Manufacturing USA: Microwave Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDE) with Metamaterial Lens for High Resolution Characterization of Multimaterial Interfaces in Composites

纤维增强聚合物（FRP）复合材料用于汽车、飞机、桥梁和民用基础设施的制造，因为它们具有优异的强度重量比，可以在不牺牲性能的情况下减轻重量。在大规模生产的车辆和结构中广泛接受FRP的限制之一是不同材料的连接技术，特别是FRP与金属的粘合剂粘合。该奖项支持开发无损评估（NDE）系统所需的基础研究，该系统将检测FRP中的制造缺陷，如剥离，分层，树脂丰富的区域，纤维波纹等，这些缺陷需要及早捕获，以确保最终结构的安全性和可靠性。虽然该奖项的直接影响领域是制造业创新的NDE成像，但该研究对美国经济至关重要的许多行业部门具有更广泛的应用和影响，包括生物医学，能源，航空航天，汽车和民用基础设施。这项研究跨越了制造业，电气工程，机械工程，材料科学和成像科学的学科。它专注于影响航空航天，汽车，医疗产品，国防和民用基础设施部门的基础研究，因此直接影响经济福利和国家安全。多学科方法将有助于扩大代表性不足的群体在研究中的参与，并对工程教育产生积极影响。PI积极参与MSU现有的ENSURE计划（工程夏季本科生研究经验）和NSF资助的HSHS项目（高中荣誉科学），这两个都是很好的途径，招募来自代表性不足和少数群体的学生参与这个项目。这个项目的主要目标是开发一个小说，混合电磁成像系统（HEMIS）结合了微波无损检测测量、时间反演数据处理和特殊设计的超材料透镜，可将能量聚焦在选定的位置，如多材料复合接头中的粘合线。该项目的主要研究贡献包括：1）设计具有适当带宽的新型天线，2）设计和制造具有所需材料特性（如负折射率）的超材料透镜，3）开发用于解释键合完整性测量数据的时间反演处理算法。 一个综合的实验和模拟为基础的研究将进行，以更好地了解这些传感器系统的现象学方面，他们与接口的相互作用。这种方法将允许开发这些传感器系统用于广泛的应用。该项目目标的成功完成将使无损检测系统能够快速检测大型部件，从而提高先进复合材料制造的效率和可靠性。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composites are used in manufacturing of automotive, aircraft, bridges and civil infrastructures, since they offer excellent strength-to-weight ratios that allow for weight reduction without sacrificing performance. One of the limitations for wide acceptance of FRPs in mass-produced vehicles and structures is joining technology for dissimilar materials, specifically adhesive bonding of FRPs to metals. This award supports fundamental research needed for developing an non-destructive evaluation (NDE) system that will detect manufacturing defects in FRPs such as disbonds, delaminations, resin rich areas, fiber waviness, etc. that need to be captured early to ensure safety and reliability of resulting structures. While the immediate impact area of this award is in NDE imaging for manufacturing innovation, the research has broader applications and impacts to many industry sectors critical to the U.S. economy including biomedical, energy, aerospace, automotive and civil infrastructure. This research crosses the disciplines of manufacturing, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, materials science and imaging science. It is focused on basic research that impacts the aerospace, automotive, medical products, defense and civil infrastracutre sectors, and therefore directly impacts economic welfare and national security. The multi-disciplinary approach will help broaden participation of underrepresented groups in research and positively impact engineering education. The PIs are active participants in MSU's existing ENSURE program (Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Experience) and NSF funded HSHS program (High School Honors Science), which are both excellent avenues to recruit a diverse set of students from underrepresented and minority groups to engage in this project.The main objective of this project is to develop a novel, hybrid electromagnetic imaging system (HEMIS) that combines microwave NDE measurements, time reversal data-processing and a specially designed metamaterial lens that will allow focusing of energy at selected locations such as the bond lines in multimaterial composite joints. The major research contributions of the project include: 1) design of a novel antenna with appropriate bandwidth, 2) design and fabrication of a metamaterial lens with desired material properties such as negative refractive index and 3) development of time-reversal processing algorithms for interpreting measurement data in terms of bond integrity. An integrated experimental and simulation-based study will be conducted to get a better understanding of the phenomenological aspects of these sensor systems and their interaction with the interfaces. Such an approach will allow exploitation of these sensor systems for a wide range of applications. Successful completion of the project goals will result in an NDE system that will allow rapid inspection of large components, thereby increasing efficiency and reliability of advanced composites manufacturing.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.