The proposed project addresses a critical challenge in next-generation naval power systems: the safe grounding of medium-voltage shipboard electrical networks operating at voltages up to 13.8 kV. As modern naval vessels adopt increasingly electrified propulsion systems, advanced radar, directed-energy weapons, and large DC rectifier-fed loads, traditional high-resistance grounding (HRG) approaches become impractical because they generate excessive waste heat and are vulnerable to instability under DC fault conditions. To overcome these limitations, Continuous Solutions, Purdue University, and Boise State University are developing an integrated Ship Grounding System (SGS) that combines three novel technologies: a Thermally Informed Grounding Resistor (TIGR), a DC-Resilient Grounding Transformer (DRGT), and a Fault Bolting Device (FBD). Phase I studies established the theoretical feasibility of these concepts through detailed simulation and analysis. Phase II focuses on translating this feasibility into experimentally validated hardware prototypes suitable for future naval deployment.
The primary objective is to identify and produce the best-performing positive-temperature-coefficient-of-resistance (PTCR) material for the intended voltage and thermal environment and to deliver fully characterized materials that can be implemented into progressively more advanced TIGR prototypes.
This effort is organized into two complementary thrusts:
Thrust 1: Develop the Best Material for the Job
Thrust 2: Implement Relevant Material to Demonstrate the Concept
The materials-development component of the project centers on the design and fabrication of advanced BaTiO₃-based PTCR ceramics for use in the TIGR device. These ceramics are the enabling technology behind the dynamic grounding resistance concept and represent one of the most technically challenging and scientifically important aspects of the program. The project seeks to develop PTCR materials capable of stable, reliable operation under medium-voltage fault conditions while maintaining controlled thermal and electrical behavior. This work involves understanding and optimizing the relationships between crystal chemistry, defect structure, microstructural evolution, dielectric behavior, electrical breakdown resistance, and PTCR response. The research combines ceramic processing, functional characterization, and microstructural analysis with feedback from system-level electrical testing performed by project collaborators. The broader motivation is to enable a new class of compact, thermally efficient, and fault-tolerant grounding technologies for future electric naval platforms. The ultimate objective is to establish a robust materials-processing methodology and demonstrate full-scale PTCR elements suitable for incorporation into future 13.8 kV ship grounding systems.
The PhD student will work primarily within Boise State University’s Functional Ceramics Laboratory and associated X-Ray and Electron Microscopy facilities to develop and characterize doped BaTiO₃ PTCR ceramics for medium-voltage applications. Research activities will include formulation of ceramic compositions, powder processing, sintering optimization, fabrication of PTCR elements, and detailed structural and electrical characterization. The student will investigate how dopants, grain-boundary chemistry, porosity, and processing conditions influence PTCR switching behavior, dielectric loss, electrical conductivity, and voltage stability. Experimental work will be closely integrated with modeling and prototype testing conducted by Continuous Solutions and Purdue University, allowing materials development to be iteratively refined against real system-level performance requirements.