eXclaim IP, LLC — Department of Defense SBIR Phase II: AF221-DCSO1

Description

Luke Air Force Base (AFB) has a national Defense-related mission need in the area of enhancing operational effectiveness, specifically by safeguarding their Air Conditioning (A/C) Cart Aerospace Ground Support Equipment (GSE) from automatic shutdowns and mechanical damage caused by extreme heat conditions. This specific GSE is used by our aircraft maintainers to cool the power and thermal management systems of all variants of the F-35 Lighting II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) fleet. The AC Cart Aerospace GSE has an acceptable operating temperature up to 99 degrees Fahrenheit. However, Luke AFB, which is located in Glendale, Arizona, experiences temperatures above 100 degrees on a daily basis from late May through the middle of September. As a result, these units frequently overheat and shut down which causes significant maintenance delays. In 2021 alone, Luke AFB experienced more than 100 instances where these GSE units overheated and completely shut down. This shutdown requires the maintainers to find an empty hangar, move the aircraft inside the hangar where hard-wired A/C is accessible, and then begin the cool-down process for the F-35 aircraft. On average, fixing this shutdown of the cart is a two-hour process to complete for each occurrence. The ability to perform scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, meet repair turnaround time standards, and problem-solve ad-hoc issues with this GSE is critical to the success of the 56 FW mission of training the world’s premier fighter pilots and combat-ready Airmen. Here at PHOOZY, we found it unacceptable watching our mobile electronics and other devices die from extreme temperatures. In 2016, we did something about it and enlisted the help of aerospace engineers with a background in space programs and thermal technologies. We took materials originally developed by NASA to protect astronauts and electronics in the extreme environments of space and created the world's first Thermal Capsule for mobile electronic devices. Since then, we have patented and created multiple thermal composites and materials that not only safeguard electronic devices from overheating in the sun, but also extend battery life up to 4X when operating in extreme temperature conditions. As a result, PHOOZY has experienced significant commercial success as we have sold hundreds of thousands of units across the globe bringing in more than $4.2M in revenue. In this Phase II, we will perform the necessary (R&D to adapt and improve our thermal composites and materials to deliver a F35ACGSE Thermal Capsule prototype that meets and exceeds the performance requirements of the 56 Maintenance Group (MXG) aircraft maintainers. The Thermal Capsule will be engineered to withstand extreme heat without interfering with the operation of the unit. We believe the PHOOZY F35ACGSE Thermal Capsule presents the AF with an innovative and viable solution as we will leverage mature, new, and emerging technologies to support the critical mission of the 56 MXG.