Patents by Inventor Jennifer E. Michaels

Jennifer E. Michaels 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).

  • Patent number: 4991427
    Abstract: The present invention includes a bore mapping system that includes one or more high resolution ultrasonic mapping transducers that are used to measure the diameter of a bore. The travel time for a normally incident pulse to reach the bore surface and return for each transducer is used with a reference reflection time measured in a calibration bore to determine the measured diameter from a mechanically measured reference diameter using a known velocity of the ultrasonic pulse in an immersion fluid. The diameter measured by each of the transducers is averaged to obtain an average measured diameter which is produced for plural axial rotor positions. The present invention also includes a surface time measurement system that uses at least one ranging transducer measuring the ranging time required for a ranging beam to reach and return from the bore surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 1990
    Date of Patent: February 12, 1991
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventors: Lawrence D. Nottingham, Thomas E. Michaels, Jennifer E. Michaels
  • Patent number: 4991441
    Abstract: An immersion base ultrasonic inspection system for interrogating the bore and near bore material of turbine and generator rotors by passing ultrasonic search units through the rotor bore. This system utilizes variable focus array inspection transducers in a shear mode inspection of the near bore material. The system includes a positioning assembly for a transducer which includes carriage means for supporting the transducer and a first positioning means for tilting one end of the carriage means in a radial axial plane whereby the transducer may be positioned at an angle to a longitudinal axis of the system. A second positioning means is provided for circumferentially rotating the transducer to a known and repeatable angular position. Position resolver means are coupled to the first and second positioning means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 1989
    Date of Patent: February 12, 1991
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventors: Lawrence D. Nottingham, Thomas E. Michaels, Jennifer E. Michaels
  • Patent number: 4964295
    Abstract: The present invention includes a bore mapping system that includes one or more high resolution ultrasonic mapping transducers that are used to measure the diameter of a bore. The travel time for a normally incident pulse to reach the bore surface and return for each transducer is used with a reference reflection time measured in a calibration bore to determine the measured diameter from a mechanically measured reference diameter using a known velocity of the ultrasonic pulse in an immersion fluid. The diameter measured by each of the transducers is averaged to obtain an average measured diameter which is produced for plural axial rotor positions. The present invention also includes a surface time measurement system that uses at least one ranging transducer measuring the ranging time required for a ranging beam to reach and return from the bore surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 1986
    Date of Patent: October 23, 1990
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Co.
    Inventors: Lawrence D. Nottingham, Thomas E. Michaels, Jennifer E. Michaels
  • Patent number: 4864862
    Abstract: An immersion based ultrasonic inspection system is disclosed which is used to interrogate the bore and near bore material of turbine and generator rotors by passing ultrasonic search units through the rotor bore. This system utilizes variable focus array inspection transducers in a shear mode inspection of the near bore material. The flaw location method includes recording calibration transit times and transducer locations for calibration holes from which refraction angles, and material velocities are determined. When a flaw is detected the surface time for a bore surface reflection, the flaw reflection time and transducer position are used to determine the position of the flaw.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 1988
    Date of Patent: September 12, 1989
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventors: Lawrence D. Nottingham, Thomas E. Michaels, Jennifer E. Michaels
  • Patent number: 4803638
    Abstract: An ultrasonic signal processing system that includes flaw gates that process signals from an inspection transducer is disclosed. The flaw gates operate in pairs where each pair is dedicated to a time window corresponding to, for example, flaw depth or transducer angle. The time window for a pair of flaw gates is indicated by a channel code produced by a timing control unit. One flaw gate in each pair processes incoming digitized transducer signals during a scan to produce reflector indications while the other gate in each pair transfers data from a previous different position scan to a main computer. The main computer determines flaw locations from the reflector indications and transducer positions provided by the flaw gate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 1986
    Date of Patent: February 7, 1989
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventors: Lawrence D. Nottingham, Thomas E. Michaels, Jennifer E. Michaels
  • Patent number: 4757716
    Abstract: An immersion based ultrasonic inspection system is disclosed which is used to interrogate the bore and near bore material of turbine and generator rotors by passing ultrasonic search units through the rotor bore. This system utilizes variable focus array inspection transducers in a shear mode inspection of the near bore material. A ranging transducer is provided which is used to correct the surface time of the inspection beam. A mapping transducer and blind bore sensor allow diameter mapping of the rotor bore as well as a blind rotor end sensing as the scan head carrying the transducers enters the bore. A scan head centering device or chuck deploys four radial arms to center and support the scan head. Each arm has a roller attached to the end which contacts the bore and rolls along so that the bore will not be damaged as the scan head passes through the bore.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 1987
    Date of Patent: July 19, 1988
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventors: Lawrence D. Nottingham, Thomas E. Michaels, Jennifer E. Michaels
  • Patent number: 4434660
    Abstract: An ultrasonic inspection apparatus for the inspection of metal structures, especially installed pipes.The apparatus combines a specimen inspection element, an acoustical velocity sensing element, and a surface profiling element, all in one scanning head. A scanning head bellows contains a volume of oil above the pipe surface, serving as acoustical couplant between the scanning head and the pipe.The scanning head is mounted on a scanning truck which is mobile around a circular track surrounding the pipe. The scanning truck has sufficient motors, gears, and position encoders to allow the scanning head six degrees of motion freedom.A computer system continually monitors acoustical velocity, and uses that parameter to process surface profiling and inspection data. The profiling data is used to automatically control scanning head position and alignment and to define a coordinate system used to identify and interpret inspection data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 1981
    Date of Patent: March 6, 1984
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
    Inventors: Jennifer E. Michaels, Thomas E. Michaels, Stephen J. Mech, Jr.