SBIR Phase I: High Pressure, High Temperature Thin Film Sensors

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This Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Phase I project will demonstrate the fabrication of a high temperature, high pressure sensor for measuring contact stresses between moving surfaces. Wear due to friction and high contact stresses is a major factor in the design and analysis of mechanical components such as gears and bearings. Due to the uncertain nature of the real area of contact between surfaces, there is no recourse but to use models to predict these contact stresses. Numerous analytical models are used to predict surface stresses occurring at various locations. However, actual verification of these models is difficult due to a lack of accurate experimental data since there are no sensors capable of withstanding temperatures as high as 900oK and pressures on the order of many GPa. Furthermore, these sensors must be capable of making a point contact without interfering with the contact motions. Although many types of sensors are available on the market, none of these can measure the required parameters in situ. Phase I will develop a novel non-invasive sensor capable of withstanding these temperature and pressure extremes while delivering accurate real-time data. Phase II would concentrate on the optimization of structure-property-performance of this sensor and fabrication of a production prototype that can be used in a wide variety of applications. Stress and strain sensors have a multitude of commercial applications. Some of them include use in automobile and industrial gears, monitoring cutting forces in cutting and machine tools, smart sensors for aircraft engines and power generator turbines, smart sensors for in-situ monitoring of lubrication needs to extend life of automotive engines and associated components, and in analytical instrumentation in research laboratories.