Aerospace Propulsion

Abstract

This effort develops propulsion and power technologies to achieve enabling and revolutionary aerospace technology capabilities. The effort 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 2021, the Aerospace Systems RDT&E Budget Activity 02 (BA02) efforts and activities under PE 0602203F, Aerospace Propulsion, and PE 0602201F, Aerospace Vehicle Technologies, are realigned and consolidated into PE 0602201F, Aerospace Vehicle Technologies, to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of internal Air Force Research Laboratory Aerospace Systems Technology Directorate operations to finalize the 2012 merger of the Air Vehicles Directorate and Propulsion Directorate; and to better support the National Defense Strategy, Air Force Future Operating Concept, and the Air Force Science and Technology Strategy, April 2019. All transfers detailed below are administrative realignments for consolidation, and not new starts. This work will continue to be executed by the Air Force Research Laboratory Aerospace Systems Technology Directorate located either in Wright Patterson Air Force Base, OH or Edwards Air Force Base, CA. In FY 2021, the entirety of PE 0602203F, Aerospace Propulsion, Project 623066, Turbine Engine Technology, is transferred to PE 0602201F, Aerospace Vehicle Technologies, Project 623066, Turbine Engine Technology. In FY 2021, the entirety of PE 0602203F, Aerospace Propulsion, Project 623048, Combustion & Mechanical Systems is transferred to PE 0602201F, Aerospace Vehicle Technologies, Project 623066, Turbine Engine Technology. In FY 2021, the entirety of PE 0602203F, Aerospace Propulsion, Project 625330, Aerospace Fuel Technology is transferred to PE 0602201F, Aerospace Vehicle Technologies, Project 625330, Aerospace Fuel Technology. In FY 2021, the entirety of PE 0602203F, Aerospace Propulsion, Project 624847 , Rocket Propulsion Technology, is transferred to PE 0602201F, Aerospace Vehicle Technologies, Project 624847, Rocket Propulsion Technology. In FY 2021, the entirety of PE 0602203F, Aerospace Propulsion, Project 623012, Advanced Propulsion Technology is transferred to PE 0602201F, Aerospace Vehicle Technologies, Project 622405, High Speed Systems Technology. This program element may include necessary civilian pay expenses required to manage, execute, and deliver science & technology capabilities. The use of such program funds would be in addition to the civilian pay expenses budgeted in program elements 0601102F, 0602102F, 0602202F, 0602203F, 0602204F, 0602602F, 0602605F, 0602788F, 1206601SF, and 0602298F. 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, 2021
• Source ID: 0602203F_2_3600_PB_2021
• Change Summary Explanation: Decrease in FY 2019 in Other Adjustments of $8.330 million is due to realignment of funds to PE 0602212F to support Research and Development Projects, 10 U.S.C. Section 2363, an amendment to PL 110-417, 10 U.S.C. Section 2358 and 10 U.S.C. 2805(d)(1)(B). Decrease in FY 2021 of $196.753 million is due realignment of the entirety of PE 0602203F, Aerospace Propulsion, to PE 0602201F, Aerospace Vehicle Technologies, to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of internal Aerospace Systems Technology Directorate operations to finalize the 2012 merger of the Air Vehicles Directorate and Propulsion Directorate.
• Service Agency Name: Air Force

Entities

Organizations

• United States Air Force

Tags

Communities of Interest

• Air Platforms
• Space
• Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

• Aircrafts
• Carburetors
• Computational Fluid Dynamics
• Energy Management
• Fuel Efficiency
• Hybrid Power
• Jet Engine Fuels
• Materials Laboratories
• Materials Processing
• Materials Science
• Materials Testing
• Rocket Engines
• Rocket Propulsion
• Spacecraft
• Turbine Components
• Turbojet Engines
• Unmanned Aerial Systems

Fields of Study

• Physics

Readers

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

Technology Areas

• Hypersonics
• Space
• Space - Hall-Effect Thruster