Application Engineered DLC based Wear Resistant Coating for Extended Life Foil-Air Bearings

Modern air-cycle machines (ACMs) depend on dry lubricating coatings to protect the foil bearing during operation; however, the current coating solutions are suspected of outgassing noxious gases during operation that could prove harmful or fatal to pilots. A new non-outgassing coating technology is necessary that will extend the lifetime and performance of these bearings without compromising pilot health.The Phase I results definitively demonstrated the developed coating met and exceeded all specified Phase I requirements and goals. Compared to industry PTFE/polyimide technologies, the developed coating exhibited a 5x reduction in the CoF (and a concomitant reduction in friction induced temperature spikes), and was demonstrated to be over 1,000,000 times more wear resistant after the initial break in period.For the Phase II program, Nokomis will demonstrate the technology through a battery of tribology experiments that culminate in the testing of an actual air foil bearing in a relevant naval environment (inside an ACM). Nokomis perform relevant MIL-STD-810G certification testing through the Base Period and Option Periods of the effort.The proposed technology will provide NAVAIR with an improved and safe alternative to the current technologies.