Design Tool and Standard Characterization Method for Improved Aircraft Corrosion Resistance and Life Cycle Management

ABSTRACT: The annual cost of corrosion for Air Force aircraft and missiles is estimated to be $5.4 billion with corrosion accounting for 32.2% of the maintenance budget. The inability to define corrosion resistance during the design process and to test for corrosion performance at the operational level make including corrosion as part of a performance-based acquisition difficult. There is a recognized need for a predictive tool that can be used to assess the corrosion resistance of aircraft designs. To meet these needs, the Luna team proposes to develop comprehensive design tools and standard characterization methods to model atmospheric corrosion of aircraft structures. The design tool will leverage BEASY USA Corrosion Management Software and Luna corrosion test and measurements systems. This comprehensive approach will provide the Air Force with corrosion resistance modeling software, a material performance database, a protocol for materials performance characterization, and a measurement system for model validation. The Phase I effort will demonstrate multi-scale modeling and finite element mesh superposition methods to obtain spatially resolved estimates of potential and corrosion rate for time dependent predictions of corrosion damage based on specific environmental usage spectra. BENEFIT: A successful development effort will result in a design tool for modeling aircraft structures and predicting corrosion in specific service environments. The technology will be useful for establishing corrosion resistance requirements during the acquisition process, developing sustainment plans based on anticipated usage, and predicting corrosion damage based on actual usage. The system will reduce sustainment costs, increase readiness, and reduce the risk of corrosion with regard to meeting aircraft design life objectives. The technology would have value to a wide range of DoD and civil infrastructure assets along with commercial products. The initial customer for the corrosion resistance model, polarization cell, and validation test element is the AFRL Corrosion IPT and broader Air Force corrosion and sustainment community. The most immediate market opportunities will be within the Air Force and DoD aviation corrosion research communities to test aircraft materials and predict component performance. Besides early adopters in the aviation community, other DoD applications would include ships, ground vehicles, and support equipment. Commercial industries that would benefit from improved atmospheric corrosion resistant designs include transportation (automotive/aerospace/shipping) and infrastructure (coastal and offshore structures).