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Heat Extraction from Underwater Acoustic Projectors

Award Information
Agency: Department of Defense
Branch: Navy
Contract: N00014-08-M-0311
Agency Tracking Number: N08A-020-0176
Amount: $69,967.00
Phase: Phase I
Program: STTR
Solicitation Topic Code: N08-T020
Solicitation Number: 2008.A
Timeline
Solicitation Year: 2008
Award Year: 2008
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): 2008-06-23
Award End Date (Contract End Date): 2009-04-22
Small Business Information
Hammonds South, Unit Q 611 North Hammonds Ferry Road
Linthicum Heights, MD 21090
United States
DUNS: 959989054
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 Keith Bridger
 VP, Technology
 (410) 636-9350
 keith@activesignaltech.com
Business Contact
 Arthur Cooke
Title: President
Phone: (410) 636-9350
Email: arthur@activesignaltech.com
Research Institution
 ALFRED UNIV.
 Gart Gregor
 
One Saxon Drive
Alfred, NY 14802
United States

 (607) 871-2964
 Nonprofit College or University
Abstract

The present proposal is focused on developing novel methods to counteract excessive heat build-up in underwater sonar projectors. Building on over 25 years of experience in the design of Navy sonar devices and thermal management applied to high power density transducers and smart material actuators, Active Signal Technologies and Alfred University will model several readily implemented passive and active techniques for enhanced heat transfer to the surrounding water. A Terfenol driven transducer was selected because of its very high intrinsic power density at low frequency and its broad operating temperature range. In addition to model-based optimization of various combinations of convective, conductive and evaporative cooling, driver designs will also be developed that minimize the source-heat through efficiency improvements in the Terfenol rod and its associated drive elements (magnetic circuit design including laminations, permanent bias magnets, coil configuration, etc). Using an integrated systems approach the team will also examine and attempt to mitigate any adverse impacts of the cooling mechanism on acoustic performance, reliability and methods/materials of construction. Similarly, while distortion is not the central theme of the present effort, the baseline transducer design will incorporate a novel depth compensation mechanism that is effective in minimizing it.

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

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