TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Ground/Sea Vehicles, Materials/Processes

ACQUISITION PROGRAM: PMS 500, DDG 1000 Program, ACAT 1

OBJECTIVE: Development of a rapidly deployable, robust enclosure system for shipboard superstructure surface preparation & coatings operations.

DESCRIPTION: The Navy's Program Executive Office for Ships is leveraging the National Research Program (NSRP) to effect change across the surface shipbuilding, modernization and repair enterprise by coordinating with U. S. shipbuilders to adapt and implement "World Class" commercial best manufacturing practices. The U.S. shipbuilding industry lags behind the global shipbuilding market significantly in adapting new technologies to long-standing inefficient manufacturing processes and improvement is this area is key to closing this gap.

A significant portion of the ship maintenance and surface preparation and coatings (SP&C) work within the shipbuilding industry is performed in open air environments. These environmental conditions reduce the productivity and time in which SP&C operations can be performed. This work is often performed in many different locations throughout the shipyard on large, non flat structures with difficult access. SP&C work is also a source of regulated air emissions which further can complicate the conditions that work must be perform under. Due to these access, environmental and air emissions regulations, productivity of the SP&C worker can be greatly impacted.

Development of an innovative method to enclose SP&C work and effectively removing, or reducing, the environmental and air emissions concerns would greatly increase productivity and decrease overall cost. This new method of enclosing SP&C work should be rapidly deployable, usable and removable to any location in the shipyard under various environmental conditions. The system should be reusable and easily stored with minimum volume when not in use. The system should be minimally susceptible to damage from extreme climate events or ship repair production process occurring within or near the system. It should improve on current environmental containment practices of SP&C work and be able to function on a ship’s superstructures and around complicated geometries. The system should not generate a new solid waste stream. Development of this system would ease scheduling conflicts, reduce emissions regulated under at least NESHAP and NPDES, reduce risk to installation and SP&C workers, reduce cost of enclosure system design, installation, maintenance, disassembly and disposal of containment materials.

Of particular interest are initiatives with a clear business case. Proposal should specifically describe the technology that will be applied to solve the problem, how it will be developed, what the specific benefit will be and how it might be transitioned into the shipbuilding industry. NSRP members are available to provide guidance and assistance in the identification of common issues and needs. Contact with these resources is encouraged both prior to proposal development and during any subsequent SBIR-related activity. Teaming with a NSRP member (or Government shipyard) is recommended but will not be a factor in proposal selection.

PHASE I: Demonstrate feasibility for improvements being developed and also identify impact upon shipbuilding affordability. Include a first order Return-On-Investment (ROI) analysis for industry implementation and estimate potential Total Ownership Cost (TOC) reduction. Establish Phase II performance goals and key developmental milestones.

PHASE II: Finalize the design, as appropriate, and demonstrate a working prototype of the proposed system. Perform laboratory tests to validate the performance characteristics established in Phase I. Develop a detailed plan and method of implementation into a full-scale application.

PHASE III: Implement the Phase III plan developed in Phase II in coordination with the shipbuilding and repair industry.

PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL/DUAL-USE APPLICATIONS: The technology developed under this topic shall be directly applicable to current military and commercial shipbuilding operation and repair practices. The products developed should find wide use in most heavy industrial plant/processing facilities such as the power industry and will be marketable to the shipbuilding and repair industry.

REFERENCES:
1. NSRP ASE Strategic Investment Plan, available on line at http://www.nsrp.org

2. US Naval Shipyard information is available at http://www.shipyards.navy.mil

KEYWORDS: Superstructure; enclosure; vessel repair technology; pollution control; NSRP; ship repair.

** TOPIC AUTHOR (TPOC) **

DoD Notice:   Between April 21 and May 18, 2008, you may talk directly with the Topic Author(s) to ask technical questions about the topics. Their contact information is listed above. For reasons of competitive fairness, direct communication between proposers and topic authors is not allowed starting May 19, 2008, when DoD begins accepting proposals for this solicitation.

However, proposers may still submit written questions about solicitation topics through the DoD's SBIR/STTR Interactive Topic Information System (SITIS), in which the questioner and respondent remain anonymous and all questions and answers are posted electronically for general viewing until the solicitation closes. All proposers are advised to monitor SITIS (08.2 Q&A) during the solicitation period for questions and answers, and other significant information, relevant to the SBIR 08.1 topic under which they are proposing.

If you have general questions about DoD SBIR program, please contact the DoD SBIR Help Desk at (866) 724-7457 or email weblink.