TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Air Platform, Materials/Processes

OBJECTIVE: Develop innovative concepts for a lightweight composite sandwich for complex shapes.

DESCRIPTION: Lightweight, structurally efficient construction is integral to reducing weight in a military aircraft. Current designs rely heavily on metallic and non-metallic honeycomb sandwiches due to their high stiffness and strength to weight ratio. However, honeycomb sandwiches are difficult to fabricate over complex contours such as doubly curved surfaces and saddle shapes. In addition honeycomb structures are prone to water ingress resulting in performance degradation. An alternate material, which would be as lightweight as a honeycomb yet can be used to fabricate contoured surfaces, is greatly needed.

Innovative concepts for composite sandwiches material systems are sought. Proposed approaches should be more structurally efficient, conformable, durable, repairable, damage tolerant, and environmentally insensitive compared to a Kevlar honeycomb core. In addition, resulting sandwiches should be light-weight, affordable to manufacture and fabricate, and easy to maintain.

PHASE I: Develop an innovative concept for the described sandwich material system. Identify an aircraft component that can be manufactured using the new material. Define the design parameters and establish feasibility.

PHASE II: Fully develop the concept identified into a prototype sandwich system. Develop design optimization rules, generate material allowables, and manufacturing guidelines to design and fabricate the previously identified aircraft component using the new material.

PHASE III: Develop a plan and implement the transition of the SBIR technology to both military and civilian sectors.

PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL/DUAL-USE APPLICATIONS: Light weight sandwich system can be directly inserted as honeycomb replacement in civilian rotorcraft and fixed wing aircraft.

REFERENCES:
1. Thomsen et. al. editors, (2005). Proceedings from the 7th International Conference on Sandwich Structures: Sandwich Structures 7 :Advancing with Sandwich Structures and Materials. Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark, 29-31.

2. Gardiner, G. (2006). Engineered to Innovate: Core materials � and the ways they are used � evolve to meet new challenges. High Performance Composites: http://www.compositesworld.com/articles/engineered-to-innovate.

KEYWORDS: Sandwich; Conformable; Complex Shape; Honeycomb Replacement; Composite Design; Composite Manufacture

** TOPIC AUTHOR (TPOC) **

DoD Notice:   Between July 20 and August 16, 2010, you may talk directly with the Topic Authors to ask technical questions about the topics. Their contact information is listed above. For reasons of competitive fairness, direct communication between proposers and topic authors is not allowed starting August 17, when DoD begins accepting proposals for this solicitation.

However, proposers may still submit written questions about solicitation topics through the DoD's SBIR/STTR Interactive Topic Information System (SITIS), in which the questioner and respondent remain anonymous and all questions and answers are posted electronically for general viewing until the solicitation closes. All proposers are advised to monitor SITIS (10.B Q&A) during the solicitation period for questions and answers, and other significant information, relevant to the SBIR 10.3 topic under which they are proposing.

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