PROCESS OF NONDESTRUCTIVE INSPECTION OF SURFACE LAYERS OF DIELECTRIC ARTICLES Russian patent published in 1997 - IPC

FIELD: nondestructive testing of dielectric articles, specifically discharge ceramic chambers of stationary plasma engines of some spacecrafts. SUBSTANCE: tested surface of article is subjected to additional testing intrusion with liquid dielectric medium which is intermediate one between tested surface and conductive screen of zero potential. Then article is electrified on outside in electric field of. Electrogram of relaxation drop of potentials is read off outer surface and is used to estimate state of surface layers. Gear to implement this process has screen holder of tested article joined to system of supply of liquid dielectric medium, servo drive of axial rotation of article together with screen-holder, with working electrode positioned in parallel to rotation axis above surface of article and connected to power supply source of, pickup of levels of electrostatic potentials with scanning servo drive, device for remote transmission of coordinates of scanning point and device registering electrograms. EFFECT: increased authenticity of process. 2 dwg