SBIR-STTR Award

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this SBIR effort will be to design, build and demonstrate an experimental coolant pump capable of continuous operation in an engine compartment while pumping coolant at 105°C Programs such as the Advanced Powertrain Demonstrator (APD), the Combat Vehicle Prototype (CVP) and the Next Generation Combat Vehicle (NGCV), as well as other Technology Insertion programs such as the Stryker Advanced Propulsion w/ On-Board Power (APOP), are leveraging the latest developments in high-temperature Silicon Carbide (SiC) technology to supply enormous amounts of electrical power while operating at extremely high coolant temperatures (105 degrees Celsius). We will develop a cooling pump that is capable of providing high-temperature liquid cooling to these devices while surviving the temperatures found in a ground vehicle engine compartment, operate from a 24 VDC. In Phase I we identify and analyze the necessary technologies this electric coolant pump to operate in an enclosed compartment at 125 degrees Celsius and at steady-state flow rate of 95 to 132 liters per minute and a pressure rise of 1.7-2.1 bar. In Phase II we will design, build and demonstrate the experimental prototype electric coolant pump that incorporates the key technologies and characteristics identified in Phase I.

As the under-the-hood and coolant temperatures increase the current pump solutions that utilize permanent magnet motors become marginal in regards to their thermal operating conditions as these magnets are typically made from Neodymium based materials that degrade as the operating temperature increases. Due to the positive temperature coefficient of the motor windings, thermal runaway can also occur. Lastly, control electronics are limited to ambient operating conditions below the target of modern under-the-hood conditions that can require a secondary cooling system for the electronics, which is undesirable due to weight, space limitation, cost and reliability concerns and the associated complexities. Our company, Electric Drivetrain Technologies LLC (EDT), will employ novel concepts such as a Synchronous Reluctance (SYR) motor, Carbon nanotubes conductors (CNT), wide-bandgap power switches with high PWM switching frequencies and innovative electronic cooling systems. EDT will expand on its high temperature electric motor and controller design technologies which are currently under test by GHSP, an automotive supplier/OEM. Since the basic technology is already in proprietary R&D testing the development risks will be mitigated. EDT will use wide-bandgap technology and its high efficiency inverter design that has demonstrated >98% conversion efficiency to develop an efficient controller that can operate under these extreme operating conditions. EDT will employ a packaging design with micro channel cooling, active wick technology and advanced computational fluid analysis to insure safe thermal management of the integral electronic controller. EDT has previously explored this technology for a high temperature controller for the US Navy – ONR and we have also successfully demonstrated these in our Phase I work. In Phase I, we did finalize the design approach and validate the concept with preliminary feasibility bench testing where we demonstrated a functional coolant pump that met the Army’s specification with the underlying technology base. This design is the basis for the Phase II development that will yield a fully form, fit and function compatible cooling pump at TRL 6 (minimum) TRL 7 or better (target) that will be tested in a relevant environment. There are multiple requirements within the Army, the MDA and the DoD that can be satisfied by this development. These concepts are currently under development and can be addressed by the underlying motor and high temperature electronic design and packaging technologies. The coolant pump also holds great commercial potential in the consumer and commercial vehicle markets where similar solutions are actively sought. The concept can be expanded to related applications such as stand alone lubrication pumps, air moving devices and/or turbo chargers.