AMERICAN SUPERCONDUCTOR CORPORATION — Department of Defense SBIR Phase II: N132-127

Description

AMSC is proposing to adapt the original Phase II high power connector design to the degauss system application to reduce complexity, cost, and increase ease of manufacture and reliability.  However, high power connectors incorporate high power operation features in their design that increase size and cost of connector.  A connector that utilizes basic mechanical features of the high power connector, but without the high voltage and multiphase conductor requirements, could potentially result in a smaller sized, lower cost alternative for use in low voltage applications, particularly in the existing degauss system environment. The original Phase II effort for the development of a high voltage and high power connector was completed in 2019, resulting in the establishment of a mechanically simplified connector assembly made from lower cost, easier to fabricate subcomponents.  The goal of this Subsequent Phase II effort will be to incorporate the design features from the high power connector that are pertinent to a mechanically simplified, easy to assemble, reliable connector, into a low-voltage connector design suitable for use in a degauss system application.  A degauss version of the high power cable will then be designed, and a 10 meter degauss cable will be fabricated with the new male connector and tested with a degauss Junction Box built with mating female connectors.