RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OF NAVAL POWER AND ENERGY SYSTEMS (N00024-19-R-4145 Broad Agency Announcement (BAA))

I. ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

This publication constitutes a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA), as contemplated in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.102(d)(2). A formal Request for Proposals (RFP), solicitation, and/or additional information regarding this announcement will not be issued or further announced. This announcement will remain open for approximately one year from the date of publication or until extended or replaced by a successor BAA. Initial responses to this announcement must be in the form of White Papers. Proposals shall be requested only from those offerors selected as a result of the scientific review of the White Papers made in accordance with the evaluation criteria specified herein. White Papers may be submitted any time during this period. Awards may take the form of contracts, cooperative agreements, or other transactions agreements.

The Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) will not issue paper copies of this announcement. NAVSEA reserves the right to select for proposal submission all, some, or none from among the white papers submitted in response to this announcement. For those who are requested to submit proposals, NAVSEA reserves the right to award all, some, or none of the proposals received under this BAA. NAVSEA provides no funding for direct reimbursement of white paper or proposal development costs. Technical and cost proposals (or any other material) submitted in response to this BAA will not be returned. It is the policy of NAVSEA to treat all white papers and proposals as competition sensitive information and to disclose their contents only for the purposes of evaluation.

White papers submitted under N00024-10-R-4215 that have not resulted in a request for a proposal are hereby considered closed-out and no further action will be taken on them. Unsuccessful offerors under N00024-10-R-4215 are encouraged to review this BAA for relevance and resubmit if the technology proposed meets the criteria below. Contract awards made under N00024-10-R-4215 and under this BAA will be announced following the announcement criteria set forth in the FAR.

II. GENERAL INFORMATION

1. AGENCY NAME
Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA)
1333 Isaac Hull Ave SE
Washington, DC 20376

2. RESEARCH OPPORTUNITY TITLE

Research and Development of Naval Power and Energy Systems

3. RESPONSE DATE

This announcement will remain open through the response date indicated or until extended or replaced by a successor BAA. White Papers may be submitted any time during this period.

4. RESEARCH OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

4.1 SUMMARY

NAVSEA, on behalf of the Electric Ships Office (PMS 460, organizationally a part of the Program Executive Office Ships) is interested in White Papers for long and short term Research and Development (R&D) projects that offer potential for advancement and improvements in current and future shipboard electric power and energy systems at the major component, subsystem and system level. The mission of PMS 460 is to develop and provide smaller, simpler, more affordable, and more capable ship power systems to the Navy by defining open architectures, developing common components, and focusing Navy, industry, and academia investments. PMS 460 will provide leadership of the developments identified as part of this BAA, will direct the transition of associated technologies developed by the Office of Naval Research (ONR), and will manage the technology portfolio represented by Program Element (PE) 0603573N (Advanced Surface Machinery Systems) for transition into existing and future Navy ships.

4.2 NAVAL POWER AND ENERGY SYSTEMS TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT ROADMAP

Naval power and energy systems are described in detail in the 2019 Naval Power and Energy Systems Technology Development Roadmap (NPES TDR). The NPES TDR focuses and aligns the power system investments for the Navy, Defense Department, industry and academia to guide future research and development investments to enable the Navy to leverage these investments to meet its future needs more affordably. Included in the NPES TDR are specific recommendations and opportunities for near, mid and long term investments, with a renewed focus on energy management. These opportunities range from an energy magazine to support advanced weapons and sensors to the development of an Integrated Power and Energy System (IPES). The NPES TDR aligns electric power system developments with war fighter needs and enables capability-based budgeting. The NPES TDR is responding to the emerging needs of the Navy, and while the plan is specific in its recommendations, it is inherently flexible enough to adapt to the changing requirements and threats that may influence the 30-year ship acquisition plan. The first section of the roadmap establishes why NPES are a critical part of the kill chain based on the capabilities desired by the Navy in the near term, as well as supporting future platforms in the Navys 30-year shipbuilding plan. The second section of the roadmap presents power and energy requirements that are derived from mission systems necessary to support future warfighting needs. The third section describes required initiatives based on capabilities and the projected electrical requirements of the future ships.

4.3 FOCUS AREAS

The areas of focus for this BAA include, but are not limited to, the "FYDP/NEAR-TERM" activities as described throughout the NPES TDR; the analysis, development, risk reduction and demonstration of future shipboard (both manned and unmanned) electric power systems and components, emphasizing shipboard power generation, electric propulsion, power conversion, energy storage, distribution and control; power quality, continuity, and system stability; electric power system and component level modeling and simulation; energy storage technologies; electrical system survivability; and power system simplicity, upgradeability, flexibility, and ruggedness. The Integrated Power and Energy System (IPES) architecture provides the framework for partitioning the equipment and software into modules and defines functional elements and the power/control and information relationships between them. For power generation, high power distribution, propulsion, and large loads, the architecture includes Medium Voltage AC power (with emphasis on affordability), and Medium Voltage DC power (with emphasis on power density and fault management). For ship service electrical loads, the architecture includes zonal electrical distribution which may be either AC or DC, depending upon the specific application. Also of particular interest are technologies that result in significant energy efficiency, power density improvements and/or carbon footprint improvements over existing propulsion and power system technologies. The NPES TDR partitions the power system in to functional areas that include the following.

