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Real-time Radiographic Non-destructive Inspection for Aircraft Maintenance

Article · January 2008

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 17th World Conference on Nondestructive Testing, 25-28 Oct 2008, Shanghai, China

Real-time Radiographic Non-destructive Inspection for Aircraft Maintenance

Xin Wang 1, B. Stephen Wong 1, Chen Guan Tui 2 Kai Peng Khoo 2, Frederic Foo 3
1
Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
2
Republic of Singapore Air Force, Singapore
3
Singapore Technologies Aerospace, Singapore

Abstract

Traditional radiography is a non-destructive inspection (NDI) process widely used for the
detection of cracks and damage in aircraft structures. However, there are some limitations of
traditional radiography. Existing film process requires chemical processing of the film and the
quality of the images varies from shot to shot. The NDI crew spends as much time going back
and forth between the office, equipment storage location, and the job site as they do taking the
shots, developing the film, and inspecting the shots. Operations and equipment are not
standardized across aircraft systems. Complicates assigning work to X-Ray technicians. The film
development process requires a significant amount of climate controlled storage space for the
new and used film. Real-time radiography (RTR) allows all the benefits of producing significant
increases in magnification and image clarity, as well as efficient management of digital images.
Image enhancement allows more accurate interpretation of digital radiography indications.

In this paper, In order to identify suitable sensors and x-ray tube to meet the high sensitivity
required to inspect aircraft, different x-ray systems were evaluated. Furthermore image
enhancement methods are investigated for NDI inspection of the aircraft.

1 Introduction

Non-destructive inspection (NDI) is widely used in many fields, particularly for the detection of
cracks and damage in aircraft structures. One of the most important techniques used in NDI is
radiography that is based on the transmission of X-rays or Gamma rays through an object to
produce an image on radiographic film. Traditional radiography is a non-destructive inspection
(NDI) process widely used for the detection of cracks and damage in aircraft structures. However,
there are some limitations of traditional radiography. Existing film process requires chemical
processing of the film and the quality of the images varies from shot to shot. The NDI crew
spends as much time going back and forth between the office, equipment storage location, and
the job site as they do taking the shots, developing the film, and inspecting the shots. Operations
and equipment are not standardized across aircraft systems. Complicates assigning work to X-
Ray technicians. The film development process requires a significant amount of climate
controlled storage space for the new and used film.

Digital Radiography has emerged as a leading technology for recording an x-ray image. It offers
many advantages over conventional film-based radiography [1]. The most prominent among these
are the increase in productivity, ease of archiving and retrieving images, use of powerful image
processing tools to qualitatively improve and quantitatively study images, and the high
sensitivity, implying a lower x-ray dose to inspect the object. Digital Radiography enhances
productivity as it records a ready to process image in a very short time (order of few seconds)
and eliminates the need for any chemical processing required as in the case of using a film. Many
digital detectors can be used in a real-time format, where a continuous series of images (30
frames per second) can be obtained. This enables online inspection and powerful algorithms can
be developed to perform automated defect recognition (ADR), which leads to reduction of
inspection costs.

However, digital detectors were firstly developed for medical applications. Its weakest point is
the low spatial resolution of most of the new digital detector systems in comparison to NDT
film.Ewert etc [2] analyzed the possibility of replacement of film radiography by digital
techniques. The interrelationship between exposure time, photon flow and image quality was
discussed. Finally they gave the conclusion that the digital detectors are suitable for film
replacement. Bavendier etc [3] compared the film system and digital detector system with welds
and turbine blade and verified that the advantages of digital radiographic system for aerospace
application.

2 Evaluation of Digital X-ray Systems for Aircraft NDI Applications

In this paper, in order to identify suitable digital x-ray system to meet the high sensitivity
required to inspect aircraft, different sensors and x-ray tube were evaluated. The specimens used
to evaluate the sensitivities of the x-ray systems is 6mm thick aluminium specimen with a 2T
hole penetrameter and a wire IQI penetrameter as this specimen is the thinnest of all the
specimen and it is Aluminum which is of lower density than steel. Thickness of 6mm was
chosen, as it is the thinnest aircraft wing section required to be radiographed during phase
servicing.

