Patent ID: 11946883
Assignee: UNITED STATES AS REPRESENTED BY THE ADMINISTRATOR OF NASA
Field: Measurement (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G | IPC G

Claim 5:
6. A method for making a crack detectability determination, the method comprising:
performing a computer-simulated process comprising:
selecting a simulated crack comprising a target flaw size;
selecting a simulated crack-like flaw comprising a calibration flaw size;
performing a first simulation test on the simulated crack and a second simulation test on the simulated crack-like flaw using a simulated radiographic system in a simulated set-up; and
determining one or more simulated output parameters based upon the first and second simulation tests;

performing an empirical process comprising:
selecting a real crack specimen comprising the target flaw size;
selecting an empirical image quality indicator (IQI) comprising a crack-like flaw having the calibration flaw size;
performing a first empirical test on the first real crack specimen and a second empirical test on the empirical IQI using a radiographic inspection system in a selected set-up; and
determining one or more empirical output parameters based upon the first and second empirical tests;

determining one or more correlations based at least partially upon the one or more simulated output parameters and the one or more empirical output parameters;
determining a predicted output parameter for crack detection based upon the one or more correlations;
selecting an inspection IQI for a predetermined target flaw size for use in the radiographic inspection system in the selected set-up based at least partially upon the predicted output parameter;
determining minimum qualified values for the inspection IQI to provide detection of the predetermined target flaw size; and
performing an inspection process comprising:
performing an inspection test on the inspection IQI using the radiographic inspection system in the selected set-up;
determining one or more inspection output parameters based upon the inspection test; and
verifying that the one or more inspection output parameters meet or exceed the minimum qualified values to qualify the radiographic inspection system in the selected set-up.