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NASA NTRS1990

Transition control of instability waves over a flexible surface in the presence of an acoustic field

Experimental results are presented which demonstrate the coupling of a laminar boundary layer flow with a typical flexible aircraft panel. It is shown that the boundary layer induces plate oscillations which, in turn, perturb the flow at the same frequencies. This feedback mechanism is an inherent property of laminar boundary layer flow passing over a flexible plate. As a result, the flexibility of the plate becomes a source of early transition. The laminar boundary layer at the leading edge of the plate reacts to small, upstream, unsteady disturbances due to a streamwise pressure gradient. The experiments demonstrate that a nominal sound pressure incident at the leading edge triggers early transition. It is shown that transition can be delayed by activating a heat source at the leading edge of the plate which results in downstream cooling.

Maestrello, L.↗

NASA NTRS1986

The chemical shock tube as a tool for studying high-temperature chemical kinetics

Although the combustion of hydrocarbons is our primary source of energy today, the chemical reactions, or pathway, by which even the simplest hydro-carbon reacts with atmospheric oxygen to form CO2 and water may not always be known. Furthermore, even when the reaction pathway is known, the reaction rates are always under discussion. The shock tube has been an important and unique tool for building a data base of reaction rates important in the combustion of hydrocarbon fuels. The ability of a shock wave to bring the gas sample to reaction conditions rapidly and homogeneously makes shock-tube studies of reaction kinetics extremely attractive. In addition to the control and uniformity of reaction conditions achieved with shock-wave methods, shock compression can produce gas temperatures far in excess of those in conventional reactors. Argon can be heated to well over 10 000 K, and temperatures around 5000 K are easily obtained with conventional shock-tube techniques. Experiments have proven the validity of shock-wave theory; thus, reaction temperatures and pressures can be calculated from a measurement of the incident shock velocity. A description is given of the chemical shock tube and auxiliary equipment and of two examples of kinetic experiments conducted in a shock tube.

Brabbs, Theodore A.↗

NASA NTRS2009

Advanced Computational and Experimental Techniques for Nacelle Liner Performance Evaluation

The Curved Duct Test Rig (CDTR) has been developed to investigate sound propagation through a duct of size comparable to the aft bypass duct of typical aircraft engines. The axial dimension of the bypass duct is often curved and this geometric characteristic is captured in the CDTR. The semiannular bypass duct is simulated by a rectangular test section in which the height corresponds to the circumferential dimension and the width corresponds to the radial dimension. The liner samples are perforate over honeycomb core and are installed on the side walls of the test section. The top and bottom surfaces of the test section are acoustically rigid to simulate a hard wall bifurcation or pylon. A unique feature of the CDTR is the control system that generates sound incident on the liner test section in specific modes. Uniform air flow, at ambient temperature and flow speed Mach 0.275, is introduced through the duct. Experiments to investigate configuration effects such as curvature along the flow path on the acoustic performance of a sample liner are performed in the CDTR and reported in this paper. Combinations of treated and acoustically rigid side walls are investigated. The scattering of modes of the incident wave, both by the curvature and by the asymmetry of wall treatment, is demonstrated in the experimental results. The effect that mode scattering has on total acoustic effectiveness of the liner treatment is also shown. Comparisons of measured liner attenuation with numerical results predicted by an analytic model based on the parabolic approximation to the convected Helmholtz equation are reported. The spectra of attenuation produced by the analytic model are similar to experimental results for both walls treated, straight and curved flow path, with plane wave and higher order modes incident. The numerical model is used to define the optimized resistance and reactance of a liner that significantly improves liner attenuation in the frequency range 1900-2400 Hz. A liner impedance descriptor is used to determine the liner parameters that achieve the optimum impedance.

Gerhold, Carl H.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Control plate for shock-boundary layer interaction

Paper describes tests and computations for a relatively unique technique to greatly reduce/eliminate the separation region for shock-boundary layer interactions. A number of studies have shown that the usual effects of such interactions include increased local heating and wall pressures, thickening of the boundary layer and a decrease in the momentum of the flow and, for stronger waves, flow separation. This flow situation is particularly prevalent in supersonic and hypersonic inlets where severe performance degradation can occur due to flow separation. High performance engine design generally requires a uniform entering flow field with little stagnation pressure loss. Previous approaches to the problem involved primarily active devices (e.g., suction or blowing); the present paper considers a passive device. The boundary layer separation control technique considered herein involves the placement of an embedded plate in the outer portion of the boundary layer and parallel to the wall. This control plate is situated such that the incident shock impinges upon and reflects from its surface, thus greatly lessening the pressure gradient in the low momentum near wall region.

