Part of the DoW SBIR/STTR FY27 Release 2 topic list. Browse all 83 topics by industry or service.
Topic DON27BZ02-NV019 from the DoW SBIR 2027 BAA, Release 2. Pre-release now; proposals due January 6, 2027, 12:00 PM ET.
Quick answer
DON27BZ02-NV019 is a Department of the Navy SBIR topic seeking a scaled Rotating Detonation Combustor (RDC) that runs on NATO F76 diesel fuel, plus thermodynamic analysis of RDC-equipped shipboard gas turbines. It follows a standard Phase I analysis and subscale test, Phase II prototype structure. Proposals are due January 6, 2027, 12:00 PM ET.
Solicitation at a glance
- Topic number: DON27BZ02-NV019
- Official title: Navy Shipboard Gas Turbine Rotating Detonation Combustor Operation with Diesel Fuel
- Agency: Department of the Navy
- Program: SBIR (DoW SBIR 2027 BAA, Release 2)
- Award type: Phase I (see topic text for Phase II)
- Award amount: Phase I base up to $200,000 plus an option up to $115,000. Source: Navy Release 2 instructions in DSIP.
- CMMC level: Level 2 (Self)
- ITAR: Yes. Export-controlled (ITAR/EAR); see topic text
- Technology areas: None
- Pre-release (direct TPOC contact allowed): November 4 to December 2, 2026, 8:00 AM ET
- Opens in DSIP: December 2, 2026, 8:00 AM ET
- Proposals due: January 6, 2027, 12:00 PM ET
- Official source: DSIP Topics app (search DON27BZ02-NV019)
BW&CO's take
What the Department of the Navy wants
Navy surface combatants use simple-cycle gas turbines. RDCs offer pressure gain that could raise efficiency and power density, but shipboard use requires long continuous operation on diesel fuel. Phase I analyzes RDC ignition and continuous operation on F76, runs a limited laboratory or subscale test with Navy personnel, and produces a conceptual combustor and liquid fuel system design. Phase II builds the prototype, runs startup and endurance testing for up to 500 hours on F76, and models marine gas turbines using an RDC as the primary combustor and in inter-turbine and intra-turbine reheat configurations to assess efficiency, reliability, life, and power density.
Who is a good fit
- Hands-on rotating detonation combustor testing, especially with liquid hydrocarbon fuels
- Liquid fuel injection and atomization design for detonation-based combustors
- Gas turbine cycle modeling, including reheat cycles and pressure-gain combustion
- Test facilities able to support long-duration combustor endurance runs
Watch-outs
- The topic metadata marks it as ITAR-restricted, so plan for export-control compliance, including limits on foreign national participation.
- Phase I is not paper-only: it requires an initial limited laboratory or subscale experiment to verify analysis findings, coordinated with Navy personnel.
- Phase II calls for startup and endurance testing of up to 500 hours on F76 fuel, so test-stand capacity and fuel handling must be credible.
- The topic metadata lists CMMC Level 2 (Self). Discussions with Navy shipboard gas turbine OEMs are recommended but not required.
Think your company fits DON27BZ02-NV019? Talk with BW&CO before the January 6 deadline.
Plan Your DON27BZ02-NV019 Submission
Official topic text (verbatim from DSIP)
The text in this section is copied word for word from the official DSIP topic as published on November 4, 2026. DSIP is the official source and topics can be amended. Always confirm the current version at dodsbirsttr.mil before you submit. Our commentary above is BW&CO's interpretation, not Government guidance.
Title
Navy Shipboard Gas Turbine Rotating Detonation Combustor Operation with Diesel Fuel
Objective
Develop and demonstrate a scaled high density Rotating Detonation Combustor (RDC) that uses NATO F76 diesel fuel (MIL-DTL-16884R) and perform thermodynamic analysis on developed Navy RDC equipped shipboard gas turbine concepts to determine related performance benefits including reduction of stack up length, efficiency improvements, design limitations, and development gaps.
Description
As background, the typical arrangement used on U.S. Navy surface combatants consists of four (4) large (20+MW class – GE LM-2500) gas turbines for propulsion and three 3 smaller (3 MW class – Rolls Royce 501-K34) gas turbines for ship service electrical power generation.
