The Boeing Company

University of Washington

Alex Kwan-Yue Jen

Sei-Hum Jang

Brian D Flinn

Gary E Georgeson

Zhengwei Shi

Ryan E Toivola

Scott R Johnston

Jingdong Luo

Wesley L Holman

Gregory Robert Gleason

Antao Chen

Su Huang

Eric Winter

Tucker Howie

There is provided a removable chromatic witness assembly, system, and method to monitor thermal events and impact events on a surface of a composite structure. The removable chromatic witness assembly has a plurality of chromatic witness geometric configurations separately coupled in an arrangement to one or more portions of a polymeric film layer. Each chromatic witness geometric configuration has a plurality of chromatic probes of a same type incorporated into an adhesive material. At least two of the geometric configurations have a different type of chromatic probes with a different sensing capability for thermal events and impact events on the composite structure. The polymeric film layer and the geometric configurations form the removable chromatic witness assembly in a form of a removable chromatic witness applique configured to be removably applied directly and continuously to the surface of the composite structure, and configured to monitor the thermal and impact events.

Removable chromatic witness assembly, system, and method to monitor thermal events and impact events on a composite structure

Improved methods of detecting thermal exposure are provided herein. The provided methods utilize initially dormant luminescent probes incorporated into a matrix to form a composite. When exposed to heat over a period of time, the luminescent probes are 'activated' through a molecular transformation initiated by thermal energy. The activated probes exhibit a luminescent profile based on the extent of thermal exposure, thereby providing an indicator of the thermal exposure experienced by the matrix. When the composite is used to produce a structural component of a vehicle (e.g., an aircraft), the methods provide a convenient, large-area indicator of thermal damage experienced by the structural component.

Detection of thermal damage of composites using molecular probes

A coating system includes at least one polymeric coating layer comprising at least one fluorescent dye, wherein an optical behavior of the fluorescent dye changes as a function of a stress of the at least one polymeric coating.

Method of detecting inconsistencies in composite structures and stress sensitive coatings used therein

Poling structures and methods utilizing an electrostatic field generated from a polar dielectric material, including pyroelectric and ferroelectric materials, to produce electro-optic activity in organic nonlinear optical materials.

Methods for producing electro-optic activity in organic nonlinear optical materials using an electrostatic field generated by a pyroelectric or a ferroelectric material

Growing community of inventors

Kenmore, WA, United States of America

Alex Kwan-Yue Jen