Cree work will trim power equipment aboard ships

Cree Inc. won a $12 million contract from the Office of Naval Research to develop silicon carbide-based, high-voltage, high-power electronic devices and power modules to reduce the size and weight of power management equipment aboard aircraft carriers and other sea vessels, officials from the Durham, N.C., company said.

The 18-month contract is funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency under the Wide Bandgap Semiconductor Technology Initiative for High Power Electronics, officials said.

The initiative focuses on high-power conversion and distribution technology. Cree completed its $8.3 million contract for the first phase of this initiative.

"These devices could eventually be used beyond ship applications to optimize electrical power distribution for greater efficiency and rapid power switching across any major power grid, particularly for long-haul lines," said John Palmour, Cree's executive vice president for advanced devices.