innovate arkansas

Arkansas Power Electronics International Inc. of Fayetteville has landed two U.S. Army contracts valued at a combined $3 million. The company expects at least 25 high-tech engineering jobs will be created as a result of the contracts.

The contracts are funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

APEI is located in the Arkansas Research Technology Park at the University of Arkansas and the company is a graduate of the technology incubator there. It develops and markets technology in power electronics systems, electronic motor drives and power electronics packaging, and has licensing rights to one UA patent.

Research related to the contracts is intended to improve the electronics systems in military vehicles, but the technology could eventually be used in civilian vehicles.

The Army Research Laboratory awarded APEI a contract for $1.2 million to develop power modules for onboard computers that control communications and weapons for future hybrid and electrical ground combat vehicles. APEI claims its module technology is 10 times smaller than existing systems and can reduce electrical loss by 90 percent.

A second contract, valued at $1.8 million, is part of a partnership led by Science Applications International Corp. of McLean, Va. AEPI will deliver silicon carbide power modules to SAIC that will power electronic test systems in a new generation of tanks.