UAS Power Generation Challenge

FA2280-23-S-C001-003

UAS Power Generation Challenge
#nextGENpower

BLUF

The United States Air Force (USAF) is seeking recent technological advancements in the aerospace and automotive industries that can be leveraged to modernize power generation for large group 4-5 Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). Learn about the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) UAS groups here.

OVERVIEW

A new suite of UAS-specific mechanical-to-electrical power generators will enable the USAF to optimize missions, reduce manufacturing and replacement costs, and simplify maintenance. These power generators should be reimagined in the context of all relevant industries, leveraging modern manufacturing techniques and addressing lifecycle cost implications.
To learn about legacy power generators, review this whitepaper. The USAF encourages participants in this Challenge to offer technological solutions for experimentation and/or feasibility study, as well as developed solutions. In either case, we’re interested in understanding all underlying technologies upon which the solution relies.

OBJECTIVES

The objectives of the UAS Power Generation Challenge are threefold:

1. The primary objective is to demonstrate the viability of solutions that examine the tradeoff between performance and cost while reducing manufacturing complexity and production lead times.
2. The secondary objective is to accelerate technology developments that could lead to operational adoption of advanced capabilities by the U.S. Government.
3. The third objective is to build a stronger domestic industry via the development of multiple commercial and government applications for this new suite of power generators.

FA2280-23-S-C001-003

CONTEXT

The USAF is interested in net-new solutions, enhancements to existing solutions, and/or the development of multi-capable solutions. For this Challenge, the USAF has identified a set of desired capabilities, known as “desirements.” Please note that these are not requirements, but are offered simply to clarify USAF needs. Additionally, the list of desirable capabilities provided here should not be considered comprehensive.

DESIREMENTS

In the near term, the goal is to produce a power generator conceptual framework that effectively maximizes the trade space of power, cost, manufacturability, life, reliability, power quality, and weight. The desirements include, but are not limited to:

● Step load: 1 per unit (i.e., “Square” not “Slow Ramp”) ● Power quality: at the load
● Regulated DC voltage output: constant; compatible with known military bus