The need is becoming ever greater for smaller, lighter, more compact, and higher density power electronics. With the introduction of SiC power diodes and the coming availability of high-temperature SiC power switches on the commercial market, the powerelectronics industry stands on the threshold of… More

This Phase II SBIR proposal seeks to develop high-temperature electronics by integrating motor drive control and SiC power electronics into a single, compact, highly efficient, reliable, high power density multichip power module (MCPM). Phase II will build upon the Phase I "proof of concept"… More

79139S In power electronic conversion systems(PCS), wide band gap devices, such as silicon carbide (SiC), offer the promise of vastly exceeding the constraining restrictions of silicon by offering higher blocking voltages, higher operating temperatures, higher frequency, and lower switching losses… More

This Small Business of Innovation Research Phase I proposal seeks to investigate and prove the feasibility of developing highly efficient, ultra-lightweight SiC semiconductor based power electronic converters for Earth science mission vehicles. With high temperature operation of power electronics… More

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project seeks to prove the feasibility of developing high power density modular power electronic building blocks based upon high temperature silicon carbide (SiC) multichip power module (MCPM) technologies. The modular approach will allow for… More

With worldwide energy consumption becoming an epidemic and the future need for power conservation self evident, the improvement of power conversion systems and the reduction of energy waste has become a global priority. This project will develop very compact, light-weight, silicon carbide power… More

In Phase I of this project, APEI, Inc. proved the feasibility of creating ultra-lightweight power converters (utilizing now emerging silicon carbide [SiC] power switching technologies) through the successful demonstration of power switch operation up to 500 oC. The goal of Phase II will be to… More

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project seeks to prove the feasibility of creating high-temperature silicon-carbide (SiC) based motor drives for extreme environment exploratory robotic missions (such as Venus landers). SiC digital control ICs will be developed for controlling power… More

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project seeks to investigate and prove the feasibility of developing ultra-wide temperature (-230 oC to +130 oC) motor drives utilizing Silicon-Germanium (SiGe) asynchronous logic digital control electronics. Asynchronous circuits remove the concept of… More

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project seeks to develop and prove the feasibility of realizing high-voltage, high-power density Solid-State Fault Current Limiter (SSFCL) technology utilizing Silicon Carbide (SiC) thyristors. The proposed fault current detection and limitation… More

In Phase I, APEI, Inc. proved the feasibility of developing a modular, expandable and fault tolerant SiC-based power system through the successful demonstration of a four-module SiC-based power system capable of dynamic reconfiguration allowing the system to continue delivering power to the load… More

Power electronic converters are essential in every MDA vehicle, with use in critical systems ranging from electric power management applications, to power distribution, to on-board servo motor/actuator drivers. Advancing state-of-the-art power electronics technologies through the use of SiC… More

The objective of this Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project is to develop an isolated bi-directional ac-dc PCM-4 using a novel multi-level modular design approach compatible with silicon carbide (SiC) power switches. The multi-level PCM Module will allow for the design of power-dense,… More

In this Small Business Innovation Research project, APEI, Inc. and TRS Technologies are partnering to develop rad-hard high density DC/DC power converters functional to temperatures in excess of 300 degreesC. Expert utilization of the now emerging silicon carbide (SiC) power devices will allow for… More

In Phase I, the research team formed by APEI, Inc. and University of Arkansas proved the feasibility of developing ultra-wide temperature (-230 oC to +130 oC) motor drives utilizing silicon-germanium (SiGe) asynchronous logic digital control electronics by the successful design, simulation and… More

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will develop and commercialize silicon carbide (SiC) based radio frequency (RF) transmitters for high-temperature environments. The team will prove the feasibility of the concept and design through the successful demonstration of a SiC… More

APEI, Inc. is proposing to develop a low profile, non-intrusive, high temperature (300 degrees C) bearing data transmitter system that will allow the in-situ monitoring and diagnostic of bearing health. The proposed high-temperature data transmitter system will be built on high temperature… More

Advances in radar systems are pushing the limits of present radar power supply technology. To enable new concepts, such as active array radar systems, significant improvements (i.e., power densities >200 W/in3, efficiency > 90%, transient response < 10 s, etc.) in radar power supply technology is… More

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project seeks to develop an advanced flexible self-powered robust high power density solid-state circuit breaker (SSCB) through the incorporation of emerging silicon carbide (SiC) device technology and the implementation of advanced thermal… More

This project will develop high-voltage, high-performance Solid-State Fault Current Controller (SSFCC) technology, needed to minimize recovery time and vulnerability of the electricity network in the event of a large-scale natural disaster. The SSFCC technology, which utilizes Silicon Carbide (SiC)… More

The terminal objective of this Phase II work will be the development of compact, fully integrated, high-temperature (250 degrees C), high-power-density SiC-based motor drives for avionics applications. The developed multi-chip power module (MCPM) will target an advanced motor drive application such… More

Fast and accurate fault protection and isolation has always been an important feature of electric networks; in particular, this includes high reliability and robust networks such as the electric distribution systems of US Navy warships. This feature, however, is now critical for the development of… More

