Compact High-Power Electronic Components

This Phase II SBIR proposes the development of technology that will lead to smaller, lighter and more cost effective power amplifiers for driving the highly reactive loads presented by active sonar transducers. Following EAI's Phase I effort, and takingadvantage of new developments in state-of-the-art, commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) class-D audio amplifier modules, EAI proposes to incorporate efficient matching and protection networks with COTS amplifier modules, and optimize these units for sonarapplications over a wide frequency range. Recognizing that for low frequency applications, matching/tuning magnetic components can become the largest volume/weight/cost contributor to a sonar amplifier, EAI will continue the development of an innovativecircuit topology using high frequency rectification (HFR) to accomplish low frequency energy transformation by novel means. To allow stable amplifier operation under dynamic loading conditions, for example in multi-element arrays, EAI further plans tointegrate motional feedback control strategies to provide velocity control. Each, or a combination of these approaches, have the potential to realize substantial size, weight and cost reduction in sonar amplifiers, while maintaining high overallefficiencies and reliability. The proposed Phase II effort addresses three areas of interest for the Navy. Compact, wide-band, moderate power sonar amplifiers can be implemented using the latest generation class D audio amplifier modules. For lowfrequency applications where size of magnetics matching/tuning elements becomes large, EAI's High Frequency Rectification (HFR) amplifier approach offers the potential of substantially reducing the size of the components. Finally, the addition of velocitycontrol will allow for effective driving of closely spaced, multi-element transducer arrays where mutual coupling can cause problems with conventional amplifiers. In all these applications the anticipated benefits include reduction in size and weight,reduced cost, improved efficiency and reliability, and improved control and stability. Non-military applications of the proposed amplifier technology would be in commercial sonar applications. Additional applications include power distribution and poweramplifier systems, control actuator driver circuits, high power modulators for communications and ultrasonics applications such as industrial cleaning and food processing. There are also a number of emerging biomedical applications for high powerultrasonics, including hemostasis and cancer therapy.