RISL has successfully developed for the U.S. Navy a Fiber Optic Concentric Stepped (FOCS) Ferrule that can self-align the core of an optical fiber with the center of a lens of different outer diameter. The FOCS ferrule is for fiber optic connection and termination using a lens connector or terminus to replace the current direct fiber optic connector or terminus in military systems, enabling easy cleaning and maintenance of the military fiber optic system. The lens connector and terminus will mitigate contamination in the beam path of fiber optic system and thus provide higher reliability.

RISL has successfully developed the Internally-Cooled and Embedded (ICE) Temperature Monitoring Cutting Technology to address the AF need for advanced methods to dissect missile motors. This new technology will prevent any degradation of the sample quality for age testing of missile propellant, increase safety to dissect personnel and facility, decrease environment burden, and decrease processing time. The technology developed for fabrication of internally-cooled cutting tool will also benefit commercial sectors. The internally-cooled cutting tool will greatly improve the cutting efficiency, provide better surface roughness, and extend the tool life in dry cutting.

RISL has successfully developed a novel Additive Manufacturing of Integrated Sensor (AMIS) System, providing accurate simultaneous measurement of multiple parameters including pressure, temperature, and strain in high temperature and/or radiation environment. AMIS sensors haven been successfully tested to survive temperatures at 1,100 C. AMIS can be incorporated into Stennis Space Center (SSC) rocket ground test facility to enhance Chemical and Advanced Propulsion technology development and certification. The AMIS system can also be incorporated into SSC’s Nuclear Thermal Propulsion Ground Test Exhaust Capture System for measurement of engine exhaust gas temperature and pressure.

RISL has successfully developed a novel Distributed Fiber Optic Sensing (DFOS) System, providing accurate in situ measurement of multiple thermal protection system (TPS) structural, aerothermal, and aerodynamic response parameters including temperature, pressure/strain, and heat flux. The DFOS addresses NASA’s need for high accuracy, light weight, low power fiber optic sensing system for Entry, Descent, and Landing (EDL) instrumentation systems. DFOS sensors haven been successfully tested to survive temperatures at 1,100 C.

RISL's fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors are able to measure temperature and pressure simultaneously with high accuracy.