Low-Erosion and Affordable Nozzles for Advanced Air-to-Air Missiles Navy SBIR FY2012.1 Sol No.: Navy SBIR FY2012.1 Topic No.: N121-014 Topic Title: Low-Erosion and Affordable Nozzles for Advanced Air-to-Air Missiles Proposal No.: N121-014-0587 Firm: Materials Research & Design 300 E. Swedesford Rd Wayne, Pennsylvania 19087-1858 Contact: Craig Iwano Phone: (610) 964-9000 Web Site: www.m-r-d.com Abstract: One of the main drivers in the design of nozzles for advanced air-to-air missiles deals with erosion caused by combustion gases. Erosion can happen by melting/sublimation, oxidation and mechanical abrasion depending on the nature of the propellant. Current de Laval nozzles for air-to-air missile applications consist primarily of structural, thermally insulating and erosion resistant materials in order to handle the various thermal and chemical environments present in the system. Within the proposed Phase I effort, Materials Research & Design (MR&D) will investigate innovative methods for improving the erosion resistance of carbon-carbon (C-C) composites through a design and analysis trade study coupled with small-scale motor testing to validate the erosion resistance of the proposed concept. The successful completion of the proposed program will result in the development of a single material nozzle design. Aside from the costs associated with the bulk materials, the development of a single material design will lead to further cost savings associated with machining, fabrication, assembly and inspection tasks which will be required for more complex designs. Benefits: The result of the proposed program will be the development of an improved erosion resistant carbon-carbon material for air-to-air nozzle applications. The improved material will be validated through design and analysis effort coupled with propulsion tests which will simulate the thermal and chemical environment in the nozzle region. The successful completion of the Phase I effort, through the Option Period, will lead to a thorough test plan in the Phase II effort to further advance the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of the proposed concept through the development of a credible set of thermo-structural material properties and validation of the design with larger-scale motor testing. MR&D specializes in the design and analysis of advanced materials for demanding environments. Since we are a service-based company, the designs that we develop become the property of our customers. Thus the MR&D business plan does not envision growth in terms of numbers of fabricated components. Rather the proposed Phase I program will result in design expertise that can be used by other companies to develop improved composite nozzle designs. Additionally the design knowledge gained by MR&D during the Phase I program will open new opportunities to provide design and analysis services. An example of this growth path is provided by the CMC Repair Phase I SBIR that grew into a Phase III SBIR, which is presently responsible for $1,288,521 of sales for CMC design and development services. Return