Highlighted Below are Just a Few Quoin Technology Development Projects

Powered Ascender       High Density Power Supply      Variable Flow Gas Generator/Attitude Control System        Attitude Control System       Soot Reduction Program         Turbo-Impulse Robotic Actuator

PowerQuick Powered Ascender  

Quoins PowerQuick® Powered Ascender, developed under a Defense Advanced Research Projects (DARPA) Small Business Innovative Research program is designed to safely and easily lift a person to upper levels  by simply attaching the unit to a line and flipping the thumb-switch up or down. The unit is powered through high-pressure air which can be  provided through a variety of power sources. For the Phase I demonstration power was provided by a SCUBA tank or from a shop air compressor. 

The next generation unit will be powered by a variety of power sources currently under development by Quoin.

Today’s military must be prepared to counter threats in the urban setting.  Urban warfare dictates a set of conditions that results in increased reliance on the individual soldier as the fighting element. In this setting, the ability to confront an adversary inside a multi-storied building is improved by fighting from the top down as opposed to the bottom up.  With our troops in a top-down position, the adversary has the disadvantage of low ground, and can also escape through the lower floors, thus lessening the potential for confrontation.

This fact was illustrated in a September 2002 urban war exercise where 22 of 27 platoon members were marked as killed in one fell swoop. According to interviews reported in Time Magazine, military officials said that city combat blunts the U.S military advantages of speed and knowledge and that the “urban canyons” offer hideouts for foes and civilians. The buildings create vast dead spaces and hamper anything flying low such as helicopters. Military leaders say 30% of street-fighting combatants end up as casualties. They reported that the likely scenario for urban warfare (such as may be experienced in Baghdad) is to start clearing buildings one by one from the top floor down.

Currently, personnel reach the top of buildings by fast-roping from helicopters flying low over buildings (Figure 1), which eliminates the element of surprise and leaves the troops vulnerable to ground fire.  If there is no aerial support, the soldier is faced with the challenge of scaling the building. Perhaps the most difficult aspect of a successful lift is the deployment of the rope to the top of the building.  Present equipment is the historic ladder and grappling hook.  These devices have remained functionally unchanged since prehistory.  A ladder made in telescoping sections from modern materials can open to 20 feet – still not far enough to enter a 5-story building and difficult to carry into battle.  Even with an excellent toss, a grappling hook may only get to the third floor window.

Most military officials agree that ,as in Baghdad, future wars will require increased urban combat. These factors graphically illustrate the immediate need for a lightweight, personal lifting device that could safely and quickly deploy fighting forces to upper levels.

This technology id being developed for commercial applications. For more information click here 

PowerQuick® Personal Lifting Device Prototype 

Fastroping in the desert

PowerQuick® Lifting Device Demonstration

Turbo Impulse Robotics Actuator (Ti-BOT)

The goal of the Defense Advanced Research Program Agency (DARPA) Turbo Impulse Robotics Actuator program is to develop a high-efficiency and precision-control pneumatic/mechanical actuator which converts chemical to mechanical energy to extend human performance and provide advantages in reducing system weight and bulk. Under this contract, Quoin analyzed the concept of an actuator based on a central air compressor and distributed turbine actuators - each with a small pulse burner.

In a DARPA Phase I SBIR performance goals require actuators that are able to provide short bursts of high power for running, jumping, throwing, lifting extra heavy objects, etc. as well as sustained power for walking and normal load-bearing field activity. Quoin's TI-BOT actuator was based on a 1-inch-diameter bi-directional impulse turbine running at speeds up to 100,000 rpm. Using full admission through its 18 nozzles (drive gas admitted around the full wheel periphery), 150-psia air at 1800°F, this turbine will produce 1.74 in-lbf torque and 2.77 horsepower. The initial Ti-BOT demonstration actuator used the 1-inch turbine to drive a ballscrew through a gear reduction of up to 28:1 to obtain linear motion of 6 inches displacement at up to about 7-in/sec. However, it is likely that most actuators for an exoskeleton system would have rotary outputs. The turbine and control valves can be housed in a volume of approximately 2 cubic inches.

One of the critical technologies used in the Ti-Bot system is derived from the high-speed turbine work conducted under the Flywheel-ACS development program.

High Density Power Supply

 As part of separate DARPA SBIR program Quoin is developing a unique High Density Power Supply. This central power unit provides up to 500 watts of output in the form of compressed gas. This gas is distributed to feed control valves. In this application, the high-pressure, high-temperature gas drives a reversing turbine that, combined with a reduction gear set and a ball-screw, forms the high-energy-density actuator. This provides an exoskeleton with a highly responsive, small actuator and power supply package with extremely high power density. Molded ceramic components create high temperature tolerance with very low production costs.

When the power supply is coupled with an efficient turbine as the output drive similar to a turbo-prop engine, the specific fuel consumption is on the order of 0.4 lb./hr/bhp. In addition, the device is quite small. These engines are acoustically quiet and vibration are small because the turbine drive filters the pressure pulses. They can be designed to function with a variety of fuels. Our concept is to build on this existing thrust to make a unique, small internal combustion engine that can meet a variety of needs.

