Miniature Video Camera for Turbine Engine Inspection

The Air Force seeks existing and/or upcoming commercial technologies that can be transitioned through modification and upgrades to become dual-use for solving defense related needs. SOC has been developing imaging systems for over twenty-five years, with extensive experience in low SWaP, high speed data acquisition and image processing electronics. The Arnold Engineering Development Complex (AEDC) test facility simulates flight conditions, offering a suite of test capabilities to simulate speed, temperature, pressure, etc. to meet the needs of aerospace system developers. The current video camera they use to image exhaust streams of turbine engine augmentors is outdated, using standard definition low resolution NTSC format, and is unsupported. Therefore, AEDC requires a new camera with enhanced performance to improve engine testing and ensure a supply of appropriate replacement cameras for the existing probes. SOC’s upcoming remotely operated miniaturized camera will be enhanced to provide a viable solution for AEDC. Five low risk technical modifications to the existing camera are required, the principal one being replacement of the rolling shutter sensor with a global shutter. The resulting camera will provide high quality, distortion free imagery at video rates of high dynamic events in the exhaust streams of turbine engine augmentors.