Current commercial radio frequency (RF) cables and connectors are not suited to survive temperatures exceeding 1,200C. For hypersonic systems, such as missiles, aircraft, or spacecraft, RF cables and connectors must be able to transmit telemetry, targeting, and other signals during flight. Considering the temperatures imposed on the leading edge of a vehicle traveling at hypersonic speeds (>1,800C), the inner environment of the vessel will equilibrate to temperatures above 1,200C, leading to material degradation and complete functional failure of commercial RF cables and connectors, regardless of location. Current cable and connector components including the signal carrying conductor, dielectric insulators, electrically conductive grounding, protective jacket, and metal connector housing cannot survive and function at these temperatures because of their material composition. It is the goal of this Phase I program to identify and down select materials for new and innovative RF cables and connectors that can maintain structure and functionality up to 1,500C over extended flight times. Working with established corporate partners Lockheed Martin, New England Wire Technologies (NEWT), and McAllister Mills, materials will be chosen, supplied, and characterized at NanoSonic for prototyping and eventual inclusion into conventional manufacturing processes. Specific materials that will be investigated include, but are not limited to, ceramic fabrics for dielectric sleeving, steel alloys for conducting and shielding members, as well as 3D-printed steel and ceramic powders. Through an extensive design of experiments, materials that exhibit optimal performance once exposed to temperatures ranging from 1,200C to 1,500C will be down selected for prototyping.
Benefit: The primary benefit of advanced, thermally resilient RF cables and connectors is the increased efficiency and reliability of hypersonic systems for the Navy and related DoD agencies. With these cables and connectors, signaling for control and communication will be dependably and continuously maintained at temperatures exceeding 1,200C and up to 1,500C, regardless of location on the vehicle. Additionally, the ability to withstand these temperatures will alleviate design restraints for hypersonic systems that are positioning the cable and connector assemblies where thermal stresses are at a minimum. With an already established market for RF cable and connector assemblies, the proposed thermally resilient cables and connectors will significantly contribute by providing a new and innovative product that is currently non-existent. The materials and methods proposed for this program can be translated into already existing cable and connector manufacturing processes for an easy transition to commercialization. Once commercialized, these cables and connectors could be expanded to engines and other industrial systems that require high temperature resiliency such as furnaces, steel mills, heat pumps, etc.
Keywords: connectors, connectors, Dielectric, alumina sleeving, Binder Jetting, RF, cables, High Temperature, Steel