Goodman, W. L.↗

NASA NTRS1979

Acoustic plane waves normally incident on a clamped panel in a rectangular duct

The theory of acoustic plane wave normally incident on a clamped panel in a rectangular duct is developed. The coupling theory between the elastic vibrations of the panel (plate) and the acoustic wave propagation in infinite space and in the rectangular duct is considered. The partial differential equation which governs the vibration of the panel (plate) is modified by adding to its stiffness (spring) forces and damping forces, and the fundamental resonance frequency and the attenuation factor are discussed. The noise reduction expression based on the theory is found to agree well with the corresponding experimental data of a sample aluminum panel in the mass controlled region, the damping controlled region, and the stiffness controlled region. All the frequency positions of the upward and downward resonance spikes in the sample experimental data are identified theoretically as resulting from four cross interacting major resonance phenomena: the cavity resonance, the acoustic resonance, the plate resonance, and the wooden back panel resonance.

Unz, H.↗

NASA NTRS1975

Control of shock wave-boundary layer interactions by bleed in supersonic mixed compression inlets

An experimental investigation was conducted to determine the effect of bleed on a shock wave-boundary layer interaction in an axisymmetric mixed-compression supersonic inlet. The inlet was designed for a free-stream Mach number of 2.50 with 60-percent supersonic internal area contraction. The experiment was conducted in the NASA Lewis Research Center 10-Foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel. The effects of bleed amount and bleed geometry on the boundary layer after a shock wave-boundary layer interaction were studied. The effect of bleed on the transformed form factor is such that the full realizable reduction is obtained by bleeding of a mass flow equal to about one-half of the incident boundary layer mass flow. More bleeding does not yield further reduction. Bleeding upstream or downstream of the shock-induced pressure rise is preferable to bleeding across the shock-induced pressure rise.

Fukuda, M. K.↗

NASA NTRS2006

Polarimeter Arrays for Cosmic Microwave Background Measurements

We discuss general system architectures and specific work towards precision measurements of Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) polarization. The CMB and its polarization carry fundamental information on the origin, structure, and evolution of the universe. Detecting the imprint of primordial gravitational radiation on the faint polarization of the CMB will be difficult. The two primary challenges will be achieving both the required sensitivity and precise control over systematic errors. At anisotropy levels possibly as small as a few nanokelvin, the gravity-wave signal is faint compared to the fundamental sensitivity limit imposed by photon arrival statistics, and one must make simultaneous measurements with large numbers, hundreds to thousands, of independent background-limited direct detectors. Highly integrated focal plane architectures, and multiplexing of detector outputs, will be essential. Because the detectors, optics, and even the CMB itself are brighter than the faint gravity-wave signal by six to nine orders of magnitude, even a tiny leakage of polarized light reflected or diffracted from warm objects could overwhelm the primordial signal. Advanced methods of modulating only the polarized component of the incident radiation will play an essential role in measurements of CMB polarization. One promising general polarimeter concept that is under investigation by a number of institutions is to first use planar antennas to separate millimeter-wave radiation collected by a lens or horn into two polarization channels. Then the signals can be fed to a pair of direct detectors through a planar circuit consisting of superconducting niobium microstrip transmission lines, hybrid couplers, band-pass filters, and phase modulators to measure the Stokes parameters of the incoming radiation.

Stevenson, Thomas↗

NASA NTRS1972

External production and control of electrojet irregularities.

Analytical investigation of parametric coupling of a large-amplitude 'pump' wave to a natural plasma mode of the ionospheric E layer. It is shown that the E layer plasma mode can be either stabilized or destabilized by the parametric process. Two necessary conditions for parametric interaction are (1) near frequency matching (i.e., the pump wave frequency should be near the local upper hybrid frequency) and (2) a finite electric field component of the pump wave perpendicular to the background static magnetic field. An investigation of the propagation characteristics of the pump wave in the magnetic equatorial region indicates that an obliquely propagating O mode in the magnetic meridian plane meets the two necessary conditions in an optimal manner. From typical values of ionospheric parameters it is estimated that the required incident energy flux of the pump wave for parametric stabilization or destabilization of the E layer plasma mode (near its natural marginal stability) is much less than 1 mW/sq m. Thus parametric coupling experiments for the ionospheric E layer are technically feasible.

