Wireless Distributed Strain Sensing for Structural Health Monitoring (WISDOM) Navy SBIR FY2010.1 Sol No.: Navy SBIR FY2010.1 Topic No.: N101-095 Topic Title: Wireless Distributed Strain Sensing for Structural Health Monitoring (WISDOM) Proposal No.: N101-095-0829 Firm: Impact Technologies, LLC 200 Canal View Blvd Rochester, New York 14623-2851 Contact: Carl Palmer Phone: (585) 424-1990 Web Site: www.impact-tek.com Abstract: Impact Technologies, with assistance from Illionix and oversight from Boeing and Lockheed Martin, proposes to develop an integrated, easily scalable, low-cost wireless, batteryless sensing network for enabling advanced structural health monitoring (SHM) of key components on DoD (and commercial) platforms. These include ships, submarines, and aircraft. The proposed system utilizes emerging "Computational RFID" (CRFID) technology to enable wireless sensing. Each sensor is an autonomous WISP-based (wireless identification and sensing platform) CRFID node that utilizes an extremely low powered microprocessor powered solely by RF power harvesting. Sensed health data is transmitted via backscatter using standard protocols to RFID reader nodes that interface with existing ship/aircraft systems in order to complete the data integration. Many unpowered sensors can be handled by a single reader node. In phase I, the project focuses on distributed strain sensing. However, the technology developed in phase I should be readily transferrable to other sensing needs for health monitoring, including corrosion, humidity and vibration. The three-phase program will result in an easily reconfigurable, continuous, and intelligent monitoring system that will help the Navy and OEMs reduce maintenance & inspection costs, improve readiness, and reduce the risks of unexpected structural failures. Benefits: Current, regularly scheduled inspection methods are becoming impractical due to increasing cost and manpower requirements. In addition, periodic inspections cannot fully capture the dynamic structural response which is often a critical indicator of structural health. Because of these drawbacks to existing NDE techniques, there is a need for continuously monitor the structure in question. However, to make continuous monitoring cost effective, there is a need to reduce wiring, eliminate sensor maintenance needs (e.g. battery replacement) and ensure full asset coverage (many low cost sensors over a wide area). The proposed technology should enable near-ubiquitous low cost sensing of key structural health parameters. Potential platforms that would benefit from automated non-destructive-examination/inspection (NDE) or structural health monitoring (SHM) include new/existing Navy ship systems, such as the DDG51, DD(X), Joint High Speed Vessel, and Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) and retrofit in existing ships (CG, FFG), and aircraft systems, such as P-3 Orion, F-35 Lightning II (JSF), and rotorcraft (MV-22, MH-60R and S, H-53K). In addition to spin-offs into commercial vehicle applications (aircraft, heavy equipment), there is a large potential market for an autonomous, distributed strain sensing system in the infrastructure monitoring market, such as in dedicated bridge, tunnel, and building monitoring systems. Return