Sources Sought UBA_V2 2025.07.24.pdf

24 July 2025

SOURCES SOUGHT ANNOUNCEMENT

FOR

COMMERCIAL UNDERWATER BREATHING APPARATUS (UBA)

The Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division (NSWC PCD) is seeking information on a commercially available Underwater Breathing Apparatuses (UBA) with the following minimum characteristics/capabilities. Please respond if you meet characteristics from Table I, and if you meet at least 90% of the remaining characteristics from Table II.

Table I – Required UBA Characteristics

Characteristic Description Type: Electronically Controlled Closed-Circuit Rebreather (eCCR)

Operational Depth:

UBA shall be capable of operating within a depth range of 0 feet of saltwater (fsw) to a depth greater than 300 fsw.

Human Interface –

BMA:

UBA shall be capable of being utilized by means of a Bite Mouthpiece Assembly (BMA) or otherwise known in industry as: Tbit, Mouthpiece Valve, Dive/Surface Valve (DSV), Mouthpiece, etc.

Mounting Interface-

BM:

UBA shall, at a minimum, be capable to be back mounted to the diver;

critical controls (i.e. pressure gauges, oxygen manual gas addition valve, diluent manual gas addition valve) shall remain easily accessible and operable by the diver while wearing thick exposure gear. Back mount configuration shall include minimum required gas cylinders onboard the

UBA

CO2 Scrubber Material:

UBA shall be capable of using all granular Hydroxide type CO₂ absorbents.

Design factors shall inhibit particles of absorbent from being carried by the flow of breathing gas.

CO2 Scrubber Type:

UBA absorbent canister may be either axial or radial and shall support both moisture control and low resistance to gas flow through the canister.

Oxygen Control:

UBA shall maintain a specific partial pressure of oxygen within a tolerance band of ±0.15 ata throughout its operational depth range.

Non-Metallics ID:

UBA manufacturer/vendor shall be able to identify all non-metallics used in its construction by part name, part number, material and approximate weight.

Over pressurization UBA shall be able to travel upwards from hyperbaric space either in operational or storage configuration.

Ventilation UBA shall not exceed a pressure of 40 cm H₂O while breathing at 62.5 RMV and performing a diluent flush (MAV or second stage)

Table II – Desired UBA Characteristics

Characteristic Description Operational

Temperature Range:

UBA should be capable of operating, in salt water, within the temperature range of 32⁰ F to 95⁰ F.

Human Interface -

FFM:

UBA should be compatible with a Full-Face Mask already listed in the Approved for Navy Use (ANU) list or one that, under best judgement of the vendor, would meet the requirements to be listed under the ANU. The FFM shall include either an Oral nasal mask or a bite bit.

Diver Head Protection:

UBA should be compatible with head worn equipment for diver head protection and to promote thermal protection.

Weight: UBA while in its fully operational configuration (scrubber canister filled, gas cylinder filled, and all pre-dive checked completed), should weigh no more than 70 pounds (lbs) with an objective weight of 45 lbs.

Physical Size: (Note: thickness is the most important dimension and is defined as the distance from the user’s back to the outermost point of the UBA) Option 1: Thickness – 9 inches; Width – 22 inches; Height – 18 inches Option 2: Thickness – 12 inches; Width – 16 inches; Height – 20 inches

CO2 Scrubber Type: UBA should be compatible with prepacked or solid cartridge style scrubber designs (i.e. Micropore Inc.©, Divesorb Go®, etc.)

Off Board Gas Supply:

UBA should have the capability to utilize off board Emergency Gas Supply (EGS).

Breathing Resistive Effort:

UBA should not exceed 2.4 kPa at 62.5 RMV at 300 fsw while maintaining a constant partial pressure of oxygen (ppO2) setpoint of 1.3 ppO2 with helium as the diluent gas. Values shall be averaged over a minute.

Life Support Duration:

UBA should provide continued life support, up to 0.5% Surface Equivalent Value (SEV), for a minimum of 145 minutes at a constant depth of 300 fsw while exposed to a surrounding water temperature of 32⁰ F and a carbon dioxide (CO2) injection rate of 1.35 standard liters per minute (slpm) at 40 RMV.

Gas Capacity: All required UBA gas cylinders should have a minimum working pressure rating of 3,000 psig.

Gas Cylinder Certification:

All required UBA gas cylinders should meet U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) requirements.

Dead Space: The UBA should have an average inspired CO2 less than 2% surface equivalent value at 22.5, 40 and 62.5 RMV (as defined per U.S. Navy Dive Manual, Rev. 7). Values shall be averaged over a minute.

Biometric: UBA should be capable of tracking, displaying, and monitoring Life support data and metrics (i.e. oxygen partial pressure, inhalation gas temperatures, decompression schedule, etc.)

Characteristic Description Off-Gas

Contaminants:

UBA should meet the requirements of SS800-AG-MAN-010/P9290, Revision A, Appendix F, off-gas requirements.

Hyperbaric Compatibility:

UBA should be capable of being set up and used within a hyperbaric environment (i.e. under pressure, high humidity, etc), including all required setup procedures (i.e. Calibration, predives, etc) prior to achieving an operational condition of the system. System must be able to be calibrated with various pO₂ levels including 0.7pO₂ and 0.5 pO₂.

Technical Readiness Level:

UBA should meet the requirements, per DoD guidance, of Technical Readiness Level (TRL) 6.

DoD Technology Readiness Assessment Guidebook:

https://www.cto.mil/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/TRA-Guide- Jun2023.pdf

*Further specification explained below

Page 4 of 4 24 July 2025

Respond with the following documentation:

1) Technical literature with complete descriptions, specifications, variations, and add-ons illustrating the ability of the apparatus to meet the above characteristics in this Request For Information (RFI).

2) Estimated cost and lead time for delivery of 1, 5, 20, and 50 units with all required tools and spare material to support testing during a two (2) year period.

3) Estimated preventative maintenance costs for the OEM recommended maintenance periods to include all required replacement components such as: hardware parts, O-rings, seals, etc. for 10, 20, and 50 units.

4) Cost and number of UBAs that can be delivered in 45 days and 6 months.

a. Cost to include consumables/spares to support: Work of Breathing Testing and CO2 duration testing (3 tests)

5) Estimated yearly production rate of the OEM.

6) Estimated quantity of units currently used commercially or recreationally.

7) Company information, including but not limited to: history, acquisition/merger, partnerships/ manufacturer dependencies, service depot locations, industry quality certifications.

8) All performance data including test data supporting full operations at depths deeper than 300 fsw.

(i.e. Pressure vessel testing, resistive effort, canister duration, over pressurizations, hydrostatic load, sensor accuracy, inspired temperature, oxygen control)

9) Procedures, interfaces, and manuals for setup, operation, breakdown, and storage.

10) Physical Attributes of the system including weight, size, