GLTRS--Glenn
TITLE AND SUBTITLE:
Acousto-Ultrasonics to Assess Material and Structural Properties

AUTHOR(S):
Harold E. Kautz

REPORT DATE:
October 2002

FUNDING NUMBERS:
WU-708-73-26-00
GSN-002559

PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES):
Cleveland State University
1983 E. 24th Street
Cleveland, Ohio 44115-2403

PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT NUMBER:
E-13564

SPONSORING/MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES):
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Washington, DC 20546-0001

REPORT TYPE AND DATES COVERED:
Final Contractor Report

SPONSORING/MONITORING AGENCY REPORT NUMBER:
NASA CR-2002-211881

SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES:
Project Manager, George Y. Baaklini, Structures and Acoustics Division, NASA Glenn Resarch Center, organization code 5900, 216-433-6016.

ABSTRACT:
This report was created to serve as a manual for applying the Acousto-Ultrasonic NDE method, as practiced at NASA Glenn, to the study of materials and structures for a wide range of applications. Three state of the art acousto-ultrasonic (A-U) analysis parameters, ultrasonic decay (UD) rate, mean time (or skewing factor, "s"), and the centroid of the power spectrum, "fc," have been studied and applied at GRC for NDE interrogation of various materials and structures of aerospace interest. In addition to this, a unique application of Lamb wave analysis is shown. An appendix gives a brief overview of Lamb Wave analysis. This paper presents the analysis employed to calculate these parameters and the development and reasoning behind their use. It also discusses the planning of A-U measurements for materials and structures to be studied. Types of transducer coupling are discussed including contact and non-contact via laser and air. Experimental planning includes matching transducer frequency range to material and geometry of the specimen to be studied. The effect on results of initially zeroing the DC component of the ultrasonic waveform is compared with not doing so. A wide range of interrogation problems are addressed via the application of these analysis parameters to real specimens is shown for five cases: Case 1: Differences in density in [0] SiC/RBSN ceramic matrix composite. Case 2: Effect of tensile fatigue cycling in [+45] SiC/SiC ceramic matrix composite. Case 3: Detecting creep life, and failure, in Udimet 520 Nickel-Based Super Alloy. Case 4: Detecting Surface Layer Formation in T-650-35/PMR-15 Polymer Matrix Composites Panels due to Thermal Aging. Case 5: Detecting Spin Test Degradation in PMC Flywheels. Among these cases a wide range of materials and geometries are studied.

SUBJECT TERMS:
Metal matrix composites; Signal analysis; Stress waves; Flywheels; Polymer matrix composites; Udimet alloys; Pulsed lasers; Nondestructive tests; Ceramic matrix composites; Decay rates; Gels; Frequency ranges; Lamb waves; Ultrasonics; Ultrasonic wave; Piezoelectric transducers; Attenuation; Pulse amplitude

NUMBER OF PAGES:
48

PDF AVAILABLE FROM URL:
2002/CR-2002-211881.pdf
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