Piezoelectric materials for aero-engine control
The Advisory Council for Aviation Research and Innovation in Europe (ACARE) has set guidelines for the reduction of the environmental footprint of air transport. The introduction of active control technology is a potential route to improving aero-engine performance, thereby reducing pollutant emissions. The EU-funded project AEROPZT (Development of materials, processes, and means to enable the application of piezoelectric materials in aero engine controls) aimed to achieve precise control of fluid streams that enable combustion processes. Additional active control elements could manage lean combustion instabilities. To date, the ability to manage and manipulate fluid flow was limited by the characteristics of existing electromechanical and hydraulic actuation devices. These limitations included frequency change response, cyclic lifetime and durability under harsh operating conditions. AEROPZT partners turned to piezoelectric ceramic materials that have the potential to overcome these limitations. They developed piezoelectric ceramics capable of operating over a wide temperature range (from -40 oC to 180 oC), while maintaining a sufficient margin from the Curie temperature. New protective encapsulation systems and actuator designs were also introduced to ensure that piezoelectric elements operate reliably in a fuel-wetted environment. Importantly, the project team designed piezoelectric actuators capable of producing the force required for a fuel staging valve. Technologies developed for active control within AEROPZT is expected to have a broad range of applications. Beyond the requirements of the Clean Sky SAGE initiatives, the results will contribute to air flow manipulation for boundary layer control and to ensure safe operations of gas compression systems.
Keywords
Piezoelectric materials, aero-engine, active control, AEROPZT, actuation devices
