Aeronautical Applications of Non-destructive Testing

Book excerpt: Comprehensive guide to the basic principles and applications of non-destructive testing methods for aircraft system and components: airframe, propulsion, landing gear and more Provides detailed analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of major NDT methods Important for design, inspection, maintenance, repair, corrosion protection and safety This critical book is among the first to provide a detailed assessment of non-destructive testing methods for the many materials and thousands of parts in aircraft. It describes a wide variety of NDT techniques and explains their application in the evaluation and inspection of aerospace materials and components ranging from the entire airframe to systems and subsystems. At the same time the book offers guidance on the information derived from each NDT method and its relation to aircraft design, repair, maintenance and overall safety. The book covers basic principles, as well as practical details of instrumentation, procedures and operational results with a full discussion of each method's capabilities and limitations as these pertain to aircraft inspection and different types of materials, e.g., composites and metal alloys. Technologies covered include: optical and enhanced optical methods; liquid penetrant, replication and magnetic particle inspection; electromagnetic and eddy current approaches; acoustics and ultrasonic techniques; infrared thermal imaging; and radiographic methods. A final section is devoted to NDT reliability and ways the probability of detection can be measured to establish inspection intervals.