BLACKSBURG, Va. and MCLEAN, Va., Sept. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. Senator John Warner (R-VA) has announced that Prime Research, LC, a subsidiary of Prime Photonics, LC, has been selected by the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC), Carderock-Philadelphia to receive $ 1,999,682 for a program to develop and manufacture fiber optic sensors for the U.S. Navy. The goal of the program is to develop high temperature photonic sensor instrumentation to support the Navy's Condition Based Maintenance (CBM) program for marine power gas turbine engines in order to increase the efficiency, reliability, and performance of turbine-powered surface ships.

Senator Warner, the Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said, "Our Navy is always looking for new technologies to become even more efficient, and I am pleased that this exciting, Virginia-based program will help our Sailors do just that."

The competitively bid award will result in a new generation of fiber optic based pressure, flow, temperature, and strain sensor systems for gas turbine engines for both legacy and future shipboard propulsion systems. Initially, the NSWC program will develop a suite of pressure, flow, and temperature sensor systems specifically designed for the Rolls Royce 501-K17/34 and General Electric LM2500 gas turbine engines with subsequent applications on the next generation of Rolls Royce and General Electric turbines. Additionally, the sensor systems developed under this program will have applications for similar gas turbine platforms within the Navy, Army, Air Force, Department of Energy, and the commercial turbine industry.
"The Navy's Condition Based Maintenance program is critical to life cycle support and reduced maintenance requirements for the fleet's gas turbine engines," stated Alan Karpovitch, NSWC Marine Gas Turbine Program Manager. "Fiber optic sensors will provide a vital component to advanced shipboard controls in support of the Navy's CBM initiatives."

With the integration of Condition Based Maintenance and the replacement of all controls on existing engines with Full Authority Digital Controls (FADC), sensor replacement is a critical step to ensure equipment health monitoring and the success of CBM technology, a major component of the Future Naval Capabilities Program. High temperature sensors from Prime Research will provide the Navy with data not previously available, but which is critical for improved engine health management for CBM.

"We are privileged to be able to assist the Navy with this important sensor program," noted Joseph Swider, President of Prime Photonics, LC. "We have dedicated a highly skilled team to this initiative and are intensely committed to meeting and exceeding the goals of this sensor program for our Navy customer."
Prime Research has assembled a diverse team of engineers, scientists, manufacturing personnel, and turbine specialists to ensure the technical and scheduling components of this program are fully executed. Prime Research has also teamed with Noesis, Inc. of Arlington, VA to leverage their substantial technical and unique operational knowledge of gas turbine engines and generators on Navy and commercial vessels.

According to Richard J. Martin, President of Noesis, Inc., "We are excited to be assisting Prime by providing highly experienced project management expertise and liaison with the U.S. Navy for this innovative technology that promises highly reliable and accurate sensors and systems for present and future critical requirements for the U.S. Navy."

The new turbine sensor program will leverage several significant initiatives underway at Prime Research to commercialize a family of fiber optic sensors for military and commercial applications. Prime's growth will contribute to the overall economic health of Virginia through additional high paying jobs, increased local capital expenditures, and a further expansion of fiber optic and photonics expertise in the Mid-Atlantic.

ABOUT THE PRIME PHOTONICS GROUP

Prime Photonics, LC and Prime Research, LC (http://www.primeresearchlc.com/) focus on commercialization and research and development of photonic sensor systems for harsh environments in industries such as propulsion, aerospace, defense, energy, industrial, nuclear, oil & gas production, homeland security, medical and power generation. The environments ideally suited for photonic sensors include harsh environments with high temperatures, high pressures, high electromagnetic and radiofrequency interferences, and/or corrosive atmospheres.

Another company in the Prime Photonics group dedicated to developing solutions to nationwide challenges is Prime NanoScience whose mission is the development and commercialization of nanotechnology for commercial and military applications.

Source: Prime Photonics, LC
CONTACT: Joseph Swider of Prime Photonics, LC, +1-540-961-2200
Web site: http://www.primephotonics.com/
http://www.primeresearchlc.com/