4.3.1 ENERGY STORAGE

Energy storage modules may support short duration to long duration energy storage applications, which utilize a combination of technologies to minimize power quality and continuity impacts across the system. For the short duration energy storage applications, the module should provide hold-up power to uninterruptible loads for fault clearing and transient isolation, as well as load leveling for pulse power loads. For the mid duration, the module should provide up to approximately 3MW (100 - 150 kW-hr) of standby power for pulse power loads while also providing continuity of operations for a subset of equipment between uninterruptible and full ships load (including emergency power generation starting in a dark ship condition). For long duration applications, energy storage modules should provide the required power as an emergency backup system or to provide increased stealth for specialty equipment. The required duration for this type of application may extend up to days or longer, and may be intermittent or continuous. A number of energy storage technologies for future ship applications are of interest to the Navy, including various electrochemical, capacitor-based, or rotating discussed below:

a. Capacitor: Electrochemical capacitor improvements continue to focus on improving energy density while maintaining inherently high-power density. Design improvements include development and integration of higher temperature films, advanced electrolytes, advanced electrode materials, and minimizing equivalent series resistance (ESR).

b. Rotating: The Navy has interest in the investment from the transportation industry in flywheel systems that can handle gyroscopic forces continues to support flywheel usage in commercial rail and ground transportation. Additional factors of interest to the Navy include safety, recharge/discharge rates, ship motion impacts, environmental impacts and control.

c. Electrochemical: Factors of interest to the Navy with respect to electrochemical energy storage include the ability to maintain state of charge when not in use; change in voltage versus state of charge; charge and discharge capability; the temporary or permanent loss of capacity due to repeated shallow discharges; the ability to shallow charge and discharge or partially charge intermittently during a discharge; battery life considerations such as service-life, cycle life, and shelf-life; off-gas properties that affect the level of ventilation and associated auxiliary systems; and safety enhancements to support qualification for use onboard US Navy ships.

Near term Navy interests are in the area of common and scalable hardware and software elements which enable advanced weapons and sensors and in understanding the sizing algorithms for how to optimize energy storage sizing against various competing system requirements (short duration/high power vs. long duration/low power, for example. The specific design issues to be considered include reliability, volumetric and gravimetric power and energy densities, differentiating between high levels of stored energy and high energy density. The relevant information required for characterizing technology performance include: Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of components and systems; production capability; safety evaluation and qualifications performed on relevant subsystems or components (any hazard analyses of systems designs as relevant to notional applications); other military application of the devices; energy storage management system approach; thermal characteristics, constraints, and cooling requirements; auxiliary requirements (load); device impedance (heat generation characteristics); and device efficiency (discharge/recharge).

4.3.2 POWER CONVERSION

Industry continues to drive towards increased power density, increased efficiency, higher switching frequencies, and refined topologies with associated control schemes. Innovation in power conversion from the development and implementation of wide-bandgap devices, such as Silicon Carbide (SiC), promise reduction in losses many times over Silicon. The use of high frequency transformers can provide galvanic isolation with reduced size and weight compared to traditional transformers. Advances in cooling methods will be required to handle larger heat loads associated with higher power operation.

A typical Navy power conversion module might consist of a solid state power converter and/or a transformer. Advanced topologies and technologies, such as the application of wide band gap devices, are of particular interest. Navy interests are in the area of innovative approaches to address converting high voltage AC/DC to 1000 VDC with power levels on the order of 3MW or larger. The specific design issues to be considered include modularity, open architecture (focusing on future power system flexibility and the ability of a conversion module within a ships power system to be replaced/ upgraded in support of lifecycle mission system upgrades), reliability, cost, and conversion efficiency. Areas of interest include more power-dense converters supporting advanced mission systems and prototyping of full scale conversion based on second generation wide-bandgap devices.

4.3.3 POWER DISTRIBUTION

Power distribution typically consists of bus duct/ bus pipe, cables, connections, switchgear and fault protection equipment, load centers, and other hardware necessary to deliver power from generators to loads. Industry has used medium voltage DC (MVDC) transmission as a method to reduce losses across long distances. Complementarily, Industry is developing MVDC circuit protection for use in MVDC transmission variants of approximately 50, 100, and 150 megawatts (MW) at transmission voltages of 20 to 50 kVDC. Analysis includes modeling and simulation to determine methods for assessing the benefits of DC vs AC undersea transmission and distribution systems for offshore oil and gas. Industry and academia continue to invest resources in advanced conductors that have applications in power distribution, power generation, and propulsion. Research is focused on using carbon nanotubes. The development of a room temperature, lightweight, low resistance conductor is of great interest to the Navy.

