Waste Heat Recovery - STTR Topic DON26TZ01-NV006
Disclaimer:
This topic was temporarily posted by the Department of War SBIR Program on March 2nd 2026 and removed the following day.
We believe this topic is planned to be released once the SBIR program is reauthorized; however, this topic may ultimately be modified or withdrawn.
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Funding Amount:
Est. $240,000
Deadline to Apply:
Est. April 29th, 2026.
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.
Who will win?
If you can achieve the objective above better than any other company on the market, you have a very high-likelihood of success and should apply.
Who is eligible to apply?
Any company that meets the following criteria:
For-profit company
U.S.-owned and controlled.
500 or fewer employees (including affiliates)
How Can BW&CO Help?
1) End-to-end support including, strategy, writing of the full proposal, and administrative & compliance support.
2) Proposal strategy and review.
3) Administrative & compliance support.
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