SBIR-STTR Award

The Joint Oil Analysis Program (JOAP), since its inception in 1968, has played a role in avoiding countless equipment failures via oil analysis being carried out according to its guidelines. During every decade of its history, analysis protocols have been refined to meet the need for effective oil analysis of new and aging assets. Currently, JOAP is in a position where its protocols, relative to the needs of the Warfighter, need a detailed review. The proposed effort provides this using a team of industry leaders. The key goals of the proposed effort center on three main thrusts

Keywords:
Joint Oil Analysis Program (Joap), Air Force Oil Analysis Program (Af Oap), Army Oil Analysis Program (Aoap), Navy Oil Analysis Program (Noap), Spectrometric Oil Analysis Prog

This Program is concerned with providing Next Generation capability to the AF OAP and JOAP. This takes the form of a portable, 35-lb analysis system called the Q5800A from Spectro, Inc. Such an instrument provides the capability of comprehensive oil and debris monitoring that no technology in the Program or known to be commercially available can provide. These long-standing, 40+ year programs, which have provided so much value to the DoD in terms of identifying aircraft issues and in doing so, saving lives, face the current challenge of needing to provide this analysis with aging, near-obsolete equipment that can no longer provide full aircraft monitoring needs. The objective of this Phase II program is to prove that such a Q5800A system meets AF OAP and JOAP needs via undergoing a detailed testing protocol.

Benefit:
A Q5800A system which can provide quality analysis of neat oil, captured particulate, and can be expanded to provide a comprehensive suite of oil quality results (fluid mixup, viscosity, water content, aciditiy) and which is portable (35 lb.) at the same time simply does not exist on the market today and can provide AF OAP and JOAP with long-sought needs for a next-generation comprehensive analysis device. Its commercial promise is similarly large.

Keywords:
Af Oap, Joap, Oil Analysis, Sem/Edx, Xrf, Filter Debris Analysis ---------- This program is concerned with refining and testing a Next Generation capability for the AF OAP and JOAP Programs. The portable, hand-carry Q5800A provides a single, comprehensive fluid and chip debris analysis capability, which no technology in the Programs or known to be commercially available can provide. These long-standing, 40+ year Programs, which have provided so much value to the DoD in terms of identifying aircraft issues and in doing so, saving lives, face the current challenge of needing to provide this analysis with a suite of equipment that cannot provide full aircraft monitoring needs. The objective of this Phase II program is to refine the Q5800A system to meet specific requirements of the Programs, in doing so adding additional analytical capability and system-level integration to the technology.