Month: March 2022

Source: United States Navy

When inspiration strikes at Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE), the Fleet Support Team’s Advanced Technology and Innovation (ATI) Team stands ready to help translate ideas into reality. In the team’s Innovation Lab, engineers and artisans can find the various technologies and resources they need to imagine creative solutions to issues facing the Fleet and depot.

Now, following a robust investment in equipment upgrades, the Innovation Lab boasts expanded capabilities that can address more challenges in the areas of military aviation maintenance, repair, overhaul and engineering. Bigger, faster equipment and the ability to 3D print with newer, chemical resistant materials have resulted in increased applications for the lab’s products, said Randall Lewis, Innovation Lab lead. A new laser cutter and development of an etching process for 3D-printed parts add additional possibilities.

“We now have materials in the lab that are chemical-resistant and able to withstand contact with jet fuel,” he explained. “Other materials are electrostatic discharge safe, allowing for use in electronics applications. We are also able to address high-temperature applications and, with the larger printers, we can produce larger parts as well.”

With these additional capabilities on-site, the Innovation Lab is able to produce not only prototype items, but also usable end items. Having the ability to use 3D printing – also known as additive manufacturing – to produce a wide variety of items has helped reduce turnaround times and costs associated with developing new and improved tools, support equipment, components and more. 

“We’re very quickly moving from only being able to make engineering prototypes to a reality where many of the parts we make are being put into service when a specific application allows, such as support equipment, or as shop aids or job aids,” Lewis said. “A lot of our parts get used in the depot and Fleet environments, and that’s one of the cool things about the Innovation Lab.”

One of the items that found its way into a real-world application, a port cover for the F402 engine’s digital engine control unit (DECU), helped keep production moving on the engine that provides the power for the Marine Corps’ AV-8B Harrier.

“There was a backlog of DECUs that the depot couldn’t release to the Fleet or original equipment manufacturer due to a lack of port covers,” Lewis said. “These small aluminum covers had a lead time of over one year. We were able to 3D print fuel-safe replacements from a chemical-resistant polymer, and the depot was able to clear that backlog within a few days, at a small fraction of the cost of sourcing the original aluminum covers. We were able to use our Innovation Lab capabilities to get components off the shelf much faster than waiting on the supply system.”

Another additive manufacturing solution seeing real-world use is a drill template set used to help squadron-level H-60 helicopter maintainers install a new omni-directional antenna mount onto the airframe, which was developed and 3D printed in the Innovation Lab. The antenna mount itself was also prototyped at FRCE, then manufactured by an outside contractor.

Using 3D printing to develop prototypes rather than traditional manufacturing has helped engineers cut production times of these items – often to just hours, compared to times of up to 60 days or more when using traditional manufacturing methods.

“The Innovation Lab was built around the reality that we didn’t have a good way to make quick-turn engineering prototypes,” Lewis said. “Using the advanced technologies available, we’ve been able to drastically reduce times and the material costs.”

The Innovation Lab also does work supporting 3D printed applications that will eventually be sent to squadrons across the Fleet, which will then print the final item using their own 3D printers.

“A lot of our engineers are developing items here that they know they’ll want the Fleet to print whenever they need one,” Lewis said, explaining that the Innovation Lab conducts the initial prototyping and testing, and then the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) Additive Manufacturing Integrated Product Team assists with the creation of a technical data package. “That data then gets released to the Marines and Sailors, who have the same printer at their level that we have here.”

A rubber H-1 helicopter seat boot went through this process not long ago, Lewis said, and plans for that are now being used by Marine squadrons to print the part on-site.

“These seat boots were hard to get, so a Fleet Support Team engineer designed one that could be 3D printed,” Lewis said. “Now the Marines are printing them at the squadron level, and they’re being installed on H-1 helicopters.”

All of the items prototyped and produced by the Innovation Lab undergo rigorous review and testing prior to approval and implementation, but the gains in turnaround time still make the 3D printing process faster and more efficient than could be achieved with traditional manufacturing, Lewis noted.

The Innovation Lab is a key component of the ATI Team, and its expanded capabilities help support the team’s focus on developing technology programs and applications for FRCE and the broader NAVAIR enterprise.

“The Innovation Lab is a key tenet in our mission to identify, develop, demonstrate and support the qualification, certification and transition of advanced technology solutions and modern industrial capabilities to improve Fleet Support Team and maintenance, repair and overhaul activities,” said ATI Team Lead Jamaine Clemmons.

