Enhancements    

DEVELOPMENT OF AN EFFECTIVE EVALUATION SYSTEM FOR FOREIGN OBJECTS IN AIRCRAFT STRUCTURE (PHASE II)

DEVELOPMENT OF AN EFFECTIVE EVALUATION SYSTEM FOR FOREIGN OBJECTS IN AIRCRAFT STRUCTURE (PHASE II)
PI: Tzu-Liang Tseng
Sponsor: Lockheed Martin Aeronautics
Industrial, Manufacturing and Systems Engineering
Amount awarded: $153,096

Phase 1 of the Foreign Object Damage (FOD) Prevention Research Project produced a digital twin simulation tool developed by The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) to analyze how specific foreign objects could impact a simulated wing-box environment. That initial capability established the foundation for evaluating foreign object risk in a controlled, model-based setting and demonstrated the value of software convergence for assessing potential damage scenarios. This project, Phase 2, builds on that foundation by further developing and evaluating the tool to expand analysis to additional critical aircraft areas and a broader range of foreign objects that a fighter jet may encounter. The project continues to assess the effectiveness of the FOD prevention system by considering the factors that determine when a foreign object escapes, increases the risk of damage, and whether preventive measures are in place to stop it. Results will strengthen documentation of foreign object escapes using standard criteria, support better prioritization of high-risk scenarios, demonstrate risk controls to customers, reduce the number of foreign objects left in products, and advance an evaluation tool that can be applied across aerospace companies.

Posting date: Wed, 01/21/2026

Award start date: Sat, 02/01/2025
Award end date: Wed, 12/31/2025