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In Situ Guided Wave Structural Health Monitoring System

Award Information
Agency: National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Branch: N/A
Contract: NNC05CA40C
Agency Tracking Number: 041194
Amount: $69,628.00
Phase: Phase I
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: A1.02
Solicitation Number: N/A
Timeline
Solicitation Year: 2004
Award Year: 2005
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): 2005-01-21
Award End Date (Contract End Date): 2005-07-25
Small Business Information
15400 Calhoun Drive, Suite 400
Rockville, MD 20855-2785
United States
DUNS: 161911532
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: Yes
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 George Zhao
 Principal Investigator
 (301) 294-5232
 xzhao@i-a-i.com
Business Contact
 Mark James
Title: Contracts Manager
Phone: (301) 294-5221
Email: mjames@i-a-i.com
Research Institution
N/A
Abstract

Corrosion and fatigue induced metal-loss and cracks are common problems for missiles and aircraft structures. A wide range of field conditions such as humidity, temperature, stress, cathode potential, and coating conditions, etc. all contributes to the electrochemical reaction between the incipient corrosive agent molecule and the structural metal matrix. The weakened inter-atomic force leads to the material loss, pits or crack growth and eventually structural failure.

We propose a new approach to detect and characterize the corrosion and cracks in missile and aircraft structures. The technique consists of very small, low cost guided wave leave-in-place health monitoring sensors known as piezo-disks, innovative Correlation Analysis Technique (CAT) for fast defect sizing and localization, and a miniaturized local computing device with data acquisition and processing capabilities and wireless module for remote monitoring. It is envisioned the total cost of this system will be less than $1500.

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

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