Lee, K.↗

NASA NTRS1981

Trailing edge noise prediction from measured surface pressures

Trailing edge (TE) noise is investigated for the case of a two-dimensional airfoil embedded in a uniform low Mach number flow, and the usefulness of several TE noise theories is examined by applying them to the measured data. The TE noise spectra and directivity are quantitatively determined for the case of a high Reynolds number and a fully turbulent boundary layer. Parameters include angle of attack, flow velocity and TE bluntness. Evanescent wave theories by Chase (1975) and Chandiramani (1974) are compared to the present results and show good agreement. Agreement of the near field pressure scatter phenomenon analysis with measurements implies that the basic assumptions used in the analysis are correct, i.e., the turbulent boundary layer (TBL) flow passes the trailing edge into the wake region. No hydrodynamic wake shedding activity is confirmed for the two-sided TBL flow, and a method incorporating the principles of the coherent output power method is used to determine the sound field. The near field edge scatter model is found to not only establish optimum sizing of edge treatment for noise control, but also to separate and identify the scattered field from the incident hydrodynamic field.

Brooks, T. F.↗

NASA NTRS2004

Sensor for Monitoring Nanodevice-Fabrication Plasmas

The term plasma process diagnostics (PPD) refers to a spectroscopic technique and sensing hardware that have been proposed for monitoring plasma processes used to fabricate electronic devices that feature sizes as small as several nanometers. Nanometer dimensions are characteristic of the quantum level of miniaturization, where single impurity atoms or molecules can drastically change the local properties of the nanostructures. Such changes may be purposely used in nanoscale design but may also be extremely damaging or cause improper operation of the fabricated devices. Determination of temperature and densities of reactants near the developing features is important, since the structural synthesis is affected by characteristics of the local microenvironment. Consequently, sensors capable of nonintrusive monitoring with high sensitivity and high resolution are essential for real-time atomistic control of reaction kinetics and minimizing trace contamination in plasma processes used to fabricate electronic nanodevices. Such process-monitoring sensors are required to be compact, multiparametric, and immune to the harsh environments of processing plasmas. PPD is intended to satisfy these requirements. The specific technique used to implement plasma diagnostics with a PPD sensor would be an advanced version of continuous-wave cavity-ringdown spectroscopy (CW-CRDS) capable of profiling spectral line broadenings in order to derive both Doppler and Stark components. CRDS is based on measurements of the rate of absorption of laser light in an optical resonator. The ultimate sensitivity results from a very long absorption path length within the cavity and immunity to variations in incident laser intensity. The proposed version of this technique would involve the use of multiplexing tunable laser diodes and an actively modulated high-reflectivity optical resonator, thus offering a synergistic combination of simplicity, compactness, high sensitivity, and high resolution. The multiplexing capabilities of diode lasers could be utilized to make the PPD sensor a single, simple, compact, and inexpensive tool for the acquisition of multiparametric data. A PPD sensor would be capable of continuous measurement of such physical parameters as gas temperature, gas velocity, electron number density, and absolute densities of reacting chemical species. A laser beam can be easily adjusted to analyze the immediate vicinity of the growing nanostructures (or features etched down) in real time. The absorption enhancement in an optical cavity would afford the sensitivity needed for measurement of the temperature and densities of species at concentrations significantly lower than measurable by other nonintrusive techniques. It is anticipated that fully developed PPD sensors would enable simultaneous measurement of local temperature and determination of plasma species responsible for the synthesis and functionalization of nanodevices. These sensors would also enable tracking the pathways and origins of damaging contaminants, thereby providing feedback for adjustment of processes to optimize them and reduce contamination. The PPD sensors should also be useful for optimization of conventional microelectronics manufacturing plasma processes. Going beyond plasma processes for fabrication of electronic devices, PPD sensors could be used for monitoring of atoms, molecules, ions, radicals, clusters, and particles in a variety of other settings, including outer space. Because of their high sensitivity, such sensors could also prove useful for detecting traces of illegal drugs and explosives.

