Achieving AFRL Universal FADEC Vision With Open Architecture Addressing Capability and Obsolescence for Military and Commercial Applications (Preprint)
Abstract
The United States Air Force (USAF) has over 24,000 aircraft which include over 47,000 turbine engines. The aircraft systems are expensive and must be routinely modernized or upgraded to keep pace with threats, missions, and advancing technology. Each modern turbine engine includes controls and accessories which cost about 1/5 of the total cost of an engine. The main component of controls and accessories are the Full Authority Digital Engine Controls (FADECs). Currently, legacy FADEC systems are both unique and dedicated to their specific weapon system. Engine FADECs are built for three primary applications, military aviation, commercial aviation, and ground based power turbines. Today, each FADEC design is unique within its application class. Future goals are to establish a universal or common standard for engine controls and accessories which includes FADECs. This will significantly reduce the costs of both development and support across DOD platforms, costs which are currently extremely high.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 01, 2006
- Accession Number
- ADA466151
Entities
People
- Alireza R. Behbahani
Organizations
- Air Force Research Laboratory