Aerospace Propulsion

Abstract

This program develops propulsion and power technologies to achieve enabling and revolutionary aerospace technology capabilities. The program has six projects, each focusing on a technology area critical to the Air Force. The Advanced Propulsion Technology project develops high-speed air breathing propulsion engines to include combined cycle, ramjet, and hypersonic scramjet technologies to enable revolutionary propulsion capability for the Air Force. The Combustion and Mechanical Systems project develops engine mechanical system technologies: bearings, seals, drives, and lubricants as well as combustion components, concepts, and technologies for legacy and advanced turbine engines. The Turbine Engine Technology project develops enabling capabilities to enhance performance and affordability of existing weapon systems and develops component technologies for ultra high pressure ratio, substantially improved durability, and adaptive cycle engine architecture to provide optimized performance, fuel efficiency, and life for widely varying mission needs. The Aerospace Power Technology project develops electrical power and thermal control technologies for military applications that remove operational limitations and enable advanced vehicle designs and high-power mission systems. The Rocket Propulsion Technology project develops advances in rocket propulsion technologies for space access, space maneuver, missiles, the sustainment of strategic systems, and tactical rockets. The Aerospace Fuel Technology project evaluates hydrocarbon-based fuels for legacy and advanced turbine engines, scramjets, pulse detonation, and combined-cycle engines. Efforts in this program have been coordinated through the Department of Defense (DoD) Science and Technology (S&T) Executive Committee process to harmonize efforts and eliminate duplication. In FY 2018, a portion of HQ AFRL S&T civilian manpower in PE 0602203F, Aerospace Propulsion, was transferred to PE 0602298F, Science and Technology Management - Major Headquarters Activities, to provide increased transparency to Congress on personnel in Major Headquarters Activities (MHA). This program is in Budget Activity 2, Applied Research because this budget activity includes studies, investigations, and non-system specific technology efforts directed toward general military needs with a view toward developing and evaluating the feasibility and practicality of proposed solutions and determining their parameters.

Document Details

• Document Type: R2 Budgetary Justification
• Publication Date: Oct 01, 2018
• Source ID: 0602203F_2_3600_PB_2018
• Change Summary Explanation: Decrease in FY 2016 reflects reprogramming to support Research and Development Projects, 10 U.S.C. Section 2358. Decrease in FY 2018 is due to realignment for autonomy and laser weapons systems priorities and transfer of some HQ AFRL civilian manpower to PE 0602298F, Science and Technology Management - Major Headquarters Activities.
• Service Agency Name: Air Force

Entities

Organizations

• United States Air Force

Tags

Communities of Interest

• Air Platforms
• Energy and Power Technologies
• Space
• Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

• Carburetors
• Computational Fluid Dynamics
• Fuel Efficiency
• Heat Transfer
• Hybrid Power
• Ignition Lag
• Ionic Liquids
• Jet Engine Fuels
• Materials Laboratories
• Materials Processing
• Materials Science
• Materials Testing
• Rocket Engines
• Rocket Propulsion
• Space Propulsion
• Turbine Components
• Turbojet Engines

Fields of Study

• Physics

Readers

• Aerospace Engineering
• Military Science and Technology Research and Modernization.

Technology Areas

• Hypersonics
• Space
• Space - Hall-Effect Thruster