The US Navy has awarded a two-year Phase-II small business innovation research (SBIR) grant worth $750,000 to Cincinnati-based Etegent Technologies, an R&D based company specializing in automatic target recognition, mechatronic product development, health monitoring, mining and inspection and data management.
The grant has been awarded to further develop the capabilities of the waveguide sensing technology. Etegent will upgrade the pressure sensors in the system to ensure reliable temperature and pressure measurements in the combustion chambers of the military grade turbine engines, such as the ones used in military airplanes, M1 tanks and helicopters. The temperature and pressure sensing technology, along with the inclusion of multiple sensors on a single network backbone, will lead to better monitoring and control, higher engine reliability and efficiency along with low production cost per sensor.
The Co-Founder of Etegent, Dr Stuart Shelley explained that critical sensor equipment has not been deployed in the high temperature combustion chambers so far. With temperatures as high as 3000°F, with the new Etegent technology, the military will be able to monitor the pressure and temperature conditions of the chambers. Dr Shelley added that since it is critical to monitor the conditions such as vibration, pressure, strain and temperature when the engines are in operation, with the help of the new grant, Etegent will add networking capabilities and temperature measurements for improved diagnostic results. The measurements and the sensors will be part of a control loop, which will ensure that the internal conditions of the chamber remain stable and optimal.
The improved sensor solution will help in improving diagnostics, monitoring, controls and prognostics for a variety of mechanical machinery used in commercial and military applications.
Source: http://www.etegent.com/