Lewis said the lab’s continued development puts the ATI team’s philosophy into practice.

“We are finding applications where we have a deficiency in technology, and then we go out, find a solution and bring it into the lab,” he added.

In putting this new technology to work, Lewis and the Innovation Lab team helped produce about 1,600 parts off their machines in fiscal year 2021. For a program that didn’t exist two years ago, Lewis said, the results have been impressive.

While the Innovation Lab specializes in 3D printing applications, it doesn’t focus its efforts on one specific area – rather, innovations of all sorts are welcome, whether or not the final product ends up as a 3D-printed item.

“Being able to have an environment in which the workforce can imagine, innovate and, most importantly, implement creative solutions within their respective areas of responsibility is the ultimate goal,” Clemmons said.

FRCE is North Carolina’s largest maintenance, repair, overhaul and technical services provider, with more than 4,000 civilian, military and contract workers. Its annual revenue exceeds $1 billion. The depot provides service to the fleet while functioning as an integral part of the greater U.S. Navy; Naval Air Systems Command; and Commander, Fleet Readiness Centers.

Source: United States Navy

Intrinsic Defender is a bilateral exercise between U.S. and Israeli naval forces. The exercise focuses on maritime security operations, explosive ordnance disposal, health topics and unmanned systems integration.

More than 300 U.S. personnel are participating, including a U.S. Navy explosive ordnance disposal dive team, U.S. Coast Guard maritime engagement team, and global health engagement team. U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer USS Cole (DDG 67), dry cargo ship USNS Wally Schirra (T-AKE 8) and various unmanned vessels are also scheduled to participate in the exercise.

“USS Cole looks forward to partnering with the Israeli Navy during the exercise,” said Cmdr. Jim Welsch, Cole’s commanding officer. “Working with our partners allows us to strengthen our bonds and increase our interoperability. This exercise will allow us to fortify our continued partnership in the region.”

Cole has been operating in the U.S. 5th Fleet region since Jan. 4 in support of maritime security and stability.

The U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations encompasses nearly 2.5 million square miles of water area and includes the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea, parts of the Indian Ocean and three critical choke points at the Strait of Hormuz, Suez Canal and Bab al-Mandeb.

Source: United States Navy

The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) Electronics Science and Technology Division (ESTD) actively performs research and development in a variety of materials science, physics, and engineering fields pursuing technological advances crucial to the Department of Defense’s (DoD) future high-performance electronic systems.

Research topics span all aspects of electronics, such as advanced fabrication methods for radio frequency (RF) devices, growth and characterization of exotic electronic materials, quantum information science, neuromorphic computing, power devices and solar cells, nanofabrication, and solid state and vacuum electronic RF sources.  

“NRL’s ESTD aims to harness 3D printing for electromagnetics, such as antennas, metamaterials, and millimeter-wave with RF amplifiers operating in very high frequency bands, such as 5G and beyond,” said Alan Cook, Ph.D., Head of Vacuum Electronics and Material Section.  “With precision build capabilities of these machines ranging in resolution from small fractions of a millimeter down to the 100-nanometer scale, NRL’s ESTD aims to foster DoD and Department of Navy concepts.”
 
Several types of wireless devices make use of radio frequency fields like cordless and cell phones, radio and television broadcast stations, satellite communication systems, Bluetooth module and Wi-Fi, and two-way radios all work in the RF spectrum.

The ESTD significant achievements in past decades have grown into the current cutting-edge research that are areas of leadership for NRL.  

“After pioneering gallium nitride (GaN) as a material for high-power RF devices and helping develop it into the industry-standard high-performance replacement for silicon electronics in many systems, ESTD is developing other wideband gap semiconductors to usher in the next generation of electronic devices for DoD systems,” Cook said. “ESTD research on quantum materials provided the foundation for the newly-minted Navy Quantum Information Research Center all housed at NRL’s facilities.”

Within its branches, ESTD carries out research to demonstrate new basic scientific phenomena and electronic component prototypes, to enable new capabilities for future Navy electronic systems.

Additive Manufacturing (AM), which includes 3D printing, is a method for building a 3D object bit-by-bit by depositing small pieces or layers of material using computer control. “AM is an area of Navy interest, spans a wide range of different technologies and materials, and has become important in nearly every sector of engineering,” Cook said.

