A vacuum-adhering apparatus for automated non-destructive inspection (NDI) of airfoil-shaped bodies with improved surface mounting. The apparatus may be used to inspect the leading edge surface and other surfaces of a wind turbine blade, a helicopter rotor blade, or an aircraft wing. The apparatus includes a multiplicity of wheels and a multiplicity of omnidirectional rolling elements rotatably coupled to a flexible substrate made of semi-rigid material. The wheels are configured to enable omnidirectional motion of the flexible substrate. The apparatus further includes flexible vacuum seals supported by the flexible substrate and vacuum adherence devices that keep the wheels frictionally engaged on the surface of the airfoil-shaped body regardless of surface contour. The apparatus also includes a flexible sensor array attached to or integrally formed with the flexible substrate. The crawler vehicle is capable of adhering to and moving over a non-level surface while enabling the sensor array to acquire NDI scan data from the surface under inspection.


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    Title :

    Vacuum-adhering apparatus for automated inspection of airfoil-shaped bodies with improved surface mounting


    Contributors:

    Publication date :

    2021-03-23


    Type of media :

    Patent


    Type of material :

    Electronic Resource


    Language :

    English


    Classification :

    IPC:    G01M TESTING STATIC OR DYNAMIC BALANCE OF MACHINES OR STRUCTURES , Prüfen der statischen oder dynamischen Massenverteilung rotierender Teile von Maschinen oder Konstruktionen / B60B VEHICLE WHEELS , Räder für Fahrzeuge



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