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A Hardware Demonstration of Control Methods and Devices for a High-Speed Supercavitating Torpedo

Award Information
Agency: Department of Defense
Branch: Navy
Contract: N00014-05-C-0247
Agency Tracking Number: N041-136-1168
Amount: $219,147.00
Phase: Phase II
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: N04-136
Solicitation Number: 2004.1
Timeline
Solicitation Year: 2004
Award Year: 2005
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): 2005-08-11
Award End Date (Contract End Date): 2006-12-14
Small Business Information
1410 Sachem Place Suite 202
Charlottesville, VA 22901
United States
DUNS: 120839477
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 Jeffrey Monaco
 Senior Research Scientist
 (434) 973-1215
 monaco@barron-associates.com
Business Contact
 David Ward
Title: President
Phone: (434) 973-1215
Email: barron@barron-associates.com
Research Institution
N/A
Abstract

A high-speed supercavitating torpedo is an advanced weapons concept under consideration by the US Navy. Supercavitation is a state in which a gas cavity substantially encompasses a body immersed in a liquid, and the consequence for underwater bodies is a marked drag reduction over the non-wetted surface. This can be exploited to develop rapid reaction defensive weapons that provide tactical advantages for submarines, particularly for close-aboard, shallow water engagements addressed by the Littoral Antisubmarine Warfare Future Naval Capability. Alternatively, the technology can also yield a target vehicle for the US Navy to train sailors and develop countermeasures against high-speed weapons fielded by other navies. Control systems (algorithms and devices) are critical-path technologies to exploit the full potential of these vehicles, and Barron Associates and NextGen Aeronautics propose a collaborative Phase II program to increase the technology readiness level of the adaptive control laws, tail-fin micropump actuators, and the integrated concept. This is accomplished through an R&D program that (i) matures Phase I adaptive control algorithms and fin micropump hardware subsystems, (ii) ports the embedded control program to a real-time processor, (iii) conducts hardware-in-the-loop testing of the integrated control system, and (iv) validates the design in a set of water-tunnel demonstrations.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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