Small-Engine-Specific Research Nets Dedicated Facility Published July 8, 2010 By Tom Brown Propulsion WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio -- The Air Force Research Laboratory recently established its Small-Engine Research Laboratory, a state-of-the-art facility specially designed to help scientists and engineers fulfill a diverse range of research objectives related to small engines. Using SERL capabilities, researchers can better conduct experiments for optimizing small-scale propulsion and power systems performance, including work towards reducing system fuel consumption; maximizing system energy density; and improving system performance on logistically supported fuels (i.e., jet fuel, diesel, alternative fuels). The small-scale systems (0.1-100 kW) to which the SERL caters are common to unmanned aircraft system platforms. Further, these systems typically rely on commercial off-the-shelf solutions that have not been optimized for military operations and thus exhibit narrow performance range; limited tuning; and specific, non-logistically-supported fuel requirements. Counter to these COTS-based limitations are the ever-expanding needs for advanced UAS mission capability, such as increased payload, range, and loiter time. AFRL's creation of a dedicated SERL resource demonstrates its commitment to addressing these and similarly critical operational requirements, with initial SERL research already contributing--via heavy-fuel conversion technology and improved combustion controls--to a threefold decrease in fuel consumption for a Group II UAS (21-55 lbm).