DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION RESEARCH (SBIR) PROGRAM SBIR 21.4 Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) Army Applied SBIR Opportunity (ASO) Announcement April 1, 2021: ASO issued for pre-release April 14, 2021: Army begins accepting proposals May 20, 2021: Deadline for receipt of proposals no later than 12:00 p.m. ET IMPORTANT Deadline for Receipt : Proposals must be completely submitted no later than 12:00 p.m. ET, May 20, 2021. Proposals submitted after 12:00 p.m. will not be evaluated. The final proposal submission includes successful completion of all firm level forms, all required volumes, and electronic corporate official certification. Classified proposals will not be accepted under the DoD SBIR Program. This BAA and the Defense SBIR/STTR Innovation Portal (DSIP) sites are designed to reduce the time and cost required to prepare a formal proposal. The DSIP is the official portal for DoD SBIR/STTR proposal submission. Proposers are required to submit proposals via DSIP; proposals submitted by any other means will be disregarded. Proposers submitting through this site for the first time will be asked to register. Effective with this announcement, firms are required to register for a login.gov account and link it to their DSIP account. See section 4.14 for more information regarding registration. The Small Business Administration, through its SBIR/STTR Policy Directive, purposely departs from normal Government solicitation formats and requirements and authorizes agencies to simplify the SBIR/STTR award process and minimize the regulatory burden on small business. Therefore, consistent with the SBA SBIR/STTR Policy Directive, the Department of Defense is soliciting proposals as a Broad Agency Announcement. SBIR/STTR Updates and Notices: To be notified of SBIR/STTR opportunities and to receive e-mail updates on the DoD SBIR and STTR Programs, you are invited to subscribe to our Listserv by emailing
[email protected]. Help Desk: If you have questions about the Defense Department's SBIR or STTR Programs, please call the DoD SBIR/STTR Help Desk at 1-703-214-1333, or email to
[email protected]. Topic Q&A : The Topic Q&A for this BAA opens on April 1, 2021 and closes to new questions on May 4, 2021 at 12:00 PM ET. Proposers may submit written questions through Topic Q&A at https://www.dodsbirsttr.mil/submissions/login or through the SBIR Mailbox at usarmy.pentagon.hqda-asa-alt.mbx.army-applied-sbir-program@mail.mil. In Topic Q&A, the questioner and respondent remain anonymous and all questions and answers are posted electronically for general viewing. Once the BAA closes to proposal submission, no communication of any kind with the topic author or through Topic Q&A regarding your submitted proposal is allowed. Questions should be limited to specific information related to improving the understanding of a particular topic’s requirements. Proposing firms may not ask for advice or guidance on solution approach and you may not submit additional material to the topic author. If information provided during an exchange with the topic author is deemed necessary for proposal preparation, that information will be made available to all parties through Topic Q&A. Proposing firms are advised to monitor Topic Q&A during the BAA period for questions and answers. Proposing firms should also frequently monitor DSIP for updates and amendments to the topics. This Army Applied SBIR Opportunity (ASO) is issued under the Army Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for SBIR/STTR 21.4. All proposals in response to the technical area(s) described herein will be submitted in accordance with the instructions provided under 21.4, found here: https://beta.sam.gov/opp/b79ded14dcf54451bcfb11bddf5cd259/view?keywords=%22army%20sbir%22&sort=-relevance&index=opp&is_active=true&page=1. a. Eligibility The eligibility requirements for the SBIR/STTR programs are unique and do not correspond to those of other small business programs. Please refer to Section 3.1, Eligible Applicants, of BAA 21.4 for full eligibility requirements. b. Anticipated Structure/Award Information Please refer to Section 1, Funding Opportunity Description, provided in BAA 21.4 for detailed information regarding SBIR/STTR phase structure and flexibility. For this BAA, Department of the Army will accept Phase I proposals for the cost of up to $259,613 for a 6-month period of performance. Proposers should refer to Section 4, Application and Submission information, of BAA 21.4 for detailed proposal preparation instructions. Proposals that do not comply with the requirements detailed in BAA 21.4 and the research objectives of this ASO are considered non-conforming and therefore are not evaluated nor considered for award. Phase I proposals shall not exceed 5 pages. Phase I commercialization strategy shall not exceed 2 pages. This should be the last section of the Technical Volume and will not count against the 5-page limit. Please refer to Appendix A of BAA 21.4 for detailed instructions on Phase I proposal preparation. c. Evaluation of Proposals Section 5, Evaluation of Proposals, in BAA 21.4 provides detailed information on proposal evaluation and the selection process for this ASO. d. Due Date/Time Full proposal packages (Proposal Cover Sheet, Technical Volume, Price/Cost Volume, and Company Commercialization Report inclusive of supporting documentation) must be submitted via the DoD SBIR/STTR Proposal Submission website per the instructions outlined in BAA 21.4 Section 4.3 Electronic Submission no later than 12:00 p.m. ET, May 20, 2021. Army SBIR 21.4 Topic Index A214-029 Metamaterial Based Antenna OBJECTIVE: The SBIR objective is to create an antenna design for satellite communication bands, including Ku, K, and Ka bands, based on metamaterials to decrease size, weight, performance and cost (SWaP-C) and increase antenna bandwidth, improve signal reception, and provide a higher gain. The antenna design would be developed for Army Aviation platforms with a focus on a low profile and a conformal fit, while maintaining optimal performance to allow installation on non-ideal surfaces encountered in the adverse aviation environment. The SBIR would also characterize the potential gains and tradeoffs