Project Title

Type

Customer

Description/Tasks

Boundary Layer Pumped Propulsion (BLPP)

SBIR Phase 1 and 2

NASA

Integrated laminar flow drag reduction techniques to enhance overall aircraft fuel efficiency.  Extensive system level trades performed including wind tunnel testing at the University of Washington Kirsten Low Speed Wind Tunnel. Test results demonstrated a remarkably low wetted area drag coefficient of 0.0006 (one fifth of current technology); at a Reynolds number of 5 E6 with laminar flow over essentially 100% of the body.

Low Cost General Aviation Fan System Design & Fabrication

Funded research contracts

NASA & Michigan SATS Program

Low cost high efficiency turbofan engine design. Results showed that greater than 92% adiabatic efficiency for a low pressure ratio aluminum fan was achievable and producible.

Low Cost General Aviation Combustor Research

SBIR Phase  1

NASA

Low cost combustor techniques shown to be applicable to very small combustors for general aviation size engines. Trades conducted on various fuel introduction and wall cooling techniques applicable to low cost high volume production.  Multiple combustor can prototypes were built and demonstrated during a lab effort that demonstrated combustor system cost savings using vaporizer combustors with  low pressure fuel system and low precision components.