Safe operation of the Navy lighterage system occurs below sea state 3. Presently, sea state estimation is made by Navy personnel and is dependent on their level of experience. This subjective estimation reduces combat effectiveness because high-risk lighterage operations are conducted when the sea state is too high, or operations are not conducted when they could be. The automated Sea State Predictor provides a more accurate and reliable determination of the current sea state. It relies on measurements the warping tug’s motion. Creare’s SSP is designed to be a stand-alone unit that can be mounted in a tug wheelhouse. The system leverages off-the-shelf hardware components to reduce development risk and reduce cost and required development time.
Creare is an engineering leader, consulting with a core focus on thermal fluid science. The Engine Particle and Ingestion Classifier (EPIC) technology is a sensor suite that characterizes sand and dust ingestion in gas turbine engines in terms of the amount, size, and composition of the ingested particles. The data can be used to provide warning when an aircraft is at risk due to particle ingestion, or to plan and optimize engine maintenance. Other classification approaches are either too complex and massive for flight, or they do not provide enough data to classify the particles and determine relevant metrics. This technology targets any military system using gas turbine engines for propulsion or power. It is most relevant to aircraft where it may not be practical to filter the particles. The initial platform is T700 which is used in Blackhawk variants. Other relevant platforms are V-22 and F-35. We are looking for pull from a defense customer such as a Navy helicopter PMA or engine OEM that allows for the EPIC technology to be transitioned. The most likely transition path would be to license the technology to an existing preferred supplier of engine sensors and components.
Cryogenic refrigerators are needed to cool superconducting magnets for future naval operations. We are developing a critical refrigeration component: a compact, high-efficiency, cryogenic heat exchanger (HX). The HX builds on Creare’s expertise in thermal / fluid engineering and fabrication and manufacturing process development, particularly our innovative, additive manufacturing technology used to build recuperators for small gas turbines. Our cryogenic HX will enable a compact, efficient cryocooler that will, in turn, enable use of superconducting magnets for a range of advanced naval applications, including superconducting power generation, power distribution, and magnetic energy storage. We seek customers that require superconducting systems for these advanced applications. We seek partners who build superconducting components and prime contractors who build vehicles and platforms that incorporate superconducting systems.
Navy rotorcraft components sustain damage from flight operations, logistics handling, and removal and replacement during maintenance. Blending away the damages to reduce stress risers may cause fatigue cracking, and blending lowers thickness in the repair location reducing the ability for future repair capability. Damage that exceeds design tolerances generally cause the component to be scrapped. Creare has developed a compact repair system for full dimensional and strength restoration of aircraft components to enhance the logistics and maintenance of Navy aircraft. Our Compact Repair System miniaturizes additive friction stir technology using compact, high speed spindles and additive tools to facilitate repair of such damage and to return the component at or above its original strength.
Vibration induced noise in propeller and rotary aircraft can exceed attenuation capabilities of flight helmet systems. Aircrew exposure to high vibration induced noise compromises safety and increases mission risk. Creare’s Flight Head and Hearing Protection System (FHHPS) is a modular upgrade kit that provides substantial reduction in helmet vibration and noise. The kit consists of passive helmet vibration dampers and replacement ear cups. The vibration damper is tuned to the propeller or rotor blade pass frequency of the target airframe and placed on the outside of the helmet. Prop or rotor vibration is absorbed by the damper and cancelled in the helmet. The dampers and our high volume replacement ear cups add up to >15 dB of attenuation greatly reducing noise exposure, noise-related fatigue, and missed radio calls.
Creare has developed a compact waste-to-energy (WTE) system designed to process up to four tons per day of heterogeneous solid waste. Our key innovation is drop-through ionic gasification technology from partner Cogent Energy Systems. This technology fully converts waste in a single stage for maximum energy efficiency and system reliability by completely immersing waste feedstock in a plasma zone reaching 10,000oC, which entirely dissociates organic matter to its atomic state. The atoms/ions reform as ultra-pure, multi-purpose synthesis gas capable of producing surplus electricity and/or fuels. A full-scale WTE system is operational at Cogent’s facility in Idaho Falls where safety and performance testing is reducing program risk. Our 2019 goal is to deliver an on-site, full-scale system designed for in-situ operational testing, evaluation, and validation.
