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PROGRAMMABLE REFLECTANCE OF ARTIFICIAL FLAWS IN RAIL MATERIALS

Award Information
Agency: Department of Transportation
Branch: N/A
Contract: N/A
Agency Tracking Number: 6903
Amount: $50,000.00
Phase: Phase I
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: N/A
Solicitation Number: N/A
Timeline
Solicitation Year: N/A
Award Year: 1987
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): N/A
Award End Date (Contract End Date): N/A
Small Business Information
Po Box 9802-173
Austin, TX 78766
United States
DUNS: N/A
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 RONALD E LARSEN
 PH D SENIOR RESEARCH SCIENTIST
 () -
Business Contact
Phone: () -
Research Institution
N/A
Abstract

A PROGRAMMABLE DEFECT SIMULATOR IS NEEDED TO TEST ULTRASONIC RAIL FLAW DETECTION SYSTEMS. CALIBRATION STANDARDS CAN BE DEVELOPED WITH VARIABLE PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS ACCORDING TO A PREDESCRIBED SCHEME THAT SIMULATES COMMONLY-OCCURRING FLAWS (CROSS-HEAD FATIGUE CRACKS) IN RAILWAY SYSTEM RAILS. THIS PROJECT WOULD DEVELOP A METHOD OF ALTERING THE EFFECTIVE REFLECTIVITY OF A SOLID-GAS INTERFACE THROUGH THE INTRODUCTION OF A FLUSH-MOUNTED ARRAY OF CLOSE-PACKED SOLID STEEL BACKING MEMBERS WHOSE INTIMACY OF COUPLING IS PROGRAMMED FOR CONTROLLED PRESSURE VARIATIONS INDUCED THROUGH THE USE OF PIEZOELECTRIC OR MAGNETOSTRICTIVE DEVICES. A LARGE VARIETY OF REFLECTOR SHAPES WITH VARYING DEGREES OF INTERFACE TRANSMISSIVITY CORRESPONDING TO PARTIALLY CLOSED FATIGUE CRACKS WITH SHAPES (RANGING FROM SIMPLE CIRCLES TO CRESCENTS OF NUMEROUS ORIENTATIONS) CAN BESIMULATED.

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

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