Makai Ocean Engineering, Inc. SBIR Phase I Award, February 2019

Makai proposes to address the small communications buoy mooring problem by developing a technology for small diameter fiber optic cable compliance. Makai’s solution will solve the issue of how a small diameter fiber optic cable can be used for the mooring of small retractable buoys and provide the needed compliance to protect the delicate optical fiber in sea state 3 or 4 conditions. The compliance system will be developed under this SBIR to limit optical attenuation to provide reliable communications. The two compliance system concepts to be evaluated for the Navy’s application include Makai’s Linear Compliance Mechanism (LinCoM) that has a bungee within a section of coiled fiber optic cable that extends and uncoils as force is applied to the buoy, and Makai’s Torsion Compliance Mechanism (TorCoM) that uses a winding arm system that is driven by a torsion spring. Makai will leverage our past experience with fiber optic cable management system development throughout this effort. The technical objective of the proposed Phase I effort is to study these two system concepts as they apply to the Navy’s application, and further model and develop the system determined to best meet the project objectives.