N093-209 TITLE: Manufacturing and materials for Radar/EW Power System Stability

TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Materials/Processes, Sensors

ACQUISITION PROGRAM: NON-ACAT X-Band and S-Band Radars and EW Arrays

The technology within this topic is restricted under the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR), which controls the export and import of defense-related material and services. Offerors must disclose any proposed use of foreign nationals, their country of origin, and what tasks each would accomplish in the statement of work in accordance with section 3.5.b.(7) of the solicitation.

OBJECTIVE: Develop designs, manufacturing processes and/or materials that provide affordable high performance Radar/EW power systems and components. Improve power system performance and stability while reducing power system cost and reducing T/R module life degradation caused by power transients and variations.

DESCRIPTION: Phased arrays for high power Radar and EW applications require improved electrical power systems, these power systems are a significant portion of the overall system in terms of cost, weight, power, thermal load. This topic seeks new technologies that will significantly reduce power system requirements in terms of size, weight, thermal load and cost. Navy electronically steered arrays for radar and EW systems require new and innovative power system technologies that will reduce overall system weight, size, and cost while providing increasingly higher power density, improved transient response and pulsed current capability. Power component improvements in packaging, manufacturing processes and innovative materials are sought that will significantly lower noise, weight, size, cost and that have faster transient response, higher efficiency, and higher power density as compared with existing state of the art (see references).The goal of this topic is to significantly improve system level performance of power system technologies focused on surface navy Radar and EW system T/R modules. Significantly improved power supply performance and stability is sought that will minimize T/R Module life degradation caused by poor power stability. Items of interest include:
- Low cost manufacturing processes and materials
- low inductance, high frequency, high common mode isolation, high corona voltage, low profile, greater than 1kW power capability transformer with 1 to 7MHz 3dB frequency.
- high Q, low profile inductor with 1 to 7MHz 3dB frequency
- high performance ferrite material with capability of 1 to 7MHz 3dB frequency
- Metal core or insulated metal substrate board with high thermal conductivity, low inductance line capability, and high corona voltage.

PHASE I: Perform the required R&D to establish basic feasibility for the proposed technology and model the performance of the proposed power system technology, manufacturing processes and/or components to insure that it satisfies the intent of this topic.

PHASE II: Develop manufacturing processes and build prototype power components, modules, technologies down selected from Phase I feasibility studies. Evaluate the stable power technology electrical performance over anticipate operational temperature ranges and meet, or exceed, this topics stated objectives. Demonstrate critical new manufacturing processes and test hardware performance that establish feasibility of the evaluated technologies and manufacturing processes to provide production ready power components, modules, technologies. In addition, conduct preliminary cost modeling to show that the technology is cost competitive with current State of the Art (SOA) power system components that the evaluated technology is to replace in an anticipated Navy IWS radar or EW system.

PHASE III: Establish manufacturing processes and quality controls to provide production quality power system components, modules of interest to Navy IWS Radar and EW applications. Manufacture power system components, modules to validate final processes and conduct electrical and environmental performance testing of the contractor’s technology. Validate cost modeling to show that the technology cost is competitive with existing State of the Art (SOA) power system hardware.

PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL/DUAL-USE APPLICATIONS: The developed technologies will have applications in private sector radar systems as well as on numerous military systems requiring improved power system power density at lower cost.

REFERENCES:
1. R. W. Erickson, Fundamentals of Power Electronics, New York, Chapman and Hall, 1997.

2. Mohan, Undeland, and Robbins, Power Electronics: Converters, Applications, and Design, New York, John Wiley & Sons, 1995.

KEYWORDS: Radar, phased array, EW, power components, fast transient response, pulse current load

** TOPIC AUTHOR (TPOC) **

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