BAA-RQKPD-2015-0001-NOCA-Call2.pdf

Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) NR: BAA-RQKPD-2015-0001 Call#2

CERTIFICATION OF COMPOSITES – COMPOSITE AIRFRAME LIFE EXTENSION

BROAD AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT TITLE: CERTIFICATION OF COMPOSITES –

COMPOSITE AIRFRAME LIFE EXTENSION

BROAD AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT TYPE: This is Call #2 to the Open Broad Agency Announcement

BROAD AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT NUMBER: BAA-RQKPD-2015-0001 Call#2

AMENDMENT TOPIC TITLE: “TOOLS FOR ASSESSING THE DURABILITY AND

DAMAGE TOLERANCE OF FASTENED COMPOSITE JOINTS”

TECHNICAL POC: Dick Holzwarth, AFRL/RQVS, Phone 937-656-8825, email:

richard.holzwarth.1@us.af.mil. Mailing address: 2790 D ST, B20065 R4THW, Wright- Patterson AFB, OH 45433

CONTRACTING POC: Ryan Huffman, (Primary), Contract Negotiator, (937) 713-9927, email: ryan.huffman@us.af.mil; Jennifer Kleiv, (Secondary), Contracting Officer, (937) 713- 9975, Email: jennifer.kleiv.1@us.af.mil. Mailing address: AFRL/RQKPD, Bldg. 45, Area B, 2130 8th St., Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433-7801

BACKGROUND

This is a NOCA informing potential offerors of the upcoming second Call for the “Certification of Composites – Composite Airframe Life Extension” acquisition.

The “next generation” of DoD tactical and mobility aircraft will have to meet very challenging goals for performance, affordability and economy of operation. The airframe weight reductions sought to achieve these goals will require revolutionary airframes implementing composite materials applied to structural concepts not in use in Air Force aircraft today. There are significant technical issues related to verifying the initial and continuing airworthiness of such structures are sufficient to meet the lifetime structural integrity requirements of the United States Air Force. Similar issues exist with respect to certification of composite structure for civilian aircraft.

The Air Force Research Laboratory intends to execute a technology development and demonstration initiative to reduce the scope of the technical effort required to establish the initial and the continuing airworthiness of airframe structure manufactured from advanced composite materials. The long term objective of this effort is to reduce the risk of implementing large scale, unitized composite structures in future airframes. The program will identify and select, develop, and demonstrate technology which will improve our ability to assess and predict, control and increase the structural integrity of composite structure as a function of its constituent materials, configuration, features, and manufactured state, and as influenced by its known history and expected future service environment and loads.

mailto:Pat.Marshall@wpafb.af.mil mailto:Pat.Marshall@wpafb.af.mil mailto:ryan.huffman@us.af.mil mailto:jennifer.kleiv.1@us.af.mil

Technologies of interest will reduce reliance on empirical methods for demonstrating design requirements have been exceeded, and will increase reliance on analytical methods to assess the airworthiness of composite structure with respect to future, and perhaps unanticipated, usage requirements. Technologies of interest will provide Air Force airframe structural integrity experts with the capability to safely extend the service lives of existing composite airframes.

Technologies of interest will allow airframe designers and airframe airworthiness experts to extend the principles of damage tolerant design to composite airframe structures, but without absolute reliance on mechanical fastening techniques.

The overall intent of the program is to equip all those involved in the design, development, manufacture, maintenance, and management of composite airframe structure with better decision making information regarding the actual or likely airworthiness of such structure, at any time.

The program will not attempt to make or promote changes in air vehicle structural integrity requirements, nor will it attempt or promote changes in certification standards. It may, however, produce technical data that would substantiate appropriate changes. Such technical data will be provided to appropriate airworthiness authorities for their review, and if appropriate, action.

OBJECTIVE

The objectives of this program are to determine the feasibility of providing tools capable of predicting remaining life and residual strength of composite joints; determine the current technology readiness level of these tools; determine methods and processes supporting the capabilities; and demonstrate the validity of models selected for application. The program will develop both parametric analysis methods for structural life assessment and detailed progressive failure analysis models for detailed predictions for failure loads and modes, margins of safety, residual strength and critical structure when detailed knowledge is required for decision making.

This effort intends to develop two general types of models, for two different, but related, applications. The first model is expected to be used as a general purpose model, for use in estimating expected residual strength of joints due to the known or assumed service history. This model is to be used by fleet structural integrity managers to predict fatigue damage to joints as a general effect within the fleet. Such a model could be used to accurately estimate the residual strength of composite joints in the airframe, and thereby assess the feasibility of a life extension, if one is contemplated, to meet future airframe usage requirements. The second model would be used for detailed analysis of the damage tolerance of structural features consisting in part or entirely of mechanically fastened advanced composite members, such as would be found in built-up aircraft structure. This model should use rigorous methods to accurately degrade structural performance and model failure sufficiently well to establish margins of safety or determine when residual strength has dropped below design requirements.

This is a complex technical effort. The intent is to develop tools that can be used for general and detailed assessment of continuing airworthiness of existing aircraft structure, with all of the risks and consequences relative to such assessments. Detailed understanding of the design and structural integrity requirements of airframe joints containing composite structural elements is required to successfully execute this program. Detailed understanding of the scope of effort to verify those requirements have been met is required to successfully execute this program. But there are significant technical capability gaps preventing both general assessments and detailed analysis tools from being used by the structural integrity community. Innovative approaches using emerging tools are expected to be the path towards closing these capability gaps, and such innovation is not confined to the mainstream aerospace manufacturing community. Identifying innovative approaches having the potential of achieving these objectives while reducing the risk of applying these new approaches to existing structure may require teaming, which is highly encouraged.

The Contractor shall train personnel in, and follow appropriate Operations Security (OPSEC) measures during the performance of this contract.

PROGRAMATIC

A Cost-Reimbursement/Fixed Fee contract type is contemplated with one $1,500,000 award for a 15 month effort, 12 months for the technical effort and 3 months for the final report. The anticipated amount is an estimate only and is NOT a promise of funding. Funding is uncertain and is subject to change. Changes in availability occur at the discretion of the Government.

A one step process will be used for this solicitation. As such, a full technical and cost proposal will be requested from the upcoming BAA/SOO announcement.

DO NOT SUBMIT ANY DOCUMENTATION AT THIS TIME. THIS IS NOT A CALL FOR

WHITEPAPERS OR PROPOSALS. ANYTHING RECEIVED OTHER THAN CAGE CODE

AND BUSINESS SIZE WILL BE DISREGARDED.