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Inspection of Composite Rocket Nozzle
Rocket nozzles are manufactured with composite material having good structural and heat resistance capabilities. Because of the severe working environment of those parts, structural integrity has to be assured. Delaminations and inclusions have to be detected. Conventional ultrasound techniques are limited because of very bad ultrasonic penetration. The use of low-frequency transducers in pulse-echo and transmit/receive configurations combined with the use of phased-array probes ensures good inspection. A state-of-the-art mechanics with a double oblique arm and a turntable ensure reliable inspection of parts.

Rocket nozzle inspection system. Performance and Objectives of the Inspection

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Full volume ultrasonic inspection of parts for delamination Detection of delamination and inclusion Part size: Height: 300 mm (0.328 in.) to 1400 mm (55.118 in.) Inner diameter: 100 mm (3.937 in.) to 1500 mm (59.055 in.) Thickness: 10 mm (0.375 in.) to 95 mm (3.74 in.) Material: composite Shape: conic Rotation speed: 7 r/min Two conventional 1-MHz probes One 64-element phased-array probe Electronics: Tomoscan FOCUS 16:64 Wedge with membrane Water recirculation system

Description of the Inspection System The nozzle is mounted on a turntable composed of mandrels adjustable to the diameter of the nozzle. The ultrasonic probes are mounted on the oblique vertical axis. The angle of the arm can be adjusted. The water is recirculated through the irrigation system. The loss of water is minimal. Parts to Inspect Composite parts (very noisy material) Part size Height: 300 mm (11.811 in.) to 1400 mm (55.118 in.) Inner diameter: 100 mm (3.937 in.) to 1500 mm (59.055 in.) Thickness: 10 mm (0.375 in.) to 95 mm (3.74 in.)

Defects to Be Detected
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Delamination Inclusion SDH of 1 mm (0.039 in.) to 5 mm (0.196 in.) of diameter for calibration purpose

Close-up of the probe assembly (conventional probes). Mechanical specifications:

Axis Z W Stroke 1000 mm (39.37 in.) 360 Max. speed 100 mm/s (3.937 in.) 7 r/min Resolution/repeatability 0.025 mm/0.25 mm (.001 in.) 0.01/0.1

Material Requirements Tomoscan FOCUS 16:64 ultrasonic phased-array system MCDU-02 motor drive with a joystick TomoView software Computer Two 1-MHz conventional probe One 64-element phased-array probe Local immersion wedges with membranes Air compressor

Close-up of the turntable. Analysis and Reporting Using TomoView Software All of R/D Tech ultrasound products, whether using phased-array, ultrasound, or EMAT technology, share the same data acquisition and analysis software. The software is PC-based and can be used on standard PCs ranging from simple laptop to powerful multiprocessor workstation. Data Acquisition and Analysis
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Software setup and control of the acquisition system Easy programming of focal laws for sector, linear, and depth scans, as well as dynamic depth focusing Automatic volumetric settings Real-time display of A-scans, B-scans, C-scans, and D-scans Real-time display of phased-array sector scans Real-time display of angle-corrected top, side, and end views from either A-scan, C-scan, or peak data Real-time imaging with part drawing overlay Capability to proceed to data analysis simultaneously with data acquisition. Measurement cursors and time-of---flight diffraction measurement tools Scanner control for automated inspections Synthetic aperture focusing technique (SAFT)

Phased-array probe asembly with water wedge and membrane.

Cross-section of the part.

Other Aerospace Applications

Inspection of Titanium Billets R/D Tech has developed a phased array technique with the use of complex Fermat-shaped array probes to inspect billet size ranging from 3 to 14 inches in diameter. The use of outstanding technology as Dynamic Depth Focusing, which keeps the beam focused over a large range, sets the path for minimum beam quantity to inspect the whole billet. The detection of FBH no 2 (0.8 mm or 0.031 in.) is done according to industry requirements and detection of small holes as FBH no 1 (0.4 mm or 0.015 in.) is successful. Customized software was especially designed for this application.

Thin Welds and Friction Stir Welds The FSW technique was developed as a method to join materials that are difficult to fusion weld, such as aluminum alloys. The quality of the weld is very high; however, the process may generate small, tight defects that are hard to detect. The best method to inspect FSW is to use the ultrasonic phased array technique. Because of the weld shape, raster scanning is impossible; but with phased arrays, inspection of the entire weld volume is done in a single-pass scan. Phased arrays also permit lateral scanning to detect transverse defects. Inspection angle optimization maximizes the probability of detection. The increased number of zones covered by phased arrays provides accurate flaw sizing and location. High speed, accuracy, and versatility make phased arrays the choice technique for FSW inspection.

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In-plant, vertical setup for 40-ft long friction stir weld inspection.

Products used for this application

TomoScan Focus LT
The TomoScan FOCUS LT is designed for most demanding automated and industrial inspection systems for both conventional UT and phased array with multiple probe configuration. It is controlled by the versatile TomoView software.

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