JASC Thrust Vector Control Actuator

Private spaceflight company SpaceX is scheduled to launch its unmanned Dragon capsule to the International Space Station on Saturday, May 19 on a mission that marks the first time a commercially built spacecraft will link up with the orbiting outpost.

The Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to lift off Saturday at 4:55 a.m. EDT (0855 GMT) from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The flight will be used to test the spacecraft’s ability to rendezvous and dock with the space station.

NASA TV (http://www.nasa.gov/ntv) will provide live coverage of the launch. SpaceX also plans to provide a live webcast of the launch at its website http://www.spacex.com

JASC products will play an important role in this spaceflight milestone. JASC’s Thrust Vector Control Actuators are used on the nine first-stage Merlin engines and the single second-stage Merlin engine which also utilizes the JASC Bi-Propellant Valve for turbopump throttle control.

JASC Bi-Propellant Valve

Matt (on left) and Bill also participated in a poster presentation describing the JASC Active Combustion Control Valve concept that is currently in a Phase II SBIR. The High-Frequency Proportional Rotary Fuel Valve is designed to mitigate combustion instabilities at higher frequencies than have been previously achieved (~1000Hz) allowing gas turbines to run at operating points that produce lower emissions and higher performance.

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This article was originally published in Business Partners, 2nd Quarter, 2010

There are a wide range of gas turbine fuel systems being utilized throughout the world, many of which are dual fuel, meaning that they alternate between natural gas and diesel fuel for turbine operation. While significant advances have been made in the electronic control of these fuel media, the hardware remained virtually unchanged for the back-up liquid fuel system for decades. JASC developed a variety of products:

• Check valves which use water to cool their internal components preventing diesel fuel from solidifying while the turbine is operating on natural gas.
• Purge air check valves which are capable of sealing to an ANSI class 6 standards (bubble tight) while requiring only 1/2 psi of pressure to open.
• Water injection check valves that provide an ANSI class 6 seal and are not prone to excessive wear due to high frequency oscillation or chatter.
• Three-way purge valves capable of alternating between purge air and liquid fuel; a water-cooled version of the design prevents solidification of diesel fuel in it as well. JASC Installations provides services which fully integrate these products into an existing system to minimize cost while addressing the fundamental issues impacting reliability.

In this day and time, it is rare that the most effective solution to a problem is also the least expensive. Relative to fuel systems, JASC has accomplished this feat for installation of back-up liquid fuel system upgrades, operational reliability and total cost of ownership. Transfer success can be improved from the industry norm of 30% to rates approaching 100%. The formula for success is as straight forward as it is simple. Specifically, provide bolt-in hardware that closely matches the turbine owners currently installed configuration to minimize piping changes; design hardware which is capable of making the system in which it is installed operate at levels that approach 100% reliability and availability. Couple these characteristics with savings ranging from $100,000 to $1,000,000 per turbine on installation costs alone and you have an option which warrants consideration in any fuel system upgrade discussion.

For an “F” class gas turbine which utilizes liquid fuel check valves, an upgrade would be about 1/3 the cost of other options. Components supplied for the upgrade would include water-cooled liquid fuel check valves, water injection flow proportioning valves and a Smart Fluid Monitor. The type of purge air valve used would determine whether a JASC designed valve would be required. Savings on installation would be at least $100,000 per turbine. Savings on other models of turbines would be greater.

For an “F” class gas turbine which utilizes three-way purge valves, a fuel system upgrade would be about 1/5 the cost of other options. Required equipment would include water-cooled three-way purge valves, water injection flow proportioning valves and a Smart Fluid Monitor. A gas turbines owner’s savings for an installation would be approximately $1,000,000 per turbine. The significant difference in cost is tied directly to the technology, which is available for this particular configuration.
Finally, after examination of installation cost, material requirements, specifics of component design and total cost of ownership, gas turbine owners will have a great basis for comparison. JASC Installations reliability upgrades for back-up liquid fuel systems, like their products, set a new standard for the industry. For more information contact; Sales@jasc-controls.com

First, many gas turbines purchased since 2000 have 3-way purge valves installed on the back-up liquid fuel system. Unfortunately, operational reliability for this design suffers over time for the same reason as did standard liquid fuel check valves, high temperatures cause coke formation of the valves internal components and degrades sealing capability. Once this occurs, refurbishment is needed in order to address the problem. The process is then repeated after every 12 to 18 months of gas fuel operation.

Previously, power plants which utilize the 3-way purge valve design and need to improve the reliability of their back –up liquid fuel system would have to convert to water cooled liquid fuel check valves, purge air check valves and install cooling water piping in order to achieve this goal. This change is significant from a cost perspective because it means that the fuel and purge air piping must be modified to accept check valves. In many cases, 2 weeks or more of labor is required to complete this system upgrade. After having evaluated this situation, it became clear that developing a water cooled version of the 3-way purge valve would provide an equally effective yet less expensive alternative.

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Boeing’s new 787 Dreamliner arrived at Phoenix Mesa Gateway Airport on Saturday, May 22, for hot weather flight testing. Jansen’s Aircraft Systems Controls (JASC) of Tempe, Arizona, manufactures the flow divider used to control fuel flow to the aircraft’s auxiliary power unit (APU). The flow divider’s small size, measuring approximately one-by-two inches, belies its importance on this large aircraft — providing the necessary fuel flow distribution to the APU without a large increase in fuel-system pressure. The APU supplies the aircraft with electrical power on the ground as well as back-up power in flight.

JASC is a manufacturer of advanced fluid controls and actuators for aviation, aerospace and power generation industries. For more informaion, www.jasc-controls.com.

Two of JASC’s quality personnel, Santiago Castro and Demian Lozano-Phillips are veterans of Marine Corps Squadron VMF-214 Blacksheep and they helped the company celebrate with a cake cutting ceremony. The first piece of cake was given to JASC’s first employee (and founder) Harvey Jansen. The second piece was passed to the newest employee, Alex Garfio, signifying the passing of experience and knowledge from the old to the young and emphasizing the fact that we care for our newest employees as well as our future before we look to our own needs.

JASC thanks all of its valued suppliers for their support in providing consistent, quality materials.

Recently, a few gas-only engines have been or are being converted to dual fuel because of grid-reliability concerns (example at www.combinedcyclejournal.com/archives.html, click 2Q/2009, click “Termocandelaria” on the issue cover).

Municipals and cooperatives, in particular, are specifying dual fuel for new units and improving the functionality of liquid fuel systems on existing gas turbines (GTs)—this to assure native load doesn’t go dark in the unlikely event gas supply is interrupted. Recall that public power companies are owned by their customers, most of whom are voters.

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