CRG Defense has been awarded a $2 million U.S. Army contract to design and prototype a lightweight electric motor/generator system for hybrid-electric military vehicles, part of a broader $17.25 million federal program to advance hybrid-electric propulsion for defense platforms. The company will build a 50-kilowatt-class permanent magnet electric machine for 400-800V applications, designed, sourced and manufactured entirely in the U.S.
CRG Defense's VP of innovation described it as a clean-sheet design meant to build domestic capacity for power-dense electric machines that start with defense uses and can scale into commercial ones. To hit aerospace-grade performance in a compact package, the company is using high-rate compression molded composites for production, fiber-reinforced polymer structures to cut weight while preserving structural integrity, and composite-based systems to retain permanent magnets in high-speed rotors.
With few U.S. suppliers able to build high-power, high-voltage electric machines for military use, CRG's chief technology officer said the project fills a gap in the defense supply chain and reflects the company's roughly 30 years of experience in propulsion technologies including batteries, power electronics and motor controllers. The project also reinforces Ohio's growing role in defense manufacturing.
Source: crgdefense.com
