“We can use data from most cameras and GNSS-IMUs that end-users might want to use, though a wide-angle camera is naturally preferred for efficient mapping, and we make a lot of our own hardware in-house, along with the software, which we supply as products.” Dolphitech showcased its Dolphicam2 range of non-destructive testing solutions, which are based on its matrix array ultrasonic technology and intended for use by either manufacturers of composite parts, or inspectors of inservice parts, where validating for quality and safety is critical. “Matrix array works by building up a picture of what materials look like on the inside, using a very data-rich method of generating ultrasonic signals, providing essentially a live C-scan,” said Matthew Day of Dolphitech. “We can inspect down into composite materials from depths of half a millimetre to as deep as 50-60 mm. Limitations of physics still apply, so there will be nuances around the sizes and resolutions of defects that one can inspect, as there is with any ultrasonic testing.” The Dolphicam2 uses electrodes to transmit ultrasound waves through material, resulting in 16,384 waves per 32 mm2 of scanned area at a frame rate of 11 fps. Traditional ultrasonic techniques, by comparison, transmit a single wave in and out of material at around 50 Hz. Larger areas can also be mapped, and Dolphitech produces 3D renders and volumetric assessments to give more understandable, actionable information about the integrity of a piece of material. “We also have an onboard statistical tool that helps with understanding how manufacturing or other processes are affecting the quality of parts, enabling customers to understand where they might, for instance, be introducing porosity into their parts,” Day said. Advanced Innovative Engineering (AIE) exhibited its newest Wankel rotary engines, including its 40 ACS (air-cooled, compact SPARCS), which it described as the world’s first additively-manufactured (AM) Wankel, capable of 5 hp (or 3 kW) of continuous power output. It is now in an initial low rate of production. “It’s a 40 cc engine, about 150 mm in diameter, has a 2 kg core weight and utilises SPARCS, our patented gascooling system for the internal parts of the engine, such as the rotor [explored in Issue 7], whereas the air cooling refers to how we thermally manage the external regions,” said AIE’s Nathan Bailey. “Typically, our engines are externally liquid-cooled via a separate heat exchanger, but for this engine we were really aiming to make something simpler, lighter and more integrated.” AM stood out as a means to print metal structures that are geometrically optimised for minimum weight versus structural strength and thermal stability. The latter includes maximising the external cooling surface and avoiding issues such as overheating during climbing or other high-power phases of mission cycles (to which air-cooled engines can be prone). “When we started developing the engine, AM allowed us to change and iterate it very rapidly, including trying different designs for the heat exchange surfaces, and lattice-type structures to increase the surface area without adding significant weight,” Bailey said. “We used a metal laser-sintering process and COTS AM machines. Our core goal was to use established tools and technologies where possible to minimise manufacturing risk, while allowing us to have maximum design freedom. All the major housing parts, like the end-plates, are printed using aluminium. The exhaust system is laser-sintered titanium and the rotor is laser-sintered steel.” 107 Uncrewed Systems Technology | December/January 2025 Dolphitech’s matrix array ultrasonic scanning technology Advanced Innovative Engineering’s 40S, an additively manufactured, small Wankel rotary engine
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