Special Notice ENERGY, DEPARTMENT OF TECHNOLOGY LICENSING OPPORTUNITY Embedded Fiber Optic Sensors in High-Temperature Materials
The Department of Energy is offering a technology licensing opportunity for embedded fiber optic sensors in high-temperature materials. This technology utilizes Electric Field-Assisted Sintering (EFAS) to embed fiber optic sensors in high-temperature structural materials for real-time structural health monitoring in extreme environments. It is typically used for real-time monitoring in high-temperature, high-pressure, and radioactive environments, making it crucial for ensuring the integrity and safety of components in industries such as nuclear reactors, aerospace, and high-temperature industrial settings. The technology has undergone testing to verify the integrity and functionality of the embedded fiber and the quality of the bond between the fiber and the metallic matrix. Benefits include achieving successful real-time monitoring, improving bond quality, ensuring scalability, and minimizing signal loss. Applications include nuclear reactor monitoring, aerospace components, automotive systems, energy production infrastructure, and biomedical engineering. The technology is at a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 3, with key proof-of-concept experiments and parameter optimizations already completed. Interested companies should contact Andrew Rankin at td@inl.gov for more information on this licensing opportunity.