Aeronautics and astronautics – Miscellaneous
Patent
1996-10-09
1998-10-06
Barefoot, Galen L.
Aeronautics and astronautics
Miscellaneous
73776, 364508, B64D 4700, G01B 530
Patent
active
058165304
ABSTRACT:
A method for measuring growth and magnitude of structural damage in a structure such as an airframe, as reflected by growth of a crack therein, by securing to a structural portion thereof at least one ligament assembly whose properties replicate such damage. The ligament assembly has a metallic load test coupon having a loading response substantially identical to a loading response of the structural portion and an artificial flaw simulating a metallurgical crack. The crack has a growth rate magnitude substantially identical to a magnitude of structural damage of the structural portion as such damage occurs. A crack growth measurement gage is in alignment with the crack of the test coupon and in communication with a recorder unit to record crack growth, and crack growth is compared to correlated structural damage of the structural portion as associated with such growth. The recorder unit preferably includes a data processor capable of comparing crack growth recorded by the recorder unit, correlating this growth to structural damage, reporting the structural damage as a viewable output correlated to the crack growth, and accruing crack-growth data. The method is particularly, but not limitedly, applicable for monitoring structural damage as it occurs to aging aircraft.
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patent: 3983745 (1976-10-01), Juusola
patent: 4107980 (1978-08-01), Crane et al.
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patent: 4255974 (1981-03-01), Dufrane et al.
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patent: 4590804 (1986-05-01), Brull
Anderson Terry J.
Barefoot Galen L.
Hoch Jr. Karl J.
Northrop Grumman Corporation
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