SBIR-STTR Award

The current program is focused on development of a low-cost, integrated experimental and analytical approach to rapidly assess the HCF durability of any material.Per the solicitation, the Phase I effort should demonstrate the suitability of the approach for at least one class of materials.In view of recent successes with metallic materials, and the high promise of ceramics for small engine applications with short service lives, FractureLab has identified ceramic materials for its Phase I focus.

FractureLab LLC is honored to continue development of rapid low cost HCF material characterization methodology and application to gas turbine hot section rotary components. The limited, but encouraging success, of a hybrid experimental-analytical approach in phase I has opened up new possibilities in accelerated test data generation, and logical analytics proposed in this phase II, to estimate fatigue characteristics and performance at or above a billion cycles in a matter of days. The Phase II team includes Renprotech - with additional fatigue and fracture competency, Plus4Pi - an innovation advisory firm, and Technical Directions, Inc., an end-user and manufacturer of small gas turbine engines for DoD weapon systems.