You are here

Comprehensive Inspection of Turbine Hot Section Blades and Vanes Using Active Thermography

Award Information
Agency: Department of Defense
Branch: Navy
Contract: N68335-08-C-0274
Agency Tracking Number: N064-011-0495
Amount: $374,977.00
Phase: Phase II
Program: STTR
Solicitation Topic Code: N06-T011
Solicitation Number: N/A
Timeline
Solicitation Year: 2006
Award Year: 2008
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): 2008-06-30
Award End Date (Contract End Date): 2010-06-30
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 - Thermal Wave Imaging
 (248) 414-3730
 sshepard@thermalwave.com
Business Contact
 Rebeca Simpson
Title: Financial Manager
Phone: (248) 414-3730
Email: bsimpson@thermalwave.com
Research Institution
 IOWA STATE UNIV.
 Stephen Holland
 
101 ASC - III
Ames, IA 50011-5225
United States

 (515) 294-5225
 Nonprofit College or University
Abstract

Comprehensive nondestructive Inspection (NDI) of aircraft turbine blades and vanes currently involves a sequence of separate inspections that may involve flow measurement, radiography, ultrasound and wire testing. The process is time-consuming and expensive, and several key inspections rely on subjective visual testing by a human operator. In Phase I, we demonstrated that the entire suite of critical inspections could be performed using various implementations of thermography. In Phase II, we will build upon these results and develop a thermographic inspection station that is capable of performing all critical blade and vane NDI in a single pass. The inspection station will require only a single operator, trained in thermography, and will replace several current inspection steps. The inspection station will improve on current methods for detecting internal blockages using a novel hybrid technique that was developed in Phase I.

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

US Flag An Official Website of the United States Government