The overall objective of this DoD proposal is to develop an advancedmaterials and coatings test rig for the gas turbine industry for thepurpose of understanding how hot gas path materials and coatings willperform under advanced turbine operating conditions. Emerging missions suchas deep strike as… More

72892S03-I Manufacturers of industrial gas turbines and military aero-engines are developing advanced turbine thermal barrier coatings. In order to confidently evaluate candidate coatings in both of these applications, an accurate representation of turbine engine pressures, temperatures, and air… More

72892-Although materials and coatings are being developed for use in syngas-fueled turbine engines, no test system is available today to effectively measure their capabilities under representative engine conditions. This project will design a low-cost test rig that can be used to understand how… More

Small expendable gas turbine engines historically suffer from poor specific fuel consumption (SFC) and high costs for military applications. These engines are single-shaft turbojets and their use in the propulsion system of future advanced munitions such as the Army's Non-Line of Sight Launch… More

HCF is one of the leading causes of engine failure in aircraft. Preventing HCF failures requires accurate determination and avoidance of resonant frequencies in design. Designers use a combination of finite element structural analysis and modal frequency testing to identify the natural frequencies… More

Small expendable gas turbine engines historically suffer from poor specific fuel consumption (SFC) and high costs for military applications. These engines are single-shaft turbojets and their use in the propulsion system of future advanced munitions such as the Army's Non-Line of Sight Launch… More

Florida Turbine Technologies (FTT) proposes to conduct research necessary to develop a physics-based pneumatic hammer instability model for hydrostatic bearings operating in a compressible fluid. The innovation of the resulting model is to account for the extreme density, compressibility, and… More

Small expendable gas turbine engines historically suffer from poor thrust-specific fuel consumption and do not meet cost goals for military applications. These engines are single-shaft turbojets and their use in the propulsion system of future advanced munitions such as the Air Force's Battlespace… More

Florida Turbine Technologies (FTT), Inc. proposes the development of an Airfoil Replaceable Leading Edge (ARLE) for Integrally Bladed Rotor (IBR) fan blades that will increase sustainment. The proposed technology will allow the low-cost repair of FOD damaged leading edges without the need to subject… More

Cryogenic propellant pumps are often pushed to the limit of cavitation performance in the quest for higher efficiency and lighter weight. The accurate prediction of liquid hydrogen (LH2) cavitation offers a significant opportunity for improvements in LH2 turbopump performance and reliability. LH2… More

Florida Turbine Technologies, Inc. is working to become a first-tier supplier of small gas turbines for military and commercial use. In this effort FTT will study concepts for a modified "high-g" combustor concept for ultra-low-volume, highly capable engine systems. Key features of this system… More

Technology advances within turbine systems represent an excellent avenue for improving overall power plant efficiency. In particular, technologies that permit turbines to operate at increased temperatures and pressures are desired to achieve the specific performance goals. These conditions will… More

The objective of this project is to develop a physics-based pneumatic hammer instability model that accurately predicts the stability of hydrostatic bearings operating in a turbulent, compressible fluid. In phase 2, the rig will be fabricated and assembled, design of experiment will be executed. … More

Advanced gas turbine aircraft engines are designed to operate at higher overall pressure ratios, elevated turbine temperatures, and more severe duty cycles. Thermomechanical fatigue (TMF) is expected to be the leading failure mode for hot-section components in these engines, a behavior typically… More

Modern cooled gas turbine components are typically characterized by small-scale features (turbulators, impingement holes, and film cooling holes) and complex physics (boundary layer transition, separated shear layers from turbulators, and unsteady mixing of film coolant into the mainstream). The… More

The success of a rocket launch depends upon the reliability of the launch vehicle, with the riskiest part being the engine's turbomachinery. The top two life issues for turbopumps are the turbine blades and the bearings. Currently in turbopumps, there is no direct measurement of turbine blade… More

Florida Turbine Technologies proposes the development of an Airfoil Replaceable Leading Edge for the repair of Integrally Bladed Rotors. The phase 2 program will design a first stage fan rotor with an Airfoil Replaceable Leading Edge feature. The design process will include typical Finite Element… More

