Thermal Management System (TMS)

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DARPA is soliciting innovative research proposals in the area of Thermal Management Systems (TMS) for aircraft landing decks. The deployment of the MV-22 Osprey has resulted in ship flight deck buckling that has been attributed to the excessive heat impact from engine exhaust plumes. Navy studies have indicated that repeated deck buckling will likely cause deck failure before planned ship life. With the upcoming deployment of the F-35B Short Take Off and Vertical Landing (STOVL) Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), it is anticipated that the engine exhaust plumes may have a more severe thermo-mechanical impact on the non-skid surface and flight deck structure of ships. Currently, there are no available strategies to mitigate deck buckling and thermal-mechanical deck failure other than heavy structural modifications. The goal of this effort is to exploit thermal management technologies that incorporate a thermally and functionally stable non-skid surface which meets Navy requirements for application, safety, and performance. Eligible technologies should consist of an integrated Thermal Management System (TMS) that mitigates the thermo-mechanical structural impact of the F-35B engine exhaust plumes. It is anticipated that the integrated TMS will be implemented on Navy Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) 1 and Landing Helicopter Assault (LHA) 6 Class amphibious assault ships.A responsive proposal to the TMS BAA will outline the development of a system that can be installed on top of the existing decks on amphibious assault ships, and can be used to mitigate the thermal loading that is applied by vertical and short take off and landing aircraft. The proposed system will need to incorporate a thermally stable non-skid that is capable of operating under these extreme conditions. Proposals that incorporate advanced, highly wear resistant non-skids, such as amorphous metal coatings, are encouraged. DARPA anticipates that, with proper servicing and repair, the thermally stable non-skid will exhibit a lifetime consistent with the overall integrated Thermal Management System. Any routine servicing and repair required by the thermally stable non-skid must be capable of being performed on the flight deck without major disruptions to shipboard operations. The proposed research and development should investigate innovative approaches that enable revolutionary advances in systems. Specifically excluded are efforts that primarily result in evolutionary improvements to the existing technologies or commercially available systems.

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