Patents by Inventor Morteza Safai

Morteza Safai 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).

  • Adhesive with Enhanced Stiffness Change and Methods of Joining Composite Parts
    Publication number: 20190127615
    Abstract: A composite material joined with a curable phenolic resin adhesive, with the phenolic resin adhesive comprising a stiffening agent precursor, and with the stiffening agent precursor selected to react with reaction by-products of the phenolic resin adhesive during curing to produce a reaction product stiffening agent in a cured bonding layer that is detectable by ultrasound, resins comprising the stiffening agent precursor, bonding layers comprising the reaction product stiffening agent, and methods for making the composite material joints and inspecting the composite material joints are disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2017
    Publication date: May 2, 2019
    Inventors: Keith D. Humfeld, Eileen O. Kutscha, Morteza Safai
  • Synchronized Phased Array and Infrared Detector System for Moisture Detection
    Publication number: 20190113449
    Abstract: A method and system for detecting moisture in a composite sandwich panel for an aerospace vehicle. A pulse of an electromagnetic radiation beam is beam steered to the composite sandwich panel. The pulse of the electromagnetic radiation beam has a number of wavelengths that is absorbed by water molecules. The timing of the pulse of the electromagnetic radiation beam is synchronized to heat the composite sandwich panel with a time window in an infrared detector system to detect an amount of infrared radiation. The amount of infrared radiation in the composite sandwich panel is detected within the time window for the infrared detector system when the composite sandwich panel is heated by the pulse of the electromagnetic radiation beam, wherein the amount of infrared radiation indicates a level of moisture in the composite sandwich panel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2017
    Publication date: April 18, 2019
    Inventors: Morteza Safai, Xiaoxi Wang
  • Moisture Detection System
    Publication number: 20190113450
    Abstract: A method and system for an aerospace vehicle. A pulse of electromagnetic radiation is transmitted into the composite sandwich panel such that the composite sandwich panel is heated above an ambient temperature. An amount of infrared radiation generated in the composite sandwich panel is detected in response to transmitting the pulse of electromagnetic radiation into the composite sandwich panel using a time window selected to detect the amount of infrared radiation when the pulse of electromagnetic radiation heats the composite sandwich panel. The amount of infrared radiation detected indicates a level of moisture in the composite sandwich panel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2017
    Publication date: April 18, 2019
    Inventors: Morteza Safai, Xiaoxi Wang
  • Three-dimensional gap measurement systems and methods
    Patent number: 10240909
    Abstract: An electronic feeler gauge comprises a sensor blade, a transmitting system, and a receiving system. The sensor blade comprises transmission induction coils, reception induction coils, and measurement sites, spaced in two dimensions about the sensor blade. Each of the measurement sites is associated with at least one of the transmission induction coils and at least one of the reception induction coils. The transmitting system is configured to drive direct electrical current across the transmission induction coils to produce transmitted probe signals from the transmission induction coils. The receiving system is configured to receive response signals from the reception induction coils due to the transmitted probe signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Morteza Safai, Melissa McQueen
  • X-Ray Inspection System for Pipes
    Publication number: 20190079031
    Abstract: A method and system for scanning an elongate structure. A scanner in a scanning system is moved axially along the elongate structure using a translating structure in the scanning system. The elongate member is scanned axially as the scanner moves axially along the elongate structure. The scanner is moved rotationally around the elongate structure at a location in which an inconsistency is detected at the location during an axial scan. The elongate structure is scanned rotationally at the location while the scanner moves rotationally around the elongate structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2017
    Publication date: March 14, 2019
    Inventors: Morteza Safai, Gary Ernest Georgeson
  • High Speed Pipe Inspection System
    Publication number: 20190079028
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, and system for scanning an elongate structure. A scanner in a scanning system is moved axially along the elongate structure using a translating structure in the scanning system. The elongate structure is scanned axially using an x-ray beam emitted by the scanner as the scanner moves axially along the elongate structure to perform an axial scan. The x-ray beam has a first orientation. A location on the elongate structure having an inconsistency is detected while scanning the elongate structure axially. The elongate structure is scanned at the location with the x-ray beam in a second orientation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2017
    Publication date: March 14, 2019
