Date: Jan 15, 2010 Source: ARMY SBIR Success Stories (
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The radius of damage and the destructive power of conventional munitions are limited to that of the blast and fragmentation. A directed energy component, such as high power microwaves or ultra wideband signals, can attack sensitive electronics and has longer lethal ranges than blast waves and fragments. Therefore, there is a need to extend the lethal range of munitions, increase the scope of the target set, and enhance destruction capability.
Loki, Inc. created a new type of miniature, autonomous, explosive-driven, high power source that provides multiple pulses. Each system is a complete unit that includes all components necessary for operation: a miniature explosive- driven primary power source (the ferroelectric generator or FEG), an ultra-miniature power-conditioning system, and a deployable antenna.
The overall diameter of the system is 40mm or less, because they are used to increase the lethal range, target set, and destructive capability of small caliber munitions. FEGs developed under this effort could be applicable to multiple military and commercial applications requiring pulsed power, including water purification units, nondestructive testing systems (x-ray and neutron generators), magnetic resonant imaging systems, lightning simulators, and oil and mineral exploration. Miniature microwave sources developed under this effort could be used as burst communication devices in remote sites, for telemetry, and as the microwave source in active sensor systems.
Phase III Impacts
Loki Inc. has received $100K in sales of explosive-driven generators to the University of Alabama-Huntsville, Teledyne-Solutions, the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Research, Development Center (AMRDEC, the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), and the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR). The U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command, AMRDEC, NRL, the Missile Defense Agency, and NAVAIR are currently investigating the use of these generators for a variety of applications, to include pulsed-power and high-powered microwave production. Additionally, technology transfer to a prime defense contractor is currently underway.
