Direct Replacement Ignition Upgrade for Present and Future Combustors and Augmentors

An improved means of fuel ignition will extend the operating envelope and, ideally, enable improved performance (and even survivability) of the aircraft. In this SBIR, Diversified Technologies, Inc. (DTI) proposes to apply state-of-the-art solid-state pulsed power technology and devices (including SiC) to the development of an improved ignition technique that is robust and readily retrofittable to existing engines and future aircraft at minimal cost. The innovative ignition system proposed will operate as a conventional system under normal conditions but will be capable of producing an enhanced ignition kernel (extended duration discharge) under difficult-to-ignite or emergency conditions. The system will be a form-fit-function replacement of existing equipment, easing adoption and certification of this technology. DTI?s strength is its pulsed power expertise; therefore the focus of the SBIR effort will be on the exciter portion of the ignition system. In Phase I, DTI will leverage cutting-edge high frequency switching technology to design and build a flexible research ignition exciter capable of exploring a wide range of electrical parameters. DTI will collaborate closely with Navy personnel and Pratt & Whitney to inform, test, and characterize the performance of the exciter under relevant conditions under the Phase I effort.