SBIR 95-1 SOLICITATION
PROJECT SUMMARY
Contract Id:
Proposal Number:
Project Title:
ACTIVE STABILITY CONTROL OF TURBINE ENGINE COMBUSTER AND COMPRESSOR
Technical Abstract:
The firm proposes to design, develop, and test an innovative combustion control
actuator, which can control pattern factor and combustion instability. The firm also proposes
to investigate the coupling between active compressor stall/surge control and active
combustor stability/pattern factor control.
The motivation for the proposed work is three-fold: 1) a need to control the
combustor pattern factor to improve efficiency and prolong life; 2) an interest to control
compressor surge and rotating stall (surge/stall) to enhance operability and performance; and
3) a general lack of attention to the coupling between compressor and combustor with regard
to active stabilization of either component.
The innovations of the proposed program are: 1) a wide-band fuel actuator for
combustion control, 2) a methodology for pattern factor and stability controls, and 3) an
integrated model of compressor and combustor for analyzing their coupling and for designing
active control systems.
Potential Commercial Applications:
The benefits will be to: 1) reduce development time and cost for active control systems, 2)
prolong turbine stator life through pattern factor control, 3) reduce operational costs of turbine
engines through increased fuel economy by active surge/stall control, and 4) enhance
operability through surge and combustor control (light-off limit). The proposed technologies
has great potential for future commercial turbine engines as illustrated in a market analysis.
Name and Address of Offeror:
Scientific Monitoring, Inc.
4801 S. Lakeshore Drive, Suite 202
Tempe, AZ 85282
Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR) &
Small Business Technology Transfer Program (STTR) Programs
Electronic Management System (EMS)
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
The SBIR/STTR EMS site is maintained by Steve
Hu, Hughes STX.
For comments and questions, contact
webmaster@sbir.hq.nasa.gov.
Updated: Feb. 7, 1996