SBIR-STTR Award

The elimination of the lubrication and hydraulic systems for the advanced IHPTET engines and their replacement with magnetic bearing systems and electrically driven accessories using an internally mounted starter/generator will challenge the engine designer to define thermal management systems for these electrical components. The buried nature of the starter/generator and the magnetic bearing systems makes these components difficult to cool. It is desired to arrive at a single thermal management system for the components. Drawings of a control/accessory subsystem along with the thermal management system will be completed as part of this contract. In addition a simplified one dimensional math model that describes the control and accessory component bulk temperatures will be derived and supplied. Monthly written progress reports, video conferencing as required, a final written report and an oral summary will be provided as part of this contract.

Keywords:
Controls Accessories Starter/Generator Magnetic Bearings Electro Mechanical Actuators

The thermal management of the advanced electrical components currently projected for Phase III IHPTEP gas turbine engines provides a challenge to designers. The components mounted internal to the engines, namely the starter/generator on the high rotor, and the magnetic bearings for rotor support of both the low and high rotors, presents an especially hard challenge due to their buried nature. This program will verify the thermal management systems for the starter/generator and the magnetic bearings. Thermal management tests will be performed at IHPTET Phase III conditions in a rotating rig with simulated environments. The cooling effectiveness of a unique thermal management system using only engine bleed air as the coolant will be fully evaluated to Mn = 2.5 conditions. The tests will be performed at Pratt and Whitney on a planned magnetic rotor system rig. Pegasus Engineering Services, Inc. will design, and have fabricated the thermal management system hardware to be incorporated into this rig and monitor testing of the systems at typical simulated flight conditions. A Phase I math model update will be completed based on the cooling effectiveness findings and supplied as part of this contract.

Keywords:
Controls Accessories Starter/Generator Magnetic Bearings Electro Mechanical Actuators