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Monitoring of Hidden Corrosion Growth in Aircraft Structures Based on D-Sight Inspections and Image Processing
Andrzej Katunin1, Marko Nagode2, Simon Oman2
1Department of Fundamentals of Machinery Design, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Silesian University of Technology, Konarskiego 18A, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland.
Monitoring hidden corrosion in aircraft is crucial for structural integrity. A new method uses historical D-Sight images to track corrosion growth, improving aircraft safety and maintenance.
Area of Science:
- Aerospace Engineering
- Materials Science
- Non-Destructive Testing
Background:
- Hidden corrosion in aircraft structures poses a significant risk to structural integrity.
- Current non-destructive inspection methods, like the optical D-Sight technique, are often qualitative, hindering the assessment of corrosion evolution.
- Effective monitoring of hidden corrosion is essential for maintaining aircraft safety and reliability under the damage tolerance philosophy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a quantitative method for monitoring hidden corrosion growth in aircraft structures.
- To overcome the limitations of qualitative D-Sight inspections by enabling the assessment of corrosion evolution over time.
- To provide an effective tool for proactive maintenance and structural health monitoring of aging aircraft.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing historical D-Sight inspection image data.
- Applying geometric transforms and image segmentation techniques to normalize images.
- Developing algorithms to compare corroded regions across sequential D-Sight images, removing environmental variations like observation angle and illumination.
Main Results:
- The proposed method successfully quantifies and monitors the growth of hidden corrosion.
- Normalization techniques effectively remove measurement condition influences, enabling reliable comparisons of corroded areas.
- Analysis of Polish military aircraft data from 2002-2017 demonstrated the method's efficacy in tracking corrosion progression.
Conclusions:
- The developed method offers an effective, quantitative approach to monitoring hidden corrosion in metallic aircraft structures using D-Sight imagery.
- This tool enhances the ability to assess structural condition and predict potential failures, contributing to improved aircraft safety.
- The findings support the integration of this method into routine aircraft maintenance and structural health monitoring programs.
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