Army 18. 1 Small Business Innovation Research (sbir) Proposal Submission Instructions

Classified proposals are not accepted under the DoD SBIR Program. In the event DoD Components identify topics that will involve classified work in Phase II, companies submitting a proposal must have or be able to obtain the proper facility and personnel clearances in order to perform Phase II work.

PHASE I: Design and demonstrate innovations related to common engine interface technology, including abstraction of FADEC or engine controllers that would reduce the integration cost and complexity for modifications or replacement independently of the avionics or engine. Common actions such as weight and balance, fuel calculations, master caution and warnings, engine performance display to the crew, and vehicle health monitoring depend upon common information from the engine. The Phase I approach should fully identify key data elements and the architectural approach to a common engine software interface, including the specification of one or more FACE UoPs that will be constructed in Phase II.

PHASE II: Develop a fully functional prototype working with at least two commercial FADEC implementations and two avionics suites to demonstrate cross-platform implementation of the same data model. An acceptable demonstration may be in a lab environment with representative FADEC emulators, thus avoiding cost associated with vehicle integration or flight testing; however, the demonstration must include partnership with multiple actual FADEC vendors to ensure that the solution is not unique to a single specific vendor.

PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: The small business is expected to demonstrate a clear marketing plan for dual-use in civil aviation. FADEC components are common in the civil aviation market, thus the problem set represented by this SBIR has significant commercial potential. The developer should demonstrate a plan to obtain funding from non-SBIR government and private sector sources to transition the technology into viable commercial products

REFERENCES:

1. Future Airborne Capabilities Environment (FACE), Hardware Open Systems Technology (HOST), DO-178, DO-254, ARINC 429, ARINC 664, Avionics Full-Duplex Switched Ethernet (AFDX), ARINC 653, ARINC 661, Risk Management Framework (RMF), DoDI 8500.01, DoDI 8510.01, MIL-STD-882E, SAE ARP 4754, SAE ARP 4761

KEYWORDS: FADEC, ITE, Improved Turbine Engine, Engine Controller, FACE, IMA, AFDX, Cybersecurity, Information Assurance, OFP, RMF, Risk Management Framework, HOST, MBSE, Integrated Modular Avionics, Software Airworthiness, Software Assurance, Design Assurance, Model Based Systems Engineering, Avionics Software Development, Intrusion Detection, Security Monitoring, Auditing, RTOS, Safety-Critical

A18-081

TITLE: Alternative Manufacturing Technologies for Bridging and Structural Applications

TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Materials/Processes

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this SBIR is to develop parts made with alternative manufacturing technologies to be integrated into bridges or other high strength structures.

DESCRIPTION: Typically, connections are the most difficult part to design, manufacture, and test in bridges and other structures.

PHASE I: The Phase I effort will assess the feasibility and performance characteristics for using alternative manufacturing technologies in bridging and other structural applications, specifically at the connections. These studies should include discussions with TARDEC to identify specific requirements for connections manufactured using this technology, such as strength, durability and weight of the connection. The goal would be to develop a concept for a connector design that is producible using alternative manufacturing technology, scalable to meet the different loading requirements at the high and low end of the loading spectrum, and can take advantage of the increasing geometric complexity that these technologies can accommodate. Analysis of the design concept should include plans for integration into a larger structure, to be determined as part of initial discussions with TARDEC, that could be made of various materials and the determination of techniques to reduce the amount of material wasted during manufacturing. Small scale component testing, which may include but is not limited to Fatigue, Overload, Corrosion, Finite Element Analysis, Modeling & Simulation, Tensile, Micro Structure Analysis, and Fracture Toughness may also be performed to obtain an initial assessment of the manufacturing process viability and connection design performance. Phase I should begin to analyze the effectiveness of different materials in their ability to meet the requirements and be used to manufacture connections using alternative manufacturing techniques.

PHASE II: Phase II should further develop the concept from Phase I for a scalable connector design, to include material selection, manufacturing process selection, and geometry optimization. As part of the effort, 1 or more full scale prototype connection(s) should be manufactured and tested in overload, fatigue and environmental to verify the analysis performed in Phase I. The effort should also include information on how to integrate the new design into the larger structure identified in Phase I. Phase II shall result in a full scale prototype that meets or exceeds current connector designs, manufactured using alternative manufacturing processes, which will be delivered to TARDEC for further evaluation.

PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Phase III work will further demonstrate the capability of the technology to be utilized for a variety of large structures. The technology will initially be used for rapid development, prototyping, and manufacturing of connections in military bridging structures. Other commercial opportunities include development and prototyping of civil structures through alternative manufacturing technologies. These connections would provide cost effective solutions that maintain high strength and durability. Due to the flexibility in alternative manufacturing techniques, the connections could be quickly optimized for different loadings and applied to different industries as applicable.