Bolshakov, Alexander↗

NASA NTRS2005

Planar Laser-Induced Iodine Fluorescence Measurements in Rarefied Hypersonic Flow

A planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) technique is discussed and applied to measurement of time-averaged values of velocity and temperature in an I(sub 2)-seeded N(sub 2) hypersonic free jet facility. Using this technique, a low temperature, non-reacting, hypersonic flow over a simplified model of a reaction control system (RCS) was investigated. Data are presented of rarefied Mach 12 flow over a sharp leading edge flat plate at zero incidence, both with and without an interacting jet issuing from a nozzle built into the plate. The velocity profile in the boundary layer on the plate was resolved. The slip velocity along the plate, extrapolated from the velocity profile data, varied from nearly 100% down to 10% of the freestream value. These measurements are compared with results of a DSMC solution. The velocity variation along the centerline of a jet issuing from the plate was measured and found to match closely with the correlation of Ashkenas and Sherman. The velocity variation in the oblique shock terminating the jet was resolved sufficiently to measure the shock wave thickness.

Cecil, Eric↗

NASA NTRS1984

Field-incidence noise transmission loss of general aviation aircraft double wall configurations

Theoretical formulations have been developed to describe the transmission of reverberant sound through an infinite, semi-infinite and a finite double panel structure. The model incorporates the fundamental resonance frequencies of each of the panels, the mass-air-mass resonances of the structure, the standing wave resonances in the cavity between the panels and finally the coincidence resonance regions, where the exciting sound pressure wave and flexural waves of each of the panels coincide. It is shown that phase cancellation effects of pressure waves reflected from the cavity boundaries back into the cavity allows the transmission loss of a finite double panel structure to be approximated by a finite double panel mounted in an infinite baffle having no cavity boundaries. Comparison of the theory with high quality transmission loss data yields good agreement in the mass-controlled frequency region. It is shown that the application of acoustic blankets to the double panel structure does not eliminate the mass-air-mass resonances if those occur at low frequencies. It is concluded that this frequency region of low noise transmission loss is a potential interior noise problem area for propeller driven aircraft having a double panel fuselage construction.

Grosveld, F. W.↗

NASA NTRS1994

USAF single-event sonic boom prediction model: PCBoom3

The Air Force has developed PCBoom3, a general-purpose, single-event sonic boom prediction model. The model operates on an IBM PC or compatible, under DOS or Windows. It is accessed via an integrated environment which controls building of input cases, running boom calculations, displaying contours and signatures, and managing all associated data. The primary boom calculation is via a variation of FOBOOM, the focus-boom extension of Thomas's program. Aircraft input is either via a user-provided F-function, or simple N-wave F-functions tabulated for about 20 current aircraft. A fast boom calculation, based on Plotkin's SBORT algorithms, is included for simple N-wave F-functions in a windless atmosphere and flight altitudes up to 60,000 feet. After a run is complete, the user can access an index identifying significant events (focal zones, beginning of footprint, etc.), then plot boom amplitude contours and signatures or spectra at any point in the footprint. The primary uses of this program are expected to be operational planning and boom incident investigation. However, because of the commonality between FOBOOM and the MDBOOM program currently being used for low boom configuration design, this program is of interest to the HSCT community, especially as supersonic route planning activity increases. The Air Force recently conducted a flight test program to evaluate the focal zone capabilities of PCBoom3. Initial results of that program validate the prediction of focal zone geometry, amplitudes, and waveforms.

Plotkin, Kenneth J.↗

NASA NTRS2012

Radar Scattering and Block Size Properties of Lunar Crater Ejecta From Mini-RF and LROC NAC Data

A major objective of the Mini-RF experiment is to distinguish lunar surfaces that may contain water/ice deposits [1,2]. Better understanding of the backscattering properties of craters of varying age and size is crucial for interpreting data received from the Mini-RF. The Mini-RF transmits a circularly polarized RF electromagnetic energy and coherently receives orthogonal linear polarization echoes [1]. The Mini- RF maps in two separate bands ( =12.6 and 4.5 cm) at a high resolution mode of 30 m/pixel [1]. Given the variables mentioned, the four stokes parameters are reconstructed. The Circular Polarization Ratio (CPR) is calculated for the purposes of understanding subsurface and surface roughness. The CPR is determined from reflections acquired from the ratio of power of the transmitted radio wave in same sense to the reflected radio wave in the opposite sense [1]. Ice in the permanently shadowed regions (PSRs) would be transparent to radar, but the inclusions of materials and imperfections would cause the radio wave to reflect multiple times [3], enhancing the number of same sense reflections and increasing the CPR. In addition, ice also displays the coherent backscatter opposition effect (CBOE), an interferrometric addition of same sense backscatter that further increases the CPR of ice targets [7]. High CPR values also correlate to multiple reflections and are typically associated with very rough surfaces [3]. The average dry lunar surface has a CPR in the range of 0.2-0.4 at 48deg incidence [3]. The purpose of this study is to begin to quantify degrees of surface wavelength-scale roughness with CPR and to understand how such surface roughness is created and gradually destroyed by erosion on the lunar surface. Another goal is to identify and isolate the possible causes of high CPR within the shadowed areas of anomalous polar craters [3]. All the studied craters are non-polar, so that we can see into their interiors in NAC images. The idea is to understand what controls blockiness in these craters so that we can rule out rocks (and rule in ice) for the anomalous polar dark ones [3].

