Company Overview
Beltran Inc.'s mission is to provide high pay-off solutions to our customers' unique engineering challenges while leveraging state-of-the-art technical innovation.
Founded in 1985, Beltran Inc. is a high tech, research and development engineering firm focused on the creation of novel technologies for a number of Federal agencies as well as the private sector. Beltran's technical expertise spans all stages in the research and development of cutting edge structural system solutions including platforms, structures, weapons, antennas and advanced engineering systems.
Government customers include the U.S. Department of Defense, NASA, Department of Energy, Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, and other federal agencies. Our endeavors result in high potential solutions providing intrinsic value to our core customers. These start first with our ability to understand and appreciate their unique and specialized needs across an array of industry domains.
Beltran's objectives are to identify, develop and reduce to practice the best technical engineering solutions to our core customers' challenges, which enable substantial technical advancement and provide high return cost savings.
Through our commitment to innovation, partnership, and quality, we are able to introduce new engineering products and processes across a number of structural platforms. These are primarily focused on the unique engineering needs of air, sea, and ground vehicles, weapons, and specific components, such as antennas.
Beltran's R&D applications leverage the rational utilization of novel and conventional materials, such as polymer matrix composites and shipbuilding metals, proper modification of pertinent material processes, rational structural design, and hydrodynamic improvement of high-speed vessels.
Select a competency area to learn more about Beltran's research and engineering capabilities.
Advanced Composite-to-Metal Joining
Beltran Inc's state-of-the-art composite-to-metal (hybrid) joining technology uniquely leverages the use of The Welding Institute's (Cambridge, UK) SurfiSculpt® metal surface protrusion and a modified Vacuum-Assisted Resin Transfer Molding (VARTM) process enabling simultaneous formation of the composite structure and consolidation of that with the metal counterpart.
The metal protruded surface "pins" composite to metal adding a mechanical component to the adhesive bonding increasing its structural performance to that comparable with strong bonded-bolted joints. The benefits include weight and life-cycle cost saving that allows effective implementation of the hybrid ship hull concept associated with an increase of speed, payload and/or non-refueled range, superior signature control, improved propulsion, bettered inclination stability and corrosion prevention.
Hybrid Hull Design
While beneficial for several key performance parameters, the application of structural composites for use with primarily metal ship hulls is challenged by specific complications of the use of two- and multi-material hull design and construction. These complexities affect the areas of structural interruptions, such as intersections of the hull structural members, which are the main contributors to premature material cracking during ship construction and/or operation.
Besides, the structural complication is associated with disproportional increase of the hull construction cost which is of significant concern to the viability of government-funded shipbuilding programs. Beltran has developed expertise enabling the implementation of customized guidelines in support of hybrid hull design and the manufacturing processes necessary to commercialize them.
Serviceability Characterization of Composite/Hybrid Structures
The existing guidelines for structural design of naval craft are primarily devised for metal hulls and are not fully adequate to address the peculiarities of a hybrid (composite-metal) hull. Beltran Inc. possesses an experimentally-verified analytical technique that bridges this design challenge and provides accurate characterization of serviceability of composite/hybrid structures undergoing changing force-environmental operational conditions. In the result, a reliable, structurally/weight efficient service performance of a composite/hybrid hull would be assured.
Drag reduction on fast moving ocean vehicles is achieved by reducing the wet surface area and by controlling the boundary layer over the wetted part of the ship hull. The developed concept of wet area reduction is to use underwater wings. Friction reduction over the wings is achieved by means of partial cavitation hydrofoil design and polymer injection into the boundary layer on the pressure side of the wings.
For a ship speed of about 75 knots, the cavity will cover about 70-75% of the suction side. The combined employment of the new design and of drag-free partial cavities will provide drag reduction of up to 74% for the wings, which are the main elements of hydrofoil ships.
Because of the necessity to maintain low drag of partially cavitating hydrofoils under eventual sea impact, the fundamental basis of an active flow control system for partially cavitating wing is developed. Preliminary estimations showed that such a system allows a drag reduction of about 65% even in a wavy sea.
Polymer injection was selected as the most promising modern method of friction reduction. As a result of advanced design including the employment of drag-free cavities and polymer injection, the total wing drag reduction will be up to 80%.
The mm Wave Radar Sensor (MWRS) provides collision avoidance and imaging capabilities for planetary exploration rovers of the "Sojourner" type. The design is based on the use of the Integrated Phased Array (IPA), developed by Beltran, that allows electrical scanning in azimuth plane sectors without any moving mechanical parts.
The traveling wave IPA has a low profile design and a simple beam controlled by changing the ferrite's magnetization. The working frequency of MWRS is 34 GHz, the scanning sector is 90 degrees, the angle resolution is 2.5 degrees, and the range resolution is approximately 0.2 m. The maximum range at which large obstacles can be detected is 30 m. The peak power consumption is less than 10 W.
The MWRS provides information about the distances to possible obstacles and their angular position. The radar sensor for planetary exploration is a good prototype for radar collision avoidance sensors used in small airplanes, helicopters and cars.
The flow generated by a submarine mast piercing the water surface is a complex phenomenon. Visible wakes, which are regions of foamy, churned, turbulent water, appear behind the mast during some modes of submarine operations. Such wakes are capable of affecting the propagation of sound energy through the water.
Movement through the water also results in "spray sheets" formed on the sides of the surface piercing mast structure. When these spray sheets break up into ligaments/globs/drops which fall to the water surface, they add to "white water" formation and visible sea surface changes.
To reduce the detectability characteristics of the flow around the mast of a deployed submarine, the use of macro-molecule polymer injection in the region around the mast was developed. A number of experimental trials were performed in the special water chamber which was designed and built at Beltran.