Small expendable gas turbine engines historically suffer from poor thrust-specific fuel consumption and do not meet cost goals for military applications. These engines are single-shaft turbojets and their use in the propulsion system of future advanced munitions such as the Air Force's Battlespace… More

Cryogenic propellant pumps are often pushed to the limit of cavitation performance in the quest for higher efficiency and lighter weight. The accurate prediction of cryogenic propellant cavitation offers a significant opportunity for improvements in turbopump performance and reliability. Cryogenic… More

The efficiency of future power production facilities must be improved to address the well-known problems of increased global energy usage and increased emissions from the combustion of carbon-based fuels. These emissions, carbon dioxide in particular, are increasingly accepted by the scientific… More

Emerging missions such as deep strike as supported through the VAATE program are being designed to operate at high overall pressure ratios, high turbine temperatures, and for extended periods of time. A low-cost test facility that can reproduce those conditions is required to test the combustor and… More

This project will identify and screen refractory metal alloys and coating systems that would enable an innovative turbine airfoil concept to be used to increase the efficiency of the gas turbine engines used in Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) power plants. In Phase I, engine… More

Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) power plants are attractive alternatives to current pulverized coal technologies in large-scale stationary applications. However, in order to meet target efficiencies greater than 50%, the inlet temperature may need to be raised to 1500ºC (2732 ºF) or… More

FTT proposes development of a magnetically actuated dynamic seal. Dynamic seals are used throughout the turbopump in high-performance, pump-fed, liquid rocket engines for a variety of purposes. The most common applications are in the lift-off seal (LOS), inter-propellant seal (IPS), and balance… More

The effort proposed for this Phase I SBIR activity involves a feasibility study and preliminary evaluation of thermography for detecting defects in HVOF coated landing gear components. With key test data derived in Phase I, we will be able to offer recommendations for an integrated and detailed NDT… More

Small expendable gas turbine engines historically suffer from poor thrust-specific fuel consumption and do not meet cost goals for military applications. These engines are single-shaft turbojets and their use in propulsion systems for future advanced munitions such as the Air Force's Low Cost… More

To meet future power generation needs, Florida Turbine Technologies, Inc. (FTT) is developing an innovative design approach to provide highly durable turbine components that require the lowest cooling flow possible. The Spar-Shell Turbine Blade system enables the use of advanced, high-temperature… More

The success of a launch depends upon the reliability of the launch vehicle, with the riskiest part of the vehicle being its rocket engine. For launch vehicles fueled by pump fed liquid propellants, the highest risk component is the turbomachinery, with the top two life issues being the turbine… More

FTT proposes development of a magnetically actuated dynamic seal. Dynamic seals are used throughout the turbopump in high-performance, pump-fed, liquid rocket engines for a variety of purposes. The most common applications are in the lift-off seal (LOS), inter-propellant seal (IPS), and balance… More

In order to achieve a high payoff turbopump with a low investment, the modern turbopump in today's space propulsion program is required to have greater life, with lower maintenance costs. In order to achieve lower maintenance costs, the turnaround time between mission cycles must be kept to a… More

FTT is proposing the development of a sensor to detect the presence of hydrocarbons in turbopump Inter-Propellant Seals (IPS). The purpose of the IPS is to prevent the fuel (RP-2) and oxidizer (LOX) from mixing by using an inert purge gas; however, a major risk of the IPS is RP-2 wicking into the… More

The proposed research is aimed at the development of an automated on-wing method for failure prevention in gas turbine engines. Maintenance is presently the largest controllable cost in the gas turbine industry. However, failure-prevention action is the most common corrective response, even though… More

FTT proposes development of a rotating cavitation (RC) suppressor for liquid rocket engine turbopump inducers. Cavitation instabilities, such as rotating cavitation, have caused severe damage to bearings and seals, fatigue failures, and even catastrophic failures of rocket engines. In addition,… More

To meet future power generation needs, Florida Turbine Technologies, Inc. (FTT) proposes the development of an innovative design approach to provide a highly durable contactless air riding rotating-to-static seal. Rotating-to-static seals are critical components of all gas turbine engines. The seals… More