POWDERMET INC — National Aeronautics and Space Administration SBIR Phase I: A1

Description

NASA requires future Electrified Aircraft Propulsion (EAP) with lightweight, high-efficiency power distribution systems that have flight critical reliability have led to requirements for weight reduction by a factor of 2-3 as well as improved efficiency. Higher efficiency reduces losses and makes thermal management more achievable in an aircraft. Turboelectric, hybrid electric, and all electric power generation as well as distributed propulsive power have been identified as candidate transformative aircraft configurations with reduced fuel consumption/energy use and emissions. In these power applications, soft magnetics play an important role in the power system.nbsp; Current and future power and electronic systems including motor drives, inverters and converters, and pulse-forming networks (among others) are currently limited by size, cost, and power (largely due to size and magnetic/inductor components losses).nbsp;In this program, Powdermet will develop advanced soft magnetic material with high magnetic saturation and lower losses for 100kHz-300kHz power application in aerospace exploration. The proposed Phase I SBIR program will demonstrate Powdermet Incrsquo;s ability to produce an advanced nanocomposite soft magnetic with high permeability magnetic with high energy efficiency at high frequency.nbsp; This novel soft magnetic will feature as high magnetic saturation (gt;1.8 T), high operating temperature (gt;200 deg;C) and high permeability (gt;1000). More important, the proposed soft magnetic will high energy efficiency and low loss during the 100kHz-300kHz (especially, the low eddy current loss at these frequency)