Structural Sensing of Corrosion in 5XXX-Series Aluminum

The recent use of materials, such as 5xxx-series aluminum in new ships is posing new challenges in inspection for the Navy; as future performance of these materials over time is not as well known. Current state of the art off the shelf techniques have not proven to be viable options for monitoring these newly implemented materials and structures. FBS is proposing to investigate both guided wave computed tomography and phased array sensor systems to monitor large areas of the structure for corrosion damage. FBS also proposes the use of a new and novel Magnetostrictive sensor for large area shear wave tomographic imaging. The newly designed sensors are thin, light weight, cost effective, and rugged, while also being powerful and having excellent mode control. Lastly, FBS has received support from both a prime manufacturer of ships and also a prime manufacturer of NDT equipment to strengthen the commercialization potential of the final product.