IGF::OT::IGF GTL HAS DEVELOPED AN INNOVATIVE COMPOSITE REPAIR METHODOLOGY KNOWN AS THE COMPOSITE REPAIR SYS…

Public award description

IGF::OT::IGF GTL HAS DEVELOPED AN INNOVATIVE COMPOSITE REPAIR METHODOLOGY KNOWN AS THE COMPOSITE REPAIR SYSTEM (CRS). IN THIS PHASE I EFFORT, CRS IS BEING DEVELOPED FOR THE REPAIR OF DAMAGED INDUCED IN THIN-LAMINATE COMPOSITE CRYOTANKS. IN APPLYING CRS TO DAMAGED COMPOSITE STRUCTURES, THE REQUIRED LEVEL OF STRUCTURAL CAPACITY IS RECOVERED TO WITHIN A PREDETERMINED PERCENTAGE OF ITS ORIGINAL PERFORMANCE AFTER BEING DAMAGED. GTL?S CRS OFFERS A REPAIR METHOD THAT REDUCES COMPLEXITY AND TIME REQUIRED TO PERFORM REPAIRS. DESIGNED TO REPAIR DAMAGE IN LOCATIONS WITH MINIMAL ACCESS, THE CRS REPAIRS CAN BE MADE AT ANY POINT AFTER LAMINATE FABRICATION. THE CRS CAN BE USED TO PERFORM LAUNCH VEHICLE REPAIRS IN ASSEMBLED STATES WHILE ON THE LAUNCH PLATFORM. IN THE PHASE I EFFORT, GTL WILL PERFORM INITIAL FEASIBILITY STUDIES AND TESTS TO VALIDATE THE ANTICIPATED PERFORMANCE CAPACITIES OF THE CRS REPAIRS. AT THE CLOSE OF THIS EFFORT, THE DESIGN WILL BE REFINED. AT THIS TIME, INITIAL STUDIES WILL BE PERFORMED TO INCORPORATE ?SMART? SENSING TECHNOLOGY INTO THE REPAIRS. IN THE PHASE II EFFORT, GTL WILL EXTEND THIS ANALYSIS AND APPLY THIS ?SMART? TECHNOLOGY TO REFINED REPAIR PATCHES. THESE PATCHES WILL BE TESTED ONE OF GTL?S PRE-EXISTING CRYOTANKS IN THE PHASE II EFFORT.