Acoustic inspection tool for internal channels in printed
This technology listens to the sounds made by fluid flowing through the internal channels of a component—think pipes, heat exchangers, or additively manufactured parts—at controlled flow rates. By analyzing specific acoustic frequencies and intensities, it can determine characteristics of that internal space, such as whether the geometry matches design specifications or whether something has changed over time. Essentially, it uses sound as a non-destructive probe to inspect spaces that are otherwise impossible to see. This allows engineers to infer the state of a component—is it intact, clogged, degraded?—and potentially identify where a defect originated.
What you could build
A benchtop or inline acoustic inspection tool for quality control of additively manufactured components with internal channels, sold to aerospace, automotive, or medical device manufacturers who need to verify internal geometry without destructive testing.
Who in Virginia should care
Defense and aerospace manufacturers in Northern Virginia and the Hampton Roads corridor—particularly suppliers to Navy shipbuilding or Langley-area aerospace primes—would have direct use for non-destructive internal inspection of precision components.
Readiness: Lab validated
Concept — described but not yet demonstrated. Lab validated — supported by experimental results in the patent. Prototype likely — the text describes a built, working embodiment.
Readiness is inferred from the patent text, not from a lab visit.
The record
- Inventors
- —
- Granted
- April 30, 2019
- Status
- Granted patent
- Patent number
- 102838
Ready to talk?
Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties handles licensing for this technology.
Prosim summaries are generated from public patent text and are not legal advice.