Advanced Unmanned Undersea Vehicle Cryogenic Motor Drive System

A cryogenic electric motor drive system consisting of commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) high-power transistors and advanced YBCO superconducting wire technology is proposed to be developed and integrated into an advanced Unmanned Undersea Vehicle (UUV). The Department of Defense has an increasing number of sea, air, and space platforms that are equipped with electrically powered weapons and drive systems. In particular, the Navy is developing all electric ships that use cryogenically cooled superconducting motors for propulsion. Superconducting motors make the development of these ships feasible because of the significant reduction in size, mass, and increased efficiency. However, the associated high-power motor drive electronics remain bulky, heavy, and inefficient. The Navy desires to develop cryogenically cooled high-power motor drive and power conversion systems that parallel the advances and benefits made possible with superconducting motors. Sierra Lobo and its research partners are uniquely positioned to develop a cryogenic electric motor drive system and integrate the system with Sierra Lobo's cryogenic liquid oxygen system developed specifically for the Navy's advanced fuel cell powered 21" UUV. The Phase I activities will focus on testing high-power COTS electrical components, researching YBCO superconducting wire, and developing a conceptual design of a 21" UUV with a cryogenic motor drive system.