A scanning fixture for use in moving a tool across a surface of an object is arranged to be attached to the object and comprises: a carriage arranged to have the tool connected thereto; and a frame arranged to be mounted on the object and to have the carriage mounted thereon. The frame comprises: a first mount arranged to be mounted on the object; a second mount arranged to be mounted on the object; a carriage support arranged to extend between the first and second mounts, across a surface of the object, and to have the carriage moveably connected thereto. The carriage support is a modular carriage support, comprising a plurality of modules rotatably mounted on an elongate member. The plurality of modules together form a path along which the carriage can move. The tool may be a probe for use in inspecting the object. The fixture may comprise one or more encoders arranged to generate position data for the carriage.

Automated inspections of aerial vehicles may be performed using imaging devices, microphones or other sensors. Between phases of operation, the aerial vehicle may be instructed to perform a plurality of testing evolutions, e.g., in a sequence, at a testing facility, and data may be captured during the evolutions by sensors provided on the aerial vehicle and by ground-based sensors at the testing facility. The imaging and acoustic data may be processed to determine whether any vibrations or radiated noises during the evolutions are consistent with faults or discrepancies of the aerial vehicle such as microfractures, corrosions or fatigue. If no faults or discrepancies are detected, the aerial vehicle may be returned to service without delay. If any faults or discrepancies are detected, however, then the aerial vehicle may be subjected to maintenance, repairs or further manual or visual inspections.

The occurrence angle of a crack with respect to a reference line passing by a tooth shoulder portion perpendicularly to the radial direction of a tooth is defined as . A phased array probe is placed in advance at a position on the outer circumferential surface of a retaining ring that is located in a direction estimated to be perpendicular to the occurrence angle , and sector scan is performed with an ultrasonic beam radiated from the phased array probe, thereby inspecting whether or not the crack has occurred at the tooth shoulder portion.

The present disclosure provides methods and systems for the characterization of a microtexture of a sample, component, or the like. The methods may include methods of determining a service life limiting region of a component, determining a treatment method for a component, and/or selecting components from a batch of components for use in production. The characterization may include calculating a microtexture level indicator from ultrasonic C-scan images for various samples, regions, components, or the like. The microtexture level indicator may include at least one of an average peak factor, a standard deviation of peak amplitude, and/or a baseband bandwidth.

The present disclosure provides methods and systems for the characterization of a potential microtexture region (MTR) of a sample, component, or the like. The methods may include determining a threshold width of spatial correlation coefficient and/or a threshold spatial correlation coefficient slope for an actual MTR, characterizing a potential MTR as an actual MTR or a defect, characterizing an actual MTR as an acceptable MTR or not, and/or characterizing various components with potential MTRs as defective or not. The characterization may include calculating a width of spatial correlation coefficient and/or a spatial correlation coefficient slope of the potential MTR and comparing the width of spatial correlation coefficient to a threshold width of spatial correlation coefficient and/or comparing the spatial correlation coefficient slope to a threshold spatial correlation coefficient slope for the potential MTR to be characterized as an actual MTR or a defect (crack).

The invention relates to a method for nondestructively acoustically examining at least one region of a component of a turbomachine, wherein at least the following steps are performed: a) arranging a transmitter comprising a plurality of individual oscillators on the region of the component to be examined, b) introducing at least one ultrasound beam into the component by means of the transmitter, c) receiving at least one ultrasound beam reflected by the component by means of a receiver comprising a plurality of individual receivers and d) checking, on the basis of the received ultrasound beam, whether there is a deviation in the region of the component which characterizes a segregation. The invention further relates to a device for carrying out a method of this type.

An automated apparatus for large-area scanning of wind turbine blades or other large-bodied structures (such as aircraft fuselages and wings) for the purpose of non-destructive inspection (NDI). One or more vacuum-adhered scanning elements containing NDI sensors are lowered via cables and moved via a motorized cart driven along a leading edge of a horizontally disposed wind turbine blade or via a motorized carriage driven around a track attached to a vertically disposed wind turbine blade. Scan passes are based upon sequenced horizontal and vertical motions of scan heads provided by cart/carriage and cable spool motion. A conformable array of sensors attached to the cart may be used to collect NDI data along the leading edge of a horizontally disposed wind turbine blade if the scan heads cannot reach that area.

The current disclosure determines if structural faults exist and extracts geometric features of the structural faults from acoustic emission waveforms, such as crack length and orientation, and can evaluate the structural faults online, during normal operation conditions.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media configured to monitor wind turbines and detect damage to one or more components of the wind turbines, such as damage to the blades. The techniques disclosed herein may utilize sensors (e.g., acoustic sensors) disposed within air cavities of one or more blades of the wind turbines to detect acoustic signals or acoustic energy caused by corrosive impacts (e.g., wind, dust, rain, hail, lightning, etc.) to the wind turbine. Information associated with the acoustic signals may be provided to and received by a processor used to determine whether one or more of the blades of the wind turbines have been damaged. The techniques disclosed herein may facilitate real-time or near-real-time monitoring of wind turbines for damage, which may enable more efficient operation and maintenance of wind turbines.

According to an embodiment, an inspection device comprises a moving body that includes; a moving main body which moves in contact with a first structure; arms attached to the moving main body; an arm driver to drive the arms; and a detector attached to the moving main body or the arms to inspect the second structure. The arms each can selectively take a pressed position and a detached position. When the moving body is moved, at least one of the arms are in the pressed position and pressed to the second structure, and the moving body is supported by the first and second structures.