2.1 Comparison between amorphous silicon flat panel detector with X-ray image intensifier (II)

Figure 1 shows the images of the wire type IQI on the 6mm Al specimen obtained at a
magnification of 4 and using: (a) image intensifier and (b) amorphous silicon flat panel. In both
the images (a) and (b), the No. 15 IQI wire is detectable. Figure 2 shows the Plots, (a) and (b), of
the lines crossing the IQI wires in the images (a) and (b) in Figure 1. It can be seen from the
plots that the contrast produced by the IQI wires in the image (b) is much larger than that in the
image (a). The signal to noise ratio in the image (b) is also higher than that in the image (a). In
the II image, the brightness in the center is much higher than that in the area near the image edge.
On the contrary, the brightness of the background is more uniform in the flat panel image. Hence,
the performance of the amorphous silicon flat panel is much better than that of II.

(a) (b)
Figure 1 Images of the wire type IQI on the 6mm Al specimen obtained at a magnification of 4 and using:
(a) Image intensifier and (b) amorphous silicon flat panel.

(a) (b)

Figure 2 Plots, (a) and (b), of the lines crossing the IQI wires in the images (a) and (b) in Figure
1.

2.2 Comparison between the direct digital x-ray systems: amorphous silicon flat panel detector,
CMOS detector, and reverse geometry x-ray system

Figure 3 shows the images of the wire type IQI on the 6mm Al specimen obtained using different
direct digital x-ray systems: (a) Flat panel detector (4X), (b) CMOS (1X), (c) Reverse geometry
system (4X). The quality of the images is about the same: No.15 wire IQI detectable. The flat
panel detector can detect the No. 16 IQI wire in real time (30 fps) at a magnification of 4 (see
Figure 3(a)). However, the ghosting image is significant.

It takes about 1 to 2 minutes for the CMOS linear detector and the reverse geometry system to
generate an image. So, these two detectors are not suitable for the real-time wing inspection.
Hence, amorphous silicon flat panels are more suitable to be used in the real-time inspection
system.

(a) (b)
 (c)

Figure 3 Images of the wire type IQI on the 6mm Al specimen obtained using different x-ray
systems: (a) Flat panel detector (4X), (b) CMOS (1X), (c) Reverse geometry system (4X)

2.3 Comparison between mini-focus x-ray tube and micro-focus x-ray tube

Figure 4 shows the images of the wire type IQI on the 6 mm Al specimen obtained at the same
magnification (4X) using (a) mini-focus x-ray tube and (b) micro-focus x-ray tube. In both the
two images, the No. 15 wire IQI is detectable and the No. 16 wire IQI is barely detectable.
Hence, at this magnification, both the mini-focus x-ray tube and the micro-focus tube can meet
the sensitivity requirement.

(a) (b)

Figure 4 Images of the wire type IQI on the 6 mm Al specimen obtained at the same magnification (4X)
using (a) mini-focus x-ray tube and (b) micro-focus x-ray tube.

3 Image enhancement for aircraft inspection

Image enhancement allows more accurate interpretation of digital radiography indications. In

this paper, image enhancement methods are applied to improve image quality. Firstly the
brightness of the image is adjusted using gamma correction, and then the local contrast of the
image is improved using contrast limited adaptive histogram equalization to enhance perception
of defects. Figure 5 shows the proposed image enhancement process.

Contrast limited adaptive

Gamma correction
histogram equalization

Figure 5 Proposed image enhancement process

3. 1 Gamma correction

Gamma correction operation performs nonlinear brightness adjustment. Brightness for darker
pixels is increased, but it is almost the same for bright pixels. As result more details are visible.

