Air Force Awards $1.395M Contract Modification to DHi

Robins AFB, GA(July 1, 2008) – In coordination with the U. S. Air Force (USAF) Commercialization Pilot Program and the C-130 Sustainment Group, Robins Air Force Base has awarded a $1.395M contract extension to Defense Holdings, Inc. (DHi) of Arlington, Virginia.

  This award allocates resources for a SBIR Phase II follow-on contract enabling DHi to conduct ground, flight, and field testing of its Metal Fiber Brushes (MFBs) in C-130 cargo aircraft propeller de-icing systems. Developed by DHi and its partner HiPerCon, LLC, MFBs were and are currently being installed in large motor-generators on U.S. Navy submarines.

The potential use of MFBs in propeller de-icing systems is an important step forward in MFB development. DHi and HiPerCon have already proved that MFBs can operate under high runout conditions in excess of 50mils while under electrical loading and in the presence of industrial contaminates. Success of DHi’s program has proven that its MFBs can deliver a reliability improvement across a range of operating conditions ranging from controlled environments to harsh environments where carbon brushes increasingly fail.

MFBs are a significant improvement over carbon brushes in both data and current transfer, offering extended brush and slip ring service life, high current capacity, and significant decreases in service acoustic and electrical noise. In the C-130 de-icing system, carbon brush failure and the presence of carbon dust can pose significant risk for fire and for de-icing system failure.  The result is a significant preventative maintenance schedule.  The use of DHi’s MFBs will deliver an increase in operational availability through a decrease in maintenance, and will save the USAF over $100M in O&M costs.

The DHi Team’s current effort will involve the testing and certification of the team’s MFB technologies in preparation for a retrofit program that will significantly benefit the C-130 fleets operated by the US government.

This contract award is a result of coordinated support from the USAF Commercialization Pilot Program and the C-130 Sustainment Group as well as the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), the USAF SBIR Program, DHi, and other Air Force stakeholders. This program was identified as one of the top commercialization programs of the USAF, and will provide significant technology improvement in power/data transfer to the DoD and commercial sectors.

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.