Design and Fabrication of FOG-M Composite Guidance Bobbins with Embedded Fiber Optic Strain Sensors

KaZaK Composites Incorporated (KCI) has teamed with Northrop Grumman Corporation and Dastin Associates Company to develop and demonstrate technology and manufacturing prcesses for productio of composite rod with embedded fiber optics for smart structures appl.lications. During the course of Phase I, the program team will conduct laboratory studies of the basic properties of Fujikura PANDA Polarization Maintaining optical fiber, with the intent of establishing acceptable processing conditions. Various composite materials and manufacturing methods compatible with these processing conditions will be considered and compared. Demonstration parts will be produced using the pultrusion process to fabricate long lengths of rod with embedded optical fiber. This rod will be evaluated to assure that the pultrusion process has notdegraded the optical properties of the embedded fiber. Alternative techniques, including UV and E-beam curing will be considered. The proposed effort will benefit from previous SBIR work of this program's PI involving the use of pultrusion to fabricate graphite/epoxy tubes with embedded piezoelectric actuators and a variety of embedded sensors. The sponsor of this earlier SBIR work, the Air Froce PHillips Lab, will participate inthe proposed program via an existing Cooperative Resarch and Development Agreement already in place with KCI.