SBIR-STTR Award

There is a growing demand for high-temperature (HT) pressure sensors for use in extreme-temperature environments such as for aircraft gas turbine performance enhancement, health monitoring, and controls. These demands stem from long-term development plans for an intelligent engine to provide information on engine conditions even at the highest temperatures and in the harshest environments. What is needed is a reliable smart pressure sensor capable of measuring compressor pressures at data rates suitable for capturing and in-place processing of very-high-frequency phenomena for use in engine performance monitoring, advanced controls, and diagnostic/prognostic health management. Developed for commercial ground and aerospace turbine applications, Sporian’s HT smart pressure sensor technology has the potential to fill this need. The sensor technology has previously been included in a number of burner rig and engine test platforms/programs, leading to TRL 5 for their Air Force use/adoption. The Phase I effort will focus on: working with technical and strategic partners to define Air Force customers for deployment/transition potential; and working with said partners defining engine/program-specific TRL/MRL-advancing technical activities to be reduced to practice under Phase II. If successful, Sporian will be well positioned for the Phase II efforts focused implementing the TRL/MRL activities needed to meet the threshold for adoption by engine programs stakeholders and their supply chain. For the proposed effort, Sporian will work with Rosemount Aerospace, an engine sensor supply chain participant for Air Force engines built by Pratt & Whitney. Sporian will also heavily leverage current strategic relationships with Pratt & Whitney and Hamilton Sundstrand.

There is a growing demand for high-temperature (HT) pressure sensors for use in the extreme-temperature environments of aircraft turbine engines for performance enhancement, health monitoring, and controls. What is needed is a reliable, smart pressure sensor capable of measuring compressor pressures at data rates suitable for capturing and in-place processing of very-high-frequency phenomena useful in engine performance monitoring, advanced controls, and diagnostic/prognostic health management. Developed for commercial ground and aerospace turbine applications, Sporian’s HT smart pressure sensor technology has the potential to fill this need. The sensor technology has previously been included in a number of burner rig and engine test platforms/programs, leading to TRL 5 for Air Force use/adoption. During Phase I, the JSF/JPO F-35 - Propulsion (F135 engine) was identified as the lead platform/program for deployment/transition. Sporian worked with F-135 supply chain OEMs Pratt & Whitney, Collins Aerospace/Rosemount and Hamilton Sundstrand to develop a Phase II plan that focuses on implementing the TRL/MRL-advancing activities needed to meet the threshold for adoption by engine program stakeholders and their supply chains. For the proposed effort, Sporian will collaborate with Collins Aerospace/Rosemount and leverage strategic relationships with Pratt & Whitney and Hamilton Sundstrand.