SBIR-STTR Award

Turbo Solutions Engineering LLC is providing this proposal for a Phase I Small Business Innovation Research Program. The technical objectives are to demonstrate the feasibility of the integration of real-time performance monitoring and diagnostics within a turbopump system, to provide operational status data, and to predict the remaining life of critical components. This Integrated Vehicle Health Management (IVHM) System would provide information regarding the behavior and condition of the turbopump equipment, which would lead to technological improvements, reduce the design cycle time and development costs, and enable the turbopumps to operate for greater durations between expensive inspections and overhaul teardowns. Turbo Solutions Engineering LLC intends to leverage existing technologies and experience from other sectors of the aerospace and industrial marketplace to develop an IVHM system specifically adapted for use within turbopump systems. The IVHM system provides direct measurement of the condition and performance of critical components including bearings, shafts, impellers, seals and casings in the turbopumps. This Phase I proposal can be leveraged in cooperation with Applied Astronautics Corporation's current AFRL Hydrocarbon-Fueled Innovative Rocket Engine (HyFIRE) program, which involves a liquid oxygen/methane turbopump development effort. The HyFIRE turbopump can serve as a future test-bed for the IVHM turbopump system

Turbo Solutions Engineering LLC is providing this proposal for a Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, to develop a rocket engine health management (REHM) system. The proposed project is a follow-on to Turbo Solutions’ nearly completed Phase I SBIR entitled Integrated Vehicle Health Management ‘Intelligent Engine’ Turbopump Concept, (AFRL Contract FA9300-05-M-3011). We envision coordinating our Phase II effort with WASK Engineering, Inc. (WASK). Turbo Solutions would execute this turbomachinery-focused Phase II SBIR, and WASK would carry out their Phase II SBIR that is focused on the engine system. This coordinated team approach would create a REHM concept that meets AFRL objectives to develop an overall vehicle health management philosophy for use in future engine development programs. The primary application for this REHM system would be the Integrated Powerhead Demonstrator (IPD), although the concept that is developed would be applicable to other engine cycles. The technical objectives are to develop a turbopump model for the IPD that includes the pumps, turbines, and secondary flow systems; integrate this model with the engine system ROCETS model being developed by WASK; and 'train' this integrated model to detect, identify, and categorize failures throughout the IPD engine system using a recommended sensor suite

Keywords:
IVHM, ROCKET ENGINE HEALTH MANAGEMENT, INTEGRATED POWERHEAD DEMONSTRATOR