e-Power Technology

Seeking the Ultimate in Marine Stealth: DARPA Pursues Quest to Finally Make Magnetohydrodynamic Drive a Practical Reality 

Since the 1960s, academic, commercial and military researchers have attempted to realize a novel form of maritime propulsion involving no moving parts – no propeller, no drive shaft, no seals – just magnets and an electric current that silently propel a boat or submarine through water. It has been an elusive goal but tests are being conducted at Navy facilities this summer with an aim toward developing a practical, workable system.  […]

Materials/Manufacturing

Vulcan Elements Opens Pilot Plant for Producing Rare Earth Magnets; Consarc Strip-Casting Furnace Installed 

Bolstered by a $1.2 million award from the U.S. Department of Defense and now with the commissioning of a new strip casting furnace from Consarc, Vulcan Elements is building up operations at its new pilot magnet manufacturing plant in North Carolina. A key objective is to develop fresh alternatives for a secure, domestic supply chain for magnets used in critical Air Force systems. […]

Materials/Manufacturing

Mistrial Declared in Federal Case Against Quadrant Magnetics 

More than two years after the federal government charged Quadrant Magnetics related to sharing product design information with affiliate contacts in China, a mistrial has been declared at the U.S. District Court in Louisville, Kentucky in the government’s case against the company. According to a report in the Louisville Courier Journal on March 19, it’s the latest twist in the high-profile case centered around confidential U.S. military data allegedly sent to China by company officials. The case is now in limbo, prosecutors could retry it, with a jury trial tentatively set to begin in late May.   […]