Evaluation of Advanced Non-Destructive Inspection Methods for Aircraft Tires

摘要

Advanced Non-Destructive (NDT) Aircraft Tire Inspection Systems were evaluated and compared with the air needle inspection technique normally used to qualify air carrier aircraft tires for repair, retread, and return to service. The advanced NDT inspection systems considered were: the air needle buffing, holographic, pulse-echo ultrasound, and x-ray types. A description of the equipment, inspection procedure, typical visual displays, and analysis technique is included for each inspection system. A discussion of equipment state-of-art, tradeoffs, operator skills, required manning, and inspection rates is provided. Basic equipment, installation, and maintenance costs are provided. The effectiveness of the inspection systems in detecting, identifying type and size, and locating the position of defects is reported for a group of four old defective tires and four new tires with built-in defects which were inspected by all evaluated systems. Some recent or potential advances in state-of-art are discussed. (Author)