In the Phase II SBIR Quoin is developing the second generation generation Ti-Bot actuator and the prototype power supply.

The practical and economical potential of an exoskeleton powered by a chemo-mechanical actuator in commerce and industry, both in the military and civilian community is far-reaching, providing many financial, commercial, industrial and humanitarian benefits. The exoskeleton provides advantages over the traditional forklift and other large and often cumbersome heavy-duty lifting equipment such as hoists and cranes in key areas such as agility, speed, accuracy and the ability to access restricted areas. In addition, the product provides an economic alternative to the high maintenance costs of more traditional lifting and moving devices.

The potential applications for each of the component technologies are extensive. These components will be used in conjunction with technologies developed under the Flywheel-ACS process for a variety of applications.

Variable-Flow Gas Generator

Attitude Control System

Quoin recently completed a large portion of Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, China Lake, CA. Phase II SBIR program, for the Missile Integrated Power Supply and Roll Control System. This $1.5 M Phase II award is the largest in China Lake’s history. The funding agency for the this program is the Program Executive Officer for Theater Surface Combatants (PEO/TSC). Under this program, Quoin was responsible for design and development of a Variable-Flow Solid-Propellant Gas Generator.

The objective of the program was to develop an attitude-control and maneuvering system for a kinetic kill vehicle (KKV) that provides ten times the operating duration at 50% of the cost of the present design. Part of this effort was the development of an attitude-stabilization system based on a set of three gimbaled flywheels. This type of attitude control has been developed for satellites and spacecraft and could be applicable to exo-atmospheric KKV’s with flight times of up to 100 seconds.

Quoin developed a functional design and conducted critical experiments to demonstrate a variable-flow solid-propellant gas generator with a greater-than-25:1 turndown ratio. The gas generator is used to spin-up the flywheels prior to third stage separation and to provide hot gas for divert propulsion. A major portion of the success of the project was dependent on the turbine and variable flow gas generator developed by Quoin. Quoin also designed the divert valves and nozzles.

This program was successfully completed with both the turbine and the variable-flow gas generator performing as anticipated. As indicated in the photo, the gas generator was ignited and extinguished, then re-ignited within 30 seconds producing a 2.5-second burn, then extinguished. After this test, the residual propellant grain was inspected and found to be in excellent condition. The grain was evenly burned with no indication of porosity in the propellant.

In preparation for the next phase of development, Quoin conducted a self-funded Integrated System Demonstration. Quoin used components built in support of Phase II testing with a 2-Wheel ACS system developed by Quoin to conduct a Single-Axis Control Integrated System demonstration. While the specific flywheels used for this proof of concept demonstration, the test showed conclusively that the concept for the Flywheel-ACS can be achieved and is based on accepted physical laws. Quoin believes this is promising for both an attitude-control and maneuvering system for improved KWs.

Soot Reduction Program

Quoin Conducted a Ballistic Missile Defense Office (BMDO) Phase I SBIR contract for the development of soot reduction methods to filter carbon materials from hot gasses generated by the burning of solid propellant. Such propellants are burned in gas generators to provide maneuvering control for space vehicles. This was a BMDO contract with oversite by the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, China Lake, CA. The system implements a combination of approaches including filtering, flow diversion and the use of the on/off features of the hot-gas generator developed in Missile Integrated Power Supply and Roll Control System Phase II program.

Quoin investigated three filter types as part of the trade studies: a Mechanical Filter, Chemical Reaction, and Flow Separation. We also considered extinguishing the gas generator during part of the flight.
The most promising of the soot removal approaches is to utilize the inherent oxidative nature of the propellant gases to oxidize the soot. This was achieved through the use of a catalyst bed that promotes the reaction between the soot and water within the propellant exhaust. In so doing, the soot is essentially eliminated. Other studies suggest the opportunity to deflect the hot particles from entering the flow field in front of the seeker by interrupting the flow with the injection of clean gas.

The study concluded that for Divert and Attitude Control system applications, the best approach is to extinguish the gas generators during part of the flight. Quoin was selected to receive a $132,000 grant under the California CALTIP program to support marketing efforts for the technology.

For the Phase II effort which is currently underway Quoin is concentrating on developing the flywheel ACS through detailed simulations of the KKV and solid model representations of the two-flywheel control and power system. Testing results of first and second-generation hardware prototypes for Quoin’s flywheel ACS will validate these simulations.

Attitude Control System

In a current BMDO Phase II effort Quoin is concentrating on developing the flywheel-ACS through detailed simulations and solid model representations of the two-flywheel control and power system. Testing results of first and second-generation hardware prototypes for Quoin’s flywheel ACS will validate these simulations.

This technology is designed to provide attitude control in a very small, lightweight package.

In addition to military program applications, Quoin anticipates that this novel approach can be used for attitude control for stabilization of solar panels and other space platform stabilization applications. It's small size make it an ideal candidate for use with satellites., When coupled with the variable flow gas generator, the system could possibly be configured with sensor devices for use as a autonomous probe for deep space exploration.