Lightweight, High Efficiency Ceramic Recuperator for UAV Applications

Foster-Miller will show that a unique hollow core carbon/carbon ((c/c) composite construction can be successfully employed to fabricate a low cost, lightweight recuperator for gas turbine engines associated with future UAV engines. In conjunction with our commercialization partner, Williams International, both current recuperator and future engine requirements (i.e., IHPTET Phase III JETEC engine) will guide initial development of a hollow core C/C recuperator. The high thermal conductivity and low density of the C/C hollow core structure, will enable more efficient, higher operating temperature recuperators that most the XHPTET weight and performance goals. The C/C hollow core technology affords the recuperator designer a wide range of options in design. The technology permits greatly increased recuperator temperature capability by using C/C material. The technology permits various cooling passage heights, high conductivity pins at various angles and spacing, and internal ribs at convenient location's to provide flow baffles if necessary. The proposed Phase I program will demonstrate basic feasibility of the technology through specimen fabrication, testing, thermal analysis and preliminary design of the recuperator system. Weight reduction, increased operating temperature, and performance/efficiency improvements will be estimated based on the results of the Phase I. In Phase II the prototype recuperator will be designed, fabricated and run in a demonstration engine test.