Office of naval research maritime composites challenge
The Composite Alliance of Rhode Island, Polaris MEP and the URI Business Engagement Center are working with the Office of Naval Research (ONR) to bring project opportunities to Rhode Island companies to solve problems involving composites. This is an opportunity for Rhode Island composites companies to partner with the Navy.
The first opportunity is the Maritime Composites Challenge. Open to all Rhode Island composites companies, participants will be given the opportunity to be awarded one of two initial $250K seed funding awards and a follow-up $750K award for prototype development of solutions to three specific Navy problems.
ONR’s topics for the Challenge include:
1) 10,000psi (6000m) Rated Composite Pressure Vessels – build a composite (or other hybrid/meta-material) payload section for a small UUV that will be survive full ocean depth pressures (6000m/10,000psi).
2) Self-Healing Methods for Composite Materials – a self-healing material system for composite structures and/or vehicles in order to mitigate and/or counteract the adverse effects of fatigue, cyclic, and low impact damage while potentially extending service life and reducing maintenance costs.
3) Mitigating Adverse Marine Effects on Composite Materials – a robust encapsulation/coating method for composite structures and/or vehicles in order to protect them from the adverse effects of long-term seawater immersion/exposure and severe dynamic loading.
