E. L. Anagnostou, J. M. Papazian, S. Engel, J. Madsen, R. Silberstein, J. B. Whiteside, Northrop Grumman, Bethpage, NY

Summary:

Northrop Grumman Technology Development in Bethpage, NY, is leading a DARPA sponsored effort to develop a structural integrity prognosis system. The system is designed to provide science-based predictions of potential structural failure in high-value DoD assets such as aircraft. The predictions will be limited to near-term time scales in order to minimize uncertainty. The predictions will be based on detailed microstructurally-based models of damage accumulation processes along with data from selected sensor systems. The modeling and sensor results will be combined and updated by a reasoning and prediction software system that takes into account actual past usage and predicted future usage. Uncertainties in each of the input parameters and in the predictions will be explicitly addressed. The system is aimed at next-generation vehicles but will be validated using data accumulated during service use of current vehicles such as the EA-6B and A-10.