Congratulations to Associate Professor Nick Bennett and team who have been awarded funds from the UTS Strategic Research Accelerator to revolutionise thermal management for laser defence systems.
Facing change with phase change
With expertise spanning experimental testing, thermal modelling and research translation, Nick’s team includes postdoctoral researchers working to develop a novel phase-change material heat exchanger (PCM-HX).
Based at the Centre for Advanced Manufacturing in the UTS School of Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering, the team’s solution addresses an urgent challenge in modern defence: countering hostile drone attacks.
According to a recent UN report, drones have caused over 70% of civilian casualties in the conflict in Ukraine. While laser defences are emerging as the preferred solution, their deployment is hampered by bulky, heavy and power-hungry thermal management systems.
The phase-change material heat exchanger we have developed here at UTS can provide a 30x size reduction, meaning the laser heat exchanger is more like a suitcase.
“Lasers are an effective way to combat hostile drones. The problem is that lasers with ranges longer than a few hundred metres require heat exchangers the size of shipping containers to operate, making them unsuitable for remote deployment,” Nick explained.
“The phase-change material heat exchanger we have developed here at UTS can provide a 30x size reduction, meaning the laser heat exchanger is more like a suitcase.”
Innovation at the core
The PCM-HX achieves this improvement using a “pressure-enhanced” phase-change technology, which Nick’s team have been working on for the past two years.
This innovation has already reached Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 5, with lab testing of a semi-integrated system showing results that match or exceed expectations.
With the support of the Strategic Research Accelerator funding, the next step is to demonstrate the PCM-HX in an operational environment, paired with a high-energy laser system from defence partner MBDA.
Strategic alignment and impact
With the project strategically aligned to Defence Capability, a priority area for Australia’s National Reconstruction Fund, and the $3.4 billion Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator programme, in which Laser Directed Energy is a top focus, the team anticipates that its technology will be in demand.
We are thrilled to receive support from the UTS Strategic Research Accelerator program and excited to develop this innovation further, opening doors to commercialisation and real-world deployment.
Its partnership with MBDA includes cash and in-kind support, as well as access to a laser test facility that will enable the team to demonstrate the PCM-HX at scale and show how it can be integrated with cutting-edge laser systems.
Among the project’s outcomes will be a verified prototype demonstrated in an operational environment and a roadmap to customer adoption.
“We are thrilled to receive support from the UTS Strategic Research Accelerator program and excited to develop this innovation further, opening doors to commercialisation and real-world deployment,” said Nick.