SBIR-STTR Award

High Strain Composite Boom Deployed Volumetric Sonobuoy Array
Award last edited on: 8/29/2024

Sponsored Program
SBIR
Awarding Agency
DOD : Navy
Total Award Amount
$1,237,939
Award Phase
2
Solicitation Topic Code
N221-072
Principal Investigator
Thomas Murphey

Company Information

Opterus Research and Development Inc

815 14th Street SW Suite C200
Loveland, CO 80537
   (505) 599-3006
   info@opterusrd.com
   www.opterusrd.com
Location: Single
Congr. District: 02
County: Larimer

Phase I

Contract Number: N68335-22-C-0342
Start Date: 6/6/2022    Completed: 12/6/2022
Phase I year
2022
Phase I Amount
$238,594
The Department of the Navy (DON) has a national security related need for highly compactible deployable structures for air-deployed canister sonobuoys. These systems must stow compactly within the confines of a A-type sonobuoy canister, deploy and position a volumetric array of sensor nodes that acoustically detect submarine engine noise. As submarines continue to reduce noise outputs to enhance stealth, sensor arrays must be larger, more sensor dense and distributed more broadly in contested areas. Sonobuoy systems are deployed from patrol aircraft or helicopters and position themselves from 100ft. to 1,000 ft. below the surface. Due to this broad depth of operation, sonobuoy deployable systems must be structurally robust to survive loads enacted by waves, surface currents and shear currents at varying depths. To address the DONs two top priorities; sonobuoy systems less than $500 and compactly packaging highly expandable deployable array structures, Opterus proposes the High Strain Composite the (HSC) boom deployed volumetric array. The concept uses a stabilization weight to tension an array of sensors in a cylindrical shape. The deployable boom structures at the top and bottom of the array maintain the cylinder shape. In the Phase I effort Opterus will critically focus on concept design of three-dimensional, volumetric sonobuoy deployable array to advance the capability of current state of the art systems. The composite material systems will be evaluated and vetted for performance in an undersea, conductive fluid that creates a highly corrosive environment. Working closely with its commercialization and transition partner Opterus will conceptualize several deployable array layouts, sensor packaging, and manufacturing approaches to achieve the low-cost objective of less than $500 per system.

Benefit:
Opterus will conceptualize several deployable array layouts, sensor packaging, and manufacturing approaches to achieve the low-cost objective of less than $500 per system. Opterus will work closely with its partner and leverage their expertise and network within the Navy to transition the technology developed into future Navy acquisitions. This partnership enables Opterus to rapidly adapt its deployable structures technologies for Navy requirements, integrate in state-of-the-art sonobuoys, and better equip the Navy to detect and track hostile assets that are continually advance their own stealth capabilities.

Keywords:
deployable, deployable, high strain composite, Volumetric, Compact, Array, EXPANDABLE, Structure, Sonobuoy

Phase II

Contract Number: N68335-23-C-0658
Start Date: 8/30/2023    Completed: 9/12/2025
Phase II year
2023
Phase II Amount
$999,345
The Department of the Navy (DON) has a national security related need for highly compactible deployable structures for air-deployed canister sonobuoys. These systems must stow compactly within the confines of a A-type sonobuoy canister, deploy and position a volumetric array of sensor nodes that acoustically detect submarine engine noise. As submarines continue to reduce noise outputs to enhance stealth, sensor arrays must be larger, more sensor dense and distributed more broadly in contested areas. Sonobuoy systems are deployed from patrol aircraft or helicopters and position themselves from 100ft. to 1,000 ft. below the surface. Due to this broad depth of operation, sonobuoy deployable systems must be structurally robust to survive loads enacted by waves, surface currents and shear currents at varying depths. To address the DONs two top priorities; sonobuoy systems less than $500 and compactly packaging highly expandable deployable array structures, Opterus proposes the High Strain Composite the (HSC) boom deployed volumetric array. The concept uses a stabilization weight to tension an array of sensors in a cylindrical shape. The deployable boom structures at the top and bottom of the array maintain the cylinder shape. In the Phase II effort Opterus will critically focus on prototype fabrication and test in relevant environments such as submerged deployment and deployed sea-state tow testing. The composite material systems will be evaluated and vetted for performance in an undersea, conductive fluid that creates a highly corrosive environment. Working closely with its commercialization and transition partner, in the Phase II option effort Opterus will develop high volume, low-cost manufacturing provesses to realize less deployable structure objective cost of less than $500 per system.

Benefit:
Opterus will design, analyze, fabricate and test objective scale deployable volumetric sonobuoy arrays. Successful demonstrations in relevant envrionments will validate sensor packaging and manufacturing approaches to achieve the low-cost objective of less than $500 per system. Opterus will work closely with its partner and leverage their expertise and network within the Navy to transition the technology developed into future Navy acquisitions. This partnership enables Opterus to rapidly adapt its deployable structures technologies for Navy requirements, integrate in state-of-the-art sonobuoys, and better equip the Navy to detect and track hostile assets that are continually advance their own stealth capabilities.

Keywords:
Structure, Slit-tube, deployable, Sonobuoy, Volumetric, high strain composite, precision, Array