SBIR-STTR Award

Balcones Technologies, LLC, (BT) has formed a team with subcontractors The University of Texas Center for Electromechanics (CEM) and the Texas Research Institute Austin, Inc (TRI) to address the Army?s SBIR Topic A14-061, 'High Capability Off-Road Suspension System.' The Army specified project goals are to use advanced active suspension technology for MRAPs and JLTVs to enhance soft soil mobility; enable extraction from immobilized conditions due to soft soil (e.g., walk out); and mitigate roll-over conditions resulting from road/terrain break-away. Specifically formed to address these goals, our team will merge CEM?s active suspension technology ? developed for enhanced safety and very high performance cross country mobility for military vehicles and demonstrated on numerous military vehicles over 20 years (HMMWV, LMTV, LAV, BAE ?Lancer? Electric Tank Demonstrator and others) ? with TRI?s emerging tire and sensor technology, specifically developed for enhanced soft soil mobility. The Phase I and Phase I Option SBIR program will (1) develop an integrated hardware, software, and electronics architecture; (2) develop modified suspension and tire pressure control algorithms to optimize performance against the Army goals, a (3) develop a system concept design for a Phase II demonstration on the MRAP or JLTV.

Under a successful Phase I project Balcones Technologies (BT), UTs Center for Electromechanics (UT-CEM), and the Texas Research Institute (TRI) developed an initial control approach and architecture for improving safety and vehicle extraction capabilities of future off road military vehicles, including MRAP and JLTV. This was accomplished by combining the benefits of CEMs active suspension, central tire inflation (CTIS), and TRIs variable vehicle cone index (VVCI) system through the use of a new Enhanced Safety Control (ESC) system to minimize the effects of road breakaway and to enable vehicle extraction from a variety of immobilization scenarios. Multiple simulations were run which indicated significantly improved performance. For the Phase II effort the team proposes to: complete development of the Enhanced Safety Control system; integrate it onto an existing HMMWV with active suspension; integrate TRIs VVCI and CTIS to improve soft soil mobility; and conduct testing at an independent test facility to demonstrate improved performance during road breakaway events and vehicle extraction scenarios. The results shown during testing will then be incorporated into future performance predictions for future JLTV and MRAP class vehicles. Following a successful demonstration, the team will work with our commercial partners to market the completed system.