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Research & Development

Diesel fuel. Clean, efficient power. Challenging mobile environments. If these are the elements of your project, put the research and development team at Dewey Electronics Corporation to work.

Research and Development Experts in Compact Diesel Power Generation

Dewey provides research and development engineering, prototyping, testing, and evaluation of compact diesel power generators. Our R&D team is focused on power integration, with engineers that continually develop new prototypes and equipment that solve for the constrained parameters prevalent in military applications. Our mission is to integrate best-in-class technology from our partners to produce an optimized system with the highest probability of operational success in the field.

Experts in overcoming electromechanical and power integration challenges

Our team’s expertise has helped the U.S. armed forces and government agencies meet extreme requirements for fuel consumption, space claim, and altitude. Our mechanical and electrical engineers have years of experience in our manufacturing facility as well as getting complete electromechanical systems successfully fielded. And, our prototype team has years of experience building production systems and prototyping military hardware.

We can be critical team members on technology development involving power generation, troubleshoot an existing system, or resolve a design problem while still achieving the minimum possible sized system.

Examples of Dewey Electronics’ Research and Development Work

Fuel Cell and Reformer Systems for the M1 Abrams Tank

Customer funded: We provided the controls for operating a complex dirty diesel reformer, and managed and converted the power output of an 11kW fuel cell. This project entailed applying our extensive experience of how to build and miniaturize military-grade controls as well as power conversion, power management, and overall system architecture. Partners on other aspects of the project were ALTEX and Synergy; the funding agency was the TARDEC.

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Fuel Reformer Case Study

11kW DC to DC Power Conversion for Fuel Cells

Customer funded: As part of the fuel cell effort, we worked with outside partners to develop a high-efficiency compact power conversion system capable of managing the loads on the fuel cell stack during startup, full load, and shutdown. Output is 28 volts DC.

Novel Voltage Regulation to Field Wound Alternators

Internally funded: We developed a novel system for voltage and current regulation in field wound alternators.This was incorporated into our successfully fielded hybrid DC generators, providing optimized battery charging and management functionality with best-in-class system reliability and efficiency conversion.

Leading-Edge Diesel Engine-Based Battery Charging

Internally funded: Our R&D team proofed out and developed highly fuel-efficient, rapid battery charging of lead acid, AGM, and lithium-type batteries using man-portable diesel engines. By integrating engine, alternator, current, and voltage control, we demonstrated excellent round-trip efficiencies with battery changing while reaching theoretical limits for minimum engine operating time and fuel consumption. Our deep understanding of battery charging, combined with significant knowledge of generator design enabled us to deliver unmatched system efficiencies when designing DC generators and integrating energy storage battery systems.

Proof-of-Concept System for Tactical Idle Reduction of M915 Long Haul Tractor Trailer

Customer funded: Dewey designed, tested, and delivered two proof-of-concept systems to the U.S. Army capable of generating 5kW of 120V AC, 3kW of 28V DC, and 1 ton of cooling and heating from -40 degrees to 130 degrees Fahrenheit. We designed the system and prototyped a diesel generator capable of both AC and DC power, and partnered with AMETEK to design and deliver a rugged-environment, single-part ECU for mounting on the back of the 915 cab.

Sound Mitigation Research on Air-Cooled Diesel Engines

Customer funded: Part of a larger contract, this effort focused on mapping sound levels from various components of the 2kW air-cooled open frame diesel generator. We were able to demonstrate reductions in sound from 80 dBa to 72 dBa by developing resonant air chambers for combustion air intake, internal sound barriers, and a soft fabric enclosure that covered less than 70% of the generator’s open area.

Compact, Permanent Magnet High-Frequency Alternator Design

Internally funded: we worked closely with outside resources to design new permanent magnet alternators, built and integrated with high frequency power electronics. The alternator was designed to operate at speeds of 1800 to 3600 RPM, generating voltages between 100 and 600 volts, with raised output of 3500 watts.

High-Frequency Power Conversion Systems for DC Output

Customer funded: We developed the AC-DC power electronics needed to provide MilSpec-grade power output from high-speed permanent magnet alternators in the 1kW to 5kW range. More recently, we provided ground up design and integration of prototype 10kW DC-to-DC power converters for fuel cell applications. The hardware provides MilSpec 28-volt power and carefully managed loading for a 112kW fuel cell with a voltage range of 150-250.

Air-Cooled, Two-Stroke Spark Ignited 3 and 5 hp Ultra-Light Diesel Engines

Customer and internally funded: We sought out and demonstrated novel diesel engine technology for the creation of lightweight synchronous electrical power generation. This effort focused on attempting to transition the novel small diesel engine technology to a higher TRL for synchronous AC power generation. Although this project failed, the Dewey team learned a great deal and solved numerous smaller issues around engine design and optimized performance within military operating environments.

Engine Evaluation

Dewey Electronics continues to do validation research on new commercial engines for use in existing generator systems.