Materials Needs and R&D Strategy for Future Military Aerospace Propulsion Systems (2011) / Chapter Skim
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5 Elements of an Effective R&D Strategy
5 Elements of an Effective R&D Strategy
Pages 131-144
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From page 131... ...
Performance continued to increase rapidly in metals, alloys, and processes owing to relatively easy development programs that were based on clear paths; however, the curve began to become asymptotic as evolutionary changes in materials no longer led to revolutionary increases in performance.
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From page 132... ...
In addition, the development time to mature fundamental discoveries to high 6.2-level materials candidates has changed little, whereas the time required for engine development has decreased owing to the use of integrated product development teams and computational methods. The fact is that even if a new IHPTET-like materials development program were linked to a long-term, stable engine-demonstration program, there are few materials candidates remaining to mature.
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From page 133... ...
5.2 ELEMENTS OF AN EFFECTIVE STRATEGY The closest thing to a structural materials development "strategy" that the committee found in its study is the joint Advanced Materials Development Plan of the Materials and Manufacturing and the Propulsion and Power Directorates dis cussed in Chapter 3. That plan does an excellent job in identifying many structural materials advances required for future Air Force propulsion systems.
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From page 134... ...
Any national strategy may involve champions, but their existence, if they are needed, should be structural and driven by requirements. The characteristics that should be part of a national strategy for developing advanced structural materials to meet evolving Air Force capability requirements are listed below and discussed individually in the succeeding sections: 1.
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From page 135... ...
5.2.1 Regular Directorate Reviews of Propulsion Materials Requirements, Objectives, and Execution Plans The environment in which technology is developed has changed dramatically over the years, and it will continue to change with the ongoing globalization of society and of economies. It is thus important to review and amend the propulsion materials plan, such as the one developed jointly by the AFRL directorates, on a regular basis.
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From page 136... ...
must be found for making 6.1 program managers aware of the need for transitioning these to 6.2 efforts, and 6.2 efforts are the responsibilities of the AFRL directorates. One way to do this is to involve AFOSR program managers in the development and review of the Advanced Materials Development Plan.
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From page 137... ...
While it is important that clear requirements are defined to aid in the selection of 6.1 candidates for maturation and process development, these requirements need not be tied to specific engine developments. In fact, history tells us that similar requirements exist for a number of capability goals; for example, the need for high-temperature materials in the last stages of a compressor is just as applicable to high-Mach-number, high-performance aircraft engines as it is to lower-Mach-number, high-efficiency aircraft engines.
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From page 138... ...
It is equally important that the strate gies for the wise use of windfalls and the retention of knowledge and materials options once these funds end be part of an overall national strategy. 5.2.5 Continued Development of Computational Approaches to Shorten Materials Development Time As already discussed, the time to develop materials to the point of insertion remains long compared to the development time for a new engine.
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From page 139... ...
These closer ties will necessarily require coordination and cooperation between the AFOSR and the AFRL, but under the present structure and funding levels, one can expect that adding these goals to existing programs will have only marginal impact. A possible approach that might be considered is a consortium arrangement involving the DOD, academia, and industry, and perhaps NASA, similar to the approach taken by DOD's Joint Technology Office for Directed Energy, which
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From page 140... ...
The committee encourages organizations charged with the development of advanced structural materials to consider developing some sort of consortium program that attempts to link academia, government, and industry. Such a pro gram could help to bridge any number of shortfalls identified by this study.
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From page 141... ...
The ongoing Defense Science and Technology Reliance 21 Materials and Processes Program, set up to coordinate efforts between DOD agencies, has been somewhat effective. In such a coordination program the emphasis is usually directed toward minimizing duplication, but care should also be taken to emphasize cooperation and taking advantage of synergies in R&D efforts.
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From page 142... ...
Ways will have to be found to adequately implement and enforce existing legal safeguards for IP, innovative approaches to the sharing of IP will need to be considered, and the U.S. government will need to provide more clarity and more efficient application of ITAR and of export control laws.
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From page 143... ...
It should involve industry, academia, and other government entities, and it should selectively consider global partners for pre-competitive collaboration. Essential elements of the strategy include a steering committee, feedback metrics, and a risk reduction plan based on systems engineering practices.
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From page 144... ...
government enti ties, including the Department of Commerce, should proactively encourage such pre-competitive research opportunities and develop ways to facilitate knowledge transfer within wide, acceptable boundaries. Recommendation: The research activities of the Air Force Office of Scientific Re search should tie more closely to AFRL propulsion materials needs so as to provide a path to insertion.
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