IDC (single-award IDV) NNC17CA03CLAUNCHPOINT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

Description of requirement

IGF::OT::IGF DESIGN OF INNOVATIVE COMPACT ADDITIVELY MANUFACTURED ELECTRIC MOTOR. ELECTRIC MOTORS (ELECTRIC MACHINES) ARE BEING PROPOSED AND DEVELOPED FOR NASA AERONAUTICS PROGRAMS FOR ALL ELECTRIC AND HYBRID ELECTRIC AIRCRAFT APPLICATIONS. THE USE OF ELECTRIC MOTORS IN CONJUNCTION WITH EFFICIENT POWER SUPPLIES OFFERS SIGNIFICANT REDUCTIONS IN EMISSIONS AND FUEL BURN COMPARED TO TURBINE ENGINE PROPULSION. THE KEY TO THE WIDER UTILIZATION OF ELECTRIC MOTORS IS THAT THEY BE COMPACT AND LIGHTWEIGHT WITH POWER DENSITIES AND EFFICIENCIES THAT ARE MUCH HIGHER THAN THE CURRENT STATE OF THE ART. NEW MANUFACTURING METHODS ARE NEEDED TO OBTAIN INNOVATIVE MOTOR DESIGNS THAT HAVE THE NECESSARY POWER DENSITIES. ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING OFFERS THE POTENTIAL TO RADICALLY CHANGE THE MOTOR SO THAT THEY HAVE COMPACT DESIGNS, MULTI MATERIAL COMPONENTS, INNOVATIVE COOLING, AND OPTIMALLY DESIGNED AND MANUFACTURED COMPONENTS. THE NASA CONVERGENT AERONAUTICS SOLUTIONS PROJECT IS SUPPORTING AN EFFORT ENTITLED COMPACT ADDITIVELY MANUFACTURED INNOVATIVE ELECTRIC MOTOR (CAMIEM). ADVANCED ELECTRIC MOTORS WITH INNOVATIVE DESIGNS AND HIGH POWER DENSITIES WILL BE DEVELOPED. THE OVERALL TEAM WILL CONSISTS OF NASA AERONAUTICS CENTERS, A PRIVATE COMPANY, AND A UNIVERSITY. THE TEAM WILL WORK COLLECTIVELY TO IDENTIFY DESIGN IMPROVEMENTS THAT CAN BE ENABLED BY ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGIES. ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGIES WILL BE OPTIMIZED AND APPLIED TOWARD IMPROVING THE PERFORMANCE OF SUB ELEMENTS AND COMPONENTS. SYSTEM STUDIES WILL BE CONDUCTED TO DETERMINE AIRCRAFT MISSION BENEFITS FROM ELECTRIC MOTOR DESIGNS WHICH ARE LIGHTWEIGHT, HIGH POWER DENSE, AND EFFICIENT. BASELINE MOTORS WHICH UTILIZE CONVENTIONAL MANUFACTURING METHODS WILL BE BUILT AND TESTED. A NEW MOTOR, WHICH UTILIZES ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING FOR THE VARIOUS MOTOR COMPONENTS WILL ALSO BE BUILT AND TESTED AND PERFORMANCE GAINS WILL BE EVALUATED.