SBIR/STTR Award attributes
The Air Force desires technologies demonstrating value and commercial success in non-defense applications which will solve current Air Force problems. Gears are central functioning parts to most mechanical systems such as engine transmissions. Fuel consumption and maintenance costs are significantly increased due to efficiency losses resulting from friction and wear of gears. The development of chemical vibratory polishing substantially improved gear efficiency, but no equivalent progress has been made in more than a decade. United Protective Technologies has engineered nanocomposite coatings (NCCs) which have demonstrated considerable improvement in dynamic load-bearing applications such as gears and needle bearings. NCCs applied to automotive race engine ring and pinion gears resulted in a 3.5 horsepower average increase in engine dynamometer testing leading to considerable commercial success of these coatings in that industry. Experimental simulations of UAV engine needle bearings created remarkable increases of 3,000X in stable, low-friction bearing operation and 2,000,000X decrease in material wear. UPT will identify Air Force air and ground vehicle transmissions and other gear applications where the gear tooth loads and gear sizes are similar to the automotive race engines and are therefore expected to realize efficiency and service life gains from NCC application.
