MDD has a prime contract with the US Marine Corps to improve energy efficiency and reduce convoy logistics requirements to sustain USMC Forward Operating Bases (FOB). MDD has extensive experience in supporting the US Navy and Military Sealift Command, as well as the private sector, in the fields of energy systems management and energy usage reduction. MDD has extensive corporate expertise conducting energy audits and modeling military and industrial energy systems similar to those found in modern FOBs. The purpose of this SBIR Topic is to establish an FOB-focused energy efficiency assessment methodology, underpinned by a set of tools and processes that support its utilization.
Over the last two years, MDD has developed and employed an energy systems analytic model for shipboard energy usage. Taking a combined top down and bottom up approach, the model uses a combination of statistical regression on historically reported energy consumption, and component level energy usage, as part of a holistic model aimed at characterization of the usage of energy aboard large US Navy logistic ships. This ultimately supports sensitivity analyses regarding how equipment and operational changes affect energy consumption, and hence efficiency. Interestingly, the very task of constructing this shipboard energy usage model has led to a better understanding of the current state of energy efficiency under present operating profiles; it is expected that will also be the case in in application to the FOB.
MDD is developing an Energy Generation, Distribution, and Consumption (EGDC) model to be used in this study, which will be the key tool to assist with the assessment of efficiency gains in the full spectrum of FOB energy generation, distribution, and consumption systems. MDD intends to leverage past performance experience, coupled with subject matter expert (SME) analysis, in developing a pragmatic and cost effective EGDC model under this contract.
As the EGDC model is developed, it will incorporate parameters representing the structure performance of present FOB energy system configurations. The consideration of the FOB energy generation, distribution, and consumption as a total integrated system within the model supports the establishment of a variety of reliable baselines for later assessment. This is a key component to establishing credibility of subsequent analysis and reporting. Because it considers the energy flow within an integrated system, analysis using the EGDC model will be able to indicate how individual pieces of equipment affect any FOB energy usage baseline. Accordingly, the EGDC model will support assessments of both operational procedures and equipment, to determine what the relative effects would have on FOB energy efficiency, with the largest impacts on energy usage being balanced with logistics considerations and cost.
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USMC Forward Operating Bases (FOB)
Multi-Mission Combat Craft
The Mobile Ocean System (MOS) Testing
Maelstrom Water Jet Pump Testing
High Volatility Fuel Module (HVF Module)
Heavy Unrep Program Management
6-PAQ MSE Support
Mobile Offshore Ship (MOS)
MSC Shipboard Energy Conservation
RO Module Phase II SBIR
T-Craft