Concepts NREC, LLC — Department of Defense SBIR Phase I: N181-041
Concepts NREC, LLC — SBIR Phase I award from Department of Defense.
Phase I SBIR feasibility signal
- Phase I awards fund proof-of-concept work. For capture teams, they mark early interest from Department of Defense in a technical approach.
- Watch for Phase II follow-ons from the same firm/topic family — that conversion path is where budgets and transition pressure rise.
- Obligated amount $124,962. Cross-check similar awards in the same agency and technology tags for going-rate context.
- Topic code N181-041 links this award to a solicitation family — search the same topic stem for incumbents and recompete timing.
- Amount
- $124,962
- Agency
- Department of Defense · Navy
- Program / Phase
- SBIR · Phase I
- Topic
- N181-041
- Solicitation
- 18.1
- NAICS
- —
- Place of performance
- VT
- Period
- 2018-06-13 → 2020-01-12
Description
The Navy requires affordable and robust cryogenic cooling solutions for use in High Temperature Superconducting (HTS) cable technology. Currently, gaseous helium is cooled by a cryocooler through a cryogenic heat exchanger and circulated using a helium circulation fan through a superconducting cable. While Stirling refrigerators are commonly used in the cryogenics industry, they do not scale well to large capacities and inherently exhibit significant vibration due to their piston-based operation. Therefore, Concepts NREC (CN) proposes to develop a reverse-Brayton cryocooler. Reverse-Brayton cryocoolers offer several unique advantages, such as high-capacity cooling at high efficiency, and long life without maintenance due to wear-free and vibration-free components. Indeed, reverse-Brayton cryocoolers are inherently high-capacity systems, and rely on turbomachinery with noncontact bearings, resulting in wear-free and vibration-free operation. During Phase I, CN will complete the design of the cryocooler system, including its key components: the compressor, the turbine and the recuperator. During the Phase I Option, CN will perform risk reduction activities in preparation for Phase II. During Phase II, CN will build and test the cryocooler.