DON26TZ01-NV006 TITLE: Waste Heat Recovery
OUSW (R&E) CRITICAL TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Contested Logistics Technologies (LOG)
COMPONENT TECHNOLOGY PRIORITY AREA(S): Sustainment
PROJECTED CMMC LEVEL REQUIREMENT: Level 2 (Self)
OBJECTIVE: Develop a low-cost waste heat recovery system capable of converting the heat energy within DDG 51 main engine exhaust into electrical power.
DESCRIPTION: LM 2500 gas turbine engines’ maximum thermal efficiency is approximately 38%. This means at least 62% of the energy in every drop of fuel consumed by the process of propelling a DDG 51 Class ship is unused and available for harvesting as it is being expelled in the form of heat via engine exhaust. Significant energy that is currently "wasted" could be recovered from exhaust to save on fuel costs and increase the range of surface combatants. To effectively utilize all resources, the Navy seeks to capture this waste heat as usable energy source.
In the past, the Navy recovered this heat energy via the Rankin cycle to heat galley appliances with steam. However, there has never been a durable, effective, weight- and space-economizing system that utilizes waste heat to produce electrical power on a Navy ship. Within the context of enhancing the environmental record of the Navy, this initiative would productively tap an "alternative" energy source to reduce fuel consumption and subsequent emissions.
The Navy seeks a solution that provides an innovative system for waste heat collection and utilization that maximizes capture and use of thermal energy while minimizing impacts on any other ship system or prominent feature (especially the main engines). Also important to the Navy is an emphasis on moderating use of or impacts to the ship’s profile and/or Radar Cross Section, available onboard space, and any serious impacts to weight and stability characteristics. Keeping these difficult limitations in mind, it is the Navy’s goal to produce the greatest possible amount of electrical power from harvesting the abundant thermal energy from every ship’s main engine exhaust. While the DDG 51 Class Gas Turbine Generators (GTGs) also have similar thermal efficiencies and the scope of this STTR topic may become inclusive of GTGs in the future, the immediate focus of the topic is on the waste heat from the LM 2500 main engines.
The proposer should quantify the level of stress the material can incur while in an operational environment, and provide a preliminary concept design and validation plan and an in-depth examination in scalability and the potential for miniaturizing any technologies highlighted within the feasibility study, as these proposed technologies will need to create a system able to fit and effectively/safely operate within the DDG 51 Class footprint(s) and meet weight and stability requirements.
PHASE I: Develop a concept for waste heat recovery of the LM 2500 engine that accomplishes the requirements listed in the Description. Demonstrate the feasibility of the concept with a development plan and proposed test plan that will include testing to failure and compliance with environmental standards. Accompany the feasibility study with a recommendation of how the technology could be best incorporated into DDG 51 Class ships. The Phase I Option, if exercised, will include the initial design specifications and capabilities description to build a prototype solution in Phase II. Prepare a Phase II plan.
PHASE II: Develop and deliver a prototype and/or a comparable simulation able to demonstrate the conformance with power-generation industry standards and according to actual operating specifications, conditions, and DDG 51 Class footprints. A high-fidelity industry-standard computerized predictive model/simulation of the system displaying all significant data points of the system while in operation is needed and/or a high-fidelity (to no less than 1/32 scale) working prototype of the system. The simulation must validate the functionality/effectiveness of the system. A comprehensive installation plan, itemizing any required materials and their sources, recommending the safest and most cost and time-effective installation techniques will also accompany all Phase II documentation as a deliverable. Conduct a thorough examination and estimate of potential electrical output across the range of ship speeds and engine conditions to include idle.
PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Support the Navy in transitioning the technology to Navy use. The product will be validated, tested, qualified, and certified for Navy use.
There are any number of industries that utilize gas turbines, and this technology will likely be applicable to many of those industries where abundant spare electrical power can and would be fully utilized.
REFERENCES:
KEYWORDS: Energy Recovery; Fuel Efficiency; Heat Recovery; Gas Turbine Generators; Electricity; LM 2500 Turbine Engine
| 5/19/26 | Q. | Will there be access to any existing seawater flow for heat rejection, or does our proposed solution need to plan for including navy-grade seawater pumps? If there is availability in the existing infrastructure what temperatures and flow rates are typical? |
| A. | Offerors can propose a waste heat recovery system that utilizes the ship's existing sea water system for heat rejection, and/or other heat rejection alternatives. The goal of this phase is not integration into existing systems; rather, to demonstrate a waste heat recovery technology that can effectively convert exhaust gas waste-heat into "usable energy" and a justifiable favorable return on investment.
