| Acquisition Program: | |
Objective: | Develop and demonstrate energy scavenging technology for a low cost, autonomous sea surface vehicle that obtains power for propulsion, communication, and sensors from the environment, enabling greatly extended range and endurance.
| Description: | The Navy is developing and demonstrating a variety of unmanned surface vehicles for a wide range of potential missions. The primary source of power and propulsion for these vehicles is combustion of diesel fuel. This limits the range of the vehicle to a few hundred miles, with mission duration typically no longer than a few days. By scavenging energy from the environment through wind or solar power or other means, it may be possible to design autonomous vehicles with almost unlimited range and endurance. These vehicles could be used for surveillance of large areas of the earth’s oceans.
The Navy seeks innovative technology for energy scavenging that enables an unmanned surface vehicle to transit across long ocean distances, maintain a desired position against the forces of wind and tides for an indefinite period of time, and survive in high sea states, operating autonomously with only occasional operator intervention. The focus should be on clever integration of available technologies rather than on component development. The Navy will only fund proposals that are innovative and involve technical R&D risk.
| | PHASE I: Develop a detailed system design that provides the desired attributes listed above. Identify vendors for key components, develop a cost model, and develop control algorithms. Demonstrate the proof-of-concept.
| | PHASE II: Fabricate and demonstrate an integrated prototype system at an appropriate scale to convincingly demonstrate the feasibility of energy scavenging as a primary energy source for propulsion and other uses on board unmanned surface vehicles. If possible, this should be demonstrated on a prototype vehicle at sea.
| | PHASE III: Develop a complete energy scavenging USV capable of performing useful missions with demonstrated high reliability.
PRIVATE SECTOR USE OF TECHNOLOGY: Government enforcement and scientific agencies, including the Coast Guard, National Marine Fisheries Service, and NOAA may have interest in a vehicle with these capabilities. Local and state law enforcement agencies and foreign governments may also provide a market for this type of vehicle.
| References: |
1. “Spartan Unmanned Surface Vehicle Envisioned for an Array of High Risk Missions”, Sea Power magazine, May 2003.
2. http://www.darpa.mil/dso/trans/energy/briefing.html
3. http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20010414/bob12.asp
4. http://www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/addinfo.htm
| | Keywords: | Unmanned Vehicle; Power Generation; Energy Scavenging; Propulsion; Surveillance; Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV)
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Questions and Answers: |
Q: 1. Does the desired energy-scavenging vehicle needs to operate at the surface of the sea?
2. Would an underwater vehicle be acceptable? |
A: 1. Yes.
2. A vehicle that can operate both at and below the surface would be acceptable. |
Q: Is there a target energy scavenging goal?
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A: The scavenged energy should be able to provide either:
1. power for a payload that is hundreds of watts to kilowatts, or
2. propulsive power for low-speed operations of a small USV |
Q: The topic description states that the "focus should be on clever integration of available technologies rather than on component development". Does this imply a COTS-only system solution, or is system integration of unique embodiments of available technology acceptable? For instance, there are several very interesting wave energy harvesting technologies that have been developed for stationary application. We would be interested in adapting this type of technology to a sea surface vehicle. The components would not be COTS, but the technology has been demonstrated in a similar application.
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A: System integration of unique embodiments of available technology is
acceptable and the idea you are contemplating seems as though it is
within the scope of the topic. |
Q: The topic title and Phase I decription seems to focus on development of energy scavanging technology for a USV. However, the Phase II & III descriptions imply the ultimate development of a complete energy scavanging USV. Is the ultimate goal of this topic to developing only the energy scavanging technology, or will a Phase II effort need to include development of a USV? |
A: Phase 2 should include integration of the energy scavenging technology
on a USV. The USV may be one that you develop or it may be an existing
USV. |
Q: The Phase II description refers to a "prototype system." Is it correct to infer that "system" includes the vehicle external (shore-based) command, control and communications system, and the communications and datalinks that would necessarily be part of the system. If yes, should research necessary for this part of the system be identified in the Phase I and/or Phase I option proposal. Alternatively, should it be inferred that the "prototype system" means simply the entire vehicle/platform/configuration that achieves the energy scavenging and range/endurance objectives? |
A: Yes, the comms and datalink should be part of the unmanned surface vehicle; however, the emphasis should be on the energy scavenging. |