AFRL Program Offers Engineers Prime Facilities, Opportunities

  • Published
  • By Dr. Jamie Tily
  • Materials and Manufacturing
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio --  AFRL designed and managed the Institute for Science and Engineering Simulation (ISES) Program, allowing researchers access to state-of-the-art material characterization, modeling and simulation facilities. ISES enables the design of experiments aimed at identifying damage and failure mechanisms of structurally significant aircraft components and structures.

Research conducted at ISES to improve the durability and reliability of aircraft structures and engines will result in extended service life of aircraft. These improvements also enhance the safety and success of US military missions and personnel. The program has already resulted in multiple applications and material classes; imaging and characterization techniques that have been transitioned; advanced models for life prediction of propulsion components; 30 refereed journal papers; and new Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) topics. The ISES's leading-edge facility is quickly becoming a nationally recognized destination for research and education in computer simulation techniques and predictive tools.

Materials used to construct Air Force aircraft must be designed with structural integrity and be resistant to fatigue and failure in extreme conditions, including excessive heat, cold, wind and sand. AFRL and the University of North Texas established the ISES to address complex research issues related to aircraft materials operating under these harsh environmental conditions. Coupled with the university's federally funded Center for Advanced Research and Technology and Center of Advanced Scientific Computing and Modeling, ISES provides a unique research environment in which state-of-the-art material characterization and analysis can occur with the use of highly advanced computation tools.

Currently, AFRL builds task descriptions, establishes milestones, and manages technical evaluations and oversight for ISES efforts. ISES currently has three major thrusts, including: Influences of Microstructure and Chemistry on Mechanical Properties of Advanced Propulsion Materials; Life Cycle Prediction of Critical Jet Engine Components; and Hybrid/Composite Materials for Aerospace Applications. A fourth thrust will be initiated in 2011, namely Evaluation of In-Service Aerospace Components. Research at the ISES is conducted by 17 professors from five universities and more than 20 post-doctoral researchers and graduate students. The research activities are relevant to the needs of the aerospace industry via close collaborations between ISES researchers and original equipment manufacturers. In addition, ISES researchers collaborate internationally with researchers at Monash University in Australia, Korea Institute of Advanced Science and Technology in South Korea, the Indian Institutes of Technology and the Indian Institute of Science in India.

To date, ISES program funding has led to several significant accomplishments, including a new computational model and experimental inputs for predicting creep failure of turbine blades in jet engines by applying weight at a high temperature to study how it deforms. This capability is expected to extend lifetime for turbine blades. The ISES program has also developed a new ceramic coating for turbine engine bushings that will allow them to operate at high temperatures, and a novel hybrid material for next-generation aircraft that offers temperature and fracture resistance, high hardness, strength and novel in-situ lubrication characteristics.