On-Demand Manufacturing of Smart Systems for Structural Health Monitoring

Inflatable reentry vehicles and habitats are attractive for NASA’s Moon to Mars Exploration campaign and the next-generation space station, because of their high volume-to-mass ratio and packaging efficiency. Since inflatable structures are usually thin-walled, ionizing radiation and micro-meteoroid orbital debris pose considerable threats to their integrity. Consequently, there is a critical need for reliable and integrated structural health monitoring (SHM) systems that can detect or predict structural damages in inflatable structures. NASA has a long history of using traditional SHM sensors based on passive materials, such as resistive strain gauges, capacitive strain gauges, and optical fibers. While these sensors are well-established for rigid structures, their applications in soft inflatable habitats are challenging due to difficulties in installation, data transfer, power distribution, and maintenance. Smart materials have much to offer over other passive materials, since their properties vary significantly in response to stress, temperature, electrical or magnetic fields, or other external stimuli. The project goal is to combine smart materials development and On-Demand Manufacturing of Electronics (ODME) techniques to deliver a wireless, flexible, self-sustaining, and multifunctional SHM system aiming at achieving a technology readiness level of 5. We will investigate four types of smart materials: (1) piezoelectric materials that build up surface electrical charges when stressed, (2) magnetostrictive materials that demonstrate magnetic property variation when subjected to mechanical loadings, (3) magnetoelectric materials that output electricity when driven by a magnetic field, and (4) shape memory polymers that exhibit visible and repeatable deformation during heating. We will focus on two promising ODME techniques that align with NASA’s ongoing efforts, have been proven to work in microgravity via parabolic flight testing, and are currently available at Boise State: direct ink writing and plasma jet printing. To accelerate ink development and lower the risk of this project, we will also use aerosol jet printing as an initial step to validate plasma jet inks. Our interdisciplinary team consists of material scientists, electrical engineers, mechanical engineers, and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) educational specialists. We will leverage and bring together the multiphysics modeling and characterization expertise, nanofabrication and additive manufacturing expertise, and device prototyping expertise. In collaboration with NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, NASA Ames Research Center, and NASA Johnson Space Center, we will focus on three specific objectives: a) Synthesize smart material inks—We will merge top-down nanofabrication techniques with ink synthesis. The anticipated outcomes are a versatile laser ablation technique enabling in-space ink customization and material recycling along with novel smart nanoparticle colloid inks and composite pastes ready for ODME. b) Print and characterize smart thin films—We will optimize printer settings and investigate low-temperature material post-processing methods to produce smart material thin films for SHM applications. The anticipated outcome is an unprecedented database correlating material fabrication procedure with the resulting material properties. c) Prototype a smart system for structural health monitoring—By printing the proposed smart material inks together with commercial inks, we will prototype smart devices suitable for in-space applications, including force sensors, strain gauges, energy harvesters, and morphing antennas. We will also merge individual smart devices with customized and commercial integrated circuits to form an all-in-one SHM system. The anticipated outcome is a flexible, self-sustaining, wireless, and multifunctional smart system enabling large-scale, non-destructive, and distributed SHM.

This is a mature technology (TRL 7+) — the realistic path in is usually NASA's Technology Transfer Program: licensing an existing NASA patent, or a Space Act Agreement to use NASA facilities/expertise directly. NASA also runs a startup licensing program with no upfront fee for companies formed to commercialize a specific NASA technology.

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