Compact, Efficient Motor Controllers with Active Noise Cancellation

Most commercial motor controllers (MC’s) operate at relatively low switching frequency that produces a detectable acoustic signature and therefore drives the Navy to procure MC’s operating at higher frequencies in order to reduce acoustic signature. These custom MC’s, however, still generate significant noise, are not sufficiently reliable, and have obsolete components. APS will develop an innovative active noise and vibration cancellation (ANVC) system to reduce the acoustic and vibration signatures of today’s commercial MC’s to levels that will not contribute to the host vehicle’s acoustic vulnerability. The APS ANVC system will mitigate noise and vibration generated by multiple internal sources and transmitted to the hull by either structure-borne or air-borne paths. The system will be comprised entirely of COTS components thereby minimizing cost and facilitating technology refresh. Key products of Phase 1 include: • Measurements on a representative COTS MC to provide engineering data essential to ANVC system design • A preliminary design for the proof-of-principle system to be developed and demonstrated in Phase 2 that will obtain at least 90% (i.e., 10 dB) reduction in broadband noise power The Phase 2 proof-of-principle system will provide the basis for DT&E of an operational prototype in Phase 3. BENEFITS: According to the recent “USSOCOM Technology Needs Briefing for Center of Excellence for Research in Ocean Sciences” prepared by PEO-Naval Systems, Advanced Maritime Systems, “SOF combatant submersibles (CS) require lower cost HM&E technology for dry manned submersibles.” The proposed technology directly addresses this need. However, the application and benefits will extend far beyond noise mitigation for motor controllers for dry manned submersibles. Not only will the MC-ANVC technologies developed under this effort be widely applicable to noise mitigation of small to moderate size motor controllers in any noise-critical Naval platform, the technology will be generally applicable to any machinery or equipment that generates noise and vibration. Thus there is wide industrial as well as military application and benefit from this technology.