Presently U.S. gas turbine powered warships use simple cycle machines. However, complex cycles with reheat and other cycle enhancements have been considered and analyzed with the potential for increased efficiency. Further examinations have been performed to evaluate improvements in maintainability/reliability, overall generator set power density/stack up length, and alternative configuration installation flexibility for use in overall electric plant designs.
RDCs are advanced power-generation and propulsion devices that operate by propagating one or more supersonic detonation waves continuously around an annular chamber. As fresh fuel and oxidizer are continuously injected into the channel, the rotating shock wave rapidly compresses and ignites the mixture, creating a self-sustaining zone of intense heat and pressure. Thermodynamically, RDCs utilize a detonation-driven pressure-gain cycle, which is most accurately modeled by the Fickett-Jacobs-Salsburg (FJS) cycle and frequently approximated as the constant-volume Humphrey cycle. Unlike conventional gas turbines that rely on the constant-pressure Brayton cycle, the FJS detonation cycle in an RDC generates a substantial net increase in total pressure across the combustor. This inherent pressure gain drastically reduces the workload required by upstream mechanical compressors and significantly boosts the overall thermal efficiency and power output of the gas turbine system. While initial government and industry investigations have centered on the use of RDCs in aerospace applications, future shipboard applications will require a greater understanding of the ability to operate with diesel fuel for long continuous operation as well as a quantification of performance benefits that can be achieved in overall shipboard electric architecture design.
While not required, discussions with Navy shipboard gas turbine Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) are recommended.
Phase I
Perform an analysis of an RDC combustor ignition and continuous operation with NATO F76 fuel by the end of the Base period. Assemble and demonstrate an initial limited laboratory experiment/subscale test to verify analysis findings in coordination with Navy personnel. Complete a conceptual design for a combustor prototype and associated liquid fuel system, to include prototype design refinements, fabrication approach, and testing strategy that should include ignition and endurance operation with defined measurements in coordination with Navy personnel and within the scope of a Phase II budget. Prepare a Phase II plan.
Phase II
Construct a combustor prototype and associated liquid fuel system. Perform startup and endurance testing for up to 500 hours as defined in Phase I utilizing F76 fuel. Based upon results generated from testing, conduct thermodynamic analyses/model of a marine gas turbine utilizing an RDC primary combustor as well as a thermodynamic analysis/models of marine gas turbine reheat cycles utilizing an RDC inter-turbine (single reheat) and intra-turbine (continuous reheat) in collaboration with Navy personnel. From this analysis, determine impact on overall efficiency, reliability, operating life, power density, and future development gaps. Prepare a Phase III commercialization/transition plan.
Phase III Dual Use Applications
Demonstrate a full-scale liquid fuel combustor operating continuously for 500 hours. Based on Phase II analysis, develop a full-scale RDC-based gas turbine, either simple or complex cycle, and conduct performance testing prior to an at sea demonstration. Once complete, examine and upgrade the system for marinization requirements accounting material and maintainability improvements to successfully operate in a naval environment.
Examine and demonstrate the RDC based gas turbine in a CIPES electric plant configuration to validate ship benefits for overall operational performance and improvement in platform increases in power density. Commercial dual use application may include commercial maritime ships and offshore drilling and production platforms.