The shape of the mast was also investigated revealing circular cylinders of different diameters and four airfoil shapes with a yaw angle range between 0° and 30°.
Beltran developed a new high-tech polymeric material containing magnetic single domain nano-particles, suitable for the purpose of high density optical data storage (with recording density of 8 Gb/in² and higher) and capable of operating in hazardous environmental conditions.
During the development we obtained and tested samples containing magnetic nano-particles with various compositions, including such complex materials as ferrites and heterometallic compounds, in various polymeric matrices. For the synthesis of the main part of the samples we used the method of thermo-destruction of metal-containing compounds, such as carbonyls, acetates, formates, and complex clusters.
The influence of the technological parameters of the synthesis (temperature, speed of stirring, existence or absence of the magnetic field, etc.) on the samples' properties was studied. It was found that the most suitable for magnetic recording properties were the samples containing iron or cobalt in polyethylene, polypropylene, and polyamide matrices.
The fundamental results of the research concern the magnetic properties of the samples, particle structure and size distribution, the influence of heat treatment on the magnetic properties, and the corresponding transformations inside the particles.
For Aerospace and Ground Applications
Beltran, Inc. has developed the Integrated Thermal Management System (IETM) for all aerospace missile carriers, encompassing processes of generation and dissipation, transfer and conversion of power, refrigeration, and bio-metabolism related substances.
The innovative IETM System performs recovery of waste thermal energy, generation of "free" refrigeration, and recovery of byproducts into safe coolants (ammonia-water). IETM solutions include novel technologies of intensification of the heat transfer and of conversion of the waste resources into refrigeration for extension of cooling capabilities for high heat radars, lasers and microwave generators.
The IETM includes Vacuum-Evaporative Refrigeration (VER) utilizing "free natural" vacuum and waste heat-activated refrigeration circuits. VER generates ~1000 Btu of "free" cold per pound of wastewater or ammonia.
Conversion of waste resources into refrigeration and EHD activation of boiling allow for meeting stringent weight limitations, reliability and consumption of energy. IETM could be integrated with general power supply, fluid circulation, heat transfer and control subsystems of the objects.
For Helicopters
The performance of helicopter gas turbines is known to deteriorate rapidly when they operate in areas where the air is laden with solid particles which usually consist of sand, minerals, dust and salt. Larger particles tend to impact the blade surfaces due to their higher inertia, causing extreme erosion.
To prevent sand from entering the compressor inlet of an aircraft engine, present technology utilizes inertial separators. A rise of 1% of separation efficiency can result in up to a 20% increase in the life of the engine.
To improve the efficiency of the existing approach of the IFS, Beltran designed the use of electrostatic enhancement of fine particle removal before an axial particle separator. The electrostatic separation process combines the potential advantage of providing high efficiency separation of fine particles with low pressure losses.
The particle charging process is accomplished through the creation of an electric field and a corona current by applying a large potential difference between a discharge electrode and ground electrode. Beltran has researched and designed an electrostatic system as the Inlet Particle Separator (IPS) without adversely affecting the airflow.
For Out-Board Systems
The developed concept of an advanced hybrid (composite-metal) launch tube for out-board submarine systems addresses feasibility, serviceability, and cost-efficiency of the new hybrid launch tubes which can be used either in conjunction with an existing system or as a stand-alone technical solution that substantially extends service life of the launch tubes (for ten years or more).
The performed study proves both the technical merit and cost-efficiency of the new design with regard to a wide spectrum of potential military and civilian applications where a composite/hybrid construction is exposed to extreme loading and/or harsh operational environment.
The analytical tool being conceptually developed seems worthy for serviceability characterization of a composite structure undergoing changing force-environment conditions during long-term operation.
U.S. Government agencies constitute Beltran's primary customers.
To assure our commitment to provide technically feasible, cost-effective and custom-tailored engineering solutions, Beltran has partnered with several prominent companies that are well-positioned in our key industry and market domains.
Concurrent Technologies Corporation (CTC) — Johnstown, PA
CTC is an independent, nonprofit, applied research and development professional services organization providing management and technology-based solutions to a wide array of clients representing state and federal government and the private sector. CTC supports Beltran's STTR investigation dedicated to innovative hybrid joining technology and its prompt adaptation to practical applications for naval hybrid hull structures.
EBTEC Corporation — Agawam, MA
EBTEC is the only domestic company licensed from The Welding Institute (TWI) Ltd., Cambridge, UK and capable of providing the Surfi-Sculpt® electron beam metal treatment needed for the advanced bonded-pinned joint implementation.
Triton Systems Inc. (TSI) — Chelmsford, MA
TSI is a prominent material science and engineering company possessing composite prototyping and manufacturing capabilities complimentary to Beltran's composite engineering expertise being exploited for manufacturing trials and fabrication of full-scale test articles and structure prototypes.
Westmoreland Mechanical Testing & Research, Inc. (WMT&R) — Youngstown, PA
WMT&R is a well-recognized testing house entrusted with the execution of Beltran's mechanical testing programs.
Michael R. Beltran
President and Founder of the Company as well as a recognized expert in several areas of Mechanical Engineering including Combustion, Propulsion, and Air Pollution Control.
Yakov Khodorkovsky, Ph.D.
Manages the multi-member R&D team's efforts and ensures the proper timely performance of all engineering contracts. Dr. Khodorkovsky's expertise spans Mechanical Engineering and includes Materials Science and Hydrodynamics.
Vladimir Shkolnikov, Ph.D.
A recognized expert in Composite Science and Naval Structural Engineering who also provides leadership and oversight to the R&D team.
Address
1133 East 35th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11210
USA Phone(718) 377-0227 Fax(718) 253-9028 Emailsolutions@beltran-inc.com
Beltran, Inc.
Intelligent engineering for the benefit of the Nation