ABOUT
Graham Corporation (NYSE: GHM ) (“Graham” or the “Company”), is a global leader in the design and manufacture of mission-critical fluid, power, heat transfer, and vacuum technologies for the defense, space, energy, and process industries, announced that it has acquired P3 Technologies, LLC (“P3”), adding to its already growing turbomachinery expertise through Barber-Nichols.
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P3 Technologies specializes in propulsion, pumps, and power. We are experts in research, development, design, and analysis of existing, advanced, and emerging propulsion systems including liquid propellant rocket engines of all cycles and propellants.
Based in Jupiter, Florida, P3 Technologies is an industry leader in development of state-of-the-art rotating machinery including pumps, compressors, turbines, rolling element bearings, hydrostatic bearings, fluid-film seals, and rotordynamics. We are specialists in extremely high-speed rotors and cryogenic pumps including rocket engine turbopumps.
P3 Technologies has a comprehensive team of highly skilled gas-turbine engineers experienced in developing the highest performing commercial and military turbine engines using advanced physics-based aero design, fluid dynamics, and conjugate heat transfer tools.
Our experience and development approach results in innovative solutions to the most complex technical challenges resulting in high performing, robust, and cost-effective solutions. Our focus on customer satisfaction ensures you are a fully-informed, integral member of a seamless team.
Philip C. Pelfrey
Chief Engineer & General Manager
Philip Pelfrey has been developing advanced propulsion systems for more than 30 years. He started his career in 1987 developing replacement turbopumps for the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) as part of a NASA effort to increase overall launch system reliability following the Challenger accident. Those turbopumps demonstrated 120 mission cycle life in order to be certified for 55 launches. 30 years later, the SSME (now called the RS-25) will be used on NASA’s new Space Launch System (SLS) for deep space exploration (shown in the video on the Home page). Over his 30-year career, he has worked on virtually every rocket engine cycle and propellant combination, including developing new engine cycles and using novel propellants.
During this same period, he has helped to develop some of the most advanced commercial and military turbine engine technology including XTC/XTE-67, PW5000, F119 (powering the F-22 Raptor), F135 (powering the Joint Strike Fighter, JSF F-35 Lightning II), Trent, FTA-37F, and FTC/FTF-250C/F. His innovation has resulted in more than a dozen patents and 30 publications.
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With physics-based design and analysis tools and a comprehensive, validated development process, he started P3 Technologies to offer affordable, state-of-the-art propulsion technology and services to the U.S. Government, its contractors, and commercial companies.
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Robert Sanders
Vice President, Product Engineering
Robert Sanders has over 15 years of experience in aerospace engineering and management. He began his career performing CFD analyses for wing-mounted ram-air turbines and hydrodynamic turbine and compressor seals. He also gained significant structural analysis experience working on multiple gas turbine engines including the F119 (powering the F-22 Raptor) and the F135 (powering the Joint Strike Fighter F35).
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While at P3 Technologies, Robert has led the mechanical and thermal/structural design of numerous products including the liquid hydrogen fuel turbo-pump for the Stratolaunch PGA engine, the CHAMP LOX/methane single-shaft turbopump, the SCAMP positive displacement pumps, a line of ePumps, and several auxiliary power units (APU’s). He enjoys seeing his work come to life, and is actively involved in R&D testing. As a result, he is also an expert in rotor balance and data acquisition systems.
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Robert has developed P3 Technologies physics-based analysis process that enables it to conduct the highest-fidelity, most complex analyses quickly and accurately. The combination of his engineering and management skills provides the foundation for P3’s rapid and cost-effective product development.
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Brandon A. Demski
Vice President, Research and Development
Brandon Demski has extensive experience in rocket engine design, predominantly focusing on turbomachinery flow path design for pumps and turbines, combustions devices, electromagnetic pumps, as well as overarching mechanical design and propulsion power balances. He has designed over 30 turbopumps and a dozen combustion devices. His turbomachinery experience focuses on both cryogenic inducers and impellers along with low pressure ratio reaction turbines and supersonic impulse blade design. Combustion experience includes injector design, chamber cooling, conjugate heat transfer analysis, and liquid propellant engine power balance.
He enjoys comprehensive CFD analysis, and often incorporates secondary flow path features into his primary flow path models including hydrostatic / hydrodynamic bearings, labyrinth seals, damper seals, wind-back seals, etc. He has designed primary flow path components for all propellants and engine cycle combinations for both P3’s products as well as virtually every commercial launch company.
Brandon has numerous patents issued or pending including the revolutionary Multiple Channel Diffuser (MCD). He invented the MCD which significantly increases the performance of pumps and compressors while also reducing their size, weight, and power consumption. Other patents include the Monopropellant Cascade Engine, which is a liquid rocket engine that requires minimal ignition power consumption regardless of thrust class and can provide deep throttling via multi-mode operation for both insertion and station-keeping roles. He is also the inventor of the SCAMP solenoid pump, a low-flow rate high pressure positive displacement pump, for both storable and cryogenic propellants.
Brandon is highly skilled in ANSYS fluid and electrical simulation tools, SOLIDWORKS design, and visual basic programming. He is also the developer of P3’s meanline pump and turbine codes, off-design codes, and geometry generators. This custom suite of software enables P3 to develop products rapidly and cost-effectively that meet all design and performance requirements. Brandon enjoys seeing his ideas come to life, and is known to often machine prototypes himself and evaluate novel concepts.