You are here

Rapid and Conformable Field Repair and Nondestructive Evaluation of Rotor Blade Skins and Honeycomb in Blade Afterbody

Award Information
Agency: Department of Defense
Branch: Navy
Contract: N68335-07-C-0480
Agency Tracking Number: N072-118-0547
Amount: $79,934.00
Phase: Phase I
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: N07-118
Solicitation Number: 2007.2
Timeline
Solicitation Year: 2007
Award Year: 2007
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): 2007-09-12
Award End Date (Contract End Date): 2008-03-12
Small Business Information
845 Livernois Street
Ferndale, MI 48220
United States
DUNS: 877627968
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 Steven Shepard
 President, TWI
 (248) 414-3730
 sshepard@thermalwave.com
Business Contact
 Rebecca Simpson
Title: Financial Manager
Phone: (248) 414-3730
Email: bsimpson@thermalwave.com
Research Institution
N/A
Abstract

N07-118 Rapid and Conformable Field Repair and NDE of Rotor Blade Skins and Honeycomb in Blade Afterbody The integration of composite materials into modern military aircraft has provided numerous benefits to the armed forces due to superior strength-to-weight performance and corrosion immunity. However, when compared to their metallic predecessors, composite components present significant challenges in terms of maintenance and repair. The NDI situation has become far more complex with the deployment of composite-based aircraft. Older techniques such as tap testing are slow and are unable to detect all inner-layer and skin to core disbonds. Active thermography has already been proven as a rapid and reliable inspection technique for such applications. In the following Phase I proposal, Thermal Wave Imaging will attempt to distill the advances made in thermographic NDI into an instrument that addresses the cost, size and complexity of the current technology. We will exploit the hardware and signal processing advances made in flash (pulsed) thermography, and apply these to a small, low-cost instrument that is truly handheld and self-contained. The user interface for control and presentation of results will reside on the unit, so that the operator will not interact with a computer.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

US Flag An Official Website of the United States Government