Patents by Inventor Bryon Edward Knight

Bryon Edward Knight has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20090245321
    Abstract: A method for identifying types of flaws in a composite object includes: a) rapidly heating the surface of the object; b) recording pixel intensities in a sequence of IR images; c) determining temperature-versus-time data for each of the pixels from the IR images; and d) determining what type of flaw if any corresponds to each of the pixels using the temperature-versus-time data determined in step (c). A contrast curve derived from the temperature-versus-time data may be used in determining what type of flaws if any corresponds to each of the pixels. The contrast curve may be determined by subtracting a synthetic reference curve from a temperature time curve from the temperature-versus-time data. The types of flaws may be determined from size and/or shapes of peaks in the contrast curves. Some flaws are delaminations, layers of porosity, and uniformly distributed porosity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2008
    Publication date: October 1, 2009
    Inventors: Harry Israel Ringermacher, Donald Robert Howard, Bryon Edward Knight, William George Patterson, Thomas Edward Bantel
  • Patent number: 7549789
    Abstract: A method and system for determining thermal diffusivity and porosity of an article are provided. The method comprises heating a surface of the article, capturing image data corresponding to an evolution of lateral heat flow from the surface of the article, applying a thermal time of flight analysis on the image data and determining thermal diffusivity and porosity values of the article using the thermal time of flight analysis for the lateral heat flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2009
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Nilesh Tralshawala, Donald Robert Howard, Harry Israel Ringermacher, Bryon Edward Knight
  • Patent number: 7516663
    Abstract: A system for locating a failure event in a sample is disclosed. The system includes at least one sensor configured to detect acoustic energy corresponding to the failure event in the sample. The system also includes an infrared camera configured to detect a thermal release of energy corresponding to the failure event in the sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Harry Israel Ringermacher, Donald Robert Howard, Bryon Edward Knight, Yury Alexeyevich Plotnikov, Mark John Osterlitz, Jian Li, Jeffry Lynn Thompson, Gulperi Nuzhet Aksel
  • Publication number: 20080317090
    Abstract: A method and system for determining thermal diffusivity and porosity of an article are provided. The method comprises heating a surface of the article, capturing image data corresponding to an evolution of lateral heat flow from the surface of the article, applying a thermal time of flight analysis on the image data and determining thermal diffusivity and porosity values of the article using the thermal time of flight analysis for the lateral heat flow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2007
    Publication date: December 25, 2008
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Nilesh Tralshawala, Donald Robert Howard, Harry Israel Ringermacher, Bryon Edward Knight
  • Publication number: 20080144049
    Abstract: A non-destructive evaluation system and method is provided for detecting flaws in an object. The system includes a lamp for impinging the object with optical pulses and a focal plane array camera configured to capture the images corresponding to evolution of heat due to an impact of the optical pulses in the object. The system also includes an image acquisition system for capturing data corresponding to the images from the focal plane array camera. Both transmission mode imaging and reflection mode imaging techniques are used in an exemplary embodiment. A time of flight analysis system is also provided for analyzing the data from both transmission mode imaging technique and reflection mode imaging technique. The data from transmission mode imaging is used to determine thickness values at different points in the data and for determining location of flaws using the thickness values. The data from reflection mode imaging is used for determining depth of these flaws.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2006
    Publication date: June 19, 2008
    Inventors: Harry Israel Ringermacher, Donald Robert Howard, Bryon Edward Knight
  • Publication number: 20080105055
    Abstract: A system for locating a failure event in a sample is disclosed. The system includes at least one sensor configured to detect acoustic energy corresponding to the failure event in the sample. The system also includes an infrared camera configured to detect a thermal release of energy corresponding to the failure event in the sample.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2006
    Publication date: May 8, 2008
    Inventors: Harry Israel Ringermacher, Donald Robert Howard, Bryon Edward Knight, Yury Alexeyevich Plotnikov, Mark John Osterlitz, Jian Li, Jeffry Lynn Thompson, Gulperi Nuzhet Aksel