OZARK INTEGRATED CIRCUITS INC — Department of Defense SBIR Phase I: AF203-CSO1

Description

Powered by the Pratt and Whitney F135 turbofan, life management of the F-35’s turbine engine represents an area ready for optimization within the Air Force.  As a practical matter, maintenance programs must err on the side of caution rather than risk costly loss of an aircraft.  However, safely increasing operational life of a turbine engine can save millions of dollars: $300M/platform/part in previous AFRL studies.  The F135 incorporates sensors that generate signals indicating engine health, debris intake, vibration and general blade condition. In particular, the Electrostatic Inlet and Outlet Debris Sensors generate very small signals and must operate in the extreme temperature and vibration environment of the F135 engine inlet and exhaust. Signal conditioning units are required to amplify the very small analog sensor outputs for transmission to the mid-engine located Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC), resulting in sensor outputs subject to interference noise. Digitization is therefore needed at the source of the problem, but off the shelf computing electronics cannot survive in close contact with the turbomachinery without bulky and impractical thermal management. Ozark IC has developed the eXtreme Node™ (or XNodeTM) technology platform to digitize environments varying from traditional industrial/manufacturing floors to the harsh environment experienced in space, turbine engines, geothermal wells and even the surface of Venus (470?C).   Ozark IC’s XNodes utilize advanced ceramic packaging platforms and include not only electronics, but also the cases, connectors, harnesses and remote monitoring software required for digital, remote monitoring in the most extreme locations. An opportunity exists to solve an immediate problem within the deployed F135; creating new XNode-based smart-sensor drop-in replacements for the Electrostatic Inlet Debris  and Exhaust Debris Sensors currently being used.  The XNodes will provide local digitization in a compact (1”x3” or less) platform, reducing noise, improving signal fidelity, and improving overall sensor reliability.