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Probabilistic Methodology for Establishing Test Requirements in a Gas-Turbine System Development and Demonstration (SDD) Program

Award Information
Agency: Department of Defense
Branch: Air Force
Contract: FA8650-06-M-2646
Agency Tracking Number: F061-172-1584
Amount: $99,813.00
Phase: Phase I
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: AF06-172
Solicitation Number: 2006.1
Timeline
Solicitation Year: 2006
Award Year: 2006
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): 2006-04-04
Award End Date (Contract End Date): 2007-01-04
Small Business Information
215 Wynn Dr., 5th Floor
Huntsville, AL 35805
United States
DUNS: 185169620
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: Yes
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 Ray Fuller
 Manager/Combustion Systems
 (256) 726-4800
 jls@cfdrc.com
Business Contact
 Ashok Singhal
Title: President
Phone: (256) 726-4800
Email: mva@cfdrc.com
Research Institution
N/A
Abstract

The most prohibitive factor in the development of a new gas turbine engine is the cost of testing. Substantial reductions in development test costs are possible if test requirements are optimized using probabilistic methodologies. CFDRC will demonstrate a probabilistic methodology, which quantifies the modeling bias and the uncertainties associated with combustor-turbine numerical simulations. This will be accomplished through a probabilistic design analysis process that characterizes the system variance and supports the construction of a transfer function capable of describing system response. Using this approach CFDRC will establish the extent to which actual physical hardware testing can be reduced given a certain accuracy level of engineering modeling tools such as Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). The methodology will be applied to define the necessary test requirements for a desired combustor-turbine performance – i.e., meet or surpass operational and lifetime specifications. Phase I will demonstrate that a reduction in system variance translates into a significant cost reduction in actual development testing. Williams has committed to supplying CFDRC critical development experience at no cost during Phase I to assist in quantifying the payoff of probabilistic methodology based on test requirements. In Phase II, this methodology will be incorporated into a software package that can be integrated into a virtual engine test cell.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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