Specific advantages of AM include manufacturing flexibility, the ability to combine many parts into one, and rapid production of parts in the field. Recent investment in new AM capabilities brings a variety of general-use 3D printer machines to NRL used for research by multiple divisions. Within the lab, ESTD often collaborates with other divisions and the Laboratory for Autonomous Systems Research (LASR) to develop new programs and research opportunities based on these capabilities.

“In terms of future production, ESTD is interested in using AM to advance Navy RF systems and other areas of electronics, and has unique 3D printing capabilities acquired specifically for NRL research programs,” Cook said.
         

About the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory

NRL is a scientific and engineering command dedicated to research that drives innovative advances for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps from the seafloor to space and in the information domain. NRL is located in Washington, D.C. with major field sites in Stennis Space Center, Mississippi; Key West, Florida; Monterey, California, and employs approximately 3,000 civilian scientists, engineers and support personnel.
 
For more information, contact NRL Corporate Communications at (202) 480-3746 or nrlpao@nrl.navy.mil. 

Source: United States Navy

The courses reviewed during their visit included: Information Systems Technician Submarines Block 0, Systems Administration, Advanced Communications Signals Collection, Cyber Threat Intelligence Analyst, Intelligence Specialist “A” School Block 0, Operational Intelligence Analyst “C” School Block 2, and Geospatial Interpretation Analyst “C” School Block 2.

To open the session, Denise Myers, from CIWT’s learning standards office, provided an overview of the command before subject matter experts for the various disciplines took over to explain their component of training being evaluated. Cryptologic Technician Maintenance Master Chief Vincent LeDonne, Information Systems Technician Senior Chief Veronica White, Cryptologic Technician Collection Chief Richard Poe, Intelligence Specialist Chief Clora Bennett, and Intelligence Specialist Senior Chief Robert Morris each discussed the courses they represent and made themselves available during the time the ACE team was present for any questions about their subject matter.

Dr. Lisa Ferris-McCann, director of evaluations and integrity for ACE, explained that during the ACE review they bring a team of subject matter experts, who are college and university faculty members actively teaching in the areas they review to look at courses being taught and occupational ratings. For the course exploration, they do a deep dive looking at course materials, student materials, instructor materials, assessments, as well as any other documentation to do with that course, identifying learning outcomes, and aligning the knowledge and skills taught with comparable civilian college credits.

During the rating assessment, the same team conducts panel interviews with Sailors in the E-4 through E-6 rates and the E-7 through E-9 rates. The faculty members mine as many pertinent details from the groups as possible about what the Sailor’s job entails, including any on-the-job training received outside of school, while also looking at the professional, technical, and managerial skills used at the various rates. In addition, the team is provided ratings’ primary qualification standards, occupational standards, and learning and development roadmap to assist them in making the credit recommendation.

“Many service members are eligible for college course credit at academic institutions based on knowledge already gained during military service,” said Myers. “Through the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES) program’s Military Training Evaluation Program (MTEP), a service member’s learning from military training, education, and occupational experiences is evaluated by ACE and documented in their Joint Services Transcript (JST).”

Myers continued that getting ACE recommendation for accreditation for their course work shows the importance CIWT puts on taking care of its service members. It saves the service members time and provides a head start on advancing their education. It allows them to avoid the costs of duplicating learning at a civilian school and increases their options to attend civilian schools as more than 2,300 academic institutions accept ACE credit recommendations for credit.

“Our center has been accredited for more than 45 years and is the longest accredited Naval institution providing training on par with highly regarded civilian institutions,” said Marc Ratkus, commanding officer of CIWT. “We are proud not only to deliver trained information warfare professionals to all branches of the armed services, but that the education we provide allows service members to continue to pursue their goals for higher education.”

During the exit interview, Jessica Sabo, associate director, ACE, said the team really appreciated the responsiveness, level of detail, and professionalism with which CIWT conducted the review process as a host. Doug Johnson, the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES) program manager for ACE, said they intend use this visit as a template and standard for how an ACE review should be conducted by a military center of education, and said lessons learned will be passed on to all service components.

ACE provides a guide for military personnel to upload their joint service transcript and view the approximate college credit they may receive for courses taken and their military experience toward getting their college degree at https://militaryguide.acenet.edu/.

Source: United States Navy

These efforts are aimed at enabling efficient, accurate, and low-cost designs of defense systems and applications.
 
NRL offers undergraduate and graduate students with a strong interest in scientific research an opportunity to learn under the tutelage of professionals through the NREIP.
 
