FA8650-19-S-5009_-_BAA__Attach_2_-_TO_0001_SOO_-_26_Feb_19.pdf

FA8650-19-S-5009

Attachment 2

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STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES (SOO)

Task Order 0001

Research in Quantitative Nondestructive Evaluation using Model-based and Experimental Methods

1.0 SCOPE:

This effort specifically addresses activities towards applied research and development of Nondestructive Evaluation (NDE) technology to be performed on-site and in support of the Materials & Manufacturing Directorate Materials State Awareness Branch (AFRL/RXCA) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH. The work to be performed under this effort shall enhance and augment experimental sensing techniques, research methods, protocols, analysis methods, and procedures developed under previous AFRL/RXCA-funded on-site research efforts, as well as develop new capabilities. The effort shall enable both damage and materials property characterization using a combination of experimental methods, model-based sensing and inversion, statistical analysis, and data analytics, as discussed in Section 2.0 (Requirements).

2.0 REQUIREMENTS:

The contractor shall develop protocols, techniques, and procedures to enable enhanced detection and quantification of damage characteristics and materials properties from aerospace material classes including, but not limited to, the following: high strength metallic alloys, ceramic matrix composites, polymer matrix composites, and additively manufactured materials. The material properties, defects, flaws, and other forms of damage to be characterized or assessed under this effort shall be informed by known failure mechanisms from the respective materials classes and may consist of both macro-scale and microscopic features. Quantification assessments should provide a basis for measuring or estimating specific morphological aspects of the damage or region of interest that may include the length, width, depth, orientation, volume, spatial correlation, and aspect ratio, in addition to other morphological and topological characteristics. Materials properties of interest include the local intrinsic properties (elastic, electrical, thermal, optical), other indicators of material deformation or degradation, and quantitative descriptors of microstructural features and distributions of such quantities, all of which are dependent on the particular class of materials being interrogated. Note that such measurements shall encompass both surface- and volumetric-based methods, with preference to methods that operate on complex-shaped objects that are representative of engineering structures or components.

The research activities of this effort should include NDE measurements and other forms of physics-based characterization. The primary experimental NDE methodologies of interest include, but are not limited to, the following: electromagnetic methods including eddy current, ultrasonic testing including phased array and laser-based methods, x-ray computed tomography, and thermal-based methods and combinations thereof. The experimental activities of the effort may include direct application or modification of existing sensing technology or systems, development of new sensing probes, probe arrays, or instrumentation systems, and incorporation of robotic manipulation and spatial registration technology to enable new measurement capabilities. The contractor may also consider methods that include

FA8650-19-S-5009

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-2-load, thermal or other types of external stimuli coupled with NDE methods to statically or dynamically modulate suspected damage sites to enable or augment Material State Awareness.

Furthermore, this effort should include model-based sensing, inversion, and analytics that are applied to NDE methods. The contractor shall develop new or optimize existing numerical and analytical models to accurately simulate the interaction of one or more selected NDE techniques with relevant material properties, damage, degradation, deformation, and failure mechanisms under laboratory or realistic inspection conditions. The contractor should also perform verification and validation of existing or developed numerical and analytical models using experimental data, demonstrate improvements in Materials State Awareness through the use of analytics, and transition the knowledge, models, data, and testing methods to appropriate Air Force customers, suppliers, and scientific community. Development and analysis of NDE damage quantification methods, model benchmarking, model validation, model-based inversion, estimation theory, uncertainty analysis, machine learning, intelligence augmentation, and other data- and model-driven studies are also envisioned.

Other activities include fabrication of representative NDE test samples that contain appropriate features-of-interest, and maintaining and modifying on-site laboratory equipment and software associated with NDE research (see BAA Attachment 4 for list of Base Support).

The contractor may include acquisition of Special Test Equipment (STE), or the development of research-grade software to realize new NDE capabilities.

3.0 MANGEMENT/REVIEW:

Reviews will be an informal, ongoing activity due to the nature of the on-site research work. This can include reviews that will occur during the weekly Research Group (RG) meetings held between the government and contractor personnel. The contractor shall actively participate in both informal meetings and formal RG meetings. In addition, the contractor shall present the results of its R&D efforts at conferences and publish the results in appropriate peer-reviewed scientific journals.

4.0 Deliverables:

CDRLs A001, A002, A003, A004, A005, A006, A007, A008, A009, and A010. Special Test Equipment, fabricated research samples and residual test materials will also be deliverables under this task order.

5.0 Operations Security (OPSEC) Requirements:

All contractors shall participate in all activities associated with the disciplines of the organization’s OPSEC program following appropriate measures required for this particular contract. This is required in an effort to reduce program vulnerability from successful adversary collection of possible sensitive unclassified and/or proprietary information, and violations of export control requirements. The prime contractor will ensure that all subcontractors, if applicable, conform to these requirements as required by the prime contractor. Guidance can be provided by AFRL/RX Security as needed.

Program Protection Plan (PPP): Any potential critical program information (CPI) generated as part of this effort will be reviewed to determine the need for a PPP, or to be included as part of an existing PPP.