EmRALD Enables Rapid Controlled Emergency Lowering of Jet Blast Deflectors

The Jet Blast Deflectors (JBDs) used on CVN 78 Ford class aircraft carriers are raised and lowered by Electro-Mechanical Actuators (EMAs). Each JMB consists of six large, water-cooled plates located immediately behind planes running up their engines prior to catapult launch. On occasion, either due to loss of power or other mechanical issue, the JBD plates are stuck in the raised position. This situation slows or even halts normal flight operations until the stuck plate can be cleared. The current process to lower a stuck JBD plate is time consuming and awkward to implement. This Navy solicitation requests the development of an effective solution to the JMD-stuck issue. In particular, a device that ensures safe, rapid and controlled lowering of the heavy plate is sought. During the proposal preparation process, the ZKxKZ team designed a beta version solution for controlling the descent speed of a JBD plate. We call our conceptual hardware solution the Emergency Remotely Activated Lowering Device (EmRALD). EmRALD adds a simple component in the space that currently houses the EMD. This component limits the speed at which the plate can fall when decoupled from the EMD actuator. Two versions of EmRALD were conceived, one that will result in the plate falling at an accelerating but acceptable rate, and a second that maintains a programmable descent rate, that could for example have the plate move more quickly initially, then slow prior to touching down at the deck interface. In Base Phase I ZKxKZ will complete a detailed design of the EmRALD system, then build and test a prototype system.  The Navy will be invited to participate in person at the hardware testing. In the Option, we will update the design and prototype to reflect results and Navy comments from the Phase I Base testing event. The proposed development takes advantage of directly related hardware system developments performed by ZKxKZ. For example, we developed a solution to actuator binding in large Air Force WS3 systems, built into floors of US and NATO aircraft hangers, used to store nuclear weapons near the delivery aircraft. We also developed a composite solution to Nimitz carrier elevator binding caused by damaged steel stanchions. Our stanchions, currently installed on every Nimitz class ship, operate in close proximity to carrier deck JBDs.