STREAM - Snake robotics for on-engine advanced thermal mapping

**动机：**脱碳和提高发动机效率是未来30年飞机推进的主要推动力。烧成温度越高，效率越高。净零碳飞行很可能使用氢基燃料。这两种途径都需要设计新的更坚固的材料和冷却方案，以承受恶劣的热条件。因此，对发动机内部温度分布的全面了解对于现代飞机发动机的设计过程至关重要。**解决方案：**传感器涂层系统（SCS）目前提供一种使能的温度映射技术，帮助客户验证航空和发电燃气轮机行业的新设计。该技术结合了温度记忆材料、先进的光学仪器和自动化技术，生成了包含成百上千个数据点的数字化地图。目前的测量是在“发动机外”进行的：组件在实验室中进行测试，这需要拆卸发动机，这是一项昂贵且耗时的工作！**项目目标：**开发一个功能齐全的蛇形机器人原型，将在实验室环境中使用模拟实际发动机的真实发动机部件进行测试。灵活的原型机器人将能够在模拟发动机环境中导航，接近目标表面并进行测量，类似于标准的SCS测量探头。原型还应利用解析模型、视觉和图像处理工具，根据部件三维Cad模型的直角坐标计算出测量点的空间位置。**好处**：这项新技术不仅能使发动机制造商大幅降低测试成本，而且还能加快绿色发动机设计的开发时间，因为数字化数据将更快地获得，并将为下一代发动机的设计提供信息。这对于氢燃料发动机的快速部署至关重要。**联合体：** SCS和伦敦玛丽女王大学（QMUL），都位于伦敦东区，正在组建一个高度技术和文化多元化的团队来完成这个项目。QMUL将提供丰富的世界领先的机器人专业知识和先进的机器学习方法，而SCS对测量技术、相关仪器、最终用户需求和现有客户群有着深刻的理解。**商业化和创造就业机会：** SCS为其全球客户群提供测量服务，该项目将使公司能够在适当的技术支持下，基于技术许可开发新的收入来源。QMUL和SCS将建立更紧密的联系，以支持研究该技术的博士或硕士学生，并在SCS提供高技能的就业机会。

**Motivation:** Decarbonisation and higher engine efficiencies are the main drivers for aircraft propulsion over the coming three decades. Higher efficiencies can be achieved with higher firing temperature. Net Zero Carbon flight will most likely utilise hydrogen based fuels. Both pathways require the design of new more robust materials and cooling schemes to withstand the harsh thermal conditions. Hence a complete knowledge of temperature distributions within the engine will be essential for the design process of modern aircraft engines.**Solution:** Sensor Coating Systems (SCS) currently provides an enabling temperature mapping technology which assists customers to validate new designs in the aviation and power generation gas turbine industry. The technology uses a combination of temperature memory materials, advances in optical instrumentation and automation to generate digitised maps with hundreds and thousands of data points. Currently the measurements are conducted 'off-engine': the components are interrogated in a laboratory which requires the disassembly of the engine -- a costly and time consuming exercise!**Project Objective:** Develop a fully functional snake-like robot prototype that will be tested in a laboratory environment using real engine components that will mimic an actual engine. The flexible prototype robot will be able to navigate inside the mock-up engine environment, approach a target surface and take measurements, similar to standard SCS measurement probe. The prototype should also make use of analytic models, visual and image processing tools, to calculate the spatial location of the measurement points based on the cartesian coordinates of the component’s 3D Cad model. **Benefits**: Not only will the new technology enable the engine manufacturer to realise a significant reduction of testing costs,, but the technology will also accelerate the development times for greener engine designs as the digitised data will be available more rapidly and will inform the designs of next generation engines. This will be crucial for the rapid deployment of hydrogen fuelled engines.**Consortium:** SCS and Queen Mary University London (QMUL), both situated in the east end of London, are forming a highly technical and culturally diverse team to deliver this project. QMUL will provide a wealth of world leading robotics expertise with advanced machine learning methods, whilst SCS has a deep understanding of the measurement technology, associated instrumentation, end-user requirements and existing customer base.**Commercialisation and job generation:** SCS provides a measurement service to its global client base, this project will enable the company to develop a new revenue stream based on technology licensing with appropriate technical support. QMUL and SCS will form closer links to support PhD or MSc students working on the technology and provide highly-skilled employment opportunities within SCS.