SOURCES SOUGHT
A -- Advanced Active Shaft Grounding System (ASGS)
- Notice Date
- 4/9/2010
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541712
— Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology)
- Contracting Office
- Department of the Navy, Office of Naval Research, Naval Research Laboratory, 4555 Overlook Ave. S.W., Washington, District of Columbia, 20375
- ZIP Code
- 20375
- Solicitation Number
- NRL-10-JR51
- Archive Date
- 4/9/2011
- Point of Contact
- Jerry Riles, Phone: 202-767-0667
- E-Mail Address
-
jerry.riles@nrl.navy.mil
(jerry.riles@nrl.navy.mil)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ISSUED BY THE NAVAL RESEARCH LABORATORY (NRL) FOR INFORMATION AND PLANNING PURPOSES ONLY. NO AWARDS WIL BE MADE FROM THE RESPONSES TO THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. HOWEVER, RESPONSES MAY BE USED TO DETERMINE THE APPROPRIATE ACQUISITION STRATEGY FOR A FUTURE ACQUISITION. This publication constitutes a Request for Information (RFI) and no formal Request for Proposals (RFP), solicitation, and/or additional information regarding this request will be issued. The Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) will not issue paper copies of this request. The responses to this RFI will be considered in the planning and definition of Future Naval Capabilities programs. This is not a commitment to fund any effort submitted in response to this request. The Government will not reimburse any costs associated with the development and submission of materials in response to this request. This Announcement issued by NRL solicits industry and academic sources to express their capability to provide comprehensive or component technologies for use in or as an Advanced Active Shaft Grounding System (ASGS) for Navy ships and submarines. The subject system should include an integrated shaft current sensing capability, electrical impedance to ground minimization, shaft current control capability and electrical contacts for rotary components such as shafts. As discussed in more detail below, NRL seeks to develop a new ASGS design, with a new integrated shaft current sensing and shaft current control capability. This new system will have increased reliability and mean time between failures (MTBF) compared to the ASGS currently employed in the fleet, thus reducing repair/life cycle costs. Specifically, the system to be developed under the FNC will address the problems of (1) intermittent or inconsistent electrical and/or mechanical contact between the ASGS system and the rotating shaft, (2) poor reliability/maintainability of the system; particularly contact or wear components (3) weight and physical size of the system. The new system must have the capability of sensing corrosion and corrosion control current flowing down the shaft. The legacy ASGS system uses a system of spring-loaded conductive brushes that ride on a contact ring fitted to the rotating shaft. The new system may use a similar arrangement or an alternative arrangement that provides a greater and more consistent degree of electrical contact and a reduced maintenance burden. NRL is particularly interested in systems that provide grounding through contact with no wear components or provide non-contact grounding approaches. The complete ASGS is defined as all components required to ground the shaft of the vessel to the hull and to measure the electrical current passing through the shaft to ground (ship's structure), though responders to this RFI may only have applicable technology to a component of the complete system. These include the following: shaft electrical continuity hardware (all components mounted/attached to the shaft, both inside and/or outside of the vessel's hull), current sensor hardware (components required to measure the shaft current at either an inboard or outboard location relative to the main shaft bearings and to connect the sensor with the control/monitoring unit) and control/ monitoring unit electronics (components needed to monitor, record and provide feedback to the onboard Impressed Current Cathodic Protection (ICCP) system). Responders to the RFI are encouraged to consider novel materials and material treatments, new electrical continuity concepts and designs to achieve the desired goals. These may include brushless systems or advanced brush designs incorporating shaft surface treatments to replace existing shaft-fitted slip rings. Contractors can submit white papers on the entire ASGS system or on key components, such as the current sensor or electrical grounding system. The advanced ASGS system shall maintain a stable ground shaft to hull voltage difference of at least ±2 mV at 100 Amperes (DC) with an objective of less than ±1 mV at 100 ADC. It will be low weight, provide digital Ethernet output of data, have a long service life (40 x 10 6 rotations and 15 years, minimum) with straightforward, periodic, maintenance, contain no heavy metals and minimize particulate generation. Both repairs and maintenance should be completed by depot (pier-side) level activities, though repairs by sailors should be planned as a possibility. In addition, the system shall provide the capability to measure currents in a shaft in both the DC and AC spectrums with a threshold resolution of 0.1A and an objective of 0.01A from 0 to 1000Hz. In concert with consideration of new materials and designs, the Navy has also established goals which will also govern the development options. These are established with the intent of constructing a prototype or assembly of individual component technologies for testing on a land based test stand in FY11 and a full scale unit available to the Fleet for demonstration purposes by the Government in Fiscal Year 2014 (Starting October 2013). The prototype system shall have an objective of maintaining a stable ground shaft to hull voltage of less than ±1 mV at 100 ADC. The system shall demonstrate a mean-time-between failure of greater than 4000 hours, continuous operation, on a test stand with an objective of more than 8000 hours on a test stand. The system total weight shall be less than 500 lbs with a target of less than 250 lbs. Collaboration and teaming between sensor/ material / process developers is encouraged to achieve the technical goals and manufacturing capability. An Industry Day will be held on May 19, 2010 to provide additional information and discussion on this topic. Details and registration information may be found at https://secure.onr.navy.mil/events/regdetail.asp?cid=595. Attendance is voluntary and not required to respond to this RFI; however, registration is required to attend the Industry Day. Attendees at the industry day are allowed to bring a single poster (not larger than 3 feet tall by 2 feet wide) to post in the industry day venue. These posters are for the purpose of announcing proposer capabilities and desires for teaming. Time will be allowed during the industry day for potential offerors to interface with other interested commercial and academic parties. To minimize costs to potential contractors in responding to the subject announcement, each contractor is encouraged to submit an initial White Paper of no more than five (5) pages in length for each specific technology offered. A single source may submit multiple White Papers. White Papers may be submitted via e-mail to the Points of Contact listed below. Alternatively, hard copies (1 original + 2 copies) may be mailed to the Points of Contact. All White Papers must be received by the requested due date. The Navy requests that White Papers be provided no later than 11 June 2010. Technology maturity and manufacturing capability shall be included. Each source should also provide a two (2) page maximum resume or c urriculum vitae for the Principal Investigator. Immediate questions and White papers should be sent to the Primary point of contact listed below. The White Paper should also be sent to the below Secondary Point of Contact listed. Primary Point of Contact: Naval Research Laboratory A TTN: Mr. Edward Lemieux, Code 6130 4555 Overlook Ave SW Washington DC 20375. Fax: (202) 767-1525 Email: Edward.Lemieux@nrl.navy.mil Secondary Point of Contact: Office of Naval Research ATTN: Dr. Airen J. Perez 875 North Randolph Street Arlington, VA 22203 Fax: (703) 696-0934 Email: airan.perez@navy.mil
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