Affordable Materials and Coatings for Pressure Gain Combustion

The notional thermal performance and mission requirements for Rotating Detonation Engine (RDE) components would benefit from the availability of high temperature ceramic matrix composite (CMC) materials with good oxidation and thermomechanical durability – especially for next-generation RDE combustion chamber components. This Phase 1 SBIR proposal addresses the requirement to significantly improve the affordability and performance of high temperature CMC RDE combustion chamber hardware via the use of high performance yet cost-effective MAX phase coated C/SiC CMCs. Exothermics and their Phase 1 partner COI Ceramics will endeavor to increase the performance, lower the cost and enhance the high temperature durability of selected RDE components by developing and testing a new category of MAX phase (Ti2AlC and Ti3AlC2)-based environmental barrier coated CMC liner materials targeted for use in uncooled combustion chamber RDE applications. The program will build a series of demo and test articles to validate the EBC coating methods that will be developed and optimized in Phase 1, and the program will conclude with a campaign of RDE simulation testing in AFRL’s “Thunderdome� exposure rig.