REFERENCES:

1. (Reference removed by TPOC on 12/21/17.)

KEYWORDS: Alternative Manufacturing, Bridging, Structures, Bridge Connections, Structural Connections, High Strength Connections

TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Electronics

OBJECTIVE: Develop fully automated test equipment with an instrument controller and software that accurately divides AC voltage to lower outputs with minimal signal noise using an inductive voltage technique that does not contain a decade resistor design.

DESCRIPTION: Inductive voltage divider (IVD) test equipment supports multiple military signal operations for communications and electronic intelligence gathering. Additionally, military support teams and centers with test measurement and diagnostic equipment (TMDE) within the transfer, reference, and primary level utilize IVD test equipment. Current decade resistive style IVD test equipment inventory, with an accuracy of +/- 0.5 uV/V, is obsolete and no longer supportable. This aged decade resistive style IVD technology cannot be adapted to run with current Army automated test, measurement, and diagnostic equipment calibration processes. Replacement inventory development delay increases risk of declining readiness and mission availability, as current calibration capability declines due to system failures without available replacement or repair parts available. Commercial-off-the-shelf solutions (COTS) are manually operated and do not support an automated test equipment solution at the accuracy required. Automated IVD devices do not exist. Therefore, no reference COTS products can be directly compared.

The IVD automated test equipment (ATE) shall be capable of both manual and remote operation by commands sent from an instrument controller compatible with the latest Army-approved computer operating systems, control software, and drivers over an IEEE-488 bus. Inputs and outputs shall be computer controlled via software that generates all of the measurement, outputs, and input settings to minimize operator interaction. The IVD ATE shall capture and store measurement results in a format compatible with spreadsheet software in a comma or tab-delimited file format.

The IVD ATE shall output known variable ratio AC voltage levels; an IVD ATE whose capability includes only fixed ratios as in a decade resistive IVD, is not acceptable. The nominal resolution of the tunable divider network shall be increments of 0.01 up to 100,000:1. The IVD equipment shall be capable of providing tunable inductive voltage division for an input voltage range of 100mVac to 350Vac over the frequency range of 10 Hz to 20 kHz. In addition to known variable ratios, the IVD ATE shall provide preset ratios of 0.1:1, 1:1, 10:1, 100:1, 1000:1, 10,000:1, 100,000:1 with resolution of ±0.01 ppm for each ratio. These ratios are considered to be cardinal points of the IVD ATE's design, and shall be part of the provided capability. An automated IVD using non-switch or contact inductive method will introduce currently unknown signal noise; however, the known signal source quantity will remain the same. The nominal signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) across the voltage and frequency range shall be 1000:1 (40 dB). The SNR shall be 10,000:1 (80 dB) when measured at 1V and 1 kHz. The signal distortion of the IVD ATE shall be quantified through testing of the prototype over its operating range.

All certificates and reports for calibration of the IVD ATE shall meet the requirements of ISO/IEC 17025 for traceability to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

PHASE I: Develop, evaluate, and validate innovative materials and techniques as a preliminary design for a selected approach. The Phase I deliverable shall include a report describing the design approaches considered and the feasibility of each approach in fulfilling a completed final product. Hardware and software requirements shall be defined for the proposed method. Modeling and simulation data for the proposed method’s design concept(s) shall be included. Analysis and overall evaluation of the proposed method shall be included in the report.

PHASE II: The Phase I design shall be utilized to create a functional prototype. Phase II deliverables shall include the delivery of a prototype system and a final report. The prototype system shall demonstrate all of the requirements in Phase I have been met. The final report shall include the prototype design, implemented approaches, test procedures, and results. Prototype design shall include all hardware and software necessary to meet the aforementioned characteristics within the overall IVD test equipment. Any design changes after Phase I need to be documented in the final report with an explanation of why changes were deemed necessary.

PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: The prototype system shall be matured and finalized. A technology transition plan shall be developed for consideration by pertinent program managers. Commercialization applications include other DoD agencies operating unsupportable IVD test equipment. Additionally, labs and private industry throughout the world market will have applications for automated IVD test equipment with this level of high precision.

