LAFAYETTE, CO -- Sporian Microsystems, a developer of sensors and sensor systems, has been awarded a contract from the US Air Force to investigate the merit of its proprietary polymer derived ceramic as a non-planar, conformal, thin film, high temperature sensor that will be used to monitor temperature and strain in aircraft engines that often exceed temperatures of 1250°C/2300°F. The effort leverages Sporian's expertise in areas including materials science and micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS).
"Our goal is to develop sensors for blades and vanes for various compressor stages of turbines. The size and shape of the sensor needs to be such that it doesn't interfere with the air flow. Such a capability could initially help improve the design of new turbines and eventually be used to improve the availability and performance of these systems," said Sporian principal investigator Dr. Yiping Liu.
The US Air Force Materials & Manufacturing Directorate at Wright Patterson Air Force Base will monitor the results of Sporian's development efforts. Sporian is also working with turbine propulsion OEMs to determine functional requirements for the sensor. Beyond the DoD, Sporian recognizes opportunities in commercial aerospace, electricity generation, thermal protection system, and oil field applications.
About Sporian
Sporian Microsystems, Inc. is an aggressive sensors and packaging company. Sporian develops, markets, manufactures and sells a family of novel sensors, multiple sensor-suites, sensor-subsystems and sensor data-loggers. These systems communicate via wireless and wired interconnects, and they deliver several key features, including portability (small size and low power consumption), low cost, and high COTS content. The company owns deep technical, marketing and managerial talent and a strong, differentiated intellectual property and patent base. Sporian is pursuing a product development roadmap that includes four interrelated product lines: environmental sensors including such parameters as temperature, vibration, humidity, shock, and chemical species present in the environment; biological and chemical sensors for environmental contaminant and serum pathogen detection; sensors, coatings and packaging for harsh, high temperature and pressure environments; and systems to integrate sensors with signal processing, data logging, wired and wireless communications, and interface software.