Manufacturing of Stress Physical Scale Models (SPSMs) for Signature Reduction and Resistance to Environmental Stress Navy SBIR FY2011.2 Sol No.: Navy SBIR FY2011.2 Topic No.: N112-153 Topic Title: Manufacturing of Stress Physical Scale Models (SPSMs) for Signature Reduction and Resistance to Environmental Stress Proposal No.: N112-153-0941 Firm: Texas Research Institute Austin, Inc. 9063 Bee Caves Road Austin, Texas 78733-6201 Contact: Harry Perkinson Phone: (512) 263-2101 Web Site: www.tri-austin.com Abstract: The Stress Physical Scale Model (SPSM) is expected to perform a critical role in the characterization and remediation of magnetic signatures in Navy ships. The properly executed SPSM permits the accurate sizing and location of degaussing systems which can take into account the change in magnetic signature due to structural loading. To be of cost benefit, the SPSM must be constructed before the final design of the Navy vessel. Because, up to this point in time, the SPSM have been painstakingly constructed using highly trained craftsmen, the redesigns and restarts have made the use of the SPSM approach very expensive. The SPSM approach to characterizing magnetic signatures and degaussing system design is being supplanted by computer based finite element models that, while less accurate and less capable in measuring the permanent magnetization, are much more flexible and responsive to design changes at a lower cost. TRI/Austin proposes to develop, based on the permeability-thickness and equivalent material technique, a SPSM fabrication process that will a) accurately model the magnetic signature of the Navy ship while under load, b) be low cost and have a reduced lead time, and c) be highly flexible to design changes without major cost or schedule impacts. Benefits: The development of a flexible, low lead time, lower cost process to fabricate a Stress Physical Scale Model (SPSM) will permit accurate characterization and remediation of magnetic signatures in Navy vessels designs before the first ship of class slides into the water. The accuracy of the characterization and remediation is critical to assuring that the degaussing systems are properly located and sized in the ship; if this process can be accomplished prior to full construction of the ship, significant amounts of time and money can be saved. The same process for fabricating the accurate SPSM can be used in other applications where modeling of extreme magnetic sensitive events are crucial to fulfilling an engineering requirement, such as down-hole instrumentation or pipeline inspection processes. Return