REFERENCES:

1. Avramov-Zamurovic, S., Waltrip, B., Koffman, A., & Piper, G. (n.d.). A Lecture on Accurate Inductive Voltage Dividers. Lecture. Retrieved from http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA574991

2. Avramov, S., Oldham, N., Jarrett, D., & Waltrip, B. (1993). Automatic inductive voltage divider bridge for operation from 10 Hz to 100 kHz. IEEE Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement, 42(2), 131-135. doi:10.1109/19.278535

3. Avramov-Zamurovic, S., Stenbakken, G., Koffman, A., Oldham, N., & Gammon, R. (1995). Binary versus decade inductive voltage divider comparison and error decomposition. IEEE Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement, 44(4), 904-908. doi:10.1109/19.392879

4. Homan, D. N., & Zapf, T. L. (1970). Two Stage, Guarded Inductive Voltage Divider for Use at 100 kHz. ISA Transactions, 9. Retrieved from https://www.nist.gov/sites/default/files/documents/calibrations/isa-9-3.pdf.

KEYWORDS: inductive, voltage, divider, microelectronics, alternating current, test equipment, signal noise

TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Ground/Sea Vehicles

The technology within this topic is restricted under the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR), which controls the export and import of defense-related material and services. Offerors must disclose any proposed use of foreign nationals, their country of origin, and what tasks each would accomplish in the statement of work in accordance with section 5.4.c.(8) of the Announcement.

OBJECTIVE: Design and build optimal track pins for tracked vehicles which reduce cost and weight while improving system. Manufacturing techniques and materials will be investigated and/or developed which enable variation in wall thickness and outer diameter of the track pins. Approaches will be established to determine as well as optimal pin geometries will be built which improve the system (rubber) fatigue performance without reducing the track pin fatigue life.

DESCRIPTION: Previously due to constraints, track pin designs have been carried over from previous platforms and integrated into new vehicles. The design and manufacturing of track pins have essentially had only minor evolutions since the 1960s, and consequentially manufacturing concepts developed in the intervening years have not been applied.

PHASE I: This Phase shall consist of the following:

a) Demonstrate the feasibility of producing a demonstration of a low-cost, lightweight track pin and shoe system by focusing on new manufacturing methods that have been developed over the last 30 years to achieve the lower cost and weight targets which allows for the design envelope to be opened to new geometry (ID and OD) as well as new materials which previously would not be considered due to lost material from machining.

b) This system shall be interchangeable with the current system and meet the same performance criteria.

c) Identify, with Governmental concurrence, the most technical feasible solution from above M&S predictions.

d) Develop initial concept design of equipment and components required to perform the best solution identified above. If commercially available solution that is relevant to military application this step does not need to be performed.

e) Provide a plan for practical deployment of the proposed solution identified above.

f) Determine the commercial merit of the proposed solution to include estimated equipment, component and operation costs.

PHASE II: The purpose of this effort is to design and develop a lightweight, cost informed prototype lightweight track pin and track components for a military combat vehicle. The track pin geometry Is highly constrained based on the sprocket / end connector, road wheel / center guide, and track shoe body / rubber bushing. Where it is unconstrained is the area that will be focused on.
a) Based on Phase I solution, design a prototype system to develop a complete M&S prediction model for the proposed solution
b) Produce prototype hardware based on Phase I solution identified
c) Fabricate multiple samples for characterization and testing
d) Demonstrate the prototype in accordance with the demo success criteria developed in Phase I.

PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Commercialize the design that has been developed and tested for use on Abrams, AMPV, Bradley or PIM. Use of new or emerging manufacturing technologies will enable growth in knowledge of those technologies for ground vehicle systems (transition from aerospace and/or automotive).

REFERENCES:

1. Lightweight MBT Track Pin Development - ADA394449

2. Analysis of Armoured Vehicle Track Loads and Stresses, with Considerations on Alternative Track Materials - ADA219397

3. Lightweight Combat Vehicle S and T Campaign - AD1010791

KEYWORDS: Lightweight, track pin, variable wall thickness, variable diameter, fatigue optimization, manufacturing processes, rubber fatigue, metal fatigue

TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Materials/Processes

OBJECTIVE: To development a material for military vehicle interiors which exhibit spall and head/neck impact properties. The material will provide protection to the warfighter from fragments and blast, crash, and rollover events.

DESCRIPTION: During underbody blast, crash, and rollover events, the vehicle occupant, even when properly restrained experiences high velocity motion in multiple directions. Mounted soldiers experience underbody blast (UBB) events when an IED (improvised explosive device) is concealed below the ground and detonated as their vehicle is positioned over the device. The resulting blast wave produces a rapid and violent displacement of the underside of the vehicle. During a blast event the vehicle is pushed in an upward motion, and is also susceptible to rollover side to side or end to end depending on the location of the blast initiator relative to the vehicle location.