This STTR project seeks to develop high-voltage, high-performance Solid-State Fault Current Controller (SSFCC) technology utilizing Silicon Carbide (SiC) super gate-turn-off thyristors (SGTOs). Due to improved technical advantages, the proposed SSFCC technology will minimize fault-related power… More

Increasing power density and efficiency, reducing size and weight, and introducing standardization of electronics systems are all goals of the STSS program. The performance of Power Management and Distribution (PMAD) systems has great impact on the energy storage systems of the spacecraft or… More

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project seeks the development of an optically-triggered silicon carbide based power device technology that will enable the next-generation of EMI/EMP-resistant power electronics systems and ultimately the implementation of advanced concepts such as… More

The terminal objective of this Phase II work will be the development of a harsh environment non-intrusive self-powered wireless sensor-transmitter capable of operation to 225 oC and survivable to 300 oC. The developed wireless sensor transmitter will acquire bearing parametric data, such as… More

In this SBIR project, APEI, Inc. is proposing to develop a high efficiency, rad-hard 3.8 kW silicon carbide (SiC) Power Processing Unit (PPU) for Hall Effect thrusters. In Phase I of the project, APEI, Inc. will focus on investigating various circuit topologies, developing and applying performance… More

The objective of this proposal is to develop and commercialize a high temperature gate driver for silicon carbide (SiC) FET switches to enable the development of the next generation of high-efficiency, high-power-density power converters. At the conclusion of Phase I, Arkansas Power Electronics… More

The focus of Phase II will be the development, fabrication, and testing of a highly integrated version of this new class of SiC-based high power density radar power supplies. The final Phase II prototype will achieve the stated power density, efficiency, and functionality goals of this program by… More

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,… More

In this SBIR project, APEI, Inc. is proposing to develop a high efficiency, rad-hard, 100's kWe power management and distribution (PMAD) system for space nuclear power systems. The PMAD will utilize SiC JFET power switches; components which APEI, Inc. has irradiated under TID conditions to… More

In this SBIR effort, Arkansas Power Electronics International, Inc. (APEI, Inc.) and the University of Arkansas are partnering to develop a versatile, radiation-hardened, low-power, asynchronous 8051-based microcontroller capable of functioning in a very wide temperature range… More

In this program, APEI, Inc. will build on successful demonstrations of SiC-based wireless transmitter designs in high temperature and high mechanical load environments to develop silicon carbide (SiC) based integrated wireless sensor-transmitter suites for extreme temperature operation in nuclear… More

ABSTRACT: The objective of this SBIR project is to develop a high temperature (225 degrees C +) energy harvesting solution for miniaturized smart wireless sensors that can be easily integrated with aircraft turbine engine components such as roller bearings and bearing assemblies to form a… More

Present high power density Si-based systems are severely limited by the electrical and thermal performance of active and passive components as well as electronics packaging technology. As a result, the next-generation of radar power supply systems require a new and revolutionary power electronics… More

In this proposed program, the APEI team will design, build, and test a multi-channel fully-integrated, high-temperature (250 degrees C), high speed (<100 s), SiC-based SSPD demonstrator by the end of the program. The proposed SiC-based SSPD will combine APEI, Inc."s advanced high… More

The basic building block for phased array radar systems is based on a transmit/receive module containing MMICs for control and amplification of both transmit and receive paths. The cost, performance, and reliability of these modules have been plagued due to limitations in power amplifier packaging… More

Recognizing the mission strategic importance of a compact, rad-hard, highly efficient battery management system, Arkansas Power Electronics International, Inc. (APEI, Inc.) is proposing to develop the next generation of rad-hard battery management power converters. This new generation of battery… More

At present, trains use various dissipative braking systems to slow and stop, and this significant braking energy is ultimately converted to heat and wasted. APEI, Inc. has proposed a hybrid tender which can capture and reuse a significant fraction of this braking energy (at least 50%). The hybrid… More

There are a number of critical telemetry measurements to be monitored under continuous field operation, including temperature data across the reactor chamber and the nozzle, pressure data, neutron flux density and flow rate of the propellant. Real-time monitoring of this data in nuclear thermal… More

In this project, APEI, Inc. will design and develop a high performance, high voltage SiC MCPM that is low cost, manufacturable, reliable and reworkable. The target utility scale energy storage applications include power conversion systems for grid-tie, solar array, wind turbine, and vehicle-to-grid… More

ABSTRACT: To significantly reduce procurement overhead and recognizing the mission strategic importance of developing modular power electronics for interfacing the battery to the spacecraft bus, APEI, Inc. is proposing to develop a novel multi-module, inherently scalable, high power density,… More

APEI, Inc."s Phase II goal is to develop, fabricate and test a compact, high temperature, high performance isolated gate drivers utilizing HTSOI integrated circuits, discrete SiC devices, and high frequency coreless magnetics. Additionally, leveraging its existing high performance high… More

Increasing electrification of the modern military ground vehicle fleet places ever-increasing demand on each vehicle"s electric power generation and distribution systems. The quantity of instrumentation, computing, and electronic weaponry countermeasures systems is rapidly growing, as is their… More