Localization and Characterization of Fatigue Cracks Around Fastener Holes Using Spherically Focused Ultrasonic Probes

Results are presented from laboratory experiments and simulations that demonstrate the ability to localize fatigue cracks around fastener holes using spherically focused ultrasonic probes for shear-wave inspections. For the experiments, fatigue cracks were created in aluminum plates in a testing frame under cyclic loading. With the exceptions of one specimen with a mid-bore crack and another with a “through” crack, the remaining specimens contain surface-breaking cracks. All of the specimens were inspected for the cracks intersecting the back wall, and some were flipped over and re-inspected with the crack intersecting the front surface. Parameter and variable sensitivity studies were performed using CIVA Simulation Software. In contrast to C-scans where detection and localization of small cracks can be very difficult, modeling and initial experimental results demonstrate that cracks can be accurately located in “True” B-scans (B-scans projected in the part along the beam path). Initial results show that ...