Areas of interest include development of an MVDC distribution system up to 12 kVDC to meet maximum load demands; design of an appropriate in-zone distribution system architecture; development of high speed 1 kVDC and 12 kVDC solid state circuit protection devices that are ship ready, and advanced conductors capable of supporting power distribution.

4.3.4 PRIME MOVERS (INCLUDING POWER GENERATION)

Power Generation converts fuel into electrical power. A typical power generation module might consist of a gas turbine or diesel engine (prime mover), a generator (see rotating machine discussion below), a rectifier (either active or passive), auxiliary support sub-modules and module controls. Other possible power generation technologies include propulsion derived ship service (PDSS), fuel cells, or other direct energy conversion concepts. Power generation concepts include 60 Hz wound rotor synchronous generator driven directly by a marine gas turbine (up to 30 MVA rating); commercially derived or militarized design variants of the above; and higher speed, higher frequency, high power density variants of the above with high speed or geared turbine drive. NPES DC technologies permit prime movers and other electrical sources (such as energy storage) to operate at different, non-60Hz electrical frequency speeds, improving survivability, resiliency, and operational availability. Energy storage that is fully integrated with the power generation can enable uninterrupted power to high priority loads, mission systems that reduce susceptibility, and damage control systems to enable enhanced recoverability.

The specific design issues to be considered include fuel efficiency, module level power density, machine insulation system characteristics, size, weight, cost, maintainability, availability, harmonic loading, voltage, power, system grounding approaches, fault protection, response to large dynamic (step) or pulse type loading originated from ship propulsion or directed energy/electromagnetic weapons, interface to main or ship service bus, autonomy, limited maintenance, and commercial availability. Navy interests are in the area of innovative approaches to power generation in the 5 to 30 MW range, utilizing gas turbines, diesel engines and other emerging power technologies that address challenges associated with achieving reduced fuel consumption, decreased life cycle and acquisition cost, support of ship integration, enable flexibility, enable power upgrades, and improved environmental compliance. Near term Navy interest includes 10-30 MW (nominally 25 MW) output power rating and the power generation source able to supply two independent electrical buses (where abnormal conditions, including pulsed/stochastic loads, on one bus do not impact the other bus) at 12 kVDC (while also considering 6kVDC, 18kVDC, and 1 kVDC). Enhanced fuel injection, higher operating temperatures and pressures, and optimized thermal management are critical for future prime movers. Advanced controls for increased efficiency, reduced maintenance, and increased reliability include implementation of digital controls; autonomous and unmanned power control; enhanced engine monitoring, diagnostics, and prognostics; and distributed controls. Advanced designs for increased efficiency include new applications of thermodynamic cycles such as Humphrey/Atkinson cycle for gas turbines and diesels and Miller cycle for diesel.

The Navy is interested in developing a knowledge bank of information on potential generator sets, generator electrical interface requirements, and the impacts of those requirements on generator set performance and size, as a logical next step from the Request for Information released under announcement N00024-16-R-4205. A long-term goal for this effort is to maximize military effectiveness through design choice and configuration option flexibility when developing next-generation distribution plants. The power generation source should fit within the length of a typical engine room (46 feet, including allowances for any needed maintenance and component removal). The power generation source is expected to have the ability to: control steady-state voltage-current characteristic for its interface; to maintain stability; and to adjust control set-points from system level controllers. For any proposed design approach, initial efforts would include conceptual design trade studies that inform the performance level that can be achieved. Trade studies may address Pulsed Load Capability (generator/rectifier design to increase pulse load capability, engine speed variation limits, and impact of cyclic pulse load on component life); Power Density (cost vs. benefits of high speed or high frequency, mounting on common skid, and advanced cooling concepts); Single vs. Dual Outputs (continuous vs. pulse rating for each output, voltage regulation with shared field, and control of load sharing); Efficiency (part load vs. full load optimization, flexible speed regulation, impact of intake and exhaust duct size/pressure drop on engine efficiency); Power Quality (voltage transient, voltage modulation for step, pulse loads, impact of voltage and current ripple requirements, and common mode current); PGM Controls (prime mover speed vs. generator field vs. rectifier active phase angle control, and pulse anticipation); Stability when operating in parallel with other sources; Short Circuit Requirements; and Dark Ship start capability (self-contained support auxiliaries). Trade studies may also address how rotational energy storage can be built into the design of the generator or added to the generator and what parameters need to be defined in order to exploit this capability. Development of advanced coatings and materials that support high temperature operations of a gas turbine is also of interest. Energy harvesting to convert heat energy and specifically low quality heat energy to electricity using solid state components is also of interest to the Navy.

