SBIR/STTR Award attributes
Creare is developing a heater utilizing carbon nanotubes (CNTs) that have high temperature uniformity and high optical transmission with low glare. We are creating a system capable of varying the effective sheet resistance across the windshield. The system produces a robust heater layer that can be flexed and easily scaled up to a production environment. In Phase I, we fabricated and tested optically transparent coupon sized CNT heaters. We worked with our CNT manufacturing partner to demonstrate high optical transparency while also high power dissipation. During Phase II, we plan to transition from flat coupons to larger complex surfaces. We will work to scale our system to larger sizes by improving sheet resistance, testing laminate structures, decreasing coating time, and creating a robust manufacturing process. At the end of the Phase II Base and Options, we will produce scaled heater laminate that represents the overall size and shape of the V-22 windshield.