Acousto-Optic Sensors for Real-Time, Wide-Area Inspection of Advanced Materials and Components

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to provide details on the development of a novel acousto-optic sensor that can be utilized to nondestructively evaluate materials and components in near real-time. The acousto-optic sensor, which is the basis for Acoustography, provides wide-area, near real-time ultrasonic attenuation maps that can be analyzed to detect anomalies such as cracks, delaminations, and porosity. Details on applying Acoustography to inspect complex shaped parts will be provided. Future work in the area of Acoustography will also be presented.