United States of America As Represented by the Administrator of Nasa

Tyler B Hudson

Frank L Palmieri

Fuh-Gwo Yuan

Brian W Grimsley

Eric R Burke

Jeffrey P Seebo

Trenton B Abbott

Nicolas Auwaijan

A method of monitoring a curing process for fiber reinforced composite materials that includes positioning an actuator on uncured composite material at a first location. At least one sensor is positioned at a second location that is spaced apart from the first location. The actuator excites waves in the composite part at the first location. At least one sensor is positioned at a second location that is spaced apart from the first location. The actuator excites waves in the composite part at the first location. The waves propagate through the composite part due to internal reflection. At least one wave metric is measured at the second location utilizing the sensor. At least one parameter of the curing process may be adjusted based, at least in part, on a wave metric measured by the sensor.

Automated wave guide system for in-process monitoring of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composite laminates with hanning window tone-bursts of center frequencies from 100-225 kHz and 100-350 kHz

System and method for in-process cure monitoring of a material utilizes one or more sensors such as fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) or phase-shifted FBGs (PS-FBGs) and at least one optical line fiber connected to the sensor(s). The sensor(s) and the optical line may be embedded in the material prior to curing the material may comprise a fiber reinforced polymer. Waves are excited into the material during curing thereof to form guided waves that propagate through the material. At least one wave metric of the guided waves is measured utilizing the sensor(s).

Guided wave-based system for cure monitoring of composites using piezoelectric discs and fiber Bragg gratings/phase-shifted Bragg gratings

Non-destructive evaluation (NDE) systems and methods are provided for monitoring objects being manufactured during a cure or consolidation process and for detecting defects that occur during the cure or consolidation process or to detect conditions of the process that can lead to the occurrence of defects. Information acquired by the NDE system during the cure or consolidation process can be used to adjust one or more parameters of the process in real-time to prevent defects from occurring or to reduce the number and/or severity of defects that occur during the cure or consolidation process.

Systems and methods for in-situ cure monitoring and defect detection

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Suffolk, VA, United States of America

Tyler B Hudson