Award Data

Foster-Miller and Pratt & Whitney will team in an effort to develop SiC/SiC stator vanes for the IHPTET Low Pressure Turbine. Pratt & Whitney has determined that a 2.6% thrust-to-weight improvement is anticipated with these CMC vanes. SiC/SiC vanes have been difficult to fabricate. Limitations in current braiding and textile technologies have reduced the potential effectiveness of t ...

Serious limitations to the use of advanced organic matrix composites result from difficulties in producing large complex structures from two-dimensional materials forms such as preimpregnated tape or fabric, anf from the high costs associated with conventional thermal curing. Electron Beam (EB) curing offers the potential for dramatically lowering costs over conventional thermal curing by decreas ...

Foster-Miller, working with Phillips Laboratory and rocket manufacturers, will demonstrate a rapid, low-cost manufacturing process for high-quality non-eroding rocket motor components. The process employs RTM processable ceramic precursors that convert motor components. The process employs RTM processable ceramic precursorss that convert to tantalum carbide (TaC) and fiber preforms to fabricate ...

In this effort, Foster-Miller proposes to perform a laboratory investigation aimed at demonstrating a multi-sensor system for use in monitoring processing and health of a liquid resin molded composite structural armor. A set of complementary technologies has been selected for use on the program that provide five key benefits including (1) multifunctionality; (2) quantitation; (3) non-invasiveness ...

Foster-Miller proposes to develop new deicing and anti-icing fluid formulations with reduced environmental impact. Candidate fluid formulations will be developed using a combination of innovative computer modeling techniques and laboratory scale evaluation of key performance characteristics. The effort will focus on identifying cost effective fluid formulations which meet the performance requir ...

Thermoplastics are stable, high molecular weight polymers that retain their chemical structure during processing. Since fully polymerized thermoplastics do no form cross-linked networks, they can be softened, melted, and reformed. This program will demonstrate the induction bonding of composite armor materials by first incorporating a thermoplastic material onto the composite surface. Subsequen ...

This proposed program will develop a rapid trimming device that will permit a nonmetallic trim tab to be quickly and accurately positioned. Enabling a rapid trimming technique will decrease blade tracking timer simplifying the procedure and enabling the accuracy and turnaround of metal trim tabs. Foster-Miller will use a combination of ultrasonic heating and design modifications to develop a tec ...

Foster-Miller, Inc. proposes to demonstrate a low cost, high density MMIC based active phased array transmitter incorporating true time delayed optical controls for use in military and commercial applications. The array architecture will be designed to be incorporated with Foster-Miller's innovative liquid crystal polymer (LCP) dielectric substrates and will use digital and MMIC ICs integrated in ...

Developmental work on extruded meat in carbohydrate matrix jerky products has been done at the U.S. Army's Natick research laboratories. The most successful of these efforts has involved processing potato carbohydrate flake with lean comminuted beef, various flavorants and plasticizers in a twin screw extruder. The resulting jerky is cut into strips, packaged with oxygen scavengers and heat aged ...

Foster-Miller will demonstrate an innovative approach to build net-shape single crystal oxide reinforcement preforms by extending a patented process. A recent study sponsored by Air Force Wright Laboratories concluded that only single crystal oxide reinforcements offer adequate reinforcing potential for ceramic matrices for high temperature (1800 to 3500 degree F) applications. However, only a fe ...