Patent ID: 7549336

Claim:
A harmonic fatigue evaluation system for determining the fatigue of metallic objects comprising: a vibration analyzer, said vibration analyzer comprising a processor and electronic database for storage and comparison of data; a signal receiving transducer, said signal receiving transducer being attached to a metallic object to be tested for fatigue and comprises a coupling means to attach said receiving transducer to said vibration analyzer; and a signal sending unit, said signal sending unit being attached to a metallic object at a predetermined distance from said signal receiving transducer, said signal sending unit being in communication with said vibration analyzer to transmit a signal from said vibration analyzer to said metallic object; wherein said vibration analyzer relays a signal to said signal sending unit to generate a signal onto said metallic object, said metallic object responding to the signal by means of harmonic vibrations, said signal receiving transducer receiving said harmonic vibrations in the form of frequency and amplitude indicative of a resonant frequency of the metallic object and transmitting said signal as data through said coupling means to said vibration analyzer, said vibration analyzer adapted to receive said data for a subsequent comparison of said resonant frequency of the metallic object to prerecorded data within said database having a plurality of resonant frequencies of a new component and multiple deliberately fatigued components over controlled conditions, reduction of the resonant frequency of the metallic object indicating when the metallic object requires replacement.