London Press Sеrvice Informs

“Heat Ray” Search for Danger Cracks in Aircraft & Cars

Safer transport for everyone could become reality after a research method examines the efficiency of new ways to find dangerous defects in vehicles including aircraft, racing cars and spacecraft.
The Anglo-Indian project will compare the effectiveness of various forms of thermography, a method that examines the way that heat flows across the part being inspected for safety. Cracks that could lead to the failure of the part will trap heat and this shows up on infrared camera scans.
Establishing a quick and accurate way of inspecting for cracks and other damage is becoming more important because more aircraft, racing cars and other engineering structures are made from carbon composite material rather than metal, to reduce weight.
Unlike metals, composite fibres can receive an impact, such as – in the case of aircraft – from a stone on take-off or a hailstone in flight and show no obvious sign. But they may be extensively weakened beneath the surface.
This is because the composite consists of layers that are glued together and any impact can make the carbon layers come apart from the glue – this is under the surface and invisible to the eye.
The project was set up to fund closer links between the University of Bath, western England, and the Indian Institute of Technology in Delhi. The 70,000 pounds funding for it comes from these two institutions and from the UK India Education & Research Initiative (UKIERI).
The project will analyse the efficiency of a new thermography method developed in India, called frequency modulated thermal wave imaging, in which the part being inspected is heated by shining light modulated over a range of frequencies on to it.
The technique is also called “chirp” modulation because it was originally developed to improve radar performance and was later discovered to be used by bats to echo-locate using chirps of sound.
The researchers will compare this system with three other thermography methods that are being studied at Bath University. If the new method is more effective, then the aircraft and other industries will be interested in using it.
“Composites have many advantages over metals, and it’s not just small aircraft parts that are being made from them now – entire wings are constructed from this type of material,” said Professor Darryl Almond, of Bath University’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, who is in charge of the project.
“But composites are easily damaged in a way that is not obvious to the eye, so regular safety inspections are essential. Thermography offers a way of doing this rapidly, therefore anything that improves the effectiveness of the technique is welcome.”
Bath University is one of the UK’s leading academies, with an international reputation for quality research and teaching. In 15 subject areas the university is rated in the top 10 in the country.
Its research is internationally respected and its students are in demand by employers because of the high quality of the teaching offered. The university has had close connections with industry and the public and voluntary sectors since its inception in 1966. It has developed strong links with universities abroad.