Intelligent Automation, Inc. — Department of Defense SBIR Phase I: A14-083

Description

The U.S. Army PEO Ammunition has the mission to develop and procure leap-ahead munitions, improvised explosive device (IED)-defeat products and towed artillery systems to increase combat power to service members. The Army is constantly striving towards improved weapon effectiveness with minimum collateral damage, with constraints on costs. Embedded canard actuation systems are one of the most costly components in spinning projectiles and there is a need to design new actuation mechanisms that are scalable across multiple caliber systems as well as applicable to new projectile designs. The design of such systems requires an integrated multidisciplinary approach coupling aerodynamics, structures, dynamics and controls. To address this need, Intelligent Automation Inc. (IAI) proposes to develop a canard actuation system design tool. The approach leverages on multidisciplinary multifidelity optimization using state of the art analyses. This tool will enable an in-depth physical understanding of designs as well an ability to design systems that are easily scalable, lightweight, inexpensive and satisfy the multiple objectives associated with this problem. Our experience in aircraft design, controls, multidisciplinary analyses and hardware prototyping of actuation systems will enable us to make rapid progress in Phase I.