Turbine engines are complex chunks of precisely engineered machinery and their components aren't easily miniaturized. But an engineering project at MIT is using lithographic etching and layering techniques, developed by the computer chip industry, to construct a tiny jet engine. The unit's high heat is carried away by the jet exhaust. The approximately 1 million hertz-whir of the microturbine would be imperceptible to human ears. Engineering the miniature turbine, however, could prove tricky.
Few researchers are skilled in the nuances of micromechanics.
Scientific challenges must be explored and overcome. For example, one of the greatest technical hurdles facing the researchers at MIT will be in microfabricating the materials needed for the tiny turbines. Many groups are keeping a sharp eye on MIT's research into fingertip jet engines. The US Army, for instance, is concerned about the weight of batteries that its soldiers must carry in the field. Inc. All rights reserved.