4.3.5 ROTATING MACHINES (INCLUDING GENERATORS AND PROPULSION MOTORS)

Recent trends in electrical machines include neural networks; artificial intelligence; expert system; fiber communications and integrated electronics; new ceramic conducting and dielectric materials; and magnetic levitation. High Temperature Superconducting rotors have higher power density than their induction and synchronous rotor counterparts. Wind power generators eliminate excitation losses which can account for 30% of total generator losses. The offshore wind power industry is moving to larger power wind tower generators in the 10MW class. Advanced low resistance room temperature wire and HTS shows promise for these higher power levels because of low excitation losses and low weight due to reduction in stator and rotor iron. HTS motors may be up to 50% smaller and lighter than traditional iron-core and copper machines. They have reduced harmonic vibrations due to minimization of flux path iron and have mitigated thermal cycling failures due to precision control of temperature.

Propulsion motor concepts of interest to the Navy include Permanent Magnet Motors (radial air gap, axial air gap, or transverse flux), Induction Motors (wound rotor or squirrel cage), superconducting field type (homopolar DC or synchronous AC). The drivers and issues associated with these designs include acoustic signature, noise (requirements, limitations, modeling, sources, and mitigation methods), shock, vibration, thermal management, manufacturing infrastructure, machine insulation system characteristics, commercial commonality, platform commonality, cost, torque, power, weight, diameter, length, voltage, motor configuration, and ship arrangements constraints. Motor drives that may be explored include cyclo-converter (with variations in control and power device types), pulse width modulated converter/inverter (with many variations in topology), switching (hard switched, soft switched), and matrix converter (with variations in control, topology, cooling, power device type). Technologies for drives and rotating machines which allow the ability to operate as a motor and a generator to facilitate a PDSS installation or on a fully integrated power system to leverage the inherent energy storage in the ship's motion may be explored. Integrated motor/propulsor concepts may be considered either as aft-mounted main propulsion or as a forward propulsor capable of propelling a ship at a tactically useful speed. Areas of interest for future rotating machines include increased magnetic material flux carrying or flux generation capacity; improved electrical insulation material and insulation system dielectric strength; increased mechanical strength, increased thermal conductivity, and reduced sensitivity to temperature; improved structural materials and design concepts that accept higher torsional and electromagnetically induced stress; innovative and aggressive cooling to allow improved thermal management and increased current loading; increased electrical conductor current carrying capacity and loss reduction.

4.3.6 COOLING AND THERMAL MANAGEMENT

As the demand and complexity of high energy loads increases, so does the demand and complexity of thermal management solutions. Assessing and optimizing the effectiveness of a thermal management system requires the analysis of thermal energy acquisition, thermal energy transport, and thermal energy rejection, storage, and conversion. The design of the thermal management system aims to transfer the thermal energy loads at the sources to the sinks in the most efficient manner.

Areas of interest to the Navy with respect to cooling and thermal management include the application of two phased cooling and other advanced cooling techniques to power electronics and other NPES components and innovative approaches to manage overall ship thermal management issues including advanced thermal architectures, thermal energy storage systems, increases in efficiency, and advanced control philosophies.

4.3.7 POWER CONTROLS

Controls manage power and energy flow within the ship to ensure delivery to the right load in the right form at the right time. Supervisory power system control typically resides on an external distributed computer system and therefore does not include hardware elements unless specialized hardware is required. The challenge to implement Tactical Energy Management (TEM) is to integrate energy storage, power generation, and interfaces with advanced warfighting systems and controls. TEM is critical to enabling full utilization of the capabilities possible from technologies under development. The state complexity and combat engagement timelines for notional future warfighting scenarios are expected to exceed the cognitive capacity and response times of human operators to effectively manage the electric plant via existing control system schema in support of executing ship missions. The survivability requirements for military ships combined with the higher dynamic power characterisitics (pulse load) characteristics of some mission systems will require more sophisticated control interfaces, power management approaches, and algorithms than are commercially available. The Navy is pursuing a long term strategy to create a unified, cyber secure architecture for machinery control systems that feature a common, reusable, cyber hardened machinery control domain specific infrastructure elements; a mechanism for transitioning new technology from a variety of sources in an efficient and consistent manner; and a mechanism to provide life cycle updates and support in a cost effective and timely manner. TEM controls will be expected to maintain awareness of the electric plant operating state (real time modeling); interface with ship mission planning (external to the electric plant control systems) for energy resource prioritization, planning, and coordination towards the identification of resource allocation states that dynamically optimize mission effectiveness; identify and select optimal trajectories to achieving those optimal resource allocation states; and actuate the relevant electric plant components to move the electric plant state along those optimized trajectories towards the optimal resource allocation state. TEM controls would enable reduced power and energy system resource requirements for a given capability (or improved capability for a given set of resources); increased adaptability of the Navy’s power and energy system design to keep pace with an evolving threat environment; and maximized abilities to execute the ship’s mission.

