The Red Brick Times

While researching different links about ceramics, and specifically the remote unmanned drone that will use the ceramic rotary Regi-Cam engine, I found testimony before the House Armed Services Committee by the Pres/CEO of Advanced Ceramics Research, Inc. (Tucson, Arizona).
The Testimony, dated March 12, 2002, includes military subcontract numbers and details of ceramic applications being done by this company. ACR was formed in 1989 as a spin off from work done at the University of Arizona.

This report reads like a who's who of leading Corporations, Universities and Laboratories. Military-funded research is alive and well across the USA. Your tax dollars at work. But the report goes to great lengths to emphasize potential domestic and economic applications and benefits from the research.

They are working on things like F14 engine parts as well as better drilling and machining tools. Also on things like leading edges for hypersonic vehicles, missle hot gas valve components, rocket motor casing mandrels, fuel cell structures, air ducting, water bomb casing mandrels, airfoil sections, fuel inlet sections, yacht bait well sections, bath tubs, showers, aircraft seats, and bus seats, to name a few.

The low-cost unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) surveillance drone is part of the SWARM system ( Smart Warfighter Array of Reconfigurable Modules). The SWARM is a small lightweight expendable UAV which costs less than $2,000 each, flies autonomously for 24 hours, has a 1500 nautical mile range at 60 knots, and will run on JP-5 fuel. The primary function of the SWARM vehicle is to provide very low cost aerial flight surveillance imaging for 24-hour periods with up to 1500mile range, while not requiring extensive operator training and or ground support operations. The vehicle is designed to carry sensor payload packages weighing up to 4 lbs and with power consumption of 25 watts or less.

The program includes development of high efficiency ceramic diesel engines for SWARM applications. The ceramics reduce the need for lubrication oil in the fuel and increase the operational temperature in the combustion chambers for more efficiency. "In addition, this technology when combined with high temperature polymer materials such as reinforced PEEK (polyether ether ketone)offers the opportunity to eliminate metal from the engine to improve detection avoidance and reduce weight."

The SWARM is of a modular design for easy interchangeability of wings, motor power modules, control system modules, and mission payload modules. Two nylon bolts are used to secure the modules together when they are plugged into each other. Four nylon bolts hold the wing on to a cradle attached to the payload module.

See ACR's Unmanned Vehicle Systems site. Check the Silver Fox UAV to see how the modules work together.

Another, more peaceful ceramic application from the University of Arizona and ACR has been funded by the Office of Naval Research. Navy Contract # N00014-00-C-0329 supports a program whose concept is to allow automated generation of an artificial bone segment from CAT scanned image files, which can then be directly implanted into the body. Existing bone material would then grow into the artificial component as the body degrades that artificial segment, thus leaving only natural bone. Not ceramic, but a Japanese group has recently developed a spongy artificial bone material that is replaced by real bone growth within 90 days. They plan to go to market in 2007 or 2008. Toshiba Ceramics has a bone substitute that allows bone to grow into it over time. NASA is researching artificial bone implants to improve replacement joint durability.

Other projects mentioned include ceramic armor, metal-ceramic structural foams (light struts, spars, masts, antennas) and extensive research on Fibrous Monoliths (FM) for applications in casting, injection molding, lamination, and even in tungsten projectiles designed to replace depleted uranium for close-in defensive weapons systems (see the Phalanx system for example). As far as using depleted uranium (DU) goes, look at an article published in the January 9, 2003 Seattle Post-Intelligencer titled "Toxic ammo is tested in fish areas".
Posted 3:40 PM by Andy (0) comments

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