Apparatus and method for bulge testing an article

Abstract

An apparatus ( 10 ) for bulge testing an article ( 12 ) comprises a pressure vessel ( 14 ) arranged to define a chamber ( 15 ), the pressure vessel ( 14 ) has a first aperture ( 28 ) and a second aperture ( 30 ), means to pressurise the chamber ( 15 ), means ( 19 ) to measure the deflection of the article ( 12 , means ( 39 ) to measure the pressure in the pressure vessel ( 14 ) and means ( 18 ) to determine material properties of the article ( 12 ) using the measurements of pressure in the pressure vessel ( 12 ) and the measurements of deflection of the article ( 12 ). A piston ( 24 ) is arranged to move within the pressure vessel ( 14 ) and the chamber ( 15 ) is filled with a fluid. The means to pressurise the pressure vessel ( 14 ) comprises a gun ( 16 ) arranged to fire a projectile ( 36 ) to strike the piston ( 24 ) to produce a high pressure in the fluid in the chamber ( 15 ) in the pressure vessel ( 14 ) to deform an article ( 12 ) placed over the first aperture ( 28 ) in the pressure vessel ( 14 ) to seal the pressure vessel ( 14 ). The means ( 19 ) to measure deflection comprises a camera 48 and two mirrors ( 50,52 ) to produce a stereoscopic view of the article ( 10 ).

1 . An apparatus for bulge testing an article comprising a pressure vessel arranged to define a chamber, the pressure vessel having a first aperture and a second aperture, means to pressurise the chamber, means to measure the deflection of the article, means to measure the pressure in the pressure vessel and means to determine material properties of the article using the measurements of pressure in the pressure vessel and the measurements of deflection of the article, a piston being arranged to move within the pressure vessel, the chamber being filled with a fluid, the means to pressurise the pressure vessel comprising a gun arranged to fire a projectile to strike the piston to produce a high pressure in the fluid in the chamber in the pressure vessel to deform the article, whereby in use the article being arranged over the first aperture in the pressure vessel to seal the pressure vessel.  
   
   
       2 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  comprising a clamping member having an aperture, the clamping member being arranged in use such that the aperture in the clamping member is aligned with the first aperture in the first end of the pressure vessel to clamp the article between the first end of the pressure vessel and the clamping member such that the article extends across the first aperture in the first end of the pressure vessel to seal the first end of the pressure vessel.  
   
   
       3 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the piston being arranged to seal the second end of the pressure vessel.  
   
   
       4 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the gun including a barrel and the projectile being arranged to move within the barrel, the end of the barrel being secured to the second end of the pressure vessel and the second aperture in the second end of the pressure vessel being aligned with the barrel such that in use the projectile may strike the piston to produce a high pressure in the fluid in the pressure vessel to deform the article.  
   
   
       5 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the pressure vessel has a minimum cross-sectional area at a position between the first end and the second end.  
   
   
       6 . An, apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the gun is a gas gun.  
   
   
       7 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the pressure vessel contains a liquid.  
   
   
       8 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 7  wherein the pressure vessel contains an oil.  
   
   
       9 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the means to measure the pressure comprises a high-speed high pressure gauge.  
   
   
       10 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  wherein there are means to measure the velocity of the projectile before impact with the piston.  
   
   
       11 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 10  wherein the means to measure the velocity comprises a plurality of light beams spaced apart along the length of the barrel, each light beam extends transversely across the barrel.  
   
   
       12 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the means to measure the deflection of the article comprises at least one high-speed high-resolution camera.  
   
   
       13 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 12  wherein the means to measure the deflection of the article comprises two high-speed high-resolution cameras arranged to produce a stereoscopic view of the article.  
   
   
       14 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 12  wherein the means to measure the deflection of the article comprises two mirrors arranged at different angles relative to the surface of the article to produce a stereoscopic view of the article, each mirror being arranged to focus on a portion of the image plane of the camera.  
   
   
       15 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 14  wherein a first mirror is arranged at a predetermined angle and the angle of a second mirror is adjustable.  
   
   
       16 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 15  wherein the first mirror is arranged at an angle of 45°.  
   
   
       17 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 13  wherein the means to measure the material properties of the article comprises a processor to analyse the stereoscopic view of the article.  
   
   
       18 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 17  wherein the processor has means to determine the angle of the second mirror relative to the undeformed article.  
   
   
       19 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 18  wherein the processor has means to determine the altitude of a polar point on the deformed article relative to the undeformed article from the determined angle of the second mirror.  
   
   
       20 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 19  wherein the processor has means to determine the altitude of other points on the deformed article relative to the undeformed article from the determined angle for the second mirror.  
   
   
       21 . A method of bulge testing an article comprising providing a pressure vessel arranged to define a chamber, the pressure vessel having a first aperture and a second aperture, a piston being arranged to move within the pressure vessel, the chamber being filled with a fluid, arranging the article over the first aperture in the pressure vessel to seal the pressure vessel, firing a projectile to strike the piston to produce a high pressure in the fluid in the chamber in the pressure vessel to deform the article, measuring the deflection of the article, measuring the pressure in the pressure vessel and determining material properties of the article using the measurements of pressure in the pressure vessel and the measurements of deflection of the article.  
   
   
       22 . An apparatus for bulge testing an article comprising a pressure vessel arranged to define a chamber, the pressure vessel having a first aperture, means to pressurise the chamber, means to measure the deflection of the article, means to measure the pressure in the pressure vessel and means to determine material properties of the article using the measurements of pressure in the pressure vessel and the measurements of deflection of the article, wherein the means to measure the deflection of the article comprising two mirrors arranged at different angles relative to the surface of the article to produce a stereoscopic view of the article, each mirror being arranged to focus on a portion of the image plane of a camera.  
   
   
       23 . A method of bulge testing an article comprising providing a pressure vessel arranged to define a chamber, the pressure vessel having a first aperture, arranging the article over the first aperture in the pressure vessel to seal the pressure vessel, pressurising the chamber in the pressure vessel to deform the article, measuring the deflection of the article, measuring the pressure in the pressure vessel and determining material properties of the article using the measurements of pressure in the pressure vessel and the measurements of deflection of the article, wherein the measuring of the deflection of the article comprising providing two mirrors arranged at different angles relative to the surface of the article to produce a stereoscopic view of the article and arranging each mirror to focus on a portion of the image plane of a camera.