LSU Innovation Park Company Leads the Charge in Innovative Warfighter Technology
01/07/2019
BATON ROUGE – Today’s battlefield is more energy intense than ever before, forcing
warfighters to carry an ever-increasing amount of batteries – at great logistical
and financial cost. Carver Scientific Inc., or CSi, located at the LSU Innovation
Park in Baton Rouge, has promising new technology to meet this challenge. While its
primary focus is on developing cutting-edge energy storage technology, the company
is developing a microclimate heating and cooling, or MCHC, device for dismounted warfighters
under a U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL, Small Business Innovation Research,
or SBIR, Phase II Award.
The objective of this 27-month effort from March 2017 through June 2019 is to develop
a highly mobile, self-contained and integrated MCHC device for dismounted operator-use
that integrates with a self-contained lightweight modular power source capable of
powering the MCHC for a typical 72-hour mission.
CSi, a certified HUBZone, is an energy technology company focused on developing transformative
energy storage technologies. It moved to the LSU Innovation Park in 2012 because of
the unique state Research & Development Marketable Tax Credit Program, developed through
Louisiana Economic Development and others.
“That really helped,” said David Carver, chief scientist and co-founder. “We used
that money to buy a lot of our equipment. It made a real difference – a shot in the
arm right when we needed it.”
The company now has significant Intellectual Property protection with over 100 domestic
and international patents and patent applications.
“We really are an energy technology development company,” said Ritchie Priddy, business
development director and principal investigator of this effort.
Priddy has been involved with energy technologies, particularly distributed energy
and demand side management for more than 30 years. He describes the project as developing
two products under one SBIR Phase II.
“The logistical chain has become the tail wagging the dog, and that doesn’t take into
account the physical toll on the warfighters,” Priddy said.
The dramatic weight increase and resulting issues has led to an emphasis on lightening
the Warfighter’s load.
“This effort is an extension of an earlier micro-climate cooling that I began in 2006
under a different company structure through a Special Operations Command, or SOCOM,
Phase I SBIR,” Priddy said. “That effort did not result in a Phase II award at the
time, though we proved feasibility of the technology. The Achilles heel was the cooler’s
power draw…it was too high. We were married to military batteries under that contract,
and none could provide the energy density we needed for mission duration. They still
can’t.”
Priddy said that studies have shown that for a typical 72-hour mission, which is considered
standard mission duration now, an infantry platoon consisting of 30 soldiers, carries
about 400 pounds of batteries or some kind of energy storage technology to power their
equipment. That equals about 13 pounds of batteries per soldier. A 2014 NATO report
found that a continuous power requirement of 20 watts over 72 hours is needed.
“That means the emphasis on batteries is shifting to higher energy densities per pound
of battery,” Priddy said. “That means fewer and lighter batteries. In addition, just
as important, safety, clean raw materials, a domestic source, cost and better energy
management have become very important as well. Size, weight, power and cost, or SWaP-C,
– we have to make it as small and efficient as possible, and still provide a measureable
benefit – at the right price.”
The dangers of heat and cold stress on warfighters exposed to extreme temperatures
remains very real. Warming or cooling a warfighter is still considered a luxury, and
there are written needs for such technology. Nevertheless, developing better energy
storage technologies for the battlefield is an urgent need. Both have significant
market potential for the civilian world as well.
“I knew there was a great need for micro-climate cooling and heating, as heat stress
and cold stress are still serious issues for those working outdoors. So, we either
had to dumb down the original effort and reduce the energy draw, or find alternative
energy devices,” he said.
Priddy ended up doing both.
“Under this Phase II award [CSi] developed new and more efficient heating and cooling
capabilities. There is no doubt that a good-sized market exists for the MCHC. But,
the much larger market and more urgent needs lies in the energy storage,” he said.
The latest version of the MCHC weighs about 18 ounces. The civilian version is currently
powered by commercial off-the-shelf, or COTS, USB batteries, and uses about 6 watts.
The company is developing a PTC heater to meet the heating requirement.
“We’ll eventually integrate it with our own energy storage, but that’s still a ways
off. The CSi energy storage contains no hazardous metals, does not pose any thermal
runaway issues and is made up entirely of clean, domestic raw materials,” he said.
The company’s ultimate objective is to develop a dual use, stand-alone, man-wearable
energy storage device capable of integration, scalability and commonality across multiple
energy consuming devices and power managing technologies. The device will assist in
meeting multiple Joint Warfighter Challenges, including Reduction of Soldier Loads,
which will enhance individual and small unit mobility. Successful development as a
stand-alone energy storage device will provide significant progress towards the Dismounted
Power Goal, with its 72-hour mission requirement. Specifically, the device will contribute
to solving challenges related to that goal by: 1) reducing the number and overall
weight of batteries; 2) increasing power/energy densities; 3) provide safer operation;
4) provide commonality; 5) integration with power management/distribution systems;
6) scalability; 7) multiple form factors; 8) help meet SWAP-C requirements; 9) remove
domestic supply concerns; and 10) provide adaptability to future capabilities.
SBIR played a critical role in CSi’s success as it has for numerous small technology
companies in Louisiana for more than 20 years.
“I never gave up on the dream of developing a cooler for the military, and working
with the LBTC proved to be the key,” he said.
Roy Keller, LBTC associate director advised Priddy and introduced him to Richard Flake,
a U.S. Department of Defense SBIR consultant, who informed them that they could go
back 10 years and apply for a Phase II award under the original contract.
“Fast forward a few years and I’m still looking for alternative energy storage when
I get a call from Roy (Keller) telling me that he had a new client at the research
park, which was working on energy storage. He arranged for me to meet with Carver,
and it was a great match,” he said.
Priddy started working for them part-time, but came on full-time in 2013 as Business
Development Director.
“I knew there was still a need for micro-climate cooling and heating, not only in
the military but in the commercial or industrial world as well,” he said.
Once the path was set, Priddy novated his cooling technology to CSi, added the energy
storage development effort and applied for a Phase II award.
“We just had to find the right DoD component, and more importantly, the right person
within that component to take it forward,” he said.
Flake, who served as the commercialization officer for AFRL before he retired, found
the right person within AFRL in Dayton, Ohio. The result was a Phase II SBIR award
with multiple modifications and additional money.
The future certainly looks bright for CSi. The company has demonstrated the MCHC to
various types of end-users, including the Louisiana National Guard, Baton Rouge Police
Department, Ohio Special Response team and others. CSi has participated in a number
of DoD and joint DoD-DHS activities.
“The big market is the industrial and first responder market, but it can benefit anyone
who works in extreme environments. In addition, AFRL will begin a form/fit exercise
to determine the optimum locations to place the blower, and the company is preparing
for their final delivery of the MCHC in April 2019,” he said.
CSi is seeking two other DoD contracts to complete the development of both technologies,
and is aiming to enter the commercial market or the MCHC next summer.
Contact Alison Satake
LSU Media Relations
225-578-3870
asatake@lsu.edu
Roy Keller
Louisiana Business & Technology Center
225-578-3985
rkeller@lsu.edu