US 11,940,418 B2
Portable system for PZT-based inspection of bolted connections
Gangbing Song, Pearland, TX (US); Jinwei Jiang, Houston, TX (US); Siu Chun Michael Ho, Sugar Land, TX (US); and Zheng Chen, Sugar Land, TX (US)
Assigned to UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON SYSTEM, Houston, TX (US)
Appl. No. 17/286,201
Filed by University of Houston System, Houston, TX (US)
PCT Filed Oct. 18, 2019, PCT No. PCT/US2019/056866
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Apr. 16, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/081894, PCT Pub. Date Apr. 23, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/747,382, filed on Oct. 18, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0356436 A1, Nov. 18, 2021
Int. Cl. G01N 29/04 (2006.01); G01N 29/09 (2006.01); G01N 29/12 (2006.01); G01N 29/22 (2006.01); G01N 29/24 (2006.01)
CPC G01N 29/245 (2013.01) [G01N 29/043 (2013.01); G01N 29/09 (2013.01); G01N 29/12 (2013.01); G01N 29/226 (2013.01); G01N 2291/0258 (2013.01); G01N 2291/048 (2013.01); G01N 2291/102 (2013.01); G01N 2291/2691 (2013.01)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A portable system for inspecting characteristics of a bolted connection, comprising:
a first PZT transducer;
a second PZT transducer movably positioned adjacent to the first PZT transducer;
a first rod having a first transducer end on which the first PZT transducer is mounted and having a first spring for applying a force on the first rod to move the first PZT transducer toward the second PZT transducer;
a second rod having a second transducer end on which the second PZT transducer is mounted and having a second spring for applying a force on the second rod to move the second PZT transducer toward the first PZT transducer, wherein the second rod is movably positioned in a linear fashion adjacent to the first rod;
a fixture on which the first rod and the second rod are movably mounted, wherein the fixture connects to ends of the first spring and the second spring, wherein compressive forces from the first spring and the second spring cause the first PZT transducer and the second PZT transducer to move toward each other, and wherein movement of the first rod away from the second rod compresses the first spring and the second spring against the fixture and permits placement of at least a portion of a bolted connection between the first PZT transducer and the second PZT transducer.