The Navy is interested in potential applications of distributed control architectures that have led to the development of intelligent agents that have some autonomous ability to reason about system state and enact appropriate control policies. A simple example of these agents in a control system is the use of autonomous software coupled with smart meters in a smart grid implementation. The agents, smart meters in this example, can temporarily shut off air conditioning but not the refrigerator in residences during grid peak power usage times when the cost per watt is highest on hot days. The agent software acts autonomously within its authority to comply with programmed customer desires. The Navy is interested in TEM controls within a modular open systems architecture framework such that they are agnostic of, but affordably customizable to, specific ship platforms and power system architectures.  TEM controls may reside between (i.e. interface with) embedded layers within individual power system components, ships’ supervisory machinery control systems, and ships’ mission planning systems. Initial or further development or modification of these interfaces may be required to achieve desired performance behaviors and characteristics. TEM controls are expected to develop within a model-based system engineering and digital engineering environment and will be initially evaluated in a purely computational environment, representing Navy-developed shipboard-representative power and energy system architecture(s), but will be progressively evaluated on systems with increasing levels of physical instantiation (i.e., controller-hardware-in-loop and power-hardware-in-loop with progressive levels of representative power system components physically instantiated). When implementing a TEM based control scheme, the overall power system should increase installed power generation available to mission and auxiliary loads; reduce power system design margins; hone the installed stored energy required for mission critical capability; and allow higher power transients (ramp rates and step loads). Other areas of interest to the Navy with respect to controls include improvements to traditional machinery control and automation, advanced power management, cyber security, and advanced controls for distributed shared energy storage and maintaining electrical system stability. The Navy is also interested in non-intrusive load monitoring, power system data analytics, real time system monitoring and onboard analysis and diagnostics capabilities.

4.3.8 SYSTEM INTERPLAY, INTERFACING, AND INTEGRATION

Increasingly, the Navy is recognizing the need for incorporating flexibility and adaptability into initial ship designs and recognizing that the integration of new systems and the ability to rapidly reconfigure them will be an ongoing challenge throughout a platform's life cycle in order to maintain warfighting relevancy. The ability to support advanced electrical payload warfighting technologies requires not only power and energy systems delivered with the flexibility and adaptability to accommodate them, but a NPES engineering enterprise with the capability and capacity (knowledge, labor, and capital) for continuous systems integration. The Navy can more affordably meet this challenge by shifting as much effort as possible into the computational modeling and simulation regime.

An Integrated Power System (IPS) provides total ship electric power including electric propulsion, power conversion and distribution, energy storage, combat system support and ship mission load interfaces to the electric power system. Adding Energy Storage and advanced controls to IPS results in an Integrated Power and Energy System (IPES) in order to accommodate future high energy weapons and sensors. The IPES Energy Magazine is available to multiple users, and provides enhanced power continuity to the power distribution system. The flexibility of electric power transmission allows power generating modules with various power ratings to be connected to propulsion loads and ship service in any arrangement that supports the ships mission at the lowest total ownership cost (TOC).

Systems engineering in IPS/IPES is focused on increasing the commonality of components used across ship types (both manned and unmanned) and in developing modules that will be integral to standardization, zonal system architectures, and generic shipbuilding strategies with standard interfaces that are Navy-controlled. IPES offers the potential to reduce signatures by changing the frequency and amplitude of acoustic and electromagnetic emissions. Integrated energy storage can reduce observability by enabling the reduction and elimination of prime movers, thereby reducing thermal and acoustic signatures. The modules or components developed will be assessed for applicability both to new construction and to back-fit opportunities that improve the energy efficiency and mission effectiveness.

Areas of Navy interest are to continuously improve IPS/IPES by performing analysis, modeling and simulation, life cycle cost analysis, producibility studies, module development, ship integration studies, architecture design, ship electric architectures and support for high power weapons systems requirements, and related efforts. High level power system architectures are based on MVAC and MVDC power with attributes of power density, fault management, capability and affordability. For ship service electrical loads, the architecture includes zonal electrical distribution which may be either AC or DC, depending upon the specific application. In addition to a full IPES or IPS implementation, Hybrid Electric Drive (HED) where mechanical propulsion is augmented by rotating electric machinery, or additional power generation or energy storage may be of interest. The Navy desires to understand the performance and cost trade space that is available for the various options of architecture; component, system and controls technologies; functional allocations; and interfaces. Also of interest are technologies that result in significant energy efficiency, thermal improvements, power density improvements and/or carbon footprint improvements over existing propulsion and power system technologies. Another area of interest for the Navy is the interface definition between unique electrical loads and the power system, and the provision of specialty power to optimize that load interface. Among the special load interfaces that might require development are support for pulsed power weapons and sensors such as radar power supplies, electromagnetic launchers (for example electromagnetic railgun), and advanced laser systems, all of which would benefit from optimized integration with the shipboard power system.