    Inventors: Gary Ernest Georgeson, Morteza Safai
  • BORESCOPE FOR GENERATING AN IMAGE WITH ADJUSTABLE DEPTH OF FIELD AND ASSOCIATED INSPECTION SYSTEM AND METHOD
    Publication number: 20190064079
    Abstract: Defined herein is a borescope, including a tube and a tip. The tube includes a first end and a second end, opposite the first end. The tip is fixed to the first end of the tube and comprises a housing and an image acquisition system. The image acquisition system is within the housing and comprises a light emitting diode ring, a micro-lens array, a main lens, and a photodetector array. The light emitting diode ring includes a plurality of light emitting diodes. The micro-lens array includes a plurality of micro-lenses. The main lens is between the light emitting diode ring and the micro-lens array. The photodetector array includes a plurality of photodetectors. The micro-lens array is between the main lens and the photodetector array.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2017
    Publication date: February 28, 2019
    Inventors: Morteza Safai, Gary E. Georgeson
  • Methods and apparatus for repairing composite materials
    Patent number: 10213964
    Abstract: A method of bonding materials may comprise defining a bond interface between two materials in a cure zone on a surface of an object and heating the bond interface with sound waves. Heating the bond interface may include applying ultrasonic sound waves to the bond interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Morteza Safai, Kimberly Meredith
  • AUTOMATED INSPECTION OF FOREIGN MATERIALS, CRACKS AND OTHER SURFACE ANOMALIES
    Publication number: 20190056334
    Abstract: An inspection system for detecting defects in a workpiece can include an illumination source for illuminating a first section of the workpiece with a patterned light, wherein the illumination source does not illuminate a second section of the workpiece. The inspection system further includes a feedback camera for imaging the first section and producing a first output, and a background camera for imaging the second section and producing a second output. A processor compares the first output with the second output, and a controller alters the patterned light that is output by the illumination source based on the comparison. This feedback control continues until the background is suitably homogeneous or camouflaged compared to the defect, such that the visibility and/or detectability of the defect is increased.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2017
    Publication date: February 21, 2019
    Inventor: Morteza SAFAI
  • System and method for nondestructive evaluation of a test object
    Patent number: 10191014
    Abstract: A system for nondestructive evaluation of a test object includes a platform, an electromagnetic acoustic transducer (EMAT) to create acoustic vibrations that travel along the test object; an infrared detector positioned to record thermal images of a plurality of test areas on the test object to detect flaws in the test object as the platform and the test object move relative to each other; and a control connected to actuate the EMAT and the infrared detector, synchronize the creation of vibrations with the recording of thermal images, receive a signal from the infrared detector indicative of the thermal image of the surface of the test object, and record locations of the flaws appearing on the thermal images of the test areas, all as the platform and the test object move relative to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: John R. Hull, Gary E. Georgeson, Morteza Safai, Barry A. Fetzer, Steven K. Brady, Jeffrey G. Thompson
  • Portable device for quantifying thermochromatic coating signatures
    Patent number: 10184840
    Abstract: A portable device for quantification of thermochromatic coating signatures is provided. The portable device includes a directing component configured to direct light to a target having a thermochromatic coating. Additionally, the portable device includes a conditioning component configured to condition reflected light from the target, the reflected light including thermochromatic coating signatures. The portable device also includes an image detector configured to generate images from the conditioned reflected light, and a processor configured to receive and analyze images from the image detector and identify at least one portion of the target that has exceeded a predefined temperature or predefined temperature variance based on the analyzed images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Morteza Safai, Gary E. Georgeson
  • Shearography for sub microcellular substrate nondestructive inspection
    Patent number: 10180403
    Abstract: Provided is a method and system for dynamic shearographic inspection. The dynamic shearographic method allows nondestructive inspection of layered materials, in particular, those including a porous material. The method uses a load profile that increases and decreases the load, for example in a saw-tooth manner, without decreasing the load back down to the initial loading state, usually zero loading. Using the load profile in this manner constantly refreshes the reference speckle images to minimize background noise and allows defects to be distinguished from the noise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2019
    Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventors: Morteza Safai, Xiaoxi Wang
