In order to design, analyze, build, test operate, maintain and sustain the cept for the research phase, NASA afrc requires the engineering and technical support of esaero which, as the DEP wing…

This $225,865.78 firm fixed-price delivery order was awarded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Armstrong Flight Research Center (AFRC) to Empirical Systems Aerospace Inc. (Esaero), a small business manufacturer, to support the Convergent Electric Propulsion Technology (CEPT) research phase. The effort includes modifying an existing general aviation aircraft with NASA-furnished electric motors and power systems to create an electric distributed propulsion demonstrator. Esaero will provide specialized engineering support, spare parts, and technical data to facilitate the CEPT vehicle modifications, testing, and operation. The contract is associated with NASA's X-57 Maxwell electric aircraft program and will also support development of the Hybrid Electric Integrated System Testbed (HEIST) ground test system. This SBIR Phase III contract leverages Esaero's unique expertise and proprietary knowledge of the DEP wing and associated sub-systems.

In order to design, analyze, build, test operate, maintain and sustain the cept for the research phase, NASA afrc requires the engineering and technical support of esaero which, as the DEP wing prime contractor, has the unique knowledge and possesses proprietary information of the DEP wing and associated sub-systems. This effort includes the modification of an existing GA aircraft with NASA furnished electric motors, NASA driven power management and distribution system design, into an electric distributed propulsion system. In addition, afrc needs unique esaero expertise support, spare parts, tools, technical data, software, troubleshooting analyses and evaluations of system failures, maintenance and operations procedures and/or drawings used in the test systems maintenance and/or design and manufacture to facilitate modification and/or repair of the test systems in support of specific cept research projects. The technical assistance includes reviewing planned test systems modifications, developing instrumentation systems for data collection, providing design support for unique esaero systems, and assistance in afrc performed analysis. The contractor may be required to modify or to participate/assist in the modification of internal aircraft avionics systems, aircraft control systems hardware and software, perform aircraft modifications, and fabricate experimental hardware, where the intimate knowledge of the manufactured aircraft is an important factor. The contractor shall provide support for acceptance, qualification and integration testing of motors, controllers, and avionics and other electronic systems for cept vehicle. Afrc may also request research studies using esaero developed models and expertise which may include modeling of a small hybrid electric distributed propulsion system and engineering design and fabrication support of the hybrid electric integrated system testbed (heist). Heist is a static hybrid electric distributed propulsion ground test bench for testing of the distributed propulsion hardware components. The contractor shall provide support required to achieve the integration, test, maintenance, hardware and software modifications to the cept test systems and the build-up of heist.