DHi Completes its First Metal Fiber Brush Installation on a U.S. Submarine
Kings Bay, GA, (July 20, 2007)—DHi announced today the successful completion of its first metal fiber brush (MFB) installation on a U.S. submarine, the USS WYOMING.
This Ship Alteration (SHIPALT) is the culmination of over 10 years of development efforts undertaken by DHi and its partner HiPerCon LLC of Charlottesville, VA.
A Ship Alteration (SHIPALT) is an approved permanent change to the configuration of a ship that’s documented in a Ship Alteration Record (SAR) and implemented through the Fleet Modernization Program (FMP) Process.
DHi’s leading-edge MFBs are being installed on the U.S. Navy’s submarine fleet under a $4M Fleet Integration Contract with NAVSEA that was put in place in March, 2007. The company is also providing technical and engineering support to the Navy under this contract.
Replacing traditional carbon brushes with MFB technology will improve the performance of the Navy's existing electrical rotating machinery while reducing its cost to maintain electrical motors and generators. In addition, this new technology will significantly reduce the sailor’s maintenance burden, thus freeing valuable personnel for more critical tasks while reducing maintenance overhead and downtime.
In response to numerous inquiries, DHi is currently working to make custom MFB technologies available to the private sector as well, where these brushes could increase motor and generator efficiency while dramatically lowering maintenance costs in applications as diverse as power generators including wind turbines, radar systems, and vehicular subsystems.
DHi is a world-class team of dedicated engineering professionals committed to developing and deploying innovative technologies to advance the national interest and improve the lives of all Americans.