  • HEATING SYSTEM FOR COMPOSITE REWORK OF AIRCRAFT
    Publication number: 20190001594
    Abstract: A method and apparatus comprising a laser unit and a controller. The laser unit is configured to generate a number of laser beams. The controller is configured to operate the laser unit to generate the number of laser beams resulting in a desired level of heating of a composite patch that cures the composite patch on a composite structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2018
    Publication date: January 3, 2019
    Inventors: Morteza Safai, Kimberly D. Meredith
  • Curved Beam Replicator
    Publication number: 20180373050
    Abstract: A curved beam replicator includes a body having a first surface and a second surface. The second surface defines at least a portion of a cavity. The first surface is configured to cause light entering the body from another medium to be refracted at a first angle such that the light strikes the second surface at a second angle. The second surface is configured to cause a first portion of the light striking the second surface to pass through the second surface and be refracted into a medium in the cavity and to cause a second portion of the light striking the second surface to be reflected toward the first surface at a third angle. The third angle such that the second portion of the light is totally internally reflected by the first surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2017
    Publication date: December 27, 2018
    Inventors: Keith Daniel Humfeld, Morteza Safai
  • HIGH SPEED VACUUM CYCLING EXCITATION SYSTEM FOR OPTICAL INSPECTION SYSTEMS
    Publication number: 20180372603
    Abstract: A vacuum system and method for inspecting a workpiece that can include use the vacuum system, where the vacuum system can include a housing defining at least a portion of a vacuum chamber, a piston within the housing that oscillates to vary a volume of the vacuum chamber, a first valve and a second valve in fluid communication with the vacuum chamber, and a hood in fluid communication with the second valve and the vacuum chamber. The vacuum system can include high-speed valves that enable vacuum system cycling and thus vacuum pressure cycling at a rapid frequency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2017
    Publication date: December 27, 2018
    Inventors: Morteza SAFAI, Xiaoxi WANG
  • SHEAROGRAPHY FOR SUB MICROCELLULAR SUBSTRATE NONDESTRUCTIVE INSPECTION
    Publication number: 20180372654
    Abstract: Provided is a method and system for dynamic shearographic inspection. The dynamic shearographic method allows nondestructive inspection of layered materials, in particular, those including a porous material. The method uses a load profile that increases and decreases the load, for example in a saw-tooth manner, without decreasing the load back down to the initial loading state, usually zero loading. Using the load profile in this manner constantly refreshes the reference speckle images to minimize background noise and allows defects to be distinguished from the noise.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2017
    Publication date: December 27, 2018
    Inventors: Morteza SAFAI, Xiaoxi WANG
  • Heating system for composite rework of aircraft
    Patent number: 10160163
    Abstract: A machine and process for a heating system for a composite patch comprising a light beam and a controller. The controller is configured to command the light beam to heat the resin in the composite patch to a desired level for curing while avoiding overheating a fiber in the composite patch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Morteza Safai, Kimberly D. Meredith
  • COMPOSITE PARTS THAT FACILITATE ULTRASONIC IMAGING OF LAYER BOUNDARIES
    Publication number: 20180356215
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for ultrasonic imaging of composite parts. One embodiment is a method that includes providing an object having multiple layers of fibers and resin, inducing ultrasonic waves at locations along the object, and attenuating the ultrasonic waves at the regions due to regions interspersed among the layers that each exhibit an elastic modulus distinct from an elastic modulus of the fibers and distinct from an elastic modulus of the matrix. The method further includes receiving the attenuated ultrasonic waves, and analyzing the attenuated ultrasonic waves to determine depths of the regions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2017
    Publication date: December 13, 2018
    Inventors: Keith D. Humfeld, Morteza Safai
  • Thermal Imaging System
    Publication number: 20180340837
    Abstract: A thermal imaging system comprises a substrate, stacked graphene arrays on the substrate, and a number of bandpass filters separating the stacked graphene arrays.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2017
    Publication date: November 29, 2018
    Inventor: Morteza Safai
  • Heating system for composite rework of aircraft
    Patent number: 10137651
    Abstract: A method and apparatus comprising a laser unit and a controller. The laser unit is configured to generate a number of laser beams. The controller is configured to operate the laser unit to generate the number of laser beams resulting in a desired level of heating of a composite patch that cures the composite patch on a composite structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Morteza Safai, Kimberly D. Meredith