Enhanced Sensor for Characterizing Radome Health

TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Sensors; Air Platform; Information Systems The technology within this topic is restricted under the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR), 22 CFR Parts 120-130, which controls the export and import of defense-related material and services, including export of sensitive technical data, or the Export Administration Regulation (EAR), 15 CFR Parts 730-774, which controls dual use items. Offerors must disclose any proposed use of foreign nationals (FNs), their country(ies) of origin, the type of visa or work permit possessed, and the statement of work (SOW) tasks intended for accomplishment by the FN(s) in accordance with section 3.5 of the Announcement. Offerors are advised foreign nationals proposed to perform on this topic may be restricted due to the technical data under US Export Control Laws. OBJECTIVE: Enhance sustainability of Air Force radomes by demonstrating an advanced sensor system to assess radome health and verify radome repairs that can also be mounted on a mobile collaborative robot for use in high-tempo depot or hangar environments. DESCRIPTION: Radomes (such as aircraft nosecones) are critical components of all Air Force aircraft that protect key aircraft sensor systems while supporting aerodynamic flight. These radomes are subject to wear and tear during operational use and require periodic inspection and repairs to maintain their performance. Many Air Force aircraft radomes lack high-confidence assessment of their operational performance after repairs and refurbishment in Air Force depots, affecting mission readiness and prematurely reducing the effective lifetime of radomes in service. Efficient use of sustainment resources also require that radomes be inspected before they are repaired so that needed repairs are accurately determined and unnecessary repairs are avoided. Between newer advanced aircraft and radar modernization programs, the complexity of Air Force radomes is ever increasing. Similarly, the demands on radome performance are also increasing in terms of both mechanical reliability and with respect to the radome's effect on the underlying sensors. Typical defects that can occur in a radome include delamination, crushed honeycomb, or water ingress that is trapped in honeycomb core layers. Additionally, repairs can sometimes inhibit the performance of radomes by changing the effective dielectric properties at the repair location. Thus, an advanced diagnostic sensor is needed that is sensitive to these types of defects and that can be directly related to the electromagnetic performance of the radome. While the ability of the desired sensor to both detect defects and assess radome performance is key, it also must be able to do this in a compact package with minimal weight, power, and safety requirements. In the near-term this sensor is envisioned for use in the dynamic environment of a repair depot. Thus, it must be small and lightweight enough to be used as either a man-portable device or as end-of-arm tooling on a collaborative robot. Collaborative robots are designed to be inherently safe, so the sensor should be capable of operation without fixed robot cell walls or light curtains and potentially on mobile cobot systems. Furthermore, it must be rugged enough to withstand use in an environment where dust, moisture, impact, electrostatic shock, or other hazards may be present, such as at a forward-operating base. vAdditionally, deployment of the sensor at forward-operating bases will require that measurements can be taken on aircraft, without removing the radome or exposing the antenna. vThe development of this technology will enhance existing sustainment operations by providing an increased ability to accurately and quickly diagnose radome health and operational performance. PHASE I: For this Direct-to-Phase II topic, evaluators are expecting that the submittal firm have already demonstrated the ability to measure electromagnetic properties and detect some defects in fiberglass composites with portable COTS sensors. PHASE II: Develop a working prototype to detect defects in radome structures with sensitivity that is greater than the current state-of-the-art, while simultaneously characterizing radome performance. Demonstrate the prototype as end-of-arm tooling on a collaborative robot and test on representative surfaces. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: If the Phase II is successful in developing the technology, Air Logistics Complexes will purchase technology using organization (working capital) funds. The effort will refine hardware and software to increase accuracy and sensitivity. Achieve production-ready state for marketing to the Air Force, other related federal agencies, and private industry. REFERENCES: 1. Walton, J.D. "Radome Engineering Handbook: Design and Principles." Marcel Dekker, Inc., New York, 1970 ; 2. Shavit, R. Radome Electromagnetic Theory and Design. Wiley-IEEE Press, 2018 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/book/10.1002/9781119410850 ; 3. D. A. Heiser and R. B. Keyser, "Microwave measurements for antenna radome maintenance and replacement," 1998 Symposium on Antenna Technology and Applied Electromagnetics, Ottawa, ON, Canada, 1998, pp. 501-506 https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/7861713 KEYWORDS: Radome ; Microwave Probe ; Reflective Measurements