Generating electricity with a jet engine
Problem statement
Wars today are won with information and intelligence. To maintain an advantage on the battlefield the US Air Force needs to fly further and farther to gather more information for the troops on the ground. The ability to fly longer duration missions will allow UAVS to penetrate deeper into enemy territory and gain intel on previously inaccessible areas. UAVs fly longer distances with new age instrumentation that requires more on-board electric power. Batteries were initially thought of as a simple solution, but they are expensive and too heavy to carry on long flights. Converting rotation energy from the shaft into power has also been used, but it requires extensive modifications, expensive high-speed generators, and extensive testing and engine tuning. Thus, the US Airforce needs a new way to generate electricity from their JetCat P100-RX engine to increase the range of their UAVs so that they can perform longer missions. We intend to develop a solution that produces electricity using wasted heat energy extracted from the exhaust stream of the jet engine. Ultimately our solution is planned to produce over 80W of usable electric power which will result in the increased ability to gather intelligence to better protect personnel on the front lines. These personnel could be you, your son, or daughter.
Team members
Miles Perkins – leader
Tyler Lee – communicator
Mike Yee – accountant
Jake Schraufnagel – admin
Client