Award

In an effort to reduce the cost for the expanding production for the MK54 Lightweight Torpedo (LWT) propellers and to retrofit the current inventory, the Navy is seeking to implement a novel toroidal propeller design on the aforementioned platform. Materials Sciences LLC (MSC) and its partner Sharrow Engineering propose to develop and demonstrate an improved structural design using advanced materials and low-cost manufacturing methods applied to Sharrowís novel closed-loop blade technology. Under the proposed Phase I program, MSC and Sharrow will perform iterative hydrodynamic and structural design and manufacturing trials to develop a toroidal propeller for the MK54 LWT with focus on the metrics of speed, efficiency, and quieting while simultaneously increasing manufacturing throughput and reducing costs. The proposed Phase I Base program will focus on design development and material selection with the primary deliverables being a preliminary structural design document, cost analysis for various manufacturing processes, and a geometrically representative prototype. The proposed Phase I Option will focus on design iterations, potentially with anisotropic characteristics, and manufacturing development to facilitate transition to Phase II prototype development and demonstration.