Nanosensor: A Fully Automated Microfabrication-Based Biodetector

The Army's need for high specific output power, durable and maintenance free turbomachinery such as small gas turbine engines for helicopters, Uninhabited Air and Air Combat Vehicles (UAV/UCAV), missiles, drones, and Integrated and Auxiliary Power Units(IPU/APU) dictates that light weight, high-speed and high-power propulsion systems be developed. Compliant foil gas bearings with the ability to operate without DN limitations of conventional bearings and high temperatures without lubricants have thepotential to make significant improvements in advanced turbomachinery. One of the key issues to be addressed under this program will be to demonstrate performance of large scale foil bearings with a wide range L/D ratios in a universal high-speed andhigh-temperature foil bearing development test rig. Development bearings will be sized for a specific Phase III targeted gas turbine engine. Design requirements for both gas turbine engines and power units have been reviewed, design optimization tradeoffstudies completed and rotor system integration analysis completed demonstrating the feasibility of developing foil bearings suitable for a wide range of applications. Under this Phase II effort component testing of gas turbine engine sized bearings tofurther demonstrate their potential for use in Army class gas turbine engines will be completed.