Titanium torque tubes in aircraft braking systems can suffer material property degradation from heat damage in extreme braking events. The Air Force requires a nondestructive inspection (NDI) method to identify heat-damaged titanium torque tubes. Vibrant Corporation performs NDI services in the aerospace industry using its Process Compensated Resonance Testing (PCRT) technology. PCRT uses the resonance frequencies of a component to detect material property variations and defects that affect component reliability and performance. In commercial testing applications, PCRT has been FAA-approved for detection of overtemperature exposure (heat damage) in gas turbine engine blades. Those inspections have yielded tremendous reliability, operational, and economic benefits in the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) community. PCRT has also demonstrated sensitivity to titanium thermal history. In Phase I of this project, Vibrant proposes to conduct feasibility studies of PCRT, UT, ET, color inspection and other potential NDI methods for heat damage detection in titanium torque tubes. Vibrant will purchase sample populations of titanium coupons and perform heat treatment experiments to generate a range of thermal histories in the coupons, from acceptable to heat damage. Vibrant will then inspect the coupons with PCRT and the other methods to assess each methods capabilities for titanium heat damageNDI,Landing gear,6Al-4V,Titanium Brake Torque Tubes,Process Compensated Resonance Testing,PCRT,nondestructive inspection,Heat Damage
