Crimpless Flexhose for Life-of-Ship Service Navy SBIR FY2013.1 Sol No.: Navy SBIR FY2013.1 Topic No.: N131-026 Topic Title: Crimpless Flexhose for Life-of-Ship Service Proposal No.: N131-026-0284 Firm: Creare Inc. P.O. Box 71 Hanover, New Hampshire 03755 Contact: Michael Barton Phone: (603) 643-3800 Web Site: www.creare.com Abstract: The need to isolate mechanical shock and vibrations between shipboard machinery and the ship hull requires the use of flexible hose assemblies (FHAs) and resilient mounting structures. Resilient mounting structures and FHAs, in particular, are ubiquitous on all U.S. Navy ships, serving as a leak-free conduit for fluids and gases between interconnected pieces of shipboard equipment. Typical shipboard FHAs consist of reinforced polymer hoses that utilize various combinations of polymer tubing; fabric and metal braiding; separation layers; and protective outer coverings. Unlike rigid metal conduit, which can typically withstand harsh service requirements for the life of the ship, polymer-based FHAs degrade over time and need to be replaced often. Creare plans to develop an FHA that is affordable (based on a total life cycle cost basis), durable, and can withstand extreme shipboard service environments for the life of the ship. In Phase I, we will complete a proof-of-concept demonstration of our system. In Phase II, we will fabricate and test a full-scale prototype system. Benefits: Affordable flexible hose assemblies (FHAs) that are compatible with a wide range of working fluids, can tolerate high-temperature service environments, and can last for the life of the application without degradation would have far reaching benefits in the military and the commercial aerospace and automotive markets. The proposed development effort will help achieve these goals by optimizing the FHAs so that they can be tailored to length at the time of installation and utilize reusable end terminations that can be connected using simple tools and procedures. Commercial applications include FHAs for ships, aircraft, and the automotive industry. Return