Center for Nondestructive Evaluation

ABOUT CNDE

The Center for Nondestructive Evaluation is an interdisciplinary group of scientists, support staff and students working in close cooperation with industry to advance the field of nondestructive evaluation. CNDE employs faculty and staff, including investigators drawn from nearly all departments of the College of Engineering and selected departments in other colleges, as well as many students. State-of-the-art research and commercial instrumentation at CNDE support cutting-edge investigations of innovative NDE technologies. CNDE has capabilities in all common NDE methods.

NDE uses advanced measurement techniques to evaluate the integrity and reliability of materials and structures without harming their future usefulness. Many NDE technologies, such as ultrasonics and x-rays, may be familiar from their use in modern medicine. NDE methods are used in a variety of industries to optimize processes, manage quality and limit liability. NDE tools are becoming increasingly important to companies, large and small, as they strive to improve product quality and production performance to contend with growing competition.

CNDE, a member of the Institute for Physical Research and Technology, seeks to:

• Lead basic and applied research to define the principles that underlie NDE technology.

• Serve as focal point for the transfer of NDE technology to industry in Iowa, the United States and the world.

• Integrate NDE with other disciplines through the lifetime of structural systems to enhance product reliability.

• Apply skills in noninvasive measurements to other problem areas where unique capabilities add value, particularly in the agricultural, animal science and biomedical areas.

• Serve as a center of excellence for NDE education by improving the quality of education at all levels (K-12, community college, undergraduate and graduate) and increasing the number of students with expertise in NDE engineering and industrially relevant experience.

WHAT CNDE DOES

The center's scientists, engineers and students work with government and industry to ensure safety and more reliable materials and structures. The staff's broad knowledge and extensive experience in industrial inspections has led to many innovative NDE-application solutions. CNDE is a leader in developing a new generation of NDE measurement techniques and computer-based engineering tools and in adapting these techniques to production.

Development of Improved NDE Techniques
The development of improved measurement techniques is the foundation of CNDE's capabilities. Innovative improvements are continuously made in ultrasonic, electromagnetic, radiographic and magnetic measurement techniques through basic and applied research. Included is a strong emphasis on signal processing and presenting the data in the form of images of the affected structures.

Application of NDE Measurement Capabilities to
Nonstructural Materials
CNDE is applying noninvasive measurement techniques to agriculture, animal science, biomedicine and electronics. An X-ray technique has been developed and demonstrated that improves "on-combine" yield monitoring for use in precision agriculture.  In cooperation with physicians at the University of Iowa and Vanderbilt University, X-ray, ultrasonic and electromagnetic techniques are being developed to improve treatment of medical problems such as prostate cancer, atherosclerosis and faulty artificial heart valves.

Education
CNDE works to further NDE education at all levels. At the K-12 level, CNDE staff develops interactive computer programs that use NDE to illustrate important physical principles, thereby increasing interest in science and technology. CNDE collaborates with community colleges to provide improved training tools and to seek ways to ease student transfer. CNDE worked closely with ISU's College of Engineering to establish the nation's first minor in NDE. It is available to undergraduate students in any engineering discipline. CNDE student research assistants often play a considerable role in technology transfer after graduation. NDE educational materials are also being developed for other audiences outside of academia, such as Federal Aviation Administration safety inspectors.

Outreach
CNDE has a strong outreach focus, consistent with the charter of a land-grant university. Technology transfer from CNDE to the public occurs in numerous ways.

The Iowa Demonstration Laboratory for NDE Applications serves as a resource to Iowa manufacturers, particularly the small-to-medium-sized firms with small staffs and limited resources. IDL aids technology transfer through demonstration of the technologies, educational seminars and application guidance.

At the national level, as one of the National Science Foundation's Industry/University Cooperative Research Centers, CNDE works closely with more than 20 major industries using NDE. Together, they work to develop basic information and to apply it to industry's problems.

Internationally, CNDE helped form the World Federation of NDE Centers, involving NDE centers from numerous countries. Goals include unifying research and education to serve a global economy.

Promotion of Exchange of Scientific Information
CNDE organizes and hosts the annual Review of Progress in Quantitative Nondestructive Evaluation Conference. QNDE is regarded as the world's foremost NDE research conference and fosters information transfer from advanced research programs to industry.

HOW CNDE EVOLVED

NDE research at Iowa State University dates back to 1980, when the U.S. Air Force funded a program to develop more quantitative NDE measurement methods for aircraft inspection. ISU was selected because of its strong engineering program and the presence on campus of a national laboratory, the U.S. Department of Energy's Ames Laboratory. CNDE was formed in 1984 as a National Science Foundation Industry/University Cooperative Research Center. ISU teams with industrial and government sponsors who help guide the research and share the results. The number of sponsors has doubled since CNDE's formation. CNDE has been successful in attracting funding for many new major research programs that extend the capabilities it offers to sponsors. These programs include:

• Developing advanced computer simulation software for
  inspection methods and coupling the programs to software for computer-aided design (multiple sponsors).

• Inspecting aging aircraft structures and materials, and aircraft engine materials and components (Federal Aviation Administration).

• Supporting state industry with demonstrations and implementation of state-of-the-art technologies (State of Iowa).

• Applying technologies to important national environmental, safety and health problems such as evaluating radioactive heavy contamination at nuclear-material processing facilities (Department of Energy) such as evaluating the structural integrity of high level waste storage tanks and designing in-situ sensor systems for future nuclear power plants at the design stage.

• Developing new sensor systems to improve the reliability of future aerospace systems, with an emphasis on new sensors that can be integrated within aerospace structures to continuously monitor the structure's condition, complemented by efforts targeted at immediate safety and mission-assurance problems such as the location of air leaks in space vehicles (National Aeronautics and Space Administration).

In 1997, ISU joined other universities to form the Airworthiness Assurance Center of Excellence (AACE) with support from the Federal Aviation Administration. AACE is the focal point of the FAA's research and development programs in areas such as maintenance, inspection and repair; advanced materials; crashworthiness; fuel safety and propulsion systems. Today, the ISU lead Center for Aviation Systems Reliability and the Engine Titanium Consortium provide leadership in the inspection of aircraft and propulsion systems.

In 1998, NSF renewed CNDE's support for 10 years. New goals include emphasis on integrating new measurement techniques into the manufacturing and life-cycle engineering of modern structural systems and broadening the application of noninvasive measurements to living, food and electronic systems.

 FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

Iowa State University
Center for Nondestructive Evaluation
111 Applied Sciences Complex II
1915 Scholl Road
Ames, IA 50011-3042
(515) 294-8152
FAX: (515) 294-7771
E-mail: cnde@cnde.iastate.edu

CNDE is a member of the Institute for Physical Research and Technology, a network of research and technology-transfer centers and industrial-outreach programs at Iowa State University.

Institute for Physical Research and Technology
Director's Office
311 TASF
Ames, IA 50011-3020
(515) 294-8902
FAX: (515) 294-4456
http://www.iprt.iastate.edu
E-mail: iprtinfo@iastate.edu