SBIR-STTR Award

Emerging high power airborne weapon systems will require multi-megawatt electrical power at voltages approaching 100 kV. Although multi-megawatt airborne generators are currently under development, they will not be able to directly generate the very high voltage(s) needed for some weapon systems. Power converter system development, in the past, has typically focused on power electronics but the power converter system in new systems will also require a high power step-up transformer to convert the relatively low generator voltage to higher voltages. The weight and losses of the transformer can easily dominate the design of the power conditioning system. Large commercial transformers are typically oil-filled, air-cooled, relatively heavy and designed for operation groundbased systems operating in one atmosphere of pressure. This program will develop a lightweight, high voltage, multi-megawatt transformer specifically designed for proposed airborne power and cooling systems. Design options will include both cryogenic and non-cryogenic transformers with integral power conditioning and cooling system, specifically designed to operate in airborne systems.This program will develop and test a novel lightweight, high voltage transformer with integral cooling system. Immediate applications will be for high power military systems, but the design principles developed in this program will make their way into commercial applications, such as electric utility facilities in high population areas where minimizing equipment size is important and conventional transformer air cooling systems are difficult

New airborne and mobile military systems will require megawatts of very high-voltage, electrical power delivered from very lightweight power sources. Traditional airborne power system equipment will simply not be able to produce megawatts of electrical power delivered at voltages up to 90,000 volts DC. Novel lightweight, high frequency, high-voltage transformers with integral, high-voltage, power conditioning will be required for the success for these new missions. In this Phase II program, we will build and test a lightweight, four-megawatt, high-voltage transformer, with integral power conditioning that will be specifically designed as a proof-of-principle power system demonstrator for several airborne and mobile power systems. This 22 month program will deliver a fully functional, high-voltage transformer/power conditioning module (using either conventional or novel cryogenic technology) that is designed to interface with both a cryogenic generator being built in a companion, Phase II SBIR and also a high-voltage load being developed for the HEX system. These two carefully coordinated programs will combine to produce a complete multi-megawatt, high-voltage power system specifically designed for a wide range of airborne applications and will offer a 2:1 weight reduction over conventional technology