N251-D05 TITLE: DIRECT TO PHASE II: Guided Wave Technology for Tank Leak Detection

OUSD (R&E) CRITICAL TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Microelectronics;Sustainment;Trusted AI and Autonomy

OBJECTIVE: Develop a portable, user-friendly Non-Destructive Testing and Evaluation (NDT&E) technology that will provide objective and easy to interpret data to detect and locate leaks in shipboard tanks without opening the tank.

DESCRIPTION: The Navy is interested in the application of methods or tools that may be combined with tank air testing to locate leaks. The Navy requires development of an advanced and novel solution that will allow for initial assessment to be performed more efficiently than the current process of targeting areas of concern that may require more detailed x-ray (NDT&E) to be performed. Examples of these new technologies for consideration should include the field of ultrasonics (guided waves) for test and analysis and provide a solution that is cost effective in purchase, operation, repair, and training.

Structurally sound and leak free tanks are mandatory to support a fully operational Naval asset. Tank repairs and satisfactory tank tightness testing are prerequisites for timely completion of ship repair availabilities. Locating leaks in built-in tanks is challenging, costly, and consumes valuable availability of man-hours. Commercial ships are required to conduct tank tightness checks on tanks that are opened in a shipyard availability and following repairs in accordance with ABS rules. Similarly, Navy repair activities follow similar requirements in accordance with NAVSEA technical requirements. Tanks are verified tight through hydro-pneumatic or pneumatic pressure drop testing. Difficult to locate leaks in U.S. Navy surface ships are identified by entering a tank, visually inspecting it for suspect areas, cleaning the suspect areas, and performing magnetic particle testing to confirm the extent of the defect. Preparations in larger tanks may involve expensive staging to obtain safe access to suspect areas. The Navy requires a technology that can locate leaks prior to opening a tank to help direct visual and conventional NDT&E follow-up to a leak location to expediting repairs, save man-day costs, and contribute to on-time availability completion.

Built-in tanks on surface combatants, amphibious ships, carriers, and auxiliary ships are most susceptible to leaks due to weld cracks, corrosion thinning, and tank penetration stress concentrations. The Navy requires an NDT&E method or tool that will direct an NDT&E technician to a specific area in a tank where a leak is present without entering the tank. The ability to accurately determine a leak location will result in a significant decrease in inspection and repair man-hours and ultimately, expedite satisfactory tank close out leading to on-time availability completions. The method or tool must be portable, capable of operation with or without the availability of a power source, and provide automated results easily interpreted by shipyard trades that routinely test tanks for tightness. It is highly desirable that the tank leak locating method or tool provide leak locating utility during pre-availability and early availability periods. The developed solution can be used in statically and dynamically assessing the integrity of naval vessel storage tanks.

PHASE I: For a Direct to Phase II topic, the Government expects that the small business would have accomplished the following in a Phase I-type feasibility effort and developed a concept for a workable prototype or design to address, at a minimum, the basic requirements for identifying leaks in built-in tanks using a novel NDT&E solution.

FEASIBILITY DOCUMENTATION: Offerors interested in participating in Direct to Phase II must include in their response to this topic Phase I feasibility documentation that substantiates the scientific and technical merit and describe the potential commercialization applications. The documentation provided must validate that the proposer has completed development of technology as stated in Phase I above. Documentation should include all relevant information including, but not limited to technical reports, test data, prototype designs/models, and performance goals/results. Work submitted within the feasibility documentation must have been substantially performed by the offeror and/or the principal investigator (PI). Read and follow all of the DoN SBIR 25.1 Direct to Phase II Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) Instructions. Phase I proposals will NOT be accepted for this topic.

PHASE II: Develop and deliver an advanced, portable, NDT&E solution (hardware/software/firmware) using guided wave technology (ultrasonics) for use by shipyard or regional maintenance center personnel in assessing liquid stage tanks (fuel, water, lube oil, etc.). Produce a prototype to be used to determine and locate leaks and material defects in tanks without opening the tank plus applicable technical data and training.

PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Assist the Navy in transitioning the technology for Navy use. Provide and field an NDT&E system based on unique, cutting-edge technology that will be used for non-invasively and accurately locating leaks in tanks on naval vessels. Provide Navy personnel with training on how to utilize the system for the collection of data. Work with Navy personnel in conducting analysis until such time as they intend to assume that role.

In a manner like shipboard tank assessments, this same novel NDT&E system can be employed on large, above ground storage tanks (AST), common to both military and civilian petrochemical storage, to identify and locate AST bottom plate leaks and assess AST bottom plate integrity.

This technology would apply to commercial ship inspections.

REFERENCES:

1. Hay, Thomas R., Ph.D., P.E. "A Review of Non-destructive Testing Methods for Aboveground Storage Tank Floor Inspection." TechKnowServ, February 2019. https://www.techknowserv.com/post/a-review-of-non-destructive-testing-methods-for-aboveground-storage-tank-floor-inspection

2. "Naval Ships’ Technical Manual Chapter 631, Preservation of Ships in Service – General, S9086-VD-STM-101 Revision 3."

3. Fyu, Feng; Zhou, Xinyue; Ding, Zheng; Qiao, Xinglong and Song, Dan, "Application Research of Ultrasonic-Guided Wave Technology in Pipeline Corrosion Defect Detection: A Review." Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute – Coatings 2024. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/379061512_Application_Research_of_Ultrasonic-Guided_Wave_Technology_in_Pipeline_Corrosion_Defect_Detection_A_Review

KEYWORDS: Guided Wave Analysis; Leak Detection; Non-Destructive Testing & Evaluation; Ultrasonic Sensors; Tanks; Microelectronics

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