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Application Briefs

Underwater Connectors

Northrop Grumman Corporation
Falls Church, VA
703-280-2900
www.northropgrumman.com

orthrop Grumman Corporation has signed its first non-ex-
Nclusive agreement to manufacture niobium-based connec-
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tors (NiobiCon ) specifically designed for harsh environments.
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NiobiCon is a new way of making electrical connections un-
derwater that enables power transfer and data exchange without
using seals, oil or moving parts. This technology was developed
to address the inefficient recharging of unmanned vehicles in un-
derwater environments. When the niobium connector enters in derwater connectors between electricity and water attempt to ex-
contact with the water, it creates its own thin isolating layer, clude water from their contacts by using expensive, less reliable
which gets scraped off when the connection is made. Once dis- rubber seals, oil or moving parts. NiobiCon™ inverts this para-
connected, the layer instantly regenerates. digm and can be used while submerged or anywhere there is a
The technology was invented by a team of Northrop Grum- wet, corrosive environment.
man engineers who set out to create a safe, reliable and affordable Collaboration with cross-functional teams was essential for the
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way to connect electric currents in a wet or corrosive environ- development of NiobiCon . Initially, a team of three worked on
ment and keep the power surging. Systems Engineer Jim the proof of concept: the two inventors and a technician to con-
Windgassen and Northrop Grumman Fellow Harvey Hack were struct the test device. Their team eventually grew as they devel-
each working on connector technology for different reasons but oped the design and more people were invited to lend their skills
with the same goal — to extend the relatively inefficient battery in finite element analysis, intellectual property (IP) licensing,
recharging of unmanned underwater vehicles while submerged. business development and funding.
Windgassen had been taking a different but related approach Northrop Grumman entered into an agreement with iCONN
to the underwater connector problem when he learned that Hack Systems LLC, which specializes in the manufacture of connectors
used a metal called niobium for its corrosion resistance. This for harsh environments, as their first non-exclusive licensee.
sparked Windgassen to think about how to apply fundamental They will work with potential customers to develop more reliable
principles of tantalum capacitors to make underwater connec- interconnects for both commercial and defense applications.
tors. Niobium and tantalum are similar metals, and it made Northrop Grumman promotes innovation in its employees
Windgassen consider how a tantalum capacitor works in the first through its SPARK program, a company-wide crowdsourcing
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place, thus becoming the genesis of NiobiCon . platform for employees to propose new, innovative ideas and col-
NiobiCon™ is a revolutionary self-insulating wet-mate electri- laborate with colleagues from across the enterprise. By allowing
cal connector that can be mated and de-mated while fully ex- Hack and Windgassen the freedom and resources to develop their
posed to water — a first of its kind. Contacts will not corrode, and unique concept, what began as a SPARK project became a unique
electronics will not short out. This new connector technology solution to combine electricity and water for which two U.S.
has the potential to be less expensive, smaller, lighter, more reli- patents have since been granted.
able and safer than current wet-mate connectors. Typically, un- For Free Info Visit http://info.hotims.com/76503-463

UAV Fuel Management System

Valcor Engineering
Springfield, NJ
973-467-8400
www.valcor.com

The last time you flew on a commercial/regional/business jet,
did the pilot or flight attendant ask you and other passengers to
change your seat prior to takeoff, due to improper aircraft bal-
ance caused by more passengers seated on one side (or
front/back) of the aircraft? The repositioning of people is some-
times necessary to maintain the aircraft’s balance. This process es-
tablishes the proper center of gravity (CG) for the aircraft to facil-

Aerospace & Defense Technology, May 2020 www.aerodefensetech.com 31