Spudis, P. D.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Extrapolation of space weathering processes to other small solar system bodies

A diverse range of processes were invoked as the dominant factor or as important contributory factors in the modification of the optical surface and regolith of the moon. These include impact vitrification by large and small projectiles, solar wind implantation and the reduction of oxidized iron during energetic events, sputtering and crystal lattice damage by energetic cosmic rays, shock metamorphism of minerals, mixing of diverse lithologies by impacts, and contamination by external materials. These processes are also potentially important on the rocky surfaces of other small solar system bodies. For icy bodies, several additional processes are also possible, including formation of complex organic compounds from methane and ammonia-bearing ices by ultraviolet irradiation and the condensation of vapor species to form frost layers in the polar or cooler regions of objects at appropriate heliocentric distances. The lunar case, even when completely understood, will not extend in a simple linear fashion to other small rocky objects, nor will the optical surfaces of those objects all be affected to the same degree by each process. The major factors that will control the relative efficacy of a possible mechanism include the efficiency of ejecta retention and the degree to which the regolith materials experience multiple events (primarily a function of body size, escape velocity, and impactor velocities); the mean duration of typical regolith particle exposure at the optical surface and within reach of the micrometeorite, cosmic ray, solar wind, or UV fluxes (a function of the rate and scale of regolith mixing, production, and removal processes); the incident flux of solar (low energy) cosmic rays, solar wind, or UV radiation (inverse square of heliocentric distance) or of galactic (high energy) cosmic rays (slowly increasing flux with heliocentric distance); and the compositional and mineralogical nature of the surface being affected. In general, those processes that depend upon either the retention of impact ejecta or on the presence of multigenerational regoliths should be substantially less effective on smaller bodies with lower escape velocities. However, there are important exceptions to this generalization. For example, a process that involves the hypervelocity impact of small particles into a fine-grained regolith may be able to effectively retain highly shocked or melted material due to the nature of shock wave propagation in such a heterogeneous material.

Gaffey, M. J.↗

NASA NTRS1994

Experimental studies of shock-wave/wall-jet interaction in hypersonic flow

Experimental studies have been conducted to examine slot film cooling effectiveness and the interaction between the cooling film and an incident planar shock wave in turbulent hypersonic flow. The experimental studies were conducted in the 48-inch shock tunnel at Calspan at a freestream Mach number of close to 6.4 and at a Reynolds number of 35 x 10(exp 6) based on the length of the model at the injection point. The Mach 2.3 planar wall jet was generated from 40 transverse nozzles (with heights of both 0.080 inch and 0.120 inch), producing a film that extended the full width of the model. The nozzles were operated at pressures and velocities close to matching the freestream, as well as at conditions where the nozzle flows were over- and under-expanded. A two-dimensional shock generator was used to generate oblique shocks that deflected the flow through total turnings of 11, 16, and 21 degrees; the flows impinged downstream of the nozzle exits. Detailed measurements of heat transfer and pressure were made both ahead and downstream of the injection station, with the greatest concentration of measurements in the regions of shock-wave/boundary layer interaction. The major objectives of these experimental studies were to explore the effectiveness of film cooling in the presence of regions of shock-wave/boundary layer interaction and, more specifically, to determine how boundary layer separation and the large recompression heating rates were modified by film cooling. Detailed distributions of heat transfer and pressure were obtained in the incident shock/wall-jet interaction region for a series of shock strengths and impingement positions for each of the two nozzle heights. Measurements were also made to examine the effects of nozzle lip thickness on cooling effectiveness. The major conclusion from these studies was that the effect of the cooling film could be readily dispersed by relatively weak incident shocks, so the peak heating in the recompression region was not significantly reduced by even the largest levels of film cooling. For the case studies in the absence of film cooling, the interaction regions were unseparated. However, adding film cooling resulted in regions of boundary layer separation induced in the film cooling layer -- the size of which regions first increased and then decreased with increased film cooling. Surprisingly, the size of the separated regions and the magnitude of the recompression heating were not strongly influenced by the thickness of the cooling film, nor by the point of shock impingement relative to the exit plane of the nozzles. The lip thickness was found to have little effect on cooling effectiveness. Measurements with and in the absence of shock interaction were compared with the results of earlier experimental studies and correlated in terms of the major parameters controlling these flows.

