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. The current inventory of airborne tactical jamming systems consist of multiple transmitters covering several narrow frequency bands. High-power, ultra-wide bandwidth, solid-state systems must be developed to increase flexibility in mission planning and operational logistics of future EA-18G aircraft. Mainstream has performed a preliminary assessment of single-phase and two-phase cooling systems and determined that cavitation-enhanced, two-phase microchannel cooling is the optimum cooling scheme for future EA-6B/EA-18G wideband transmitters. The cooling system can be integrated with both the power electronics and the Ram Air-driven Power and Cooling Systems (RPC) currently being developed by Mainstream in conjunction with the Naval Surface Warfare Center (Crane) for the EA-18G aircraft. In Phase I, Mainstream will perform an assessment of commercially-available, ultra-wide bandwidth, solid-state amplifiers and develop an ultra-wide bandwidth transmitter configuration with an integrated cooling system. The thermal and hydraulic performance of the cooling system will be experimentally validated. Mainstream will demonstrate the cooling system on a wideband amplifier module in the Phase I Option and develop a prototype wideband transmitter in Phase II.BENEFITS: Mainstream will commercialize this technology and transition it to the Navy for next-generation airborne tactical jamming systems. Mainstream’s cooling scheme is the enabling technology that will allow ultra-wide bandwidth solid-state transmitters to be developed for EA-6B/EA-18G aircraft. This military commercial product dovetails with Mainstream’s RPC currently being developed for the EA-18G. Both products have dual-use application and can be further developed for the Air Force B-52 Electronic Attack Pod.