TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER OPPORTUNITY: Crack Image Quality Indicator (CIQI) (MSC-TOPS-87)

NASA’s Technology Transfer Program solicits inquiries from companies interested in obtaining license rights to commercialize, manufacture and market the following technology. License rights may be issued on an exclusive or nonexclusive basis and may include specific fields of use. NASA provides no funding in conjunction with these potential licenses.

THE TECHNOLOGY: Innovators at NASA Johnson Space Center have developed a modeling and manufacturing technique that generates unique verification tools which simulate cracks in metals within X-ray setup part-testing geometries. The tooling specimens such as the example shown above with its manufactured circular crack also enable verification of x-ray radiography sensitivity for crack detection inspection setups.

Given the complications associated with crack detection via x-ray radiography, steps must be taken to ensure detection reliability. Thus, a demonstration of crack detection with a specific crack demonstration tool is performed to estimate probability of detection (POD). An ideal crack demonstration tool will match the alloy type, geometry, thickness, and expected crack morphology of the components to be tested.

An inexpensive crack verification toolset that accurately represents crack-like discontinuities for various metal components would allow for reliable crack POD demonstrations while costing less and saving time over users having to generate their own fatigue crack specimens.

To express interest in this opportunity, please submit a license application through NASA’s Automated Technology Licensing Application System (ATLAS) by visiting https://technology.nasa.gov/patent/MSC-TOPS-87 If you have any questions, please e-mail NASA’s Technology Transfer Program at Agency-Patent-Licensing@mail.nasa.gov with the title of this Technology Transfer Opportunity as listed in this SAM.gov notice and your preferred contact information.

For more information about licensing other NASA-developed technologies, please visit the NASA Technology Transfer Portal at https://technology.nasa.gov/ These responses are provided to members of NASA’s Technology Transfer Program for the purpose of promoting public awareness of NASA-developed technology products, and conducting preliminary market research to determine public interest in and potential for future licensing opportunities. No follow-on procurement is expected to result from responses to this Notice.