Novel systems and methods for non-destructive inspection of airplanes

Abstract

A method for managing an airplane fleet is described. The method includes: (i) developing a gold body database for an airplane model for each non-destructive inspection system implemented to detect defects; (ii) inspecting, over a period of time, a plurality of candidate airplanes of the airplane model, using different types of non-destructive inspection systems and the gold body database associated with each of the different types of non-destructive inspection systems, to identify defects present on the plurality of candidate airplanes; (iii) repairing or monitoring defects detected on the plurality of candidate airplanes; (iv) conducting a trend analysis by analyzing collective defect data obtained from inspecting of plurality of candidate airplanes; and (v) maintaining the airplane fleet, which includes plurality of candidate airplanes, by performing predictive analysis using results of trend analysis.

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         1 . A method for repairing airplane defects, comprising:
 locating a candidate airplane in space within a robotic envelope to arrive at a location of said candidate airplane in space, said candidate airplane being a candidate for inspection by one or more non-destructive inspection systems;   comparing said location of said candidate airplane with a reference location of a gold body database airplane to generate an airplane offset, which facilitates alignment of robots associated with each non-destructive inspection system;   locating, using said airplane offset, a component or a sub-component of said candidate airplane in space within said robotic envelope;   comparing said location of said component or said sub-component with a reference location of a gold body database component or a gold body database sub-component to generate a component offset or a sub-component offset, which further facilitates alignment of robots associated with each non-destructive inspection system;   scanning said component or said sub-component located in space according to a scan plan developed for each non-destructive inspection system implemented and developed for said component or said sub-component, and said scan plan being based on said component offset or said sub-component offset;   detecting presence of defects in said component or said sub-component;   determining whether any of said defects on said component or said sub-component require repair or engineering disposition, if one or more defects are detected on said component or said sub-component;   monitoring said one or more defects during a life cycle of at least one item selected from a group consisting of said candidate airplane, said component and said sub-component, if it is determined that said one or more defects do not require repair;   repairing said component or said sub-component, if it is determined that one or more defects require repair, and said repairing produces a repaired component or a repaired sub-component;   inspecting said component or said sub-component to determine whether repair of said component or said sub-component satisfies a predetermined repair criteria associated with each category of defect detected;   re-repairing said component or said sub-component one or more times until said predetermined repair criteria associated with each category of defect detected is satisfied, if said predetermined repair criteria associated with each category of defect detected is not satisfied; and   developing a baseline as a historical record for said component or said sub-component for each said non-destructive inspection system, if said predetermined repair criteria associated with each category of defect detected is satisfied.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said baseline includes a defect map for each said non-destructive inspection system, and an image of each said defect on said defect map. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising assigning said baseline to an airplane tail number associated with said candidate airplane. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising discarding a previous baseline of said component or said sub-component before said repairing. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said detecting includes generating a defect report, which presents at least one item selected from a group consisting of category of defect, defect location and defect dimension. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said defect location is a location of a defect in (x, y) coordinates of said component or said sub-component. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 aggregating one or more defect locations to form a defect map for said component or said sub-component for each non-destructive inspection system implemented;   overlaying said defect maps produced from each non-destructive inspection system implemented for said component or said sub-component to produce an integrated defect map, which is used as historical record for said component or said sub-component.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 developing an integrated defect map for each of said plurality of candidate airplanes to generate a collection of integrated defect maps; and   conducting a trend analysis on said collection of said integrated defect maps.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein said trend analysis includes at least one analysis selected from a group consisting of tracking categories of defects found in said component or sub-component of said plurality of candidate airplanes through an overlay of images obtained from one or more systems selected from a group consisting of an X-ray system, an N-ray system and a laser ultrasonic inspection system, tracking single site defect location or multi-site defect locations, tracking defect dimension, tracking growth of defect over a period of time, tracking low observable coatings on said plurality of candidate airplanes, and tracking paint deficiencies on said plurality of candidate airplanes. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising taking an image of said defect in said (x, y) coordinates of said component or said sub-component to produce a defect image to facilitate repair or engineering disposition of said component or said sub-component. 
     
     
         11 . A system for managing an airplane fleet, said system comprising:
 means for developing a gold body database for an airplane model for each non-destructive inspection system implemented to detect defects;   means for inspecting, over a period of time, a plurality of candidate airplanes of said airplane model, using different types of non-destructive inspection systems and said gold body database associated with each of said different types of non-destructive inspection systems, to identify defects present on said plurality of candidate airplanes;   means for repairing or monitoring defects detected on said plurality of candidate airplanes;   means for conducting a trend analysis by analyzing collective defect data obtained from said inspecting of said plurality of candidate airplanes; and   means for maintaining said airplane fleet, which includes said plurality of candidate airplanes, by performing predictive analysis using results of said trend analysis.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein said means for developing a gold body database includes a non-destructive inspection system which includes one or more inspection systems selected from a group consisting of X-ray inspection system, N-ray inspection system and laser ultrasonic inspection system. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein said trend analysis and said predictive analysis is carried out using a computer. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein said repair is carried out using laser ablation. 
     
     
         15 . A system for developing a gold body database for a particular non-destructive inspection method, said system comprising:
 means for locating a reference airplane of a particular model in space within a robotic envelope;   means for locating a component or a sub-component in space within said robotic envelope such that during a subsequent inspection of a plurality of candidate airplanes of said particular model for presence of defects, a corresponding component or sub-component in each of said plurality of candidate airplanes is automatically located in space using a robot; and   means for teaching a scan plan for said component or said sub-component located in space for each non-destructive inspection system subsequently implemented to detect defects in each of said plurality of candidate airplanes.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein said means for locating a reference airplane and said means for locating a component or a sub-component in space include a machine vision system associated with each non-destructive inspection system implemented. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein means for teaching a scan plan includes means for teaching an electromagnetic radiation emitter and a detector, both of which are configured to a yoke to provide rotation about at least one axis of pitch, rotate and yaw motion of said at least one of said electromagnetic radiation emitter and said detector, said yoke includes a first and a second members, said first member supports said electromagnetic radiation emitter and said second member supports said detector such that a distance between said electromagnetic radiation emitter and said detector is adjustable.