Real Time Gun Barrel Condition Monitoring for the Future Combat

Gun barrels in a harsh environment with repeated firing and resulting thermal cycling as in Afghanistan and Iraq, pose a significant threat to our soldiers when cracks emerge in the gun barrel possibly leading to barrel failure and/or explosion. The FBS, Inc. objective for Phase II work is the development of a completely autonomous ultrasonic guided wave technology for a real-time gun barrel damage detection system. An alternative "walk by backpack system" will also be developed. To clarify the approach to the realization of this objective, we convey our understanding of gun barrel wave mechanics, sensor performance and design, and wireless sensor actuation and data acquisition. Guided wave technology as especially suited to the cylindrical and plated (layered) geometry of a gun barrel. Guided waves can be channeled to specific portions of a gun barrel¡_s volume and used to detect defects in those volumes. Advanced sensor design and fabrication will be based on our past Phase I experience, modeling, experimental results, non-obstructive packaging considerations, and robustness for the task at hand. FBS, Inc. will build prototype systems and demonstrate them to the U.S. Army.