The use of eddy-current methods to detect damage in aerospace structures,and to characterize materials is well established, and is a key item to ensure that the risk of structural failures meets the strict damage tolerance requirements established by NASA. This is especially challenging when one considers that common aerospace structures are made from such disparage materials as aluminum, titanium and steel alloys, as well as carbon-fiber reinforced polymers (cfrp) and carbon-nanotube reinforced polymers (cnrp) that are seeing increased applications at NASA. Further the structural environments can be quite complex, including compound curvatures and/or multiple layers that are fastened together, with potential damage being located in each of the multiple layers.To address this need, Victor Technologies has developed VIC-3D(R), a comprehensive eddy-current modeling code for solving forward and inverse problems in nondestructive evaluation (NDE). Certain problems in modeling forward and inverse problems produce huge data sets, often requiring days of computation. In this proposal, we will enhance VIC-3D(R) for near real-time large-scale nondestructive simulations and automated data reduction/analysis of large data sets. Furthermore, we will add models to VIC-3D(R) that will allow the characterization of cnrp composites by electromagnetic means nondestructively. The result will be the first such commercial code for characterizing advanced composites by electromagnetic means nondestructively.
Potential NASA Commercial Applications: (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words) NASA LaRC already owns a copy of VIC-3D(R), which it uses for modeling forward and inverse problems in eddy-current NDE. With the enhancements proposed in this project, NASA LaRC will be able to extend its modeling capability to handle carbon-nanotube reinforced polymer composite materials, as well as run large problems much more efficiently.
Potential NON-NASA Commercial Applications: (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words) There are over 30 commercial and university research institutions around the world that own copies of VIC-3D(R), which they use for the same purposes as NASA LaRC. They will have the same advantages with the enhanced version of VIC-3D(R). Furthermore, aerospace companies, such as Boeing, that are developing vehicles that use advanced composites, such as carbon-fiber reinforced polymers (cfrp), will be able to use the enhanced version of VIC-3D(R) to model carbon-nanotube reinforced polymers (cnrp), once NASA LaRC shows them the wisdom of doing so.
Technology Taxonomy Mapping: (NASA's technology taxonomy has been developed by the SBIR-STTR program to disseminate awareness of proposed and awarded R/R&D in the agency. It is a listing of over 100 technologies, sorted into broad categories, of interest to NASA.) Composites Data Modeling (see also Testing & Evaluation) Models & Simulations (see also Testing & Evaluation) Nondestructive Evaluation (NDE; NDT) Simulation & Modeling Software Tools (Analysis, Design)
