SBIR Phase II: Validation of Remotely Powered and Interrogated Microwire Temperature Sensors for Composites Cure Monitoring and Control

SBIR 第二阶段：验证用于复合材料固化监测和控制的远程供电和询问的微线温度传感器

• 批准号: 0848829
• 负责人: Brian Clothier
• 金额: $ 50万
• 依托单位: Thermal Solutions, Inc.
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2009-03-01 至 2011-02-28
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0848829&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SBIR; Phase; II; Validation; Remotely

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II research project addresses an unfilled need in the composites manufacturing and repair industry. Current manufacturing and repair methods for curing Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic (CFRP) composite materials do not employ real time temperature feedback from the critical interior of parts or repair bond lines because no practical sensors can be permenantly embedded to report to a remote reader. This Phase II Project will lead to the commercialization of three complementary products designed to provide this capability so as to improve curing processes. Product 1 is an inexpensive microwire temperature sensor that is easy to use and does not negatively affect structural integrity. Product 2 is an autoclave/oven control system: modular antennas that reside inside the hot chamber and a reader with control software outside that combine to control the curing process via real-time temperature feedback from embedded sensors. Product 3 is a temperature-sensing accessory for all existing portable composite repair systems. This accessory allows existing repair systems, without modification, to monitor temperature from embedded Product 1 sensors. These complementary products will vastly improve legacy curing processes by cutting curing times, reducing labor, and reducing the number of rejected parts due to uncontrolled exotherm.The commercial aircraft industry's rapidly expanding use of CFRP composites is driving the marketplace demand for process enhancements that increase efficiency, yield and part quality. If successful the outcome of this project will address the needs of control system manufacturing companies, end-user companies and commercial aircraft manufacturers. The low cost of the microwire sensors and the anticipated improvements to the speed of legacy curing processes both for initial cure and repair may accelerate the use of CFRP composites within the automobile industry. This should result in reduced fuel/energy usage worldwide. Furthermore, the extremely low thermal mass of these microwire temperature sensors gives them such fast thermal response that they may allow for the development of unconventional and faster composite curing systems and processes that employ real time feedback, such as microwave ovens for initial cure and induction heating devices for repair cure, further speeding overall industry use of composites. Finally, microwire temperature sensing technology holds promise for remote measurement of internal temperatures of lithium ion batteries for electric and hybrid cars.

这个小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第二阶段研究项目解决了复合材料制造和维修行业的未满足需求。用于固化碳纤维增强塑料（CFRP）复合材料的当前制造和修复方法不采用来自部件或修复粘结线的关键内部的真实的时间温度反馈，因为没有实际的传感器可以永久地嵌入以向远程读取器报告。该第二阶段项目将导致三种互补产品的商业化，旨在提供这种能力，以改善固化过程。产品1是一种廉价的微丝温度传感器，易于使用，不会对结构完整性产生负面影响。产品2是一个高压灭菌器/烘箱控制系统：位于热室内的模块化天线和外部带有控制软件的读取器结合联合收割机，通过嵌入式传感器的实时温度反馈控制固化过程。产品3是适用于所有现有便携式复合材料修复系统的温度传感配件。该附件允许现有的维修系统无需修改即可通过嵌入式产品1传感器监测温度。这些互补产品将通过缩短固化时间、减少劳动力和减少因不受控制的固化而导致的报废零件数量，极大地改善传统固化工艺。商用飞机行业对CFRP复合材料的快速扩展使用推动了市场对工艺改进的需求，从而提高效率、产量和零件质量。如果成功，该项目的成果将满足控制系统制造公司、最终用户公司和商用飞机制造商的需求。微丝传感器的低成本以及对于初始固化和修复的传统固化过程的速度的预期改进可以加速CFRP复合材料在汽车工业中的使用。这将导致全球范围内的燃料/能源使用减少。此外，这些微丝温度传感器的极低热质量给予它们如此快速的热响应，使得它们可以允许开发采用真实的时间反馈的非常规和更快的复合材料固化系统和工艺，例如用于初始固化的微波炉和用于修复固化的感应加热装置，进一步加速复合材料的整体工业使用。最后，微丝温度传感技术有望用于电动和混合动力汽车锂离子电池内部温度的远程测量。