TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Ground/Sea Vehicles, Materials/Processes, Electronics

ACQUISITION PROGRAM: Program Office: NAVSEA PMS399 Special Operations Forces Undersea Mobility

OBJECTIVE: Develop an underwater electrical cable connector that completely prevents water intrusion at high and varying pressures, even when the connector is detached and re-attached often. Additionally, this connector should be able to be disconnected and reconnected while the submersible is at sea and under water, while still eliminating the potential for seawater intrusion and grounding. This connector shall fully prevent the occurrence of disruptive grounds and increase system reliability, provide for end-user safety while adhering to shock and vibration requirements.

DESCRIPTION: The designed connector should produce an impenetrable mating surface between connecting members that is not susceptible to degradation from regular detaching and re-attaching the connector within the corrosive sea-water environment in which it will be employed. The connector design should be robust and manageable enough to allow for frequent disconnection and reconnection by the end-user without the use of expensive tooling or specialized training. The connector should also be able to be safely disconnected and reconnected by divers while the submersible is at sea, and underwater. For design purposes, assume the connector design may be required to operate in water pressures up to 1800 psi, and be compatible with the voltage and current requirements of the cables that are used onboard submersibles such as the Advanced Seal Delivery System (ASDS) and Dry Deck Shelters (DDS). The cable connector design should allow for use with cables of varying diameters. In essence, the designed cable connector will offer a safe �water-proof� mating union for high powered electrical cables that will eliminate occasional grounds. The waterproof connectors should meet the following general characteristics:

Highly-reliable (>2,000 hours Mean Time Between Failures)
Light weight (<1 lb each)
Easy to install/remove (i.e. no special tooling required)
Minimized Electro-Magnetic Interference (EMI), (i.e. the equipment/systems shall meet the requirements of MIL-STD-461F)
Displays zero water penetration after prolonged exposure to pressures up to submarine test depth pressures.
Meets Grade B requirements for shock, without separating or grounds developing.

All components of the proposed connectors must meet the Scope of Certification requirements of NAVSEAINST SS800-AG-MAN-010/P-9290 to be installed safely. Clarification of any of these requirements are available from the SBIR technical point of contact upon request.

PHASE I: Develop potential designs for new waterproof connectors able to be reliably used at deep depths, and analyze these designs based on factors listed above, including reliability, efficiency, weight, EMI considerations, size, and water penetration resistance, in addition to the inherent safety of the device itself.

Vendors shall submit a business plan for the commercialization of the technology developed under this topic. The Small Business Administration's web site www.sba.gov provides guidance, examples, and contact information for assistance.

All firms shall include as part of the Phase I proposal transportation costs to travel to Washington, DC for two separate meetings. The first travel requirement shall be the Phase I kick-off meeting and the second travel requirement shall be for the Phase I out brief. The meetings shall take less than four hours and at least the Principal Investigator is required to attend both meetings. Notwithstanding the requirement for the Principal Investigator to attend both meetings, any other individual needed to discuss all aspects of the firm's approach to address the Small Business Innovation Research topic shall also attend the meetings.

PHASE II: Develop multiple prototypes of varying cable sizes incorporating best features of potential designs evaluated during Phase I. Build prototypes, and conduct proof-of-concept testing in a laboratory environment. This testing should include long term fatigue and other testing to assess any potential degradation of the connector after multiple disconnect/reconnect cycles. Validate accuracy and efficiency of prototype systems carrying power and data while operating under various submergence pressures. Develop final Engineering Development Models (EDMs) capable of being installed shipboard. Evaluate suitability of the EDM systems for operating in submersibles, including shock, vibration, and Scope of Certification testing for Navy Deep Submergence System use. During Phase II, the Navy may perform shipboard testing of EDMs in order to perform shipboard testing if assets and resources are available, at no cost to the contract, in lieu of laboratory or other relevant environment testing. Develop commercialization, and transition plans for full-scale shipboard implementation.

PHASE III: Develop technical and user manuals, end-user training programs, logistics/ repair support plans, and troubleshooting and repair guides. Conduct initial end-user training and operator certification. Perform at-sea testing (if not previously performed during Phase II on a submersible provided at the Navy's cost).

PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL/DUAL-USE APPLICATIONS: The developed waterproof connector systems would be applicable to other commercial and military submersible systems, such as UUV�s, AUV�s, and manned exploratory and tourist submersibles.

REFERENCES:
1. MIL-STD-461F

2. NAVSEA Handbook S9407-AB-HBK-010, Revision 2, Change 1

3. DOD-STD-1399 (NAVY) Section 070 � Part 1

4. NAVSEAINST SS800-AG-MAN-010/P-9290

KEYWORDS: Connectors; DC; Waterproof; Underwater; Submersible; Cables

** TOPIC AUTHOR (TPOC) **

DoD Notice:   Between November 12 and December 7, 2008, you may talk directly with the Topic Authors to ask technical questions about the topics. Their contact information is listed above. For reasons of competitive fairness, direct communication between proposers and topic authors is not allowed starting December 8, 2008, when DoD begins accepting proposals for this solicitation.

However, proposers may still submit written questions about solicitation topics through the DoD's SBIR/STTR Interactive Topic Information System (SITIS), in which the questioner and respondent remain anonymous and all questions and answers are posted electronically for general viewing until the solicitation closes. All proposers are advised to monitor SITIS (09.1 Q&A) during the solicitation period for questions and answers, and other significant information, relevant to the SBIR 09.1 topic under which they are proposing.

If you have general questions about DoD SBIR program, please contact the DoD SBIR Help Desk at (866) 724-7457 or email weblink.