Department of the navy (don) 17. 1 Small Business Innovation Research (sbir) Proposal Submission Instructions introduction

TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Information Systems, Sensors

ACQUISITION PROGRAM: Program Executive Office Integrated Warfare Systems 5A, Undersea Systems Advanced Development Program

The technology within this topic is restricted under the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR), 22 CFR Parts 120-130, which controls the export and import of defense-related material and services, including export of sensitive technical data, or the Export Administration Regulation (EAR), 15 CFR Parts 730-774, which controls dual use items. Offerors must disclose any proposed use of foreign nationals (FNs), their country(ies) of origin, the type of visa or work permit possessed, and the statement of work (SOW) tasks intended for accomplishment by the FN(s) in accordance with section 5.4.c.(8) of the Announcement. Offerors are advised foreign nationals proposed to perform on this topic may be restricted due to the technical data under US Export Control Laws.

OBJECTIVE: To develop and demonstrate an accurate and efficient computational method for calculating undersea acoustic scattering strength of mid-frequency targets.

DESCRIPTION: Active sonar systems are often employed for a variety of search and survey applications. Models that predict the target response to active sonar signal transmissions are used in planning search missions and in simulations that can be used to train the operators. Existing target models could be described as being either high in fidelity for small targets or lower in fidelity for larger targets. The fidelity of the model refers to the set of physical effects that contribute to the scattered response. Echoes from a target might include simple scattering as well as a number of shell waves and resonances. The total target response depends on many factors, such as the characteristics of the transmitted signal, the incident angle upon the target, the interior structure of the target as well as the target’s exterior shape. For complex or broadband signals, or for large or unusually shaped targets the calculations of the expected target scattering response can be computationally expensive, so performance or training models have to make simplifying assumptions. These assumptions can result in adequate performance for modeling sonar detection problems, but lack sufficient fidelity to model an echo for predicting the success of classification techniques. To achieve this fidelity it will be necessary to calculate the scattering function at high angular resolution across the entire acoustic band of interest. High resolution techniques such as finite element approaches have been successfully applied for small targets of a few meters in length, but are computationally costly unless the targets include some symmetry that reduces the size of the target portion that must be considered. In recent years, efficient techniques have been examined that approximate solving the scattering problem from a target in a waveguide using summations of the Kirchhoff approximation for facets of the target surface. Low-cost parallel processing hardware such as Graphical Processing Units (GPUs) have also been used to speed these calculations. Thus far, none of these techniques have resulted in a high fidelity echo response for targets larger than a few meters. The objective will be to develop a solution suitable for larger objects on the order of 10s of meters in length. Desirable solutions for this topic should seek to increase the target size to 10s of meters by means of target modeling algorithm efficiencies and/or innovative parallel processing implementations.

Work produced in Phase II may become classified. Note: The prospective contractor(s) must be U.S. owned and operated with no foreign influence as defined by DoD 5220.22-M, National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual, unless acceptable mitigating procedures can and have been implemented and approved by the Defense Security Service (DSS). The selected contractor and/or subcontractor must be able to acquire and maintain a secret level facility and Personnel Security Clearances, in order to perform on advanced phases of this project as set forth by DSS and ONR in order to gain access to classified information pertaining to the national defense of the United States and its allies; this will be an inherent requirement. The selected company will be required to safeguard classified material IAW DoD 5220.22-M during the advanced phases of this contract.

PHASE I: Develop a plan to define the solution and the scope of the software and hardware required to achieve it. The Phase I results should argue convincingly that the results will accurately reflect real world results including all relevant echo components from the target. The effects of scattering from reflectors in the environment, such as the ocean bottom, should be neglected. A simple (but not trivial) target should be assumed, such as a prolate spheroid of 20-30 meters in length and 2-3 meters in diameter, with some irregular features added. The incident signals examined should include a linear frequency modulated pulse from 1-10 kHz. The Phase I report should fully describe the approach, its method of verification and validation, and the speed of the calculated target echo response given the computer hardware to be used. Required Phase I deliverables will include at a minimum, mid-term and final progress reports a final brief for acquisition stakeholders.