The approach to prototype hardware developed under this BAA is that it fosters modularity and scalability (so that families of products may be leveraged to multiple potential applications) and shall accommodate an open system architecture where interfaces are well defined and mutually accepted. The Navy is interested in both near term solutions that have the potential for rapid transition to a high Technology Readiness Level (TRL) as well as longer term technology pushes that advance the science and would enable a future compact shipboard system. Risk reducing technology prototype demonstrations in the near term are encouraged. An evaluation of emerging technologies for ship applications (such as energy storage, support for high energy weapons, support for high power radars, high-speed generators, and advanced power electronics) to determine future feasibility and development requirements is also of great interest. Development of advanced design tools and power system specifications and standards is also key to ensuring new power systems will integrate aboard ship. The Navy is interested in a model-based approach to power system engineering, from early concept system architecture trade studies and trade-space exploration, to production-ready performance specifications for component and systems acquisitions. Particular technologies and system concepts will need to be evaluated in a common set of modeling contexts and environments standardized across the Navy power system engineering enterprise. Modeling-enabled evaluation of technology alternatives and performance of system-level trade studies requires that models be delivered with a sufficient pedigree supported by analysis, verification, and validation (e.g., by subscale hardware demonstrations) to prove the applicability of the models for the standardized modeling contexts and environments (model based system engineering).

5. POINT(S) OF CONTACT

All white Papers shall be submitted to all parties identified below:

PMS 460 Technical POC: Josh Cushenette
[email protected]
 

NAVSEA 0241 POC: 

Mr. William Jee, Procuring Contracting Officer  

[email protected]  

III. AWARD INFORMATION

The amount and period of performance of each selected proposal will vary depending on the research area and the technical approach to be pursued by the selected offeror.

IV. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

All responsible sources from academia and industry may submit white papers under this BAA. Awards under this BAA will likely be Cost Plus Fixed Fee (CPFF) and thus offerors are required to have a Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) / Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) approved accounting system to be eligible for award or evidence that a pre-award survey has been initiated with DCMA/DCAA.

V. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

1. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION PROCESS

"White Papers" are desired by NAVSEA in response to this solicitation. All white papers shall be submitted to NAVSEA via email to the following address: [email protected]. Hard copy submissions are not accepted. Those Offerors with white papers considered to have merit will be requested to prepare full proposals for the planned effort as specified below. Receipt of all white papers will be acknowledged by the Technical Point of Contact listed above. White papers will be retained by the Navy and, should an application and associated funding be identified for the concept proposed, additional responses will be requested of the Offeror.

2. GENERAL INFORMATION FOR WHITE PAPERS/FULL PROPOSALS

The white papers and proposals submitted under this BAA are expected to be unclassified. White paper and proposal submissions will be protected from unauthorized disclosure in accordance with FAR 15.207, applicable law, and Department of Defense (DoD)/Department of Navy (DoN) regulations. Offerors are expected to appropriately mark each page of their submission that contains proprietary information.

2.1. WHITE PAPERS

2.1.1 WHITE PAPER FORMAT

Paper size shall be no larger than 8.5" x 11" paper with no less than 1" margins on all sides. The font shall not be less than 12 point. The format of the submission shall be one electronic copy in Microsoft Word or Excel compatible or .PDF format. The page limit for white papers shall be no longer than twenty-five (25) pages and only contain information necessary to describe the proposed technical concept and comply with content requirements for the white papers stated herein.

2.1.2 WHITE PAPER CONTENT

2.1.2.1 COVER PAGE

The Cover Page shall be labeled "WHITE PAPER," and shall include the BAA number, proposed title, the company technical/administrative points of contact with telephone numbers and e-mail addresses, the company Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code, which module or modules the White Paper is relevant to from the Research Opportunity section above (Section II Paragraph 4), and the names and contact information (if known) of the assigned DCMA Administrative Contracting Officer (ACO).

2.1.2.2 TECHNICAL CONCEPT/NAVAL RELEVANCE

The Technical Concept shall include a description of the technology innovation and associated technical risk areas. This section also includes a description of the potential naval relevance and contributions of the proposed effort to improvement in the performance of NPES as defined in the NPES TDR. This section may include a plan for demonstrating and evaluating the operational effectiveness of the Offeror's proposed products or processes in field experiments and/or tests in a simulated environment.