of such a metamaterial-based topology. DESCRIPTION: Army aviation has the need of a broadband antenna with reduced size and weight while obtaining enhanced power efficiency and ultra wide bandwidth (UWB) frequency capability. Such a capability would contribute to the Army’s superiority in multiple abilities, to include conducting joint air-ground operations, maintaining manned-unmanned teams, and operating in contested airspace. In addition, a physically low profile is needed for airborne applications to maintain aircraft aerodynamics and minimize surface clutter and interaction with other pre-existing equipment. Airborne platforms have limited surface area for antenna mounting, and it is often non-electrically conductive. These constraints require the antenna(s) to be “electrically small,” with a total height less than one quarter of a wavelength at its center frequency. It is envisioned that emerging developments and technology using metamaterials could provide a solution for such an antenna. The focus of this SBIR is to conduct research culminating in the development of a metamaterial-based antenna that will provide the desired performance for aircraft applications. Metamaterials are artificial engineered materials that possess a negative index of refraction for an isotropic medium. Their properties can be tailored to provide anomalous interactions with the electromagnetic field. These electromagnetic interactions include the effect of causing the electromagnetic waves phase and group velocity to have a reversed direction of propagation with the respect to the direction of energy flow, as well as, preventing reflected and scattered radiation return on active antenna surfaces. Utilization of left-handed materials (LHM), such as double negative materials (DNG) and epsilon near-zero permittivity (ENZ) materials enable the antenna size to be reduced while increasing the antenna efficiency and bandwidth. Legacy techniques, such as, utilization of split ring resonators (SRR) and complimentary SRRs (CSRR) in the substrate and superstrate of the PCB based antennas are known to increase the radio frequency (RF) bandwidth and directivity by manipulation of permittivity and permeability in specific frequency bands. Much metamaterial research and work has been competed during the last fifteen years. The challenge presented in this SBIR will be to combine multiple efforts and create a product that can perform in the aviation adverse environment and endure that grueling environment without failure in high operational situations. This also implies that the antenna must survive in extreme environmental conditions, to include heavy rainfall, high heat desert type temperatures, very cold environments covered with ice and snow, and continual abrading due to small particles such as sand. The antenna is expected to interface with a 50 Ohm coaxial cable with a suitable high frequency capable connector. If power is required, it will be derived from 28 VDC aircraft power. PHASE I: The purpose of Phase I is to determine the engineering feasibility of designing and antenna with tri-band performance in portions of Ku, K, and Ka band. An engineering study will be conducted to explore the options and the design space of what is possible from a SWaP and antenna performance perspective. The trade space will include frequency bandwidth, antenna gain, and antenna efficiency versus the antenna height, length, width, and weight. Projected radiation patterns and polarization predictions are also required. The Army needs adequate antenna parameters and characteristics to predict how well the antenna would perform at various aircraft installation points. The antenna should also be capable of transmitting at least 40 Watts in the same bands. The primary objectives of Phase I are: Determine the feasibility of designing and airborne capable antenna Ku, K, and Ka tri-band operation. Develop a preliminary antenna design that would be compatible for the AH-64E (attack helicopter), CH-47F (heavy lift helicopter), UH-60M (medium lift helicopter), and Future Vertical Lift (FVL). Develop a concept of operation showing how the antenna could be utilized in Ku, K, and Ka band radio frequency (RF) scenarios (i.e., link distances and incident angles with respect to the aircraft). Perform an analysis of how the antenna would perform on top, side and bottom installations for AH-64E, CH-47F, UH-60M, and FVL aircraft. The analysis should also include rotor blade masking effects at various pitch angles and expected RPMs. Phase I deliverables will include a feasibility report outlining the gaps and path forward needed for implementation and cover all four areas lists above at a minimum. PHASE II: Develop a proof of concept/prototype capable of demonstrating RF link performance in Ku, K, and Ka bands. Phase II deliverables will include functional antenna hardware, completed antenna design, and antenna test results including radiation patterns, gain, and input reflection coefficient (S11) versus frequency. Phase II will reach at least TRL 5 and commercial viability will be quantified. PHASE III: The expectation is to broadly field the metamaterial-based antenna across Army Aviation. Phase III will consist of all the required acquisition activities required to transition the capability to full-rate production. The small business is expected to obtain the funding from non-SBIR government and private sector sources to transition the technology into viable commercial products. Specific military applications may include AH-64E, CH-47F, UH-60M, and FVL capability. KEYWORDS: Aviation; Helicopter; Aircraft; Antenna; Rotary; Prototype; Metamaterials REFERENCES: M. Palandoken, A. Grede, and H. Henke, “Broadband Microstrip Antenna with Left-Handed Metamaterials,” IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation, vol. 57, no. 2, Feb., pp. 331-338, 2009. A. Pandey and S. Rana, “Review of Metamaterials, Types and Design Approaches,” An International Journal of Engineering Sciences , vol. 17, Jan., pp. 360-364, 2016. J. Soric, N. Engheta, S. Maci, and A. Alu, “Omnidirectional Metamaterial Antennas Based on Epsilon-Near-Zero Channel Matching,” IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation , vol. 61, no. 1, Jan., pp. 33-43, 2013.