SBIR-STTR Award

Visual Landing Aids are required for visual acuity to safely guide aircraft during night and/or low visibility aircraft operations, for general lighting and navigation. The current generation of VLAs was designed to withstand loads associated with existing aircraft. Future aircraft are expected to generate more severe exhaust loads that could threaten the integrity of these lighting fixtures. Indirect aircraft exhaust temperatures of approximately 350C for long dwell periods as well as near-direct temperatures of approximately 900C for relatively short durations are expected. Such temperatures, in conjunction with the relatively high convective coefficients characteristic of jet flow, have been shown to generate significant temperature gradients in glass windows. The resulting thermal stresses, particularly in conjunction with pressure loads, can lead to window failure. Similarly, internal seals, electronics, and structural components in the VLAs can be compromised by high temperatures or differential thermal expansion. The goal of our Phase I work will be to establish a VLA design that can accommodate all thermal and mechanical loads from future aircraft such as the F35 and be a form, fit and functional replacement of currently fielded VLAs.

Benefit:
The development of a drop-in solid state Visual Landing Aid replacement has many applications in the commercial market. Greater attention is being applied to the lighting industry due to the potential energy savings from new solid state lighting systems. The initial volumes will support the Navys requirement to replace existing VLAs in carriers and LHA/LHDs. However, once this market is established, the product can be leveraged in any market that uses VLA, such as commercial airports. One output of this project is a greater understanding of the trade-offs in packaging LEDs into a small volume. The lessons learned in this development work would also be used to develop other LED drop-in replacement light sources.

Keywords:
illumination, illumination, visual landing aids, Heat Resistant, Lighting Systems, ship lighting, LEDs

Visual Landing Aids on air capable ships and aircraft carrier flight decks are required for night and/or low visibility aircraft operations for general lighting, navigation, flight deck, and special purposes. Future aircraft are expected to have hotter exhaust that could threaten the integrity of these lighting fixtures. During Phase 1, two conceptual LED illumination designs were developed and virtually integrated into the existing Tramline housing. Thermal analysis, which included electrical thermal loads, showed that the LED's junction temperature was below the requirement defined by MIL-STD-16377 in ambient operations and below the LED's failure point when exposed to aircraft exhaust. The Phase 2 goal will be to complete system development and validate performance of an LED sourced Centerline/Tramline light system for both carriers and LHA/LHD type ships. Detailed design will be completed and a sufficient number of prototypes will be built to demonstrate functionality. Environmental and EMI test will be done to validate performance. During the development process, product improvements and cost reduction changes in the design will be made as improvements and cost reduction changes in the design will be made as necessary. At the end of the project, startup and recurring costs will be presented to the Navy for consideration as a viable product to be transitioned into the fleet.

Benefit:
Greater attention is being applied to the lighting industry due to LEDs potential energy savings. The development of a drop-in solid state Visual Landing Aid replacement benefits the Navy by providing a more capable light source with a longer operation life and consuming less electrical power, which decreases the life cycle cost. These characteristics directly translate into commercial markets. The initial volumes will support the Navys requirement to replace existing VLAs in carriers and LHA/LHDs. However, the technical know-how and infrastructure used to produce Navy VLA systems can be leveraged to develop and produce similar types of LED light systems. Such markets include airport and architecture lighting, which are subject to similar harsh environments as the Navys VLA system.

Keywords:
visual landing aids, LEDs, ship lighting, illumination, Lighting Systems, Heat Resistant