ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Sandia National Laboratories and Boeing Company signed an umbrella Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) Sept. 5 to develop technologies that mutually benefit both.
The signing was part of a visit to Sandia by Boeing senior officials to discuss future joint projects and to tour Sandia facilities.
Signing the CRADA from Sandia were Al Romig, Vice President for Science-Technology & Partnerships, and Jim Tegnelia, Vice President for Department of Defense (DoD) Programs. Signing for Boeing was Dick Paul, Vice President for Strategic Development for the Boeing Phantom Works R&D unit.
“Sandia technologies cross a wide technical spectrum, from applied research to the design and production of items to safety and system-operations issues,” Romig said. “These same technologies are applicable to Boeing’s wide range of space, communications, commercial airplane, and integrated defense systems. Sandia and Boeing each have technologies, processes and unique facilities that can be of benefit to the other through a mutually beneficial business agreement.”
Boeing VP Dick Paul agreed, saying that this new CRADA will benefit both organizations.
“From the Boeing side, sharing technology with Sandia will help each of us bring new or improved products to market faster and to employ new manufacturing processes that reduce cycle time and cost while improving the quality and performance or our products and services,” Paul said. “It’s a win-win situation for everyone.”
The new umbrella CRADA paves the way for Sandia and Boeing to do business together, allowing them to add project-task statements without having to negotiate terms and conditions on each one. Technical work under this CRADA will be divided into separate and independent projects.
“The potential scope of projects is broad and encompasses the wide variety of technologies at Sandia,” Tegnelia said. “Each project must provide value to the industry parent and help maintain or expand the technology base vital to the Department of Energy’s mission and the DoD.”
The initial tasks will deal with concentrating solar power technology, headed up at Sandia by researcher Craig Tyner, who is working in conjunction with Boeing project engineers Mike McDowell and Bob Litwin.
The project objective is to establish a Boeing-Sandia partnership that will combine the strengths of each organization to make Concentrating Solar Power (CPS) a success. This relationship will include a broad range of CSP technologies, including power towers, dish engine systems, solar troughs and concentrated photovoltaics. The project will focus on the development of key demonstrations, risk-reduction testing and economic/system analyses.
“CSP is poised for rapid growth in the renewable energy market and the infusion of new technology and processes will facilitate reductions in capital and operations and maintenance cost enabling CSP products,” said Tyner.
“Teaming with Sandia on this CRADA will help accelerate progress toward our goal of developing CSP systems for generating clean, renewable electric power sources for consumer use,” said Litwin.
Later, more projects may be added in several technical categories, including materials and process science; modeling and simulation; sensors, tags, and associated electronics; microsystems science, technology, and components; logistics and supply-chain management tools; intelligent systems and robotics; manufacturing technologies; test techniques and facilities; pulsed power/directed energy sciences; safety; network and information security; signals processing and analysis; energy systems; and security. Sandia is a multiprogram laboratory operated by Sandia Corporation, a Lockheed Martin company, for the U.S. Department of Energy. With main facilities in Albuquerque, N.M., and Livermore, Calif., Sandia has major R&D responsibilities in national security, energy and environmental technologies, and economic competitiveness.
The Boeing Company is the largest aerospace company in the world and the United States’ leading exporter. It is NASA’s largest contractor and the largest manufacturer of commercial jetliners and military aircraft. The company’s capabilities in aerospace also include rotorcraft, electronic and defense systems, missiles, rocket engines, launch vehicles, satellites, and advanced information and communication systems. They also include the Boeing Phantom Works advanced R&D unit, which serves as a catalyst of innovation for the enterprise.
Boeing Media Relations Contact: David Phillips, david.j.phillips@boeing.com, (312) 544-2125
Sandia technical contact: Duane Landa, dalanda@sandia.gov, (505) 845-8904
Boeing technical contact: Robert Beauchamp, robert.s.beauchamp@boeing.com, (206) 655-9893