Software Cost and Schedule Estimating

The ability to safely detect fuel leaks, salt and water intrusion, charge, shock and temperature extremes in a missile canister is lacking. Normal methods used to determine a fuel leak, moisture, charge, or exposure to extreme temperatures and shockinside a missile canister are inadequate because they require power to operate. The introduction of voltage and current into the volatile fuel vapors, no matter how small, can be catastrophic in that it can ignite the very liquid it is attempting todetect. Battery powered systems are also impractical due to the five year certification period. Mainstream has a developed a concept for a passive inexpensive non-electrical, non-mechanical sensor to perform these detection functions. This indicatordoes not introduce any electrical discharge when performing the monitoring.Under this Phase I effort, Mainstream will completely demonstrate the leak detector and investigate the ideal configuration for this Navy missile application. The Phase I effort includes an extensive experimental demonstration of a visual indicator foruse in missile canisters.Phase I will include critical proof-of-concept experiments to demonstrate the feasibility and accuracy of the proposed monitor. This product would complement our existing line of passive system monitors and our marketing studies have indicated markets fora moisture/temperature/shock version of this monitor for the shipping industry, a charge/moisture/shock/temperature version of this indicator for the computer and electronics industries (for use in shipping and storage), and a fuel leakage indicatorconfiguration for the energy industry.