Holden, Michael S.↗

NASA NTRS1994

Experimental studies of shock-wave/wall-jet interaction in hypersonic flow, part A

Experimental studies have been conducted to examine slot film cooling effectiveness and the interaction between the cooling film and an incident planar shock wave in turbulent hypersonic flow. The experimental studies were conducted in the 48-inch shock tunnel at Calspan at a freestream Mach number of close to 6.4 and at a Reynolds number of 35 x 10(exp 6) based on the length of the model at the injection point. The Mach 2.3 planar wall jet was generated from 40 transverse nozzles (with heights of both 0.080 inch and 0.120 inch), producing a film that extended the full width of the model. The nozzles were operated at pressures and velocities close to matching the freestream, as well as at conditions where the nozzle flows were over- and under-expanded. A two-dimensional shock generator was used to generate oblique shocks that deflected the flow through total turnings of 11, 16, and 21 degrees; the flows impinged downstream of the nozzle exits. Detailed measurements of heat transfer and pressure were made both ahead and downstream of the injection station, with the greatest concentration of measurements in the regions of shock-wave/boundary layer interaction. The major objectives of these experimental studies were to explore the effectiveness of film cooling in the presence of regions of shock-wave/boundary layer interaction and, more specifically, to determine how boundary layer separation and the large recompression heating rates were modified by film cooling. Detailed distributions of heat transfer and pressure were obtained in the incident-shock/wall-jet interaction region for a series of shock strengths and impingement positions for each of the two nozzle heights. Measurements were also made to examine the effects of nozzle lip thickness on cooling effectiveness. The major conclusion from these studies was that the effect of the cooling film could be readily dispersed by relatively weak incident shocks, so the peak heating in the recompression region was not significantly reduced by even the largest levels of film cooling. For the case studies in the absence of film cooling, the interaction regions were unseparated. However, adding film cooling resulted in regions of boundary layer separation induced in the film cooling layer, the size of which regions first increased and then decreased with increased film cooling. Surprisingly, the size of the separated regions and the magnitude of the recompression heating were not strongly influenced by the thickness of the cooling film, nor by the point of shock impingement relative to the exit plane of the nozzles. The lip thickness was found to have little effect on cooling effectiveness. Measurements with and in the absence of shock interaction were compared with the results of earlier experimental studies and correlated in terms of the major parameters controlling these flows.

Holden, Michael S.↗

NASA NTRS2015

Detection of CFRP Composite Manufacturing Defects Using a Guided Wave Approach

NASA Langley Research Center is investigating a guided-wave based defect detection technique for as-fabricated carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites. This technique will be extended to perform in-process cure monitoring, defect detection and size determination, and ultimately a closed-loop process control to maximize composite part quality and consistency. The overall objective of this work is to determine the capability and limitations of the proposed defect detection technique, as well as the number and types of sensors needed to identify the size, type, and location of the predominant types of manufacturing defects associated with laminate layup and cure. This includes, porosity, gaps, overlaps, through-the-thickness fiber waviness, and in-plane fiber waviness. The present study focuses on detection of the porosity formed from variations in the matrix curing process, and on local overlaps intentionally introduced during layup of the prepreg. By terminating the cycle prematurely, three 24-ply unidirectional composite panels were manufactured such that each subsequent panel had a higher final degree of cure, and lower level of porosity. It was demonstrated that the group velocity, normal to the fiber direction, of a guided wave mode increased by 5.52 percent from the first panel to the second panel and 1.26 percent from the second panel to the third panel. Therefore, group velocity was utilized as a metric for degree of cure and porosity measurements. A fully non-contact guided wave hybrid system composed of an air-coupled transducer and a laser Doppler vibrometer (LDV) was used for the detection and size determination of an overlap By transforming the plate response from the time-space domain to the frequency-wavenumber domain, the total wavefield was then separated into the incident and backscatter waves. The overlap region was accurately imaged by using a zero-lag cross-correlation (ZLCC) imaging condition, implying the incident and backscattered waves are in phase over the overlap boundaries.

Hudson, Tyler B.↗