3. 2 Contrast limited adaptive histogram equalization

HE transforms image pixels based on overall image statistics. Adaptive histogram equalization
(AHE) involves selecting a local neighborhood centered around each pixel, calculating and
equalizing the histogram of the neighborhood, and then mapping the centered pixel based on the
new equalized local histogram [4]. For example, at each point in an input image we could
consider a 8 × 8 window around that point. The 64-element histogram could then be used to
determine a mapping function to histogram equalize that point based on the neighborhood. Since
each point would be based on its own neighborhood, the mapping function can vary over the
image.

Contrast limited adaptive histogram equalization (CLAHE) seeks to reduce the noise produced in
homogeneous areas by basic adaptive histogram equalization, and was originally developed for
medical imaging, has been successful for the enhancement of portal images [5]. The
homogeneous areas can be characterized by a high peak in the histogram associated with the
contextual regions since many pixels fall inside the same gray range. With AHE, a local
histogram is calculated and used to obtain the final value. High peaks in the histogram lead to
large values in the final image because of integration. This problem can be corrected by limiting
the amount of contrast enhancement at every pixel, which is achieved by clipping the original
histogram to a limit.

3.3 Experiment Results

We enhanced the radiographic images by Gamma correction and CLAHE. Applying Gamma
correction on the image in Figure 6(a) and Figure 6(a) results in image that can be found in
Figure6(c) and Figure7(c) Brightness for darker pixels is increased, and more details are visible.
Then applying CLAHE on the image in Figure 6(a) and Figure 7(a) results in image that can be
found in Figure 5(e) and Figure 6(e). The image contrast is improved.
 (a) Original Image (b) Histogram of original image

(c)Image after Gamma correction (d)Histogram after Gamma correction

(e) Image after CLAHE (f) Histogram after CLAHE

Figure 6 Image enhancement: radiographic image with crack

 (a) Original Image (b) Histogram of original image

(c)Image after Gamma correction (d)Histogram after Gamma correction

(e) Image after CLAHE (f)Histogram after CLAHE

Figure 7 Image enhancement: radiographic image of aircraft wing

 4. Conclusions

In this paper, different x-ray systems were evaluated. The most essential difference between
Real-time digital radiography systems is in the sensor technologies. All IIs are able to collect at
25 fps, hence are real time but noisier than DDs, and therefore would need significant
magnification. CMOS linear detector and the reverse geometry detector to generate the images
are not suitable for the real-time inspection. Thus, amorphous silicon flat panels are preferred for
the aircraft inspection applications.

Furthermore we proposed using Gamma correction and contrast limited adaptive histogram
equalization to enhance digital radiographic images. They showed promising results on
radiographic images. Gamma correction and CLAHE not only improved the local contrast of the
radiographic images but also reduced the noise produced in homogeneous areas. Therefore, the
proposed method can greatly enhance radiographic image and they will be helpful for defect
recognition.

5. References

[1]Halmshaw R., Industrial radiology: theory and practice, second edition, Chapman and Hall,
UK, 1995.
[2] Ewert, U., Zscherpel, U., Bavendiek, K., “Replacement of Film Radiography by Digital
Techniques and Enhancement of Image Quality” Online NDT Journal, vol 12. No.6, 2007.
[3] Bavendiek, K BAVENDIEK, Heike, U., Meade, W. D., Zscherpel, U. and U Ewert, U.,
“New Digital Radiography Procedure Exceeds Film Sensitivity Considerably in Aerospace
Applications”, ECNDT 2006.
[4] Pizer, S. M., Amburn, E. P., Austin, J. D., Cromartie, R., Geselowitz, A., ter Haar Romeny,
B., Zimmerman, J. B. & Zuiderveld, K, “Adaptive Histogram Equalization and Its variations”,
Comput. Vis. Graph. Image Process. 39, 355-368, 1987
[5] Rosenman, J., Roe, C. A., Cromartie, R., Muller, K. E. & Pizer, S. M. “Portal film
enhancement: Technique and clinical utility”. Int. J. Radiat. Oncol. Biol. Phys. 25, 333-338,
1993.

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