Radio Frequency (RF) Traveling Wave Inspection Tool

ABSTRACT: Specialized aircraft coatings can degrade over time and impact desired performance. Current reflectometers measure at normal incidence to the surface which does not accurately predict the electrical performance of the material across the aircraft's surface. It is desirable to measure the interaction of the non-specular component or traveling wave to fully characterize the electrical performance of the coatings. Under a Phase I SBIR effort Matrix Research designed a prototype RF traveling wave inspection tool that can be used to measure dB/in attenuation of coatings along the surface. After studying the phenomenology of traveling waves Matrix used a full wave electromagnetic simulator to design traveling wave transducers. These transducers were then used the prototype traveling wave inspection tool. This proposal describes the work Matrix will perform during a Phase II effort to further mature the traveling wave inspection tool. The main objective of the Phase II effort will be to create a more rugged, conformable, easier to operate prototype that could be used by technicians on the flight line to evaluate the performance of a vehicles surface coatings. BENEFIT: With the number of platforms in the United States arsenal that use specialized coatings expected to be well over a thousand, the maintenance community is going to require new tools to help guide their sustainment and repair decisions. The traveling wave tool that is being developed in this effort will help to significantly improve maintenance efficiency by helping maintainers quickly identify problematic materials/aircraft regions. Being able accurately determine where there are material performance problems will also significantly reduce the number of unnecessary repairs. As such, this tool can find wide acceptance throughout the community.