During the ten-week internship program, students work with mentors at participating Navy laboratories who help hone or further develop their skillsets. Magargal, a Lehigh University doctoral student, helped design and build computational multiphysics models and subsequently used them to generate synthetic data to train algorithms developed by the NRL and UW team.
 
“Computational multiphysics is a field of computational mathematics and physics that enables scientists and engineers to model complex phenomena, such as modeling airflow over an airplane,” said Magargal.  “While these tools have become indispensable in engineering design, they are often too computationally expensive to be used in many time-critical analyses.”
 
Dr. Steven Rodriguez, an NRL research scientist from the Computational Multiphysics Systems Laboratory who is heading the NRL and UW team in this effort, guided Magargal through the development of an in-house code based on numerically modeling the physics of multiphase flow with smoothed particle hydrodynamics. The tandem composed code that can be customized and user-defined to allow for physical inputs such as conductivity, density, viscosity and other physical and computational parameters.
 
Magargal and Rodriguez first focused on generating training data for  NRL’s algorithms with simple fluid flow often seen in natural convection, such as Rayleigh-Bénard instabilities – a phenomenon which can be seen when you boil water. 
 
“Liam focused on helping me code up a mathematical technique used to model fluids called the ‘Smooth Particle Hydrodynamics Method,’ or SPH for short, which was originally developed to model astrophysics,” said Rodriguez. “SPH, is recognized among the scientific computing community as an effective modeling tool, and has shown to be useful for problems involving different types of fluids with different densities – for example, how oil and water interact at room temperature.”
 
This past summer, Magargal learned the mathematical framework of SPH and how to communicate these ideas to a computer to run fluid simulations and study the behavior of intermixing fluids. After modeling the Rayleigh-Bénard Convection, Magargal leveraged the code to systematically generate training data for the Projection-Tree Reduced-Order Model (PTROM) – the algorithm developed by NRL and UW team. 
 
“The PTROM is a class of reduced-order modeling, which is a discipline in applied and computational mathematics that aims to reduce the costs of simulating complex multiphysics systems,” Rodriguez said. “It is an approach akin to machine learning, where you feed an algorithm data over a couple of different user inputs runs and the algorithm is able to predict output data of many other desired inputs it was not trained on.”
 
Magargal’s code and data will enable the deployment of the PTROM for many query applications such as design optimization, uncertainty quantification, and control. Rodriguez went on to say “Using Liam’s SPH code, we can train the PTROM to learn the behavior of intermixing fluids over a few physical properties, such as different densities and viscosities. So that if we train our PTROM over the interactions of air and water, it can guess how honey and milk will interact – as a fun and extreme example.”
 
“I was drawn to NRL because of Dr. Rodriguez and his organization’s research, which involves applied mathematics and machine learning methods and how they relate to computational physics models,” Magargal said. “I had a healthy amount of freedom to explore new interests while working toward an end goal, and I was excited to build skills in new areas that will be beneficial to me throughout my career.”
 
The resulting code Magargal and Rodriguez developed is now being used to for new developments that will further extend the capabilities of PTROM algorithm.
 
“NRL has always supported mentorship and encouraged mentoring students,” Rodriguez said.  “On a personal level, I had many great mentors over my career and NREIP is an opportunity to provide other students the help I received when I was first starting in research.”
 
Whether it be receiving access to advanced software and hardware to working alongside Nobel Prize caliber scientists, Rodriguez encourages post-doc students to participate in NREIP internships across the Department of the Navy.
 
Magargal recounted that the NREIP internship provided him real-world experience in developing physics models and associated computing.
 
“I plan to continue collaborating with Dr. Rodriguez throughout graduate school, as our research areas are closely aligned,” Magargal said.
 
The Office of Naval Research is offering summer appointments at a Navy lab to current sophomores, juniors, seniors and graduate students from participating schools.
 
For more information about NREIP opportunities, please contact NRL’s NREIP coordinator at: NREIP@nrl.navy.mil
 

About the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory

NRL is a scientific and engineering command dedicated to research that drives innovative advances for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps from the seafloor to space and in the information domain. NRL is located in Washington, D.C. with major field sites in Stennis Space Center, Mississippi; Key West, Florida; Monterey, California, and employs approximately 3,000 civilian scientists, engineers and support personnel.
 
For more information, contact NRL Corporate Communications at (202) 480-3746 or nrlpao@nrl.navy.mil.