in order to investigate the detectability of hidden delamination damage to enable accurate characterization of damage extent.

Leckey, Cara A. C.↗

NASA NTRS2013

NDE Evidence for the Damage Arrestment Performance of PRSEUS Composite Cube During High-Pressure Load Test

As an approach to light-weight, cost-effective and manufacturable structures required to enable the hybrid wing body aircraft, The Boeing Company, Inc. and NASA have developed the Pultruded Rod Stitched Efficient Unitized Structure (PRSEUS) concept. A PRSEUS pressure cube was developed as a risk reduction test article to examine a new integral cap joint concept as part of a building block approach for technology development of the PRSEUS concept. The overall specimen strength exceeded the 18.4 psi load requirement as testing resulted in the cube reaching a final pressure load of around 48 psi prior to catastrophic failure. The cube pressure test verified that the joints and structure were capable of sustaining the required loads, and represented the first testing of joined PRSEUS structure. This paper will address the damage arrestment performance of the stitched PRSEUS structure. Following catastrophic failure of the cube, ultrasonic pulse-echo inspection found that the localized damage, surrounding a barely-visible impact damage site, did not change noticeably between just after impact and catastrophic failure of the cube, and did not play a role in the catastrophic failure event. Ultrasonic inspection of the remaining intact cube panels presented three basic types of indications: delaminations between laminae parallel to the face sheets, lying between face sheet and tear strap layers, or between tear strap and flange layers; delaminations above the noodles of stringers, frames or integral caps, lying within face sheet or tear strap layers; and delaminations between the laminae in the inner fillets of the integral caps, where pulloff stresses were expected to be highest. Delaminations of all three types were predominantly contained by the first row of stitches encountered. For the small fraction of delaminations extending beyond the first row of stitches, all were contained by the second stitch row.

Johnston, Patrick H.↗

NASA NTRS2012

Thermography Inspection for Early Detection of Composite Damage in Structures During Fatigue Loading

Advanced composite structures are commonly tested under controlled loading. Understanding the initiation and progression of composite damage under load is critical for validating design concepts and structural analysis tools. Thermal nondestructive evaluation (NDE) is used to detect and characterize damage in composite structures during fatigue loading. A difference image processing algorithm is demonstrated to enhance damage detection and characterization by removing thermal variations not associated with defects. In addition, a one-dimensional multilayered thermal model is used to characterize damage. Lastly, the thermography results are compared to other inspections such as non-immersion ultrasonic inspections and computed tomography X-ray.

Zalameda, Joseph N.↗

NASA NTRS2000

Enhanced Imaging of Corrosion in Aircraft Structures with Reverse Geometry X-ray(registered tm)

The application of Reverse Geometry X-ray to the detection and characterization of corrosion in aircraft structures is presented. Reverse Geometry X-ray is a unique system that utilizes an electronically scanned x-ray source and a discrete detector for real time radiographic imaging of a structure. The scanned source system has several advantages when compared to conventional radiography. First, the discrete x-ray detector can be miniaturized and easily positioned inside a complex structure (such as an aircraft wing) enabling images of each surface of the structure to be obtained separately. Second, using a measurement configuration with multiple detectors enables the simultaneous acquisition of data from several different perspectives without moving the structure or the measurement system. This provides a means for locating the position of flaws and enhances separation of features at the surface from features inside the structure. Data is presented on aircraft specimens with corrosion in the lap joint. Advanced laminographic imaging techniques utilizing data from multiple detectors are demonstrated to be capable of separating surface features from corrosion in the lap joint and locating the corrosion in multilayer structures. Results of this technique are compared to computed tomography cross sections obtained from a microfocus x-ray tomography system. A method is presented for calibration of the detectors of the Reverse Geometry X-ray system to enable quantification of the corrosion to within 2%.

Winfree, William P.↗

NASA NTRS1995

Broadband, High-Temperature Ultrasonic Transducer

Materials chosen for endurance at high temperatures and acoustic coupling and damping. Acoustic transducer designed to exhibit broad frequency response and to survive temperatures close to melting points of brazing alloys. Attached directly and continuously to hot object monitored ultrasonically: for example, it can be attached to relatively cool spot on workpiece during brazing for taking ultrasonic quality-control measurements.

Parker, F. Raymond↗

NASA NTRS1993

Pressure-Coupled Acoustic-Transducer Assembly

Improved acoustic-transducer assembly easy to assemble, relocatable, and used at high temperatures. In assembly, piezoelectric acoustic transducer pressure-coupled to delay line or fixture through soft metal like aluminum, copper or gold. Transducer subassembly includes layered structure of coupling material, transducer, thin disk of coupling material acting as cushion for transducer, electrode disk with coaxial cable lead attached, insulation/damping material, and pressure plate. Pressure coupling precludes problem of matching coefficients of thermal expansion of transducer, coupling material, and delay line.

Parker, F. Raymond↗

NASA NTRS1989

Quantitative NDE applied to composites and metals

Research at the NASA/Langley Research Center concerning quantitative NDE of composites and metals is reviewed. The relationship between ultrasonics and polymer cure is outlined. NDE models are presented, which can be used to develop measurement technologies for characterizing the curing of a polymer system for composite materials. The models can be used to determine the glass transition temperature, the degree of cure, and the cure rate. The application of the model to control autoclave processing of composite materials is noted. Consideration is given to the use of thermal diffusion models combined with controlled thermal input measurements to determine the thermal diffusivity of materials. Also, a two-dimensional physical model is described that permits delaminations in samples of Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Motors to be detected in thermograms in the presence of cooling effects and uneven heating.

Heyman, Joseph S.↗