PHASE II: Develop, demonstrate and test a prototype computer model for the target conditions described in Phase I. The prototype should provide proof-of-concept for computational feasibility and accuracy. The prototype should be designed such that the target characteristics can be provided as model inputs rather than integral to the product. Required Phase II deliverables will include at a minimum, mid-term and final progress reports, a Phase II brief for acquisition stakeholders, and an example of the prototype. Results of the Phase II effort will be subject to independent validation by a Navy laboratory using comparisons to measured data, which is likely to include classified information. For this reason, the developer will be expected to participate in classified meetings.

PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: The results of a successful Phase II effort can be offered to a relevant acquisition program office using pre-planned product improvement (P3I) mechanisms such as the Advanced Capability Build process. Working with the program office representatives, the product will be refined and prepared for integration into the acquiring program. Products developed under this topic will be offered for transition to NAVSEA and NAVAIR ASW training and tactical decision aid (TDA) systems. Integration will be performed for each application in conjunction with the prime contractor for the training and/or TDA system after qualification and preliminary acceptance by the program office. System testing as part of the integrated product will be performed by the program office to determine ultimate suitability of the product. Private Sector Commercial Potential: Products developed under this topic will have commercial applications in oceanographic survey system predictions, with specific benefits for scientific research and oil/gas exploration.

REFERENCES:

1. Zampoli, Tesei, Canepa & Godin, “Computing the far field scattered or radiated by objects inside layered fluid media using approximate Green’s functions,” Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, Vol. 123, No. 6, June 2008, pp. 4051-4058.

2. Burnett, “Computer Simulation for Predicting Acoustic Scattering from Objects at the Bottom of the Ocean,” Acoustics Today, Winter 2015, pp. 28-36.

3. Schneider, Berg, Gilroy, Karasolo, MacGillivray, TerMorshuizen & Volker, “Acoustic scattering by a submarine: results from a benchmark target strength simulation workshop,” Proceedings of the 10th International Congress on Sound & Vibration, 7-10 July 2003, Stockholm, Sweden.

4. Burnett, “Radiation boundary conditions for the Helmholtz equation for ellipsoidal, prolate spheroidal, oblate spheroidal and spherical domain boundaries,” Journal of Computational Acoustics 20(4), pp. 1230001-1 –1230001-35.

5. Kythe, “Boundary Element Methods,” CRC Press, pp. 214-232.-

KEYWORDS: Target Strength, Target Model, SONAR, Underwater Acoustics, Scattering, GPU

Questions may also be submitted through DoD SBIR/STTR SITIS website.

TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Electronics, Ground/Sea Vehicles, Materials/Processes

ACQUISITION PROGRAM: ONR 331 Multifunctional Energy Storage FNC, ONR 352 Electromagnetic Railgun INP

OBJECTIVE: The technical objective of this topic is to develop a thermal interface material for use in militarized battery modules which has the following characteristics: robust to vibration and abrasion, non-permanent bonding, high dielectric strength, and high thermal conductance.

DESCRIPTION: Energy storage systems under development for Navy shipboard use may be operated at high rate and high duty cycle, leading to a significant thermal management challenge. Maintaining battery temperatures in a narrow window is critical to system performance and battery life. Elevated temperatures cause reduced cycle life and may present a safety risk, and non-uniform battery temperatures may cause an unbalanced battery system. Battery cells are commonly placed in a heat sink structure where the thermal interface between the battery cell and the heat sink must be minimized to ensure an efficient thermal management solution. This topic seeks new thermal interface materials (TIMs) which are electrically insulating and thermally conducting, but are also designed for militarized battery modules. The TIM must withstand vibration and abrasion. And, to allow easy servicing of battery modules, the thermal interface material must not form a permanent bond. Either cylindrical or prismatic large format battery cells may be used. Particularly with cylindrical cells, the gap width may vary along the cell-to-heat-sink interface and the thermal interface material must be designed to accommodate the irregular gap width and/or irregular clamping force. The material must be non-flammable, non-toxic, and must not require any personal safety equipment for handling (gloves, mask, respirator, etc).

