Patent ID: 7706985

Claim:
A system for in-situ monitoring of a composite workpiece, the system comprising: at least one ultrasonic testing transducer mounted to a surface of a composite workpiece to transmit and receive ultrasonic energy to and from the composite workpiece during mechanical loading of the composite workpiece; an ultrasonic pulser and receiver operatively coupled to the at least one ultrasonic testing transducer; and a computing system operatively coupled to the ultrasonic pulser and receiver, the computing system including: a data acquisition component to acquire data from the ultrasonic pulser and receiver during the mechanical loading; and a data analysis component to analyze the acquired data during the mechanical loading, by identifying a change in an ultrasonic reflection included in the ultrasonic energy received from the composite workpiece during the mechanical loading wherein the change in the ultrasonic reflection indicates initiation of a failure mechanism of the composite workpiece; and upon identifying the change in the ultrasonic reflection, signaling detection of the failure mechanism during the mechanical loading.