Demonstration of an Integrated Cooling Scheme for Ultra-Wide Bandwidth Transmitters in Airborne Tactical Jamming Systems Navy SBIR FY2006.1 Sol No.: Navy SBIR FY2006.1 Topic No.: N06-001 Topic Title: Demonstration of an Integrated Cooling Scheme for Ultra-Wide Bandwidth Transmitters in Airborne Tactical Jamming Systems Proposal No.: N061-001-1093 Firm: Mainstream Engineering Corporation 200 Yellow Place Pines Industrial Center Rockledge, Florida 32955-5327 Contact: Gregory Cole Phone: (321) 631-3550 Web Site: www.mainstream-engr.com Abstract: The Navy is currently seeking innovative technologies to "combine existing high power RF technologies with the latest advances in cooling methods." for next-generation electronic attack tactical jamming systems. The current inventory of airborne tactical jamming systems consist of multiple transmitters covering several narrow frequency bands. High-power, ultra-wide bandwidth, solid-state systems must be developed to increase flexibility in mission planning and operational logistics of future EA-18G aircraft. Mainstream has performed a preliminary assessment of single-phase and two-phase cooling systems and determined that cavitation-enhanced, two-phase microchannel cooling is the optimum cooling scheme for future EA-6B/EA-18G wideband transmitters. The cooling system can be integrated with both the power electronics and the Ram Air-driven Power and Cooling Systems (RPC) currently being developed by Mainstream in conjunction with the Naval Surface Warfare Center (Crane) for the EA-18G aircraft. In Phase I, Mainstream will perform an assessment of commercially-available, ultra-wide bandwidth, solid-state amplifiers and develop an ultra-wide bandwidth transmitter configuration with an integrated cooling system. The thermal and hydraulic performance of the cooling system will be experimentally validated. Mainstream will demonstrate the cooling system on a wideband amplifier module in the Phase I Option and develop a prototype wideband transmitter in Phase II. Benefits: Mainstream will commercialize this technology and transition it to the Navy for next-generation airborne tactical jamming systems. Mainstream's cooling scheme is the enabling technology that will allow ultra-wide bandwidth solid-state transmitters to be developed for EA-6B/EA-18G aircraft. This military commercial product dovetails with Mainstream's RPC currently being developed for the EA-18G. Both products have dual-use application and can be further developed for the Air Force B-52 Electronic Attack Pod. Return