Naomi Cooper
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has launched a program that aims to develop novel electrode materials that can be used for a magnetohydrodynamic propulsion system for military undersea platforms.
The Principles of Undersea Magnetohydrodynamic Pumps program will run for three and a half years and will validate modeling and simulation tools, including electrochemistry, hydrodynamics and magnetics, to determine an electrode material system suitable for a military-relevant MHD drive, DARPA said Thursday.
“We’re hoping to leverage insights into novel material coatings from the fuel cell and battery industries, since they deal with the same bubble generation problem,” said Susan Swithenbank, PUMP program manager in DARPA’s Defense Sciences Office.
According to Swithenbank, the program seeks to form teams of experts in hydrodynamics, electrochemistry and magnetics to help make MHD drive a reality for the U.S. military.
DARPA has scheduled a hybrid proposers day for the program on May 31.
A broad agency announcement solicitation is expected in late May or early June.
