Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Tech Transfer
Highly Reliable Structural Health Monitoring of Smart Composite Vanes for Jet Engine
Project Description
In Phase 1, Intelligent Fiber Optic Systems (IFOS) successfully demonstrated a Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) based integrated Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) sensor system capable of providing in-situ crack detection, location, damage quantification and validation of structural models. The system offers advanced features to perform non-contact, non-destructive dynamic testing of composite structures. Tests were successfully carried out on composite coupons produced to mimic smart composite parts such as aircraft wings and jet engine vanes. The key innovation and achievement is an advanced system that monitors up to 48 ultra-sensitive FBG strain and temperature sensors at up to an unprecedented 1.0MHz, with damage identification, location and quantification algorithms. This represents a significant advancement in the state-of-the-art, enabling for the first time, the analysis of very high-frequency dynamic events for SHM. During Phase 2, IFOS will further develop the system and deliver a prototype complete with an instrumented wing test article to NASA for independent testing. IFOS will continue to work with its commercial partners to address applications in engine vanes and market opportunities where the technology has a significant advantage. The solution could potentially evolve into an autonomous onboard monitoring system to inspect and perform Non-Destructive Evaluation and SHM of high-value assets.
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Anticipated Benefits
A low-cost FBG-based fiber-optic sensor system will provide high-speed SHM for military and commercial aerospace vehicle health monitoring. Further applications include jet and flight control testing, wind turbines, oil exploration, ship structures, nuclear power plant, pipe and critical infrastructure monitoring for e.g. homeland security, safety or general maintenance. IFOS is in talks with Knight Carver Wind Group, a leading international wind turbine blade manufacturer to apply its technology to condition monitoring in wind turbine blades. There are remarkable similarities between the needs of the aviation industry given they both use composites under significant stress cycles over extended temperature ranges and on complex geometries. At the appropriate price point, a major application of the IFOS technology would be in the condition monitoring of wind turbine blades and other parts. Success in the commercialization of this innovation will enable IFOS to expand and employ additional engineering, marketing and support staff.
A structural health monitoring system attached to the aircraft structure, in the areas susceptible to fatigue and impact damage, provides the dynamic data that can reliably indicate the health status of the aircraft structure in real-time. This project has direct NASA applications in the following areas: UAVs such as Ikhana (Predator B) NASA support of Air Transportation Security programs Automated Nondestructive Evaluation for faulty structural components Integrated Vehicle Health Monitoring (IVHM) Flight control System with real-time autonomous sensor validity monitors Monitoring manufacturing, assembly process and control; composite materials for internal temperature and pressure during the curing process; composite bonded repairs; sandwich structures; gun barrels; reusable launch vehicles; pressure vessels and tanks during burst testing; aero propulsion flight tests, etc. Self-monitoring structures with alarm and abort capabilities Pyrotechnic test and data acquisition for shock response spectrum analysis. More »
A structural health monitoring system attached to the aircraft structure, in the areas susceptible to fatigue and impact damage, provides the dynamic data that can reliably indicate the health status of the aircraft structure in real-time. This project has direct NASA applications in the following areas: UAVs such as Ikhana (Predator B) NASA support of Air Transportation Security programs Automated Nondestructive Evaluation for faulty structural components Integrated Vehicle Health Monitoring (IVHM) Flight control System with real-time autonomous sensor validity monitors Monitoring manufacturing, assembly process and control; composite materials for internal temperature and pressure during the curing process; composite bonded repairs; sandwich structures; gun barrels; reusable launch vehicles; pressure vessels and tanks during burst testing; aero propulsion flight tests, etc. Self-monitoring structures with alarm and abort capabilities Pyrotechnic test and data acquisition for shock response spectrum analysis. More »
Primary U.S. Work Locations and Key Partners
| Organizations Performing Work | Role | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intelligent Fiber Optic Systems Corporation | Lead Organization | Industry | Santa Clara, California |
Armstrong Flight Research Center
(AFRC)
|
Supporting Organization | NASA Center | Edwards, California |
| Auburn University | Supporting Organization | Academia | Auburn, Alabama |
Primary U.S. Work Locations
-
Alabama
-
California
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