| Patent Number |
Title Of Patent |
Date Issued |
| 7533575 |
Quasistatic magnetic and electric field stress/strain gages |
May 19, 2009 |
| Magnetic or electric field sensors are mounted against a material surface and used for stress, strain, and load monitoring of rotating components such as vehicle drive trains. The stationary sensors are mounted at multiple locations around the component and used assess the stress on the |
| 7528598 |
Fastener and fitting based sensing methods |
May 5, 2009 |
| Damage and usage conditions in the vicinity of fasteners in joined structures are nondestructively evaluated using the fasteners themselves. Sensors or sensor conductors are embedded in the fasteners or integrated within the fastener construct, either in the clearance gap between the |
| 7526964 |
Applied and residual stress measurements using magnetic field sensors |
May 5, 2009 |
| Methods are described for the use of conformable eddy-current sensors and sensor arrays for characterizing residual stresses and applied loads in materials. In addition, for magnetizable materials such as steels, these methods can be used to determine carbide content and to inspect for |
| 7518360 |
Hybrid wound/etched winding constructs for scanning and monitoring |
April 14, 2009 |
| Combined wound and micro-fabricated winding constructs are described for the inspection of materials and the detection and characterization of hidden features or flaws. These constructs can be configured as sensors or sensor arrays that are surface mounted or scanned over conducting |
| 7451657 |
Material condition monitoring with multiple sensing modes |
November 18, 2008 |
| Methods are described for assessing material condition. These methods include the use of multiple source fields for interrogating and loading of a multicomponent test material. Source fields include electric, magnetic, thermal, and acoustic fields. The loading field preferentially ch |
| 7280940 |
Segmented field dielectric sensor array for material characterization |
October 9, 2007 |
| The condition of insulating and semiconducting dielectric materials is assessed by a sensor array that uses electric fields to interrogate the test material. The sensor has a linear array of parallel drive conductors interconnected to form a single drive electrode and sense conductors |
| 7188532 |
Self-monitoring metals, alloys and materials |
March 13, 2007 |
| Observability of damage precursor, damage and usage states, or event occurrence may be enhanced by modifying component materials to include self-monitoring materials or by processing test material to alter the surface properties. The properties of the self monitoring materials, such |
| 7183764 |
Method for inspecting a channel using a flexible sensor |
February 27, 2007 |
| Described are methods for pressurizing elastic support structures or balloons in sensor probes used for the inspection of components having areas of limited access. When inflated, the balloons press flexible sensors against the surface of the material under test. When deflated, the b |
| 7161351 |
Hidden feature characterization using a database of sensor responses |
January 9, 2007 |
| Quasistatic sensor responses may be converted into multiple model parameters to characterize hidden properties of a material. Methods of conversion use databases of responses and, in some cases, databases that include derivatives of the responses, to estimate at least three unknown m |
| 7106055 |
Fabrication of samples having predetermined material conditions |
September 12, 2006 |
| Fabrication of samples having material conditions or damage representative of actual components inspected by nondestructive testing involves sensors placed near or mounted on the material surface, such as flexible eddy current sensors or sensor arrays, to monitor the material condition w |
| 7095224 |
Process control and damage monitoring |
August 22, 2006 |
| A process control method is described which uses measurements from magnetic field sensors to monitor the condition of material, such as from a heat treatment process. The sensors can be single element sensors or sensor arrays, can be used to periodically inspect selected locations, m |
| 7049811 |
Test circuit having parallel drive segments and a plurality of sense elements |
May 23, 2006 |
| A test circuit having a drive winding with parallel conducting segments and a plurality of sense elements used for the nondestructive measurement of materials. The drive winding segments have extended portions and are driven by a time varying electric current to impose a magnetic field i |
| 6995557 |
High resolution inductive sensor arrays for material and defect characterization of welds |
February 7, 2006 |
| A sensor that characterizes welds in materials. The sensor includes a meandering drive winding with at least three extended portions and at least one sensing element placed between an adjacent pair of extended portions. A time varying electric current is passed through the extended p |
| 6784662 |
Eddy current sensor arrays having drive windings with extended portions |
August 31, 2004 |
| An apparatus for the nondestructive measurements of materials. Eddy current sensing arrays are described which provide a capability for high resolution imaging of test materials and also a high probabilitity of detection for defects. These arrays incorporate layouts for the sensing e |
| 6727691 |
High resolution inductive sensor arrays for material and defect characterization of welds |
April 27, 2004 |
| A sensor that characterizes welds in materials. The sensor includes a meandering drive winding with at least three extended portions and at least one sensing element placed between an adjacent pair of extended portions. A time varying electric current is passed through the extended p |
