Space Qualified Non-Destructive Evaluation and Structural Health Monitoring Technology

NextGen Aeronautics is proposing an innovative space qualified non-destructive evaluation and health monitoring technology. The technology is built on concepts developed by PIs from the University of South Carolina (USC) and NextGen. Excitation of preferential Lamb/Rayleigh wave modes, utilization of phased array concepts, and utilization of software algorithms rather than hardware for beam forming and signal analysis, are three innovative concepts in the proposed technology. These concepts set our approach apart from most of the technologies in use or under development at present. The purpose of Phase I effort is to firmly establish the feasibility of the technology developed at USC. This will be mostly accomplished by experimental validation on realistic test articles. Stiffened, bonded and mechanically fastened metallic panels will be fabricated and tested to mitigate most of the risk going into Phase II. We will demonstrate the ability to detect cracks, corrosion and debonds. Technology, under planned development, will be applicable to various metallic, composite, plastic and ceramic materials as structural material or adhesives, sealants and coatings. This technology offers the potential for low cost and light weight damage detection capabilities to permit continuous or on-demand structural damage assessment of the entire structure.