The US Navy and the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) are anticipating final approval of a Project Arrangement (PA) in the near future for the Advanced Electric Power and Propulsion Project (AEP3). This international agreement will enable cooperation on maritime electric power and propulsion components and systems development for future warships. The aim of this PA is to develop, characterize, model and de-risk electrical power and propulsion system architectures and technologies for future surface and submarine platforms to meet the needs of both Navies. The work will leverage US Navy, UK Royal Navy, and other Government developed science and technology and will seek to adopt multi-platform solutions and adapt commercial equipments and technologies where possible. The work will be conducted in the US and UK with Government agencies and industrial participation, phased over 5 years. The PA is expected to commence in early 2012, and be jointly funded. The project will report to a Senior level Steering Committee chaired by the US Office of Naval Research (ONR) and the UK Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL), and be led by an appointed Project Officer from each country. Both Navies will leverage ongoing efforts with industry toward the goals of the PA and may solicit for additional industry participation in the various areas of mutual interest. This PA is primarily focused on research and development of next generation electric platform technology to deliver the common goals and objectives. This PA will help to address many of the common electric technology opportunities and issues challenging ship designers in order to de-risk electric technologies to provide options for future platforms. There is also a desire for cooperation between companies (both domestically and between the respective countries) and an aspiration for an alignment of company technology roadmaps with the respective defense capability roadmaps, in order to optimize both the private and Government funded work in this area. This PA supports the research, design and development of one or more electric power system architectures to meet the desired future capabilities of both Navies. The US and UK will develop and maintain a common simulation environment to support the design of electric power and propulsion systems, common interface specification development, and integration studies with next generation weapons and sensors. The US and the UK will test functionally equivalent components to validate simulations and develop prototypes of key technologies to allow characterization, validation of performance models and key attributes, and facilitate risk reduction. The objectives of the PA are anticipated to include raising propulsion power density and efficiency, developing advanced distribution systems, reducing Life Cycle Cost (LCC), scaling integrated power systems to become affordable in smaller vessels, and accommodating increases in electric power demand for higher energy users including sensors, weapons, and greater electrification of auxiliaries. Specific areas for cooperation have yet to be finalized, but ongoing discussions suggest that there may be mutual benefit in cooperating in the following areas: a. Selection of candidate architectures. Identification, characterization and selection of electrical architectures for certain applications, using common systems where possible. Reference power systems designs, including cost models and concept of operations for target platform concepts. Identification of technology risks and mitigation. b. Creation of simulation models, potentially including hardware in the loop. A common demonstration environment, preferably real-time with the ability to provide hybrid simulation, emulation and hardware testing. c. Generation and conversion. Rotating generating machinery, integrated power and energy conversion. d. Power distribution. Optimizing distribution systems to include bus bars and cables. HV/MV to LV power conversion, zonal power supplies and system studies. e. Propulsion motors. Identify candidate motor technologies, component de-risking and demonstration. f. Mission loads. Emerging high-energy mission systems have a broad range of mission-dependent load requirements and diverse concepts of operations. Propulsion dynamics, pulse power loads, and high-energy reactive mission systems (employment of the mission system in reaction to a threat without time to bring the ship’s power plant to a high energy state), will place unprecedented demands on future power systems. g. System integration. Addressing survivability drivers; physical and performance integration issues and mitigation; auxiliary system demands, requirements and robustness. h. Protection and control. Fault and overcurrent protection, fault tolerant designs. Current breaking capabilities using electromechanical, solid-state, and hybrid interrupters. Overcurrent protection coordination and management. Effective and proven fault ‘pre-locating’ and locating methods. Grounding and galvanic isolation. System stability and self-healing. Scientific understanding of the coupling between generation, distribution, and loads in Medium Voltage DC (MVDC) systems, to specify the role of power electronics in active control and de-coupling of sub-systems. Identifying feasible ramp rates for various loads, generators, and storage units to meet system requirements. Health monitoring strategies such as partial discharge detection. i. Energy storage. Develop interface requirements for Design Reference Systems that meet Key Common Requirements and provide for survivability and continuity of the electrical power supply. Demonstrate the ability to achieve Zonal/Compartment Survivability and Quality of Service. Assessment of energy storage technologies and platform requirements, including maintenance of safe working environments. Understanding the system design trade-offs for different energy storage allocation philosophies. Optimization of power interfaces between storage systems and electrical bus in order to simulate and demonstrate the utility of a common energy storage module to meet multiple operational scenarios employing multiple loads, vice dedicated energy storage sources. For example, shipboard energy storage can be used in the following ways: vital sensitive load power continuity, buffer between mission load and power system that safely and stably supplies the difference between the load demands and the supply capacity of the power system, pulse forming network for high power mission loads, base-load provider to enable reliable/survivable fuel efficient plant line-ups, and power grid stabilization. Optimization would include design, develop and demonstration of a common energy storage source that provides these capabilities. Characterize candidate technologies, and conduct component de-risking. j. Classification standards development and safety. Establish common standards for safe deployment of candidate technologies. Establish shared principles for HV safety. This PA fosters an opportunity to provide significant benefits to US and UK maritime capabilities. The success of this PA will depend on the cooperation and active involvement of the US Navy and UK Royal Navy and industry stakeholders to exploit our mutual knowledge and expertise. The US Navy is interested in identifying companies interested in participating in this project. There will be an information session held in the Washington DC area on Wednesday, February 8, 2012 with both US and UK governments present. Additionally, there will also be an opportunity for interested companies to have individual one-on-one meetings with Government representatives to be scheduled over the next few months. Companies interested in attending the information session and subsequent one-on-one meetings on this topic should pre-register via email to the following address: Mr. Joseph Tannenbaum at
[email protected] or Mr. Adam Goldberg at
[email protected]. Please pre-register no later than January 31, 2012. Registration will be confirmed via a responding e-mail and failure to register will prohibit admittance. Please provide the individual’s name, company name, citizenship status, phone and e-mail address when registering. Foreign nationals will also have to provide their country of citizenship and date of birth. As this is not a solicitation, no attendee firm should view this as an opportunity to exhibit its qualifications or technical merit that distinguish itself from others in attendance. Note: This is NOT a "bidders conference" and this announcement is not a contract, request for proposal, a promise to contract, or a commitment of any kind that would otherwise obligate the Government. The Government will not assume liability for costs incurred by any participant for travel, presentations, marketing efforts or data offered for examination; therefore the cost of preparing information in response to this notice is not considered an allowable direct cost to the Government. Date: February 8, 2012 Time: Check-in at 8:30 am; General Session from 9:00 am to 11:00 am. Location: CSC - Maritime Plaza One, Conference Rooms 214/215/216, 1201 M. Street, S.E, Suite 200 - 2nd Floor, Washington, DC 20003