Our Compact Repair System (CRS) uses miniaturized, additive friction stir welding to reinforce thinning fuel system pipes in challenging areas. Creare LLC is an applied engineering research and development firm, with a long history of developing and transitioning advanced technologies for defense applications. The USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) is the near-term target customer for this technology. Our CRS will reduce costs, improve quality, and increase flexibility. We have demonstrated the key elements of the CRS and how these elements far exceed the Navy’s requirements. The ultimate goal is to transition our technology to our product-focused sister-company who will build, sell, and support our system in response to a Navy procurement.
Creare’s Carbureted Fuel Injection System (CFIS) is a fueling system that enhances the stability and robustness of augmentor combustion. The target application is the F135 engine that is currently used in the F-35. Augmentors must operate reliably over a large flight envelope, and issues such as augmentor screech can limit the flight envelope and thrust of the augmentor. CFIS fuel injectors more-optimally fuel the augmentor, leading to enhanced combustion stability and more robust overall combustion. This benefits all aspects of augmentor performance including stability, thrust, pattern factor, and emissions. The CFIS technology designed allows retrofit on existing engines and was recently demonstrated in a high-fidelity rig test at AFRL-WPAFB. Currently developing a CFIS hardware set and anticipate a demonstration during CY 2018. Creare is an engineering R&D services firm that has developed innovative thermal/fluid technology and helped solve our clients’ most challenging problems since 1961. Creare seeks to obtain exposure for this technology within the F-35 program, and also establish relationships with additional programs involving gas turbine augmentors for future systems.
Creare’s microchannel recuperator technology increases the time on station for unmanned aircraft by reducing fuel consumption. The target application is the Navy’s MQ-8C Fire Scout unmanned rotorcraft used for reconnaissance, situational awareness, and precision targeting support and is powered by a Rolls-Royce M250 turboshaft engine. Innovative fabrication techniques and design features enable an inexpensive, lightweight, high performance, modular heat exchanger, while innovative sealing technology contributes to excellent durability making Creare’s recuperator extremely well-suited for use with turboshaft engines. We project a 25-30% increase in loiter time for an MQ-8C powered by a recuperated engine compared to a non-recuperated engine. A single module has met its thermal and flow performance requirements and survived 30 thermal cycles with no degradation in performance. We are building a full size (28-module) recuperator and will demonstrate performance and durability by testing with a Rolls-Royce M250 engine. Creare is an engineering R&D services firm that has developed innovative thermal/fluid technology and helped solve our clients’ most challenging problems since 1961. Creare seeks to establish relationships with additional Navy programs that need to increase the endurance of UAVs powered by gas turbine engines.
Creare is developing the SafetyCool Lithium-Ion battery management architecture, a multi-tiered combination of advanced thermal management and electronic battery management system (BMS) components designed to maintain cooler battery cells and reduce the risk of thermal runaway while provided advanced battery management capabilities. Creare is developing the SafetyCool system for NAVAIR as a potential lead acid replacement for the F/A-18 as an initial technology demonstrator. Improved thermal management lowers cell operating temperatures, improving cell efficiency, thermo-electrical performance and reliability, while significantly improving safety. The SafetyCool architecture is based upon advanced vapor-transport thermal management and advanced BMS previously developed and demonstrated for multiple military and industrial partners by Creare, an established engineering R&D firm with over 50 years of experience. Creare is searching for interested Navy PMAs and battery manufacturers that can use the SafetyCool architecture to manufacture licensed battery pack designs for both initial system design and for lead-acid replacement efforts.
The technology consists of an ultra-high-frequency ultrasound transducer installed on a robotic arm that locates and sizes recrystallized volumes in single-crystal nickel-base turbine blades and vanes to assess creep-worthiness. Our innovation could provide Engine OEM’s with the confidence level needed to accept or reject high-value component parts prior to engine assembly. Phase I testing has demonstrated the feasibility of detecting recrystallized volumes of representative size using ultra-high-frequency ultrasound. Creare is an engineering services company that commercializing innovations by licensing technology to existing organizations or by the creation of autonomous product companies. The ultimate goal is to integrate this technology into prime contractor and government facilities for assembly-line and maintenance-based inspection.
