SBIR/STTR Award attributes
Hypersonic vehicles offer promise as a platform to support rapid response missions worldwide. However, hypersonic vehicles lack the ability to produce onboard power with traditional generators due to their use of supersonic combusting ramjets, which do not have rotating shafts from which power can be extracted. Therefore, hypersonic vehicles lack significant electrical power production for supporting advanced electronics. Hypersonic vehicles require extensive thermal management systems as well. Special Power Sources and Tennessee Tech University are developing a Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) Hypersonic Power technology for onboard electrical power generation. Electric power production onboard hypersonic vehicles is challenging due to high heating loads at speeds > Mach 5 and the inability to produce electrical power via a generator. During the proposed phase 2, the team will complete objectives to progress the cell development and integrated thermal analysis to meet the hypersonic vehicle requirements. The development of the SOFC Hyperpower technology will also utilize commercial technology adapted for the application. The team including Raytheon Technologies, Lockheed Martin and Boeing has the experience and facilities to catalyze the development of the SOFC Hyperpower technology.
