Turbines for Peace

This article discusses that military-sponsored research tools can improve the machines that drive civil applications. The Defense Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA) researchers tested the engine of the legendary DeHavilland Vampire single seat jet fighter in the late 1940s. This Vampire is owned by Fred Ihlenburg, president of Yakity Yaks Inc., an importer of foreign military aircraft, based in Aurora, Oregon. DERA is investigating heat transfer on turbine blades to help gas turbine manufacturers develop a cooling system that will keep blades at an optimum temperature while minimizing losses in engine performance. More efficient cooling means less air is bled from the compressor, thus improving performance while extending blade life. This work was co-funded by the Central European Commission under the Brite Euram Fourth-Framework Initiative, which is part of the European Union’s strategy to enhance European global competitiveness, and Britain’s Department of Trade and Industry’s Civil Aircraft Research and Technology Demonstration Program. The British program aims to advance the capabilities of the United Kingdom’s civil aerospace companies.