US 12,265,059 B2
System and method for automated indication confirmation in ultrasonic testing
Jerry Ding, Brookfield, WI (US); Greg C. Ojard, Vernon, CT (US); Amit Surana, Newington, CT (US); and Ozgur Erdinc, Mansfield, CT (US)
Assigned to RTX Corporation, Farmington, CT (US)
Filed by Raytheon Technologies Corporation, Farmington, CT (US)
Filed on Jun. 21, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/352,963.
Prior Publication US 2022/0404314 A1, Dec. 22, 2022
Int. Cl. G01N 29/04 (2006.01); B25J 9/16 (2006.01); B25J 15/00 (2006.01); G01N 29/22 (2006.01); G01N 29/265 (2006.01); G01N 29/28 (2006.01); G01N 29/44 (2006.01)
CPC G01N 29/043 (2013.01) [B25J 9/1679 (2013.01); B25J 15/0019 (2013.01); G01N 29/225 (2013.01); G01N 29/265 (2013.01); G01N 29/28 (2013.01); G01N 29/4472 (2013.01); G01N 2291/0289 (2013.01); G01N 2291/2693 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for indication confirmation for detecting a sub-surface defect comprising:
a robot having a transducer fluidly coupled to a part located in a tank containing a liquid coupling medium configured to transmit ultrasonic energy, said transducer configured to scan said part to traverse the liquid coupling medium and the inspected part in the absence of contacting the part to create scan data of the scanned part;
a robot controller coupled to said robot;
a pulser/receiver coupled to said transducer configured to receive and transmit said scan data;
a processor coupled to said pulser/receiver, said processor configured to communicate with said pulser/receiver and collect said scan data; said processor coupled to said robot controller; said processor configured to detect said sub-surface defect and to confirm indications of said sub-surface defect;
a tangible, non-transitory memory configured to communicate with said processor, the tangible, non-transitory memory having instructions stored therein that, in response to execution by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
initialization of a transducer starting location and transducer orientation responsive to a prior determination of a potential flaw location;
optimization of an observation point of said transducer responsive to at least one of said transducer starting location and said transducer orientation responsive to a flaw response model of sub-surface defects;
moving said transducer to achieve said observation point location and orientation;
collecting said scan data at said observation point location and orientation;
analyzing said scan data to extract a measure of said flaw response model; and
updating said flaw response model.