Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Tech Transfer
Silicon Carbide (SiC) Power Processing Unit (PPU) for Hall Effect Thrusters, Phase II
Project Introduction
In this SBIR project, APEI, Inc. is proposing to develop a high efficiency, rad-hard 3.8 kW silicon carbide (SiC) power supply for the Power Processing Unit (PPU) of Hall Effect thrusters. This program specifically targets the design of a PPU for the HiVHAC (High Voltage Hall ACcelerator) thruster, with target specifications of 80-160V input, 200-700V / 5A output, efficiency greater than 96%, and peak power density in excess of 2.5 kW/kg. The PPU under development utilizes SiC JFET power switches; components which APEI, Inc. has irradiated under TID conditions to greater than 3 MRad with little to zero change in device performance.
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Primary U.S. Work Locations and Key Partners
| Organizations Performing Work | Role | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas Power Electronics International, Inc. | Lead Organization | Industry | Fayetteville, Arkansas |
Glenn Research Center
(GRC)
|
Supporting Organization | NASA Center | Cleveland, Ohio |
Primary U.S. Work Locations
-
Arkansas
-
Ohio
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Organizational Responsibility
Responsible Mission Directorate:
- Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD)
Lead Organization:
- Arkansas Power Electronics International, Inc.
Responsible Program:
- Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Tech Transfer
Project Management
Program Director:
Program Manager:
Principal Investigator:
- Bradley Reese
Project Duration
Start: Jun 2011
End: Aug 2013
Technology Maturity (TRL)
| Start: | 2 |
| Current: | 5 |
| Estimated End: | 5 |
Applied Research
Development
Demo & Test
Technology Areas
Primary:
- TX01 Propulsion Systems
- TX01.2 Electric Space Propulsion
- TX01.2.2 Electrostatic
Target Destinations
The Sun, Earth, The Moon, Mars, Others Inside the Solar System, Outside the Solar System
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