High-Speed Self-Power Wireless Fiber Optic Sensor (WiFOS) Structural Health Monitoring System for Helicopter Rotors Navy SBIR FY2013.1 Sol No.: Navy SBIR FY2013.1 Topic No.: N131-011 Topic Title: High-Speed Self-Power Wireless Fiber Optic Sensor (WiFOS) Structural Health Monitoring System for Helicopter Rotors Proposal No.: N131-011-0662 Firm: Redondo Optics, Inc. 811 N. Catalina Avenue, Suite 1100 Redondo Beach, California 90277-2198 Contact: Edgar Mendoza Phone: (310) 292-7673 Web Site: www.redondooptics.com Abstract: Redondo Optics Inc. (ROI) proposes to design, build, bench and fly test, and deliver to the Navy an innovative light weight, high-speed, and self-powered wireless fiber optic sensor (WiFOST) structural health monitor system suitable for the onboard and in-flight unattended detection, localization, and classification of load, fatigue, and structural damage within the blades, rotor gears, shafts of a helicopter rotor and to wirelessly transmit the acquired and processed sensor data from the rotating frame of the rotor to a remote wireless data-logger receiver/gateway located in the non-rotating frame of the rotor assembly. In Phase I, ROI will focus on developing a multi-channel WiFOST SHM system that minimizes power consumption and maximizes power generation. Specifically, ROI will assemble a self-power, wireless WiFOST transceiver interrogation system based on ROI's monolithic integrated optics microchip technology, integrated with smart power management, on-board data processing, and wireless data transmission optoelectronics, and self-power using energy harvesting. In Phase II, the WiFOST system will be engineer into a fly qualifyable system for testing and demonstration aboard a Navy helicopter platform such as the H-60, H-1, H-53, or V-22. In Phase III, with the support of a strategic partner, the WiFOS technology will be transitioned to Navy operations. Benefits: This project will yield a versatile and powerful SHM tool to enhance the reliability and safety of Navy helicopter rotor structural elements (blades, yolk, gears, shaft, etc) by providing comprehensive information about the structural integrity of the rotor platform from a large number of locations. ROI's WIFOST system represents a new, innovative, and reliable solution for next generation self-power wireless fiber optic sensors applications for use in structural health monitoring, diagnosis and prognostics of DoD and commercial infrastructures. Its miniaturized package, self-power operation, state-of-the-art wireless data communications architecture, smart signal prognostics, and affordable price make it a very attractive solution for a large number of SHM/NDT applications. Immediate SHM applications are found in Navy rotorcraft and aircraft, ships, submarines, and in next generation weapon systems, and in commercial oil and petrochemical, aerospace industries, civil structures, power utilities, portable medical devices, and biotechnology, homeland security and a wide spectrum of other applications. Return