MILLIMETER WAVE DEPTH AND OPENING CHARACTERIZATION OF SURFACE DAMAGE IN FUSELAGE SKINS

摘要

Aircraft fuselage skins are susceptible to damage which can negatively impact corrosion resistance and/or fatigue life. Characterization of damage, in particular its depth, can be a critically useful information when making repair decisions. A near-field millimeter wave swept-frequency reflectometry method is presented with potential for characterizing the dimensions of a pit or a scratch. This paper presents the foundation of the technique, results of comprehensive electromagnetic simulations, some corresponding experimental results, and correlation of scratch signal characteristics to depth and opening dimensions.