TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Air Platform

ACQUISITION PROGRAM: F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Program

The technology within this topic is restricted under the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR), which controls the export and import of defense-related material and services. Offerors must disclose any proposed use of foreign nationals, their country of origin, and what tasks each would accomplish in the statement of work in accordance with section 3.5.b.(7) of the solicitation.

OBJECTIVE: Develop innovative techniques to predict life and reliability for advanced turbine propulsion technologies.

DESCRIPTION: The Department of Defense (DOD) has embarked on a new, adaptive engine to enable a versatile combat aircraft engine capable of effortlessly switching from high-speed combat maneuvers to long-range persistence modes. Adaptive Versatile Engine Technology (ADVENT) objectives transcend today’s fixed geometry engines to require optimizing engine performance over a broad range of operating conditions, altitudes, and speeds. The aggressive mission objective and innovative engine configurations require high peek and dwell temperatures in the engine resulting in an accelerated potential for many different synergistic damage modes including creep, stress corrosion, and stress rupture failure modes in super alloys. Completely new material systems such as ceramic composites may be required.

Innovative research and development of techniques is needed for life prediction applicable to advanced materials such as ceramic matrix and organic matrix composites as well as new super alloy materials. The effects of the high heat dwell environment associated with the next generation Versatile, Affordable, Advanced Turbine Engine (VAATE) propulsion systems should also be taken into account through the development of new algorithms addressing part life and failure probability. These could be developed from conventional empirical functions relating stress versus cycles and life. In addition there is a need to integrate these techniques with existing finite element analysis (FEA) tools and maintenance cost initiatives such as reliability centered maintenance (RCM). The ability to estimate part life and reliability, understand complex failure modes, and assess maintenance cost impact holds a promise of significant savings for the military and commercial engine manufacturers.

PHASE I: Demonstrate the feasibility of life cycle and reliability prediction techniques for advanced materials subject to extreme operating environments. Identify and quantify the potential impact on life and reliability for VAATE propulsion systems.

PHASE II: Develop a working software tool for generating life cycle and reliability parameters and predicting the life of advanced turbo propulsion system components prior to introduction into fielded service.

PHASE III: Develop and test a working software tool for generating life cycle and reliability parameters and predicting the life of advanced turbo propulsion system in cooperation with an engine manufacturer.

PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL/DUAL-USE APPLICATIONS: The methods developed for the Department of Defense are equally applicable to the maintenance and repair of commercial gas turbine engines.

REFERENCES:
1. Melis, M. E. and. Zaretsky, Dr. Erwin V. (1999) Probabilistic Analysis of Aircraft Gas Turbine Disk Life and Reliability (NASA/TM-1999-107436), NASA Glenn Research Center, Brook Park, OH.

2. Zaretsky, Dr. Erwin V. (1997) A. Palmgren Revisited-A Basis for Bearing Life Prediction (NASA/TM-107440), NASA Lewis Research Center, Cleveland, OH.

KEYWORDS: Failure Prediction; Reliability; Life Prediction; Maintenance Cost Analysis; Advanced Turbine Propulsion Technologies; Advanced Materials

** TOPIC AUTHOR (TPOC) **

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