Award Data

The primary objective is to develop electric machine/drive topologies and power architectures that achieve the power densities required for 50% more power without the increase in weight or space requirements. In addition to PMSM-based designs, two new machine topologies will be considered. The first is a trapped flux coreless (TFC) machine that utilizes superconducting pucks made of YBCO to produc ...

The STTR topic N19A-T013 seeks innovative technology to improve the power density and efficiency of propulsion and power generation devices. To address this challenge, Spectral Energies in collaboration with its academic partner Dr. Rory Roberts at Wright State University proposes to develop a compact heat recovery system based on a supercritical CO2 based Rankin Cycle. At the end of the STTR prog ...

Large aerospace composite structures currently require autoclaves and ovens to achieve desired performance which are expensive to purchase, costly to operate, and often limit part size and production rate. Ovens and autoclaves rely on convective heating which is inefficient, consumes large amounts of energy, and can be difficult to predict. Alternative cure processes using external heaters or hot ...

For this research program, Mainstream will collaborate with Colorado State University (CSU) to develop a nanostructured heater capable of curing aerospace grade composites out-of-autoclave (OOA). The use of autoclaves is the primary cost driver in composite manufacturing due to size limitations, long processing times, and inefficient energy usage. Therefore, the Navy is looking to develop a nanost ...

Intelligent Automation Inc. (IAI) proposes the design and implementation of the Target Recognition with the Assistance of Artificial Intelligence (TRACE) system that incorporates classical model-based target classification and identification approaches with data-driven machine learning solutions to improve the target classification accuracy. The outcome of the TRACE systems is a set of machine lea ...

Manufacturing of structural composites traditionally employs autoclaves to achieve high quality parts, including high fiber-volume-fractions and low porosity. A laminate comprised of stacked prepreg plies are cured under a vacuum in addition to ~7 bar of pressure to prevent formation of voids, particulalry in interlaminar (inter-sheet/ply) regions. However, manufacturing composites within an autoc ...

SSCI and MIT (Prof. Julie Shah) propose to develop and test a system that provides real-time assurance and trust in decisions made by autonomous collaborating vehicles. The proposed system is referred to as the RESTORE and represents a decision support tool which facilitates decision making by the operator in cases when decisions by the Collaborative Autonomy (CA) system results in deviations from ...

Rhenium (Re) was the last natural element to be identified and is the rarest of metals. The most concentrated ore contains only about 1800 ppm Re. It has a very high melting point, which leads to uses in high temperature resistant applications like cataly

The rare-earth elements (REEs) find uses in many high tech military applications, including night vision goggles, laser range finders, precision guided weapons, and stealth technology. Their high costs (up to $6800/lb. Scandium) are due to low concentration in ores and high cost of separation. Fourteen of the REEs are listed in a single box in the periodic table, meaning they all have almost iden ...

Recovery and re-use of Rhenium is of critical importance to the superalloy industry due to its limited availability and growing demand. The recycling loop in the superalloy industry is currently far less efficient.The proposal addresses the recovery of Rh