Technology Applications
Success Stories: Improving Structural Integrity
| Company | Blue Road Research (Gresham, OR) |
| Technology | Quantitative Strain Imaging Using Fiber Grating Sensors for Composite Rocket Parts |
| MDA Use | This technology was funded to improve the integrity of solid rocket motor casings for missiles. Subsequent Army contracts enhanced the technology to focus on propellant strain monitoring. |
| Description | Blue Road's fiber-optic-enabled sensor and software system detects internal strain in composite structures. When a part of a fiber-optic sensor experiences strain or deformation, the light transmitted through the fiber is altered; this signals a potential problem. The sensors can be embedded or attached to a structure. Their functions can be monitored and recorded by simple signal transducers or computers. The data they provide can be analyzed to determine the location and severity of the damage. |
| Transfer / Insertion Opportunity | The company's technologies offer considerable advantages in sensitivity and robustness for nondestructive evaluation systems, and there are significant time and cost savings, too. To reduce the chances of catastrophic failure, the system can be used to monitor and assess the structural integrity of . . .
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| Product Status | Commercially Available Fully equipped fiber-optic sensor readout systems are commercially available and can be configured to be completely automated or customized. |