DON27BZ01-NV005 TITLE: Intermediate Temperature Cooling Unit
COMPONENT TECHNOLOGY PRIORITY AREA(S): Sustainment
PROJECTED CMMC LEVEL REQUIREMENT: Level 2 (Self)
OBJECTIVE: Develop a compact, intermediate temperature cooling unit that integrates a chiller, a circulating pump, piping, instrumentation and controls to efficiently generate and circulate approximately 65°F water for cooling DDG-51 shipboard electrical equipment.
DESCRIPTION: Navy ships have a chilled water system that runs throughout the ship providing cooling to electronic equipment. Operating at a nominal temperature of 42°F, the chilled water system creates a sizable load on the ship’s electrical plant. The DDG 51 class is approaching available power and cooling capacity limits. Reducing the energy required to provide equivalent cooling capacity would preserve Service Life Allowance (SLA) for future system upgrades. Additionally, having cold water running through pipes throughout the ship creates a risk of water condensing on the piping, which can create electrical hazards inside equipment. While some pieces of equipment are designed to receive chilled water at a specific temperature, other pieces of equipment are more flexible in their cooling requirements. These systems could utilize chilled water that is at a higher temperature, which would require less energy to cool and generate less condensation. Estimates indicate that approximately 200 refrigeration tons (rtons) of cooling could be accomplished by an intermediate temperature cooling loop. This load could be supported by one or more intermediate temperature cooling units.
There are no Navy-qualified chillers designed to operate at an intermediate temperature. Work is required to design and qualify a new unit that operates at approximately 65°F, with emphasis on a small footprint. The unit shall include the chiller, circulating pump, piping, instrumentation, and controls. A new unit must meet all applicable Navy standards including shock, noise, vibration, and electromagnetic interference (EMI), as well as reliability and maintainability metrics. Cooling mediums may include but are not limited to water, seawater, or water with glycol additives. For commonality purposes, the equipment shall be galvanically compatible with copper-nickel piping.
The proposer shall define performance metrics of the proposed solution to include cooling capacity, energy efficiency, power draw, output pressure, output flow rate, and notional Not-To-Exceed physical dimensions for all equipment.
PHASE I: Develop a concept for an intermediate temperature cooling unit that meets the above requirements. Demonstrate the feasibility of the concept in meeting Navy needs and establish that the concept can be developed into a useful product for the Navy. If the Phase I Option is exercised, include the initial design specifications and capabilities description to build a prototype solution in a Phase II plan.
PHASE II: Develop and deliver a prototype intermediate temperature cooling unit for evaluation. (Note: The prototype will be evaluated to determine capability in meeting the performance goals defined in the Phase II Statement of Work (SOW).) Demonstrate product performance through prototype evaluation, modeling, and demonstration over the required range of parameters, including cooling capacity, energy efficiency, power draw, output pressure and flow rate. Prepare for/participate in an extended test at a maritime test facility environment to refine the prototypes into a design that meets Navy requirements. Prepare a Phase III manufacturing and development plan to transition the intermediate temperature cooling unit to Navy use.
PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Support the Navy in transitioning the intermediate temperature cooling unit to Navy use. Develop installation and maintenance manuals to support transition to the Fleet. Potential commercial applications for an intermediate temperature cooling unit include commercial maritime use, industrial facility cooling, and data centers.
REFERENCES:
https://advancedpower.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/How-higher-chilled-water-temperature-can-improve-data-center-cooling-system-efficiency.pdf
KEYWORDS: Electronic Cooling Water; Energy Efficiency; Chiller; Air Conditioning; heating, ventilation, and air conditioning; HVAC; Thermal Management
TPOC 1 : Devin Burke
(202) 486-8482
devin.c.burke.civ@us.navy.milTPOC 2 : Matthew Frank
(215) 897-7024
matthew.frank7.civ@us.navy.mil
** TOPIC NOTICE ** |
The Navy Topic above is an "unofficial" copy from the Navy Topics in the DoW FY-27 Release 1 SBIR BAA. Please see the official DoW Topic website at www.dodsbirsttr.mil/submissions/solicitation-documents/active-solicitations for any updates. The DoW issued its Navy FY-27 Release 1 SBIR Topics pre-release on October 7, 2026 which opens to receive proposals on October 28, 2026, and closes November 25, 202 (12:00pm ET). Direct Contact with Topic Authors: During the pre-release period (October 7, through October 27, 2026) proposing firms have an opportunity to directly contact the Technical Point of Contact (TPOC) to ask technical questions about the specific BAA topic. The TPOC contact information is listed in each topic description. Once DoW begins accepting proposals on October 28, 2026 no further direct contact between proposers and topic authors is allowed unless the Topic Author is responding to a question submitted during the Pre-release period. DoD On-line Q&A System: After the pre-release period, until November 11, 2026, at 12:00 PM ET, proposers may submit written questions through the DoW On-line Topic Q&A at https://www.dodsbirsttr.mil/submissions/login/ by logging in and following instructions. In the Topic Q&A system, the questioner and respondent remain anonymous but all questions and answers are posted for general viewing.
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