A -- A -- DEFENSE SCIENCES RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY

Notice Date

November 14, 2001

Contracting Office

Other Defense Agencies, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Contracts Management Office, 3701 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA, 22203-1714

ZIP Code

22203-1714

Solicitation Number

BAA01-42

Response Due

August 29, 2002

Point of Contact

Michael Gardos, DARPA Program Manager, Phone 703-696-2224, Fax 703-696-3999, Email none

Description

SPECIAL FOCUS AREA: WATER HARVESTING, BAA 01-42, ADDENDUM 5. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is soliciting innovative research proposals on Water Harvesting. The overall goal of this new program is to develop and demonstrate technologies to potentially eliminate more than 50 percent of the minimum daily water supply requirement (7 qts/day) of the Special Forces, Marine Expeditionary Units and Army Medium-Weight Brigades. The success of this program will have a global impact on the Preventive Defense and Environmental Security policies of the DoD and the US by providing potable water within the reach of the warfighter any place, any time. DARPA seeks the qualification and prototype fielding of innovative, energy-efficient systems that harvest and purify/desalt water from non-traditional and traditional sources for 1 to 10,000 soldiers, considering nuclear, biological and chemical threats. Special emphasis is placed on the development of technologies that efficiently extract water on demand from non-traditional sources for the individuals or small groups of warfighter(s) by on-site harvesting from atmospheric moisture, breath, sweat or urine, wet earth and mud of various soil compositions, combusted hydrocarbons, etc. (Task 1). The goal of making a minimum of 3.5 quarts of potable water for each soldier per day from non-traditional sources requires a figure of merit (quantity/size/weight/power) that is 100-times better than simple refrigeration processes that condense atmospheric moisture and comparable in energy efficiency of currently available reverse osmosis (RO) units (i.e., 15 Whr/l). Additional innovations are sought that can produce potable water from traditional, non-brackish and brackish sweet water sources such as puddles, ponds, lakes, streams and rivers as well as from seawater by highly efficient purification and desalination techniques (Task 2). The goal for purifying water from traditional sweet and salt water sources is a figure of merit 5-times better than current RO systems (i.e., 3 Whr/l). Proposers should structure a 2-year program with an additional one-year option. They should aim for meeting an early, 14-month milestone of producing a reasonable proof-of-principle. For example, in a proposal to produce water from air, the ability to condense 15 percent Relative Humidity (RH) air to 100 percent RH with substantial phase change ability might be a reasonable 14-month milestone. Likewise, the demonstration of suitable membrane technology and advantageous packaging for the individual soldier might serve as a milestone for a forward osmosis (FO) approach. This initial milestone needs to be followed by a 24-month milestone demonstrating the ability to produce 3.5 qts/day (minimum) potable water with a sufficiently low-power breadboard model. A downselect will separate the most successful technologies. The third and final year option will deal with the design, shakedown, and demonstration of one or more appropriately scaled Task 1- or Task 2-based prototypes able to serve the appropriate number of soldiers selected by the proposer. DARPA intends to start field-testing of complete water generation and purification systems by the end of the third year. Satisfactory progress on this program will depend on the judicious application of basic science combined with smart engineering packaging and innovative electronics for sensing and control. The highly interdisciplinary nature of the work demands meeting the challenges of complex integration with team approaches able to provide innovative research ideas and systems engineering. Each water harvesting concept should include modeling of module- and systems-level efficiencies including power sources and required power levels and a detailed R&D plan to correlate theory with laboratory practice. The proposal must contain the description of the key technology innovations, quantifiable milestones, the assessment of the degrees of risk, as well as the specific roles and contributions of team members cooperating to reduce those risks. The anticipated quantity of water produced per unit time should be correlated with the portability of the system and the scalability of the application from small to large number of warfighters. The combination(s) of size, portability and water harvesting efficiency of the proposed concept(s) ideal for a given number of soldiers must be selected accordingly. Key and enabling technology developments may include, but are not limited to, advanced materials, novel fabrication and material processing methods, and unique components and component integration. Manufacturing and packaging schemes for the likely prototypes must be plausible for a pathway to transition to the Military Services. A Pre-Proposal Teaming Workshop will be held on December 12 and 13, 2001 in Los Angeles, CA (ref.: CBD Announcement #SN02-04, Oct. 25, 2001; closing date: Dec. 13, 2001) to provide an added opportunity for program management and support personnel as well as Military end-users to explain the objectives and requirements of the initiative in more detail. There will also be more time for potential bidders to consider technical approaches, and promote interaction/teaming. Potential Workshop participants will be given an opportunity to give poster presentations and describe their posters in brief oral presentation segments beforehand. Participants are encouraged to submit abstracts via email to baa01-42_H20@darpa.mil. Please include Water Harvesting Workshop Abstract in the subject line and submit the abstracts by November 30, 2001. The website for workshop registration is https://safe.sysplan.com/water_harvesting/. DARPA is also offering proposers an opportunity to interact with other interested parties by sponsoring a teaming website accessible at http://teaming.sysplan.com/Water-SN-02-04/. Specific information content, communications, networking and team formation are the sole responsibilities of the participants. DARPA will not get involved in these activities other than to provide the website forum to enable others to initiate communications. The teaming website will be available until January 15, 2002. White Papers are not sought for this addendum. Proposals received by DARPA before 4:00 P.M. ET, January 15, 2002, ATTN.: Water Harvesting, BAA 01-42, 3701 No. Fairfax Dr., Arlington VA 22203, will be considered for the first submission. Submittals after that date will be considered on a case-by-case basis. DARPA will acknowledge receipt of each proposal within ten days and assign a control number that should be used in all further correspondence regarding the proposal. Note that the closing date for the first selection is also the closing date of the teaming website. For general administrative questions and proposal formatting, please refer to the original CBD Announcement, BAA 01-42. Point of Contact: Dr. Mike Gardos, Defense Sciences Office, ph.: (703) 696-2224, fax: (703) 696-3999, email: mgardos@darpa.mil.

Web Link

Visit this URL for the latest information about this (http://www.eps.gov/spg/ODA/DARPA/CMO/BAA01-42/listing.html)

Record

Loren Data Corp. 20011116/ASOL011.HTM (D-318 SN5129V5)