Navy vessels typically operate in sea water temperatures that range from 28°F to 95°F. The nominal header pressure for sea water cooling systems is 35 PSI. The current sea water system flow rate is designed for existing equipment; offerors should propose a waste heat recovery technology that can effectively convert exhaust gas waste-heat into "usable energy" and a justifiable favorable return on investment. All proposals must clearly define their cooling requirements and operational assumptions |
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| 04/28/2026 | Q. | Would the Navy consider a technology which is all-electric, solid-state with an almost zero maintenance architecture that prioritizes net energy gain and survivability across all engine speeds (including idle), even if its peak conversion efficiency is lower than traditional fluid-based cycles?" |
| A. | Yes. The solicitation is intentionally technology-agnostic to encourage innovation. The government does not have a preference for or against any particular technology or architecture, provided it meets the topic's objectives.
An all-electric, solid-state architecture (such as Thermoelectric Generators) that prioritizes durability and zero maintenance would be considered highly responsive to the historical challenges of naval waste heat recovery, which include high maintenance costs, gas-side fouling, and thermal shock. The solicitation does not set a minimum peak efficiency requirement. A successful proposal will maximize usable energy recovery across the ship's predominant operational profile. Navy operational data indicates that DDG-51 Gas Turbine Modules (GTMs) operate with an exhaust temperature at or below 1000°F for over 75% of their underway time. A system optimized for these frequent, lower-temperature conditions (including idle and low speeds) would be viewed favorably, even if its theoretical peak-load efficiency is lower than traditional fluid-based cycles. All proposals must clearly demonstrate their estimated SWaP-C (Size, Weight, Power, and Cost) impacts and validate their performance against this operational reality. |
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| 04/24/2026 | Q. | Would supercritical CO2 (sCO2) power cycles be considered responsive for this topic, given their improved compactness over Rankine systems, or are space, weight, and integration constraints likely to preclude this approach? |
| A. | Yes, supercritical CO2 (sCO2) power cycles are considered responsive to this topic. The solicitation is intentionally technology-agnostic to encourage innovation, and the government does not have a preference for or against any particular power cycle, provided it meets the topic's objectives.
While sCO2 cycles may offer potential benefits regarding compactness, they also introduce unique integration challenges, such as the need to manage very high working pressures within a shipboard environment. All proposals will be evaluated on their ability to safely and reliably overcome these specific integration challenges within the severe space, weight, and power (SWaP-C) constraints of a naval combatant. Furthermore, offerors proposing any technology should ensure their solution is optimized for the predominant operational profile of the DDG-51 class, where Gas Turbine Module (GTM) exhaust temperatures are at or below 1000°F for over 75% of the ship's underway time. |
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| 04/16/2026 | Q. | What is the waste heat temperature range? |
| A. | The waste heat temperature varies based on engine load and ship operational profile. Analysis of DDG-51 class Gas Turbine Module (GTM) operational data indicates that the exhaust gas temperature is at or below 1000°F for over 75% of the time the ship is underway.
The approximate percentage of time spent in each temperature band is as follows: < 800°F: ~21% 800°F - 1000°F: ~55% 1000°F - 1200°F: ~15% 1200°F - 1400°F: ~8% >1400°F: ~1% While higher temperatures are possible, they occur infrequently and for shorter durations. Offerors should propose solutions that are optimized for the predominant, lower-temperature operational conditions to maximize the overall energy and fuel efficiency of the platform. |
** TOPIC NOTICE ** |
The Navy Topic above is an "unofficial" copy from the Navy Topics in the DoW FY-26 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-26 Release 1 SBIR Topics pre-release on April 13, 2026 which opens to receive proposals on May 6, 2026, and closes June 3, 2026 (12:00pm ET). Direct Contact with Topic Authors: During the pre-release period (April 13, through May 5, 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 May 6, 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 May 20, 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. DoW Topics Search Tool: Visit the DoW Topic Search Tool at www.dodsbirsttr.mil/topics-app/ to find topics by keyword across all DoW Components participating in this BAA.
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