TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Air Platform, Materials/Processes, Electronics, Space Platforms

ACQUISITION PROGRAM: PMA-265, F-18 Hornet, Super Hornet and Growler

The technology within this topic is restricted under the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR), which controls the export and import of defense-related material and services. Offerors must disclose any proposed use of foreign nationals, their country of origin, and what tasks each would accomplish in the statement of work in accordance with section 3.5.b.(7) of the solicitation.

OBJECTIVE: Develop an innovative solution to provide fast, effective cleaning for fiber optic connectors which can be practically implemented for maintenance of aerospace platforms.

DESCRIPTION: Connectors, such as the MIL-STD-38999 style, have been modified to accept termini containing optical fiber. The core of the fiber where the light is carried is on the order of 10-100 microns, and dust particles are of similar size. Consequently, dust and grime have the potential for blocking the light used to carry information. There are many approaches in use today for fiber optic connector cleaning. However, each suffers from its own limitations. The "tried and true" approach depicted in the common avionics maintenance manual uses specialty swabs for removing contaminants. While most experts on cleaning agree that this approach is the most effective, it unfortunately is a slow process that creates a significant amount of foreign object damage (FOD) it is costly to purchase and a challenge to handle the cleaning supplies. Powered cleaners providing a chemical clean are convenient, but typically require access to power or compressed gases which are difficult to access at a maintenance site. An innovative approach to address this maintenance issue and reduce the total ownership costs for current and future aircraft with fiber optic cable plants. Target speed is 1 to 5 seconds per terminus averaged over a multi termini (e.g. MIL-STD-38999 style) connector with ten to thirty male and matching female termini and 99% efficacy or higher so that inspection post cleaning is not required. The goal is to achieve a complete cleaning of a fully populated plug and receptacle in 5 minutes. The cleaning equipment must be field deployable and hand held. It must be self sufficient and be able to reach to wherever the connector may reside (including awkward locations and orientations in an avionics bay). It also must be capable of being qualified to MIL-STD-28800 for shipboard / flight line use.

PHASE I: Develop an innovative approach and demonstrate feasibility of the proposed technology. Evaluate with respect to stated performance objectives that include speed, efficacy, and potential to endure in the aerospace maintenance environment. (per MIL-PRF-28800 class 1).

PHASE II: Optimize design, fabricate, package, test and demonstrate the prototype of the high speed fiber optic connector cleaner. Perform maintainer evaluations and deliver a set of samples for aerospace maintainer testing and evaluation.

PHASE III: Transition the technology developed to the fleet.

PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL/DUAL-USE APPLICATIONS: Connector cleaning is a challenge both to the military as well as the commercial world. As fiber to private homes becomes more prevalent and the small core of single-mode fiber increases the sensitivity of that market to cleanliness, an innovative option to the high cost or labor intensive state of the art alternatives will be very attractive. Additionally, the commercial world uses connectors based on the same ferule as the next generation of military fiber optic termini which means the results of this topic should be directly applicable to the commercial market.

REFERENCES:
1. "Installation and Testing Practices: Aircraft Fiber Optic Cabling" - Navy � 01-1A-505-4, Air Force � T.O. 1-1A-14-4, Army � TM 1-1500-323-24-4

2. IEC 61300-1 Ed. 1.0b: 1995, Fibre optic interconnecting devices and passive components - Basic test and measurement procedures - Part 1: General and guidance 86B; Part 3-35: Examinations and measurements � Fibre optic cylindrical connector endface visual and automated inspection

3. MIL-PRF-28800F; PERFORMANCE SPECIFICATION - TEST EQUIPMENT FOR USE WITH ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT, GENERAL SPECIFICATION FOR

KEYWORDS: optical fiber; cleaning; connector; termini; single-mode fiber, fiber optic ferule

** TOPIC AUTHOR (TPOC) **

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