075 – NUVU and NUVU-IR… 21st Century Tools for Non-Destructive Digital Inspection
075 – “NUVU and NUVU-IR… 21st Century Tools for Non-Destructive Digital Inspection”
Author: Dr. Yogesh Mehrotra
Company: Materials Technologies Corporation
Phone: (203) 502-8900
Email: YMehrotra@AboutMTC.com
Problem: Given DoD’s aging hardware inventory, Readiness & Sustainment remain ever dominant themes across all DoD services. In his May 2011 testimony before Senate Armed Services Committee, now retd. AF Gen Reno sounded the alarm “..this high operations tempo (OPTEMPO) has also had some detrimental effects on our overall readiness. Readiness for full spectrum military operations is a challenge for our combat air forces” – well before the current escalating tensions in the Indo-Pacific Sector. Yet, 7½ yrs later, “Readiness” remains #1 concern & highest priority. How to do more with less?
3 persistent problems force progressively more down time with age:
a. Electrical issues: Damage to wiring & connector
b. Corrosion: Susceptibility to functional loss of component
c. Subsurface / not-in-line-of-sight cracks/defects.
Need: Improved inspection is key to aging assets – planes, ships, subs, tanks being deployed rapidly and in larger numbers. Advanced automation-driven diagnostic techniques for digital data acquisition/management and on-demand real-time point-of-use data delivery for prognostics will enhance CBM+ to get the aircraft off to skies and tanks rolling. Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality are today’s realities ready to be imported into the DoD world to lower MRO costs and reduce downtime.
NUVU and NUVU-IR Technologies: Under SBIR program, MTC has developed NUVU optical & NUVU-IR infra-red families of instruments for detecting surface & subsurface defects – cracks, cuts, chafes, disconnects, pin-holes, corrosion etc. in electrical wires & connectors, hydraulic & fuel lines, and structural & non-structural components, present anywhere on the 360-degree surface in visual line of sight or out of visual range, inside braided jackets & shields, and to some depth below the surface. The family enables NDI based on telecentric enhanced optical imaging and includes:
• NUVU: Base system in 3 modes: DirectViz, OrthoViz, & CircumViz TRL: 7+
• OVMTM: Collapsible pocket-size. Replaces traditional manual “dental mirror-flashlight” 1960’s inspection. TRL: 5/6
• mini-NUVUTM: Miniaturized for tight space inspections. TRL: 4
• NUVU-ZTM: Device for Ultra-Enhanced visual inspection for defects & anomalies. TRL: 4
NUVU-IR: Infrared imaging using cooled or uncooled detection. Current TRL: 4
Demonstrated on:
737, 747, MD11, A320
F-15, F-16, B1B, B52, KC-135, P3, F-111, UH60
Unique features:
• CircumViz: Simultaneous 360-Deg vision
• Versatile – Across multiple platforms
• No interruptive disconnect or decoupling. No destructive preparation for inspection
• Assembled from COTS components
• In-situ: Suitable for incoming or as-is installed component inspection
• Portable, compact, hand-held, pocket-size: 14oz, 7”
• Real-time data-driven detection
• Wireless enabled; Tele-maintenance capable
• Ergonomic
• Affordable
• Data-enabled digital Diagnostics
• Open architecture permits continual technology enhancements for CBM+ for prognostics
• Versatile – Across multiple platforms