Refined Buoyancy Heat Engine for Glider Applications Using Structures with Negative Thermal Expansion Coefficients

The scope of this effort will consist of investigation and testing of three temperature-gradient producedmorphing concepts. It will consist of a thermodynamic assessment of the system and a basic design ofan electrical energy production capability. A final (perhaps primary) objective is the education of a U.Scitizen graduate student in technology of interest to the U.S. Navy and the possibility of their acceptingpost-graduation employment at a Navy research lab or DoD UARC.An innovative concept for a passive buoyancy engine will be developed. This study will exploitoceanic thermoclines (the difference between the higher ocean surface temperatures and the lowertemperatures at depth) to drive a Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) based Buoyancy Heat Engine (BHE).