N101-093 TITLE: Energy Harvesting from Thermal and Vibration Loads due to High Temperature, High Speed Impinging Jets

TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Ground/Sea Vehicles

ACQUISITION PROGRAM: PEO (Ships)

OBJECTIVE: Perform laboratory scale experimental study to understand and characterize the vibrational and thermal effects of impinging jets on surfaces. Develop computational tools and models to evaluate thermoelectric and piezoelectric materials for absorbing this wasted energy and to convert to useful power. Provide information to utilize this methodologies to simulated carrier deck conditions.

DESCRIPTION: Due to the conditions created by the takeoff and landing of various fixed wing and rotor aircraft, the operational environment on an aircraft carrier flight deck is very harsh, both for the personnel and the structural components of the deck itself. For example, the high-temperature, high velocity jet exhaust from the F/A-18E/F during takeoff and landing produces very high noise levels that may compromise the performance and safety of the flight crew personnel operating in proximity to the aircraft. These high noise levels also propagate through the flight deck, thus making the environment hostile even for personnel below the deck. The problems associated with jet impingement will be exacerbated with the introduction of the F-35B, which is a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft. The near-vertical impingement of the lift jets results in a number of adverse ground effects, including ground/surface erosion of the landing surface due to the high-temperature, highly unsteady impinging jets; significantly higher noise levels; enhanced unsteady heat transfer through the deck surface, and vibration. These conditions pose an additional risk to the crew operating near such aircraft and under the deck, and also affect the integrity of the carrier flight deck. This SBIR topic addresses the thermal and vibration effects, to damp/absorb them and to convent to useful energy, as well as to reduce the noise. Accomplishments from this SBIR effort will complement to other noise reduction efforts to harvest the wasted energy in the unsteady thermal load and vibrations. This in turn helps to reduce cost of operation.

PHASE I: Experimental and/or numerical study at laboratory scale to understand the thermal load fluctuations and vibration due to impingement of unsteady hot jet on a flat surface. Develop numerical models and codes to predict and evaluate the various parameters involved.

PHASE II: Evaluate properties of thermoelectric, piezoelectric of similar materials for heat and vibrations absorption. Develop experimental rig to examine effectiveness of noise isolation, and vibration and thermal energy utilization from hot jet impingement on walls (double).

PHASE III: Under simulated conditions of engine exhaust jet impinging deck, conduct parametric study, develop user-friendly predictive tools, and optimize isolation and energy management for transition to real deck environment.

PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL/DUAL-USE APPLICATIONS: The methodologies developed in this SBIR program will generally be applicable to noise reduction and energy absorption from walls on engine rooms in commercial ships. Any energy harvesting technology developed will have a wide range of commercial applications in areas where vibrations and thermal loading are present.

REFERENCES:
1. Krothapalli, A., "High-Speed Jet Noise Suppression: A Review and an Extension", Advances in Combustion and Noise Control, pages 261-286, Cranfield University Press, 2005

2. Maillard, J.P, Fuller, C. "Active Control of Sound Radiation from Cylinders with Piezoelectric Actuators and Structural Acoustic Sensing", J. Sound Vibration, 1997

KEYWORDS: High Speed Jet noise, Flow-structure interaction, piezoelectric materials, pyroelectric materials, vibration, thermal loads, energy conversion, energy harvesting

** TOPIC AUTHOR (TPOC) **

DoD Notice:   Between November 12 and December 9, 2009, you may talk directly with the Topic Authors to ask technical questions about the topics. Their contact information is listed above. For reasons of competitive fairness, direct communication between proposers and topic authors is not allowed starting December 10, 2009, when DoD begins accepting proposals for this solicitation.

However, proposers may still submit written questions about solicitation topics through the DoD's SBIR/STTR Interactive Topic Information System (SITIS), in which the questioner and respondent remain anonymous and all questions and answers are posted electronically for general viewing until the solicitation closes. All proposers are advised to monitor SITIS (10.1 Q&A) during the solicitation period for questions and answers, and other significant information, relevant to the SBIR 10.1 topic under which they are proposing.

If you have general questions about DoD SBIR program, please contact the DoD SBIR Help Desk at (866) 724-7457 or email weblink.