DON26BZ05-DV086 TITLE: DIRECT TO PHASE II: Development of Customized Aerospace Lightweight, High Power, High Frequency Bandwidth, Nanocrystalline EMI Filters
OUSW (R&E) CRITICAL TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Scaled Directed Energy (SCADE)
COMPONENT TECHNOLOGY PRIORITY AREA(S): Directed Energy (DE)
PROJECTED CMMC LEVEL REQUIREMENT: Level 2 (Self)
OBJECTIVE: Design, develop, test, and deliver a lightweight, high power, high frequency bandwidth, common mode voltage cancellation (CMVC) electromagnetic interference (EMI) filter optimized for aerospace power generation applications.
DESCRIPTION: The U.S. Navy is embarking on opportunities for increased aerospace platform electrification to meet its unique demands on aircraft power and propulsion systems which drives a significant need for increased power density and high temperature components. A key enabler is wide bandgap (WBG) device-based power conversion. These technologies bring significant benefits to improving fielded aerospace electrical power system challenges while also driving towards new advanced platform capabilities. However, they also bring a new set of significant challenges, namely electromagnetic interference (EMI) and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) which, if not mitigated properly, may lead to avionics or mission system degradation jeopardizing the platform’s warfighting mission readiness.
Nanocrystalline materials are an emerging technology that provide opportunity to bring significant weight savings to common mode (CM) inductors due to its high saturation flux density, high temperature capability, and low core losses. While existing COTS nanocrystalline magnetic cores have mainly focused on high power, low frequency (i.e., industrial drives) or low power, high frequency (i.e., radio frequency system) applications, the Navy requires high power and high frequency bandwidth nanocrystalline cores to achieve desired filter attenuation performance and power density requirements for military aerospace applications. In many cases, the components required for these aerospace applications (e.g., tactical fighter aircraft or future hybrid electric/fully electric aircraft) differ significantly from existing COTS components required for commercial electric vehicle markets due to the higher power, increased power density, and more stringent EMI requirements in the military aerospace environment.
This topic is focused on maturation of the materials and components to enable development of system level filter hardware solutions that are reliable and maintain high performance response for military aerospace applications, with option for commercial use, as documented in DO-160 and MIL-STD-461 for EMI performance.
The solution should demonstrate a greater than 50% weight reduction compared to commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) CMVC filters and inductor components through the development and use of customized high power and high frequency bandwidth nanocrystalline core materials.
PHASE I: For a Direct to Phase II topic, the Government expects that the small business will have accomplished the following in a Phase I-type effort and developed a concept for a workable prototype or design to address, at a minimum, the basic requirements of the stated objective above. The following actions would be required to satisfy the requirements of Phase I:
The Government expects that the small business will be able to demonstrate experience in the development, manufacture, and test of passive nanocrystalline magnetic core materials across various end-use applications. The small business should include skills and expertise necessary to support advanced research and development in the materials and understand development and integration into CMVC EMI filter devices.
FEASIBILITY DOCUMENTATION: Offerors interested in participating in Direct to Phase II must include in their response to this topic Phase I feasibility documentation that substantiates the scientific and technical merit and Phase I feasibility described in Phase I above has been met (i.e., the small business must have performed Phase I-type research and development related to the topic NOT solely based on work performed under prior or ongoing federally funded SBIR/STTR work) and describe the potential commercialization applications. The documentation provided must validate that the proposer has completed development of technology as stated in Phase I above.
PHASE II: Focus on research and development toward significant material and component-level improvements of passive high power and high frequency bandwidth nanocrystalline core materials that enable system level reductions in Size, Weight, Power, and Cooling (SWaP-C) of a CMVC EMI filter for aerospace power generation applications. Develop designs that consider requirements set forth in both DO-160 and MIL-STD-461 for EMI performance. Consider innovative design methodologies and experimentation to mature the CMVC EMI filter technology to a minimum of TRL 5 through testing and demonstration in a lab environment as a threshold requirement. Conduct required additional testing and demonstration to TRL 6 in a relevant end-use application environment. Deliver a minimum of two CMVC EMI filter units with the expected greater than 50% weight reduction in comparison to existing COTS designs with demonstrated significant improvements in filter attenuation.
PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Deliver flight-representative prototype CMVC EMI filters for integration into a selected aerospace generator or power system with planned integrated system test, ground test, and flight test.
High power, high frequency, nanocrystalline core materials and filter components have opportunity for dual-use applications in commercial aerospace that have similar rigorous SWaP-C and EMI/EMC demands.
REFERENCES:
KEYWORDS: Inductor; nanocrystalline; electromagnetic interference filter; high frequency; electrical power system; aerospace
TPOC 1 : Sandler Belizaire
(301) 757-0500
sandler.c.belizaire.civ@us.navy.milTPOC 2 : Michael Allen
(301) 757-3345
michael.t.allen9.civ@us.navy.milTPOC3 : John Colbert
(301) 757-0467 Y
john.e.colbert4.civ@us.navy.mil
** TOPIC NOTICE ** |
The Navy Topic above is an "unofficial" copy from the Navy Topics in the DoW FY-26 Release 5 SBIR BAA. Please see the official DoW Topic website at www.dodsbirsttr.mil/submissions/solicitation-documents/active-solicitations for any updates. The DoW issued its Navy FY-26 Release 5 SBIR Topics pre-release on August 5, 2026 which opens to receive proposals on August 26, 2026, and closes September 23, 2026 (12:00pm ET). Direct Contact with Topic Authors: During the pre-release period (August 5, through August 25, 2026) proposing firms have an opportunity to directly contact the Technical Point of Contact (TPOC) to ask technical questions about the specific BAA topic. The TPOC contact information is listed in each topic description. Once DoW begins accepting proposals on August 26, 2026 no further direct contact between proposers and topic authors is allowed unless the Topic Author is responding to a question submitted during the Pre-release period. DoD On-line Q&A System: After the pre-release period, until September 9, 2026, at 12:00 PM ET, proposers may submit written questions through the DoW On-line Topic Q&A at https://www.dodsbirsttr.mil/submissions/login/ by logging in and following instructions. In the Topic Q&A system, the questioner and respondent remain anonymous but all questions and answers are posted for general viewing.
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