Development of Fast and Slow Cook-off Mitigation Sensor

Designed and successfully demonstrated in the laboratory by Mechanical Solutions, Inc. (MSI) during Phase I, the fast and slow cook-off mitigation sensor (FASCOMS) generated sufficient electrical power from the surrounding environment to function a military-standard squib, which can control a thermally initiated venting system (TIVS) on a large solid rocket motor (SRM). The FASCOMS monitored the external environment and automatically switched on and off at preselected temperatures that were defined by MDA, successfully controlling the flow of current through a load that simulated the squib. MSI’s novel, compact, energy-harvesting FASCOMS also satisfied the four cubic inch Phase I physical volume objective, and consistently produced power output throughout the entire operating temperature range which exceeded the required conditions to function the squib. During Phase II of this SBIR project for MDA, MSI will substantially reduce the volume, enhance the power output, integrate the FASCOMS into an MDA-approved TIVS for an actual SRM, and demonstrate the technology in an actual cook-off environment. MSI will deliver at the conclusion of Phase II a robust FASCOMS prototype that would lead during Phase III to the deployment of practical “hybrid” venting systems on large SRMs for the BMDS and other missiles throughout the U.S. inventory.