Type of Awards: SBIR Phase I and Phase II Subcontractors: Purdue Contract Numbers: W56HZV-04-C-0126 and W56HZV-04-C-0713 Agency: U.S. Army Tank Command Status: Completed Periods: 3/2/04 to 9/2/04 and 11/4/04 to 5/4/07 Principal Investigator: C. E. Lucas Abstract: Complex engineered systems such as the power systems of tactical vehicles and advanced weapon systems involve a broad spectrum of technologies and interactive subsystems that must work synergistically. Due to the interdependencies between subsystems and he ever present re-design process, it is becoming increasingly important to establish a flexible virtual prototyping design and analysis infrastructure that facilitates the investigation of interactions between subsystems and promotes the collaboration between individual groups and organizations involved in the design, analysis, and/or development of complex “systems of systems.” Moreover, this type of simulation infrastructure would provide system integrators and program managers with a rapid and easy-to-use means of establishing proof-of-concept for new systems, evaluating competitive system configurations or architectures at a system level and, after the candidate architecture is selected and a more detailed design phase is entered, tracking and managing the progress of the detailed system design. Such an infrastructure could also be useful throughout the life cycle of a military platform for analyzing potential field problems, evaluating technology enhancements/retrofits, and/or personnel training. The proof-of-concept and viability of such a capability were established in Phase I. The Phase II research will be focused upon the next steps in the development of this virtual prototyping vehicle electrical system management design...
Read MoreIntegrated Simulation/Design/Analysis Infrastructure for SiC-based High-Temperature Power Conversion
Type of Awards: SBIR Phase I with IEDC and Phase II Contract Numbers: FA8650-05-M-2599 and FA8650-06-C-2663 Agency: U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory Status: Completed Periods: 4/1/05 to 1/1/06 and 5/5/06 to 9/5/08 Principal Investigator: C. E. Lucas Abstract: In order to realize the full potential of Silicon Carbide and to facilitate its deployment in high-temperature power electronics applications, it is important to establish an integrated modeling, simulation, and analysis (MS&A) infrastructure to address the special considerations and numerous technical challenges that must be overcome and to support design at the device, subsystem, and system levels. The viability of such an infrastructure has been established in the on-going Phase I research. The overall objective of the proposed Phase II research is to further its development. In particular, the proposed Phase II effort entails: (1) the continued development of a distributed multi-level (device/subsystem/system) integrated (electrical/thermal) MS&A infrastructure to support SiC device development and their application to Air Force systems, (2) the investigation of how SiC device performance is affected by thermal and material properties and how defects influence thermal-electrical coupling, (3) the partitioning of the geometric physics-based device models for implementation in a distributed computer network, and (4) the investigation of the applicability of this powerful MS&A infrastructure to other areas of interest such as computational fluid dynamics, plasma physics, and...
Read MoreA Noninvasive Sensor/Control Suite for Health Monitoring and Extended Life of Aircraft Generation Systems
Type of Awards: STTR Phase I and Phase II Contract Numbers: N00014-06-M-0281and N68335-08-C-0108 Agency: U.S. Naval Air Systems Command Status: On Going Periods: 08/01/06 to 8/30/07 and 2/25/08 to 2/25/10 Principal Investigator: E. A. Walters Abstract: Catastrophic failures in aircraft electrical power systems can compromise the readiness, safety, and capabilities of the war-fighter. In this effort, a multi-physics suite of tools will be developed based upon the successful Phase I research to provide a comprehensive prognostics and health management system (PHM) for aircraft generators and associated electrical systems. The PHM will be based upon a set of recently developed tools that include a novel sensor to measure torque-ripple-induced vibration created by electric machinery, a thermal condition monitor that can predict the temperatures within an electric machine under healthy and damaged operation, and numerical simulation tools that enable rapid development and solution of component and system-level models of electric machinery and power electronic systems operated in fault conditions. Validation of the PHM concepts and the computer simulations used will be performed with hardware using an F-18 generator as the test...
Read MoreDesign, Analysis and Optimization Environment for Directed Energy Systems
Type of Awards: SBIR Phase I with IEDC and Phase II Contract Numbers: FA9451-07-M-0082 and FA9451-08-C-0058 Agency: U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory Status: On Going Periods: 3/14/07 to 3/03/08 and 3/12/08 to 3/02/11 Principal Investigator: B. P. Loop Abstract: The primary objective of the proposed work is to develop a directed energy system analysis and design environment. This analysis and design environment will be based upon Distributed Heterogeneous Simulation (DHS) and Distributed Heterogeneous Optimization (DHO) technology. DHS allows the interconnection of models developed in different simulation languages running on different computing platforms to form an integrated system simulation. DHO is a distributed multi-objective optimization environment tailored for system design. The Phase II effort will focus on creating directed energy component model library, developing a system model translator, and incorporating high-power microwave device models into a simulation of the electric power system. The capabilities of the proposed design environment will be demonstrated, and effort toward the transition of the tool to government and industry will be carried out. PCKA will collaborate with Lockheed Martin and the Directed Energy Directorate of the Air Force Research Laboratory to identify directed energy applications of...
Read MoreOptimal Design and Prototype Development of Aircraft Generators with Increased Power Density
Type of Awards: SBIR Phase I with IEDC and Phase II Contract Numbers: FA8650-07-M-2781and FA8650-08-C-2859 Agency: U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory Status: On Going Periods: 4/2/07 to 1/2/08 and 4/2/08 to 8/11/11 Principal Investigator: B. P. Loop Abstract: The primary objective of the proposed work is to investigate design techniques to improve torque density, power density, and efficiency in wound-rotor synchronous machines. The underlying principle of the proposed design technique is to alter the flux paths in the machine to increase torque production. This will be achieved through optimally altering the stator tooth geometry, rotor tooth geometry, and magnetic material properties. The design process is automated by an evolutionary optimization algorithm that employs a finite element analysis program as an objective function evaluation engine. Finite element modeling in the Phase I effort showed a potential increase of 12.2% in average torque production for the F18E/F generator. In the proposed Phase II effort, prototype machines will be built based on the designs obtained in the Phase I. Hardware validation of the approach will be performed with the help of GE Aviation. In order to investigate optimization of machines at high-speeds, additional research will be carried out to enhance the finite element modeling capabilities. These enhancements include saturation, eddy current effects, and skew. Finally, extensive statistical analysis of the performance of the genetic optimization procedure will be carried out to improve the design technique. The result will be a commercially viable machine design software package that could be adopted by government agencies and...
Read MoreTransient Electrical Power Response Enhancement for Turbine Drive Generators
Type of Awards: SBIR Phase I with IEDC and Phase II Contract Numbers: N00014-07-M-0328 and FA8650-08-C-2943 Agency: U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory and U.S. Office of Naval Research Status: On Going Periods: 5/4/07 to 3/9/08 and 07/30/08 to 11/30/10 Principal Investigator: J. R. Wells Abstract: Airborne electrical power requirements are increasing significantly to support Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) sensors, electronic attack suites, and directed energy weapons for military applications. When the electric generator is directly coupled to the propulsion engine, relatively large electric torque transients are often introduced with dynamics faster than previously handled by the engine control system. These transients may have serious implications with regard to stall margins, mechanical stress, speed regulation, and available thrust. To address challenges posed by such transients, this work is developing and demonstrationg novel architectures and system control strategies to maximize transient turbine engine performance utilizing modeling, simulation, and analysis (MS&A). A high-mach missile system is chosen as the prototype for optimization process demonstration and likely candidate for initial technology insertion. This work will expand upon the Phase I efforts through refined modeling and expanded optimization...
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