Work in these areas supports the Navy’s interest in advanced naval power and energy systems science and technology, and autonomous technology:
Adaptive System Controls (6.1 basic research): Investigate simulation and design techniques to address increasing operational complexity of power systems, in particular, unmanned, autonomous Naval and Marine Corps platforms. Develop innovative approaches to combine data-based and model-based results using concepts from machine learning and information theory; develop advanced control algorithms to significantly improve control performance in terms of flexibility, reliability, efficiency, and accuracy. Areas of interest include, but not limited to: the investigation of advanced control and simulation techniques to design and operate more complex system architectures; enable understanding, design, operation and affordability of increasingly complex, integrated, and interdependent systems; investigate methods to enhance cybersecurity and resiliency based on developed Digital Twin (DT) for multi-disciplinary interdepended components (physical devices, controllers, communication network); and development of rapid, autonomous control systems for unmanned/manned vehicles.
Power Electronics and Electromagnetism (6.1 basic research): Development and improved reliability/availability of next-generation, wide-bandgap (WBG) semiconductors (Gallium Nitride (GaN)) and ultra WBG (UWBG) and Extreme WBG (EWBG) semiconductors (Gallium Oxide (Ga2O3), Aluminum Gallium Nitride (AlGaN), and Aluminum Nitride (AlN); investigation and discovery of novel dielectrics and insulation systems; development of prediction techniques (prognostics) for estimating useful remaining life of insulation systems; and investigation and discovery of improved, low-loss, high flux magnetic materials.
Machinery Autonomy (6.2 applied research): Investigate simulation and design techniques and advanced control system architectures to address increasing operational complexity of power systems. Investigate the impact of uncertainties on networked multi-converter power systems and develop related advanced modeling and simulation techniques. Areas of interest include but not limited to leveraging synergy with control system research and development for terrestrial microgrids which face similar challenges; enable understanding, design, operation and affordability of increasingly complex, integrated, and interdependent systems; enable implementation of disruptive Power Electronic Power Distribution System (PEPDS) architecture; and design and development and application of control systems supporting future ship Integrated Power and Energy Systems (IPES).
Advanced Power Systems (6.2 applied research):
- Development and application of improved size, weight and power (SWaP), siliconcarbide (SiC), WBG, power electronic building block (PEBB), least replaceable unit(LRU) power converters.
- Risk reduction of technologies supporting medium voltage direct current (MVDC) IPES.
- Develop innovative Power Electronic Power Distribution System (PEPDS) technologyand concepts that surpass MVDC and MVAC.
- Transition opportunities for low voltage direct current (LVDC) power and energy system architectures.
Early Concept Ship Design Tools: Development of a suite of physics-based tools for the modeling and simulation of power and energy systems. This is to enable the means to map between multiple systems domains: Electrical, mechanical, fluid, and thermal, to enable steady-state power flow analysis and simulation.
- Facilitate systems centric design, powering, propulsion, C4ISR all designed in parallel.
- Leverages Navy developed digital product model for data storage.
- Developed to support ship and submarine power flow analyses, but can be applied to any design domain, ex. air vehicles, UXV’s, ground vehicles, etc.
- Answer acquisition critical design questions:
- Is there enough Power?
- Enough Cooling?
- Power demands, generation and loss estimation.
- Thermal management.
- System connection validity checks.
- The Model is the Specification (spec) “TMITS”
Naval Research Enterprise (NRE) Workforce Development: Innovative power and energy technologies continue to emerge. To accommodate both an aging and incoming NRE workforce with the knowledge, skills and abilities to explore, research, develop, and characterize novel power and energy technologies, develop power/energy-based courses to be made free of charge to the NRE workforce.
Research Concentration Areas
Navy and U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) require power systems that meet agility, efficiency, scalability, controllability and security requirements
Reliability and availability of pulsed and continuous duty, high power and energy, Navy and USMC weapon systems.
Research Challenges and Opportunities
Power Electronics Devices and Electromagnetism:
Advance electromagnetics technologies to enhance capabilities, efficiency, size, weight, power density, reliability and cost
Develop computational methods that predict and link material properties at the macroscale with those at the mesoscale and nanoscale
Develop joining processes and methods for large area dissimilar materials
Develop methods, tools and materials to control electric field concentration in highly integrated, compact and power dense PEBBs
Develop WBG and UWBG/EWBG materials and devices for very high frequency, voltage and power applications
Explore and develop computational and theoretical methods for predicting the aging of and useful remaining life of dielectric materials in harsh environments
Innovative energy extraction
Investigate failure modes of WBG/UWBG/EWBG semiconductors to enable reliable devices
Synthesis of new materials with large thermal conduction and high electric breakdown and low dielectric losses through 200 C or higher
More efficient, power-dense and cost-effective electric machinery is required to meet Navy’s expanding demands in mission flexibility, active protection, situation awareness, advanced weaponry and energy efficiency
Revive and enhance education to prepare the next generation of electrical engineers, and in particular power and energy engineers to meet the nation’s objectives for clean, electrical power.
Adaptive System Control: Develop innovative approaches to combine data-based and model-based results using concepts from machine learning and information theory; develop advanced control algorithms to significantly improve control performance in terms of flexibility, reliability, efficiency, and accuracy needed for emerging, autonomous, unmanned platforms.
Machinery Autonomy:
Develop advanced power electronic control across many converters or a network of converters such as a power electronic power distribution system (PEPDS), while minimizing round trip latency and eliminating the need for dedicated source and load converters
Develop methods, processes and tools for control apps that can be downloaded into and uploaded from converters to enable a 1 to 1 relationship between the model and converter control and enabling TMITS
Develop methods, processes and tools to assure secure and reliable programing and operation at all control levels from switch to system in a shipboard power system
Innovative controls to facilitate seamless control of transients and transfer of power and energy from one large load to another
New control concepts needed to coordinate all the system elements to provide the high-power to pulse loads while maintaining power quality to all loads and system stability
Single converter active filters exist today – point filtering; Research is needed for distributed active filtering to include concepts and ideas for multiple converter active filtering, local and global noise suppression, control algorithms for system level filtering, and control algorithms to coordinate and focus system converters to filter localized disturbance.
Advanced Power Systems:
Develop highly integrated PEBB based converters (i.e., iPEBB, or “Power Bots”) to include the capability for programing knowledge via downloadable apps (autonomous with learning)
Develop power distribution architectures with greater performance, lower costs, increased reliability and security, and reduced training and maintenance
Incorporate intelligence, data storage and health monitoring at all levels in the PEBB based converter down to the power switch
MVDC risk reduction and applied SiC technology to fulfill the power and energy needs of the Navy’s next-generation weapons and platforms by improving: Reliability of power electronic devices; Power density of power systems; and Risk reduction for future application of MVDC systems. Transition advanced power system technologies to LVDC architectures.
How to Submit
For detailed application and submission information for this research topic, please refer to our broad agency announcement (BAA) No. N0001425SB001.
Contracts: All white papers and full proposals for contracts must be submitted through the ONR Submission Portal; instructions are included in the BAA.
Grants: All white papers for grants must be submitted through the ONR Submission Portal, and full proposals for grants must be submitted through grants.gov; instructions are included in the BAA.