References
Naval Sea Systems Command. “Fuel, Naval Distillate.” MIL-DTL-16884R, 3 January 2025. http://quicksearch.dla.mil/
Hoeper, M. “Liquid Fuel Transport Phenomena in Rotating Detonation Engines.” Proceeding of the Combustion Institute, Vol 39, Issue 3, 2023, pp. 3051-3061. https://hammer.purdue.edu/articles/thesis/LIQUID_FUEL_TRANSPORT_PHENOMENA_IN_ROTATING_DETONATION_ENGINES/27195012?file=49735404
Zhou, S., Wang, R., Liu, F., Ning, H., Ma, Y., Zhang, T. and Hu, H. “Experimental Investigation on Propagation Characteristics of Rotating Detonation Wave Fueled by Diesel.” Acta Astronautica, Volume 225, December 225, pp. 949-959. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S009457652400586
Clark, N. “Design and Application of Compact Combustors in Small-Scale Jet Engines.” Air Force Institute of Technology, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Thesis, 2022. https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/html/trecms/AD1175595/index.html
Millsaps, K, Rodman, B. “Thermodynamic Analysis of “Inter-Turbine” and “Intra-Turbine” Reheat for Marine Gas Turbines.” Proceedings of the ASME Turbo Expo 2004: Power for Land, Sea and Air, Volume 5: Turbo Expo 2004, Parts A and B, Vienna, Austria, June 14-17, 2004, pp. 1877-1882. ASME-IGTI GT2004-54174. https://asmedigitalcollection.asme.org/GT/proceedings-abstract/GT20024/41707/1877/307076
Russom, D. and Daransky, T. “Fuel Manifold Air Purge System for Allison 501-K17/K34 Marine Gas Turbine Engines.” Proceedings of the ASME 1994 International Gas Turbine and Aeroengine Congress and Exposition, Volume 2: Aircraft Engine; Marine; Microturbines and Small Micromachinery, The Hague, Netherlands, June 13-16, 1994. V002T03408. ASME-IGTI 94-GT-234. https://doi.org/10.1115/94-GT-243
Office of Naval Research (ONR) STTR Topic N24A-T016 (2024). “Plasma Assisted Combustion for Enhanced Performance and Operability in Naval Air Vehicles and Weapons.” https://www.navysbir.com/n24_A/N24A-T016.htm
Office of Naval Research (ONR) STTR Topic N21A-T011 (2021). “Enhancement of Detonation Wave Dynamics in Rotating Detonation Combustors (RDC).” https://navysbir.us/n21_A/N21A-T011.htm
Wolanski, P. “Application of the Continuous Rotating Detonation to Gas Turbine.” Applied Mechanics and Materials, 782, 2015, pp. 3-12. https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/amm.782.3
Wolanski, P. et al. “Experimental research of liquid-fueled continuously rotating detonation chamber.” Shock Waves 31, 2021, pp. 807-812. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00193-021-01014-w
Schwer, D. and Kailasanath, K. “Fluid dynamics of rotating detonation engines with hydrogen and hydrocarbon fuels.” Proceedings of the Combustion Institute, Volume 34, Issue 2, 2013, pp. 1991-1998. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/articleabs/pii/S1540748912000478
Schwer, Douglas and Kailasanath, Kailas. “Feedback into Mixture Plenums in Rotating Detonation Engines.” 50th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting including the New Horizons Forum and Aerospace Expostition, Nashville, Tennessee, 9-12 January 2012. https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2012-617
Naval Power & Energy Technology Development Roadmap (2019).” https://www.navsea.navy.mil/Portals/103/Documents/2019_NPES_TDR_Distribution_A_Approved_Final.pdf?ver=2019-06-26-132556-223
Keywords
Rotating Detonation; Plasma Assisted Combustion; Power Density; Diesel Fuel, Gas Turbine
Frequently asked questions
What is DON27BZ02-NV019?
It is a Department of the Navy SBIR topic to develop and demonstrate a scaled, high-density Rotating Detonation Combustor using NATO F76 diesel fuel (MIL-DTL-16884R), and to analyze the performance benefits of RDC-equipped shipboard gas turbines.
When is DON27BZ02-NV019 due?
Proposals are due January 6, 2027, 12:00 PM ET. DSIP pre-release began November 4, 2026, and direct contact with the topic authors is allowed only until the topic opens on December 2, 2026, 8:00 AM ET.
Is this a Phase I or Direct-to-Phase II topic?
The topic describes a standard Phase I covering analysis, an initial subscale test, and a conceptual prototype design, followed by Phase II prototype construction and endurance testing. It does not state that it is Direct-to-Phase II.
What thermodynamic analysis does Phase II require?
Models of a marine gas turbine using an RDC primary combustor, and of reheat cycles using an RDC inter-turbine (single reheat) and intra-turbine (continuous reheat), to determine impact on efficiency, reliability, operating life, power density, and development gaps.