SBIR-STTR Award

Fuel costs have historically been the largest single cost associated with aircraft operations; improved efficiency therefore translates directly to the bottom line. The worldwide aviation industry is a significant emitter of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases; the International Civil Aviation Organization puts it at 2% of the global anthropogenic total. The impact of these emissions is amplified even more, however, because they go directly into the upper troposphere. We propose an efficient plasma-based method for drag reduction which, when fully developed will directly translate to reduced fuel consumption and reduced emissions. The proposed Phase I effort will involve a combined experimental and numerical investigation aimed at a proof-of-concept implementation of the drag-reducing technology. In follow-on Phase II work, the ITAC-led team will work to expand the flight envelope over which the plasma-based method can be applied.

This Phase II SBIR project deals with advancing the design, development, and testing of an innovative drag reduction concept named ?Smart Longitudinal Instability Prevention via Plasma Surface? using a new revolutionary plasma actuator technology developed at the University of Notre Dame (UND). During Phase I, Innovative Technology Applications Company (ITAC), LLC and researchers from UND developed and demonstrated drag reduction of more than 65% in turbulent boundary layers using the SLIPPS approach. This approach intervenes in the Streak Transient Growth Instability mechanism which is a dominant mechanism in the production of drag in turbulent boundary layer flows. In Phase II, we will investigate and test the use of SLIPPS concept at both higher Mach number and Reynolds number flows, as well as build an improved understanding of the physics in order to make even further efficiency gains possible. Phase III will advance the TRL to a level suitable for flight tests and integration into production systems.