2.1.2.3 CAPABILITIES; RELATED EXPERIENCE AND PAST PERFORMANCE, AND FACILITIES

The capabilities section shall describe past experience and facilities that demonstrate your company ability to complete the scope identified in the white paper.  This section shall include evidence of the company's capabilities to demonstrate the technology innovation proposed.  Offerors shall provide all relevant past performance for similar or related work under contracts currently being performed or completed during the last three (3) years.  The Offeror may include Federal, State and Local Government and private sector contracts.  Offerors that represent newly formed entities, without prior contract experience, should identify previous contract and subcontract experience for all principal investigators identified in the proposal.  This section will not be counted against the page limits noted in paragraph 2.1.1 above.  The following information for each such contract shall be provided:

a. Contract Number

b. Customer/Agency

c. Contracting Officer and Technical Point of Contact (names and phone numbers)

d. Brief Description of Scope of Work and Deliverables

e. Contract Type

f. Award Price/Final Price

g. Period of Performance

2.1.2.4 COST AND DEVELOPMENT SCHEDULE

The white paper should identify the total estimated cost and the notional development timeline of the effort proposed in the white paper and a brief rational for how you established this rough order of magnitude (ROM) cost estimate. The page limit for the estimated cost and schedule information shall not exceed one (1) page; no larger than 8.5" x 11" when printed on paper with no less than 1" margins on all sides; and the font shall not be less than 12 point. The estimated cost and schedule section will not be counted against the page limits noted in paragraph 2.1.1 above. For planning purposes, depending upon the nature of the technology being proposed, a contract that may result from the White Paper could be staged using multiple phases, starting with concept exploration and technology characterization. Should the concept prove meritorious, options may be included to take the technology/approach through a design and prototype/software build. The total potential contract period of performance cannot exceed five (5) years.

2.1.2.5 ASSERTION OF DATA RIGHTS

Include here a summary of any proprietary rights (limited/restricted) to pre-existing results, prototypes, or systems supporting and/or necessary for the use of the research, results, and/or prototype. If there are proprietary rights, the Offeror must explain how these affect its ability to deliver subsystems for integration. Additionally, Offerors must explain how the program goals are achievable in light of these proprietary and/or restrictive limitations. If there are no claims of proprietary rights in pre-existing data, this section shall consist of a statement to that effect. In order for a data rights assertions list to be accepted by the Government and included as an Attachment to a contract, the DFARS (252.227-7013 and 252.227-7014) requires that the information be listed in a table having four columns. In the first column, technical data to be furnished with restrictions, for non-commercial technical data items, both the item and the technical data pertaining to that item must be listed. Also, the assertion must be made at the lowest component level. And since technical data is defined as "recorded information of a scientific or technical nature", a document where the technical data is recorded must also be listed. This is usually, but not always, a drawing number. Non-commercial computer software items should similarly be listed at the lowest practicable subroutine level and should also list a version number.

2.1.2.6 ACCOUNTING SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION

The white paper shall include evidence of an approved accounting system or evidence that a pre-award survey has been initiated with DCMA/DCAA for an approved accounting system.

2.2 FULL PROPOSALS FORMAT AND CONTENT

Once a White Paper topic has been selected to proceed to the next step, the Contracting Officer will issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) letter with additional detail on the required content of the proposal, page limitations, and due dates. The RFP letter will also provide details of the notional statement of work for the effort, including a level of effort for related engineering services as described above; any optional phases; a description of the required deliverable data; and the required contents and details of the cost volume.

2.2.1 ASSOCIATED ENGINEERING SERVICES

The potential contract, at the option of the Government, may also include the services of qualified engineers/technicians and management functions to perform engineering support for follow-on investigations, additional trade studies, participation in Navy directed Interface Working Groups (IWG) to assess the technology implementation in shipboard applications, and hardware evaluations to determine the effectiveness of the new technologies developed under the basic effort. This level of effort shall not be included in the White Paper submission, but may, at the option of the Government, be included in any resultant contract. The nature of the services to be performed shall be integrally related to the core scope of the contract, shall form a logical extension of the work otherwise performed (such as completion of testing of articles developed or extending the performance capability of the articles developed), or shall provide amplifying details of the articles or technologies beyond that otherwise required and shall result in a specific end-product, such as a report. Funding for Engineering Services may be from R&D, Ship Construction, Operation & Maintenance; or Other Procurement sources as may be appropriate for the follow-on activity required, but shall not be used for production of any technology proposed.

VI. EVALUATION INFORMATION

1. EVALUATION CRITERIA

1.1 WHITE PAPERS

Evaluation of the "White Papers" will be based on a competitive selection resulting from a scientific review using the following evaluation criteria:

Criteria 1: Overall scientific and technical merits of the concept proposed and the potential Naval relevance and contributions of the effort to the improved performance of NPES modules and architectures within a reasonable development schedule.

