Demonstration of an Integrated Cooling Scheme for Ultra-Wide Bandwidth Transmitters in Airborne Tactical Jamming Systems

The Navy is currently seeking innovative technologies to “combine existing high power RF technologies with the latest advances in cooling methods…” for next-generation electronic attack tactical jamming systems. For the Phase I effort, Mainstream performed a detailed assessment of commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) high power amplifiers in Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit (MMIC), module, and rack form. The ultimate conclusion is COTS systems meeting the solicitation guidelines for the wideband transmitter (WBT) are not available for direct use or repackaging requiring continued development of MMIC technology. Additionally, innovative technologies are required to integrate advanced cooling systems with the high power RF technologies and to enable repackaging of the requisite hardware components to fit a standard RF transmitter form factor of the EA-6B/EA-18G aircraft. Active cooling systems are being developed as a means of lowering junction temperatures, increasing reliability, improving performance, and increasing power density. In Phase I, Mainstream demonstrated the feasibility of microchannel-based thermal managements systems for removing the waste heat produced by the high powered amplifiers using thermal and hydraulic performance. In Phase II, Mainstream will work with Navy personnel and systems integrators (e.g. ITT) to develop and demonstrate a full-scale prototype WBT thermal management system and prototype high-power amplifier module.