IN SITU INFARED FIBER OPTIC SENSOR FOR NDI CORROSION AND DISBOND DETECTION IN AIRCRAFT JOINTS/FASTENERS

FOSTER-MILLER PROPOSES TO DEVELOP A NOVEL INFARED FIBER OPTIC SENSOR TO NON-DESTRUCTIVELY DETECT CORROSIVE ATTACK AND DISBONDING A BOTH METAL-TO-METAL AND COMPOSITE TO METAL JOINTS AND FASTENERS IN AIRCRAFT STRUCTURES. THIS NEW INFRARED NDI SYSTEM WILL BE A POWERFUL ANALYTICAL TOOL TO DETECT THE ONSET OF DISBONDING AND INTRUSION OF CORROSIVE ELEMENTS INTO THE JOINT LONG BEFORE IT BECOMES VISIBLE BY OTHER MEANS, BEFORE MULTI-SITE DAMAGE (MSD) OCCURS, AND BEFORE THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE AIRCRAFT IS SIGNIFICANTLY DIMINISHED. SPECIFIC GOALS OF THIS PROGRAM ARE TO DESIGN FIBER OPTIC SENSORS THAT CAN BE EMBEDDED IN AIRCRAFT JOINTS THAT CAN DETECT DISBONDING AND THE ONSET OF CORROSION IN THE PRESENCE OF ADHESIVES AND MOISTURE COMMONLY FOUND IN AGING AIRCRAFT AND TO DEMONSTRATE THAT INFRARED SPECTRAL TECHNIQUES CAN BOTH DETECT AND QUANTIFY THE CORROSION PROCESS. IN ADDITION TO TEST STRUCTURES WE SHALL EVALUATE METHODS TO INCORPORATE THESE SENSORS IN REAL AIRCRAFT. THE SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF PHASE I IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE CORROSION LABORATORY OF LEHIGH UNIVERSITY AND LTV AIRCRAFT PRODUCTS GROUP WILL LEAD TO SCALE-UP AND IMPLEMEMTATION OF THIS IN SITU NDI TECHNIQUE IN ACTUAL AIRCRAFT DURING PHASE II.