Buffet Load Accurate Measurement System (BLAMS) Navy SBIR FY2009.1 Sol No.: Navy SBIR FY2009.1 Topic No.: N091-013 Topic Title: Buffet Load Accurate Measurement System (BLAMS) Proposal No.: N091-013-0202 Firm: International Electronic Machines 850 River St. Troy, New York 12180 Contact: Zack Mian Phone: (518) 268-1636 Web Site: http://www.iem.net Abstract: Current-art systems cannot meet the requirements for Predictive Health Maintenance tracking of buffet stress/strain caused by disrupted overwing vortices on aircraft control surfaces: high sample rates, effectively zero data loss, and zero-to-minimal weight, wiring, or maintenance requirements. International Electronic Machines Corporation (IEM), a leader in smart sensor technology solutions for transportation safety, will create the Buffet Load Accurate Measurement System (BLAMS) with the support and endorsement of F-35 prime contractor Lockheed-Martin and assistance from Albany Nanotechnology. BLAMS will offer a wireless, non-interfering, high-data-rate, high-sample-rate system for tracking buffet loads across multiple points on an aircraft's structure while having extremely low SWAP demands and low cost. BLAMS will be composed of simple, self-contained rugged sensor nodes which may be inserted nearly anywhere, affixed with any reasonable method, and store all flight data onboard until interrogated remotely by a system which can process the data locally or interface with other third-party systems (thus preventing any interference with other systems). Requiring virtually no maintenance, incorporating UID capability, adding virtually no weight, and lasting for the lifetime of the target components, BLAMS will make accurate, reliable PHM possible for JSF/F-35 and other aircraft applications, improving safety while significantly reducing maintenance costs. Benefits: Successful implementation and deployment of the Buffet Load Accurate Measurement System would enable the use of PHM techniques on the JSF/F35 and other combat aircraft; as these require $6,000 - $8,000 per flight hour or more in maintenance (per Aviation Week''s Overhaul and Maintenance July 2006), this could save hundreds of millions of dollars in combat aircraft maintenance costs alone. Applying the same technology to monitor the condition of other military and civilian aircraft offers even larger benefits; with commercial aircraft maintenance at ~$1500/flight hour and over 5 million flight hours per year in the top 4 airlines, the potential savings is on the order of billions. Additional markets exist in other high-maintenance areas (railroads, shipping, etc.). Return