Current state-of-the-art (SOA) materials may provide a subset of the aforementioned traits. For example, gap pads may be used in irregular gaps but their thermal conductance is poor compared to epoxy-type materials. While epoxy-type materials have high thermal conductance, they form a semi-permanent or permanent bond which hinders the disassembly and servicing of the battery module. Thermal grease materials may leak from the module over time, and may have issues maintaining electrical insulation between the cell and heat sink. Finally, many current SOA materials are unproven in a militarized environment subject to shock, vibration, transportability, and handling requirements.

The present solicitation seeks a thermal interface material which provides unmatched thermal performance when considering the aforementioned challenges. Use of advanced materials (e.g. nano-materials, phase change materials, composites etc…) is encouraged, but not required. The relevant metrics to be used in material selection are as follows:
• Heat transfer surface area (for a single battery cell) – 8 sq. in to 60 sq. in
• Number of cells per module – 12 to 48
• Heat flux at cell surface – 3 kW/m^2 to 7 kW/m^2
• Heat sink material and roughness – Aluminum, machined
• Nominal temperature – 40 to 70 deg C
• Maximum temperature – 150 deg C
• Gap and contact pressure across a single cell – May range from a 50 mil gap to 100 psi contact pressure (although larger gap sizes would be permitted if desired)
• Thermal conductance – Threshold: 2000 W/(m^2-K), Objective: 5000 W/(m^2-K)
• Electrical insulation rating - Threshold: 2000V, Objective: 5000V
• Flammability – Compliance with recognized standards for plastic materials such as ASTM D 1000, UL 94. Similar standards should be used for other material types.
• Mechanical shock resistance* - Refer to MIL-S-901D
• Vibration resistance* – Refer to MIL-STD-167-1A
• Transportability and other environmental compatibility* – Refer to MIL-STD-810G
* A generic, non-proprietary battery module design will be provided to the offeror to assist in designing for mechanical loading requirements. The heat sink structure, cell layout, cell mass, and other parameters will be included in this design.

PHASE I: In Phase I, the small business will identify one or more thermal interface materials for intended development in Phases II and III. The offeror will explore how to meet the stated objectives through analysis and may choose to prove feasibility through testing. The focus of Phase I should be on thermal conductance, electrical insulation, resistance to vibration/abrasion, conformance to irregular gaps, manufacturing cost, and marketability/transition to other military customers or to industry.

PHASE II: In Phase II, the small business will further develop the chosen thermal interface material identified in Phase I. In this phase, prototype materials will be produced and may require iteration on the material composition or manufacturing technique. The prototype materials will be tested in accordance with Navy instruction to ensure that test conditions are appropriate. The offeror will further develop the transition plan and remain focused on minimizing cost of manufacturing.

PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: In Phase III, the small business will work with the Navy and applicable industry partners to demonstrate the thermal interface material on battery modules undergoing high rate operation, to be specified by the Navy. The company will support the Navy for test and validation to certify and qualify the material for Navy use. The company shall explore the potential to transfer the material to other military and commercial customers. Market research and analysis shall identify the most promising technology areas and the company shall develop manufacturing plans to facilitate a smooth transition to the Navy. Private Sector Commercial Potential: This technology may be beneficial to any high power energy storage application or commercial market, such as electric vehicles, grid storage, aerospace, etc.

REFERENCES:

1. US Patent 20140335382, "Thermal interface composite material and method"

2. “Thermal Interface Materials” http://www.electronics-cooling.com/2003/11/thermal-interface-materials/

3. “Problems with Thermal Interface Material Measurements: Suggestions for Improvement” http://www.electronics-cooling.com/2003/11/problems-with-thermal-interface-material-measurements-suggestions-for-improvement/-

KEYWORDS: Thermal interface material; heat transfer; thermal management; materials science; energy storage; lithium-ion battery

Questions may also be submitted through DoD SBIR/STTR SITIS website.