CREARE LLC — Department of Defense SBIR Phase II: N07-040

Description

Augmentor stability is critical to the operational performance of military aircraft that rely on gas turbine propulsion. Compared to early augmentor designs, the distance between the point of fuel injection and the flameholder has become progressively shorter in modern augmentors. These so called close-coupled designs help avoid autoignition issues associated with higher augmentor inlet temperatures. A negative aspect of such close-coupled designs is that the fuel is not optimally mixed in the flame holding region, leading to static and dynamic stability issues. Creare and our partners propose a new fueling approach for close-coupled augmentor flameholders that will more optimally deliver fuel for all operating conditions. Improved fuel placement will lead to more robust augmentor combustion and enhanced static and dynamic stability. The end result will be increased stability margin for current systems and enhanced potential for thrust growth. This technology could also be applied to future advanced augmentor concepts. During the proposed Phase II.5 program, we will extend development of our technology towards a future TRL 6 engine test. We will design, build, and validate an advanced fuel injector engine set for use on a F135 ground test engine.