MAINSTREAM ENGINEERING CORP — Department of Defense SBIR Phase I: As shipboard control electronics continue to evolve, electronic systems inevitably incur h

Description

As shipboard control electronics continue to evolve, electronic systems inevitably incur hardware changes. However, these system changes often require sound recertification of the electronics enclosure, which can be a very costly and time-consuming process. Therefore, it is desirable to build a silent electronics enclosure to avoid the recertification process. Mainstream proposes developing an active thermal management system for shipboard control electronics for Ohio-class submarines that can acquire heat from air-cooled components and reject it to the ambient environment. We estimate that the enclosure will operate below typical"quiet room"sound levels (40 dBA), which is less than 1/8th of currently used exposed tubeaxial fans. In Phase I, Mainstream will design the TMS, as well as experimentally demonstrate its functionality in our environmentally-controlled facilities. In Phase II, Mainstream will further optimize the cooling system and produce a pre-production environmentally-sealed enclosure with integral TMS. The proposed TMS leverages COTS components and Mainstream"s design expertise, leading to a low-risk, high-reward program capable of rapid transition to the Navy for Ohio-class submarines.