Criteria 2: Potential risks to the development and future acquisition associated with the assertion of data rights.

Criteria 3: Capabilities; related experience and past performance; and facilities

Criteria 4: Potential risks to the development associated with the length of the development schedule and the availability of funds to complete all proposed tasks.

Selection of the Offeror(s) from which RFPs will be issued will be based upon the Governments assessment of the Criteria above and the availability of funds to accomplish the proposed effort.  White papers submitted under this BAA will be protected from unauthorized disclosure in accordance with FAR 3.104-5 and 15.207.  The cognizant Government experts will perform the evaluation of technical proposals.

1.2 RATINGS USED FOR SCIENTIFIC REVIEW

1.2.1 CRITERIA 1

Overall scientific and technical merits and potential Naval relevance of the concept.

Rating = Excellent: Research proposal demonstrates high potential for providing technological advancement relative to the baselines described in the 2019 NPES TDR with a reasonable amount of developmental risk. Research proposal demonstrates high potential for direct application to a future NPES ship and/or will significantly improve the performance of NPES modules and/or architectures.

Rating = Good: Research proposal demonstrates moderate potential for providing technological advancement relative to the baselines described in the 2019 NPES TDR with a reasonable amount of development risk. Research proposal demonstrates moderate potential for direct application to a future NPES ship and/or will probably improve the performance of NPES modules and/or architectures.

Rating = Poor: Research proposal demonstrates low potential for providing technological advancement relative to the baselines described in the 2019 NPES TDR with a reasonable amount of development risk and/or have an unreasonable amount of development risk. Research proposal demonstrates low potential for direct application of a future NPES ship and/or will not significantly improve the performance of NPES modules and/or architectures.

1.2.2. CRITERIA 2

Potential risks to the development and future acquisition associated with the assertion of data rights.

Rating = Excellent: There is low or no risk that the level of data rights proposed would limit the Governments ability to use the technical data generated during the performance of the contract as part of a technical data package for future competitive development or production efforts.

Rating = Good: There is moderate risk that the level of data rights proposed would limit the Governments ability to use the technical data generated during the performance of the contract as part of a technical data package for future competitive development or production efforts.

Rating = Poor: There is high risk that the level of data rights proposed would limit the Governments ability to use the technical data generated during the performance of the contract as part of a technical data package for future competitive development or production efforts.

1.2.3 CRITERIA 3

Capabilities; related experience and past performance; facilities; techniques; and qualifications, capabilities and experience of the proposed Principal Investigator / Team Leader.

Rating = Acceptable: Based on the Offerors performance record, the Government has a reasonable expectation that the Offeror will successfully perform the required effort, or the Offeror's performance record is unknown.  In the case of an offeror without a record of relevant past performance or for whom information on past performance is not available or so sparse that no meaningful past performance rating can be reasonably assigned, the Offeror may not be evaluated favorably or unfavorably on past performance (see FAR 15.305 (a)(2)(iv)).  Therefore, the Offeror shall be determined to have unknown (or "neutral") past performance.  In the context of acceptability/unacceptability, a neutral rating shall be considered "acceptable."

Rating = Unacceptable: Based on the Offerors performance record, the Government does not have a reasonable expectation that the Offeror will be able to successfully perform the required effort.

1.2.4. CRITERIA 4

Potential risks to the development associated with the length of the development schedule and the availability of funds to complete all proposed tasks.

Rating = Excellent: There is low or no risk that the technology development timelines and the availability of funds necessary to conduct the development would not support the Governments ability to transition the technology development for future competitive development or production efforts.

Rating = Good: There is moderate risk that the technology development timelines and the availability of funds necessary to conduct the development would not support the Governments ability to transition the technology development for future competitive development or production efforts.

Rating = Poor: There is high risk that the technology development timelines and the availability of funds necessary to conduct the development would not support the Governments ability to transition the technology development for future competitive development or production efforts.

VII. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION

In order to facilitate intra-program collaboration and technology transfer, the Government will attempt to enable technology developers to work at the unclassified level to the maximum extent possible. If access to classified material will be required at any point during performance, the Offeror must clearly identify such need prominently in their proposal. If Offerors use unclassified data in their deliveries and demonstrations regarding a potential classified project, they should use methods and conventions consistent with those used in classified environments. Such conventions will permit the various subsystems and the final system to be more adaptable in accommodating classified data in the transition system.

Contracting Office Address:

N00024 NAVAL SEA SYSTEMS COMMAND, DC 1333 Isaac Hull Avenue S.E. Washington Navy Yard, DC

Contracting Office Address:
SEA 02
1333 Isaac Hull Avenue SE
Washington Navy Yard, District of Columbia 20376 United States

Place of Performance:
TBD
United States

Primary Point of Contact:

Mr. William Jee, Procuring Contracting Officer  

[email protected]