NASA SBIR 2009 Solicitation

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
MTECH Laboratories, LLC
P.O. Box 227
Ballston Spa, NY 12020 - 0227
(518) 885-6436

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Michael J Hennessy
mjhennessy@mtechlabs.com
831 Rte. 67, Bldg. 45C
Ballston Spa, NY 12020 - 0227
(518) 885-6436

Estimated Technology Readiness Level (TRL) at beginning and end of contract:
Begin: 3
End: 4

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (Limit 2000 characters, approximately 200 words)
NASA is investigating advanced turboelectric aircraft propulsion systems that utilize superconducting motors to drive a number of distributed turbofans. Conventional electric motors are too large and heavy to be practical for this application, and so superconducting motors are required. In order to improve maneuverability of the aircraft, variable speed power converters would be required to throttle power to the turbofans. The low operating temperature and the need for lightweight components that place a minimum of additional heat load on the refrigeration system opens the possibility of incorporating extremely efficient cryogenic power conversion technology. This Phase II program will develop critical components required to meet NASA's size, weight, and performance goals.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words)
Apart from turboelectric aircraft propulsion systems and high-power drives for superconducting motors, other NASA applications include high-power and high-power-density cryogenic and wide-temperature-range power conversion systems for interplanetary and interstellar spacecraft, satellites, landers, and surface base stations on a number of planets or moons in the solar system.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words)
Commercial applications include industrial utility projects to develop superconducting power transmission, superconducting wind turbine generators, and distribution systems for large buildings such as data centers and manufacturing plants based on superconducting cables. MTECH is currently working toward a demonstration site of such a distribution system, which could utilize the components developed in this NASA program. Other non-NASA federal government applications include a cryogenic motor drive system for the Navy's All-Electric Ship program, and equipment for superconducting accelerators at DOE national accelerator labs.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING (NASA's technology taxonomy has been developed by the SBIR-STTR program to disseminate awareness of proposed and awarded R/R&D in the agency. It is a listing of over 100 technologies, sorted into broad categories, of interest to NASA.)

Power Management and Distribution Semi-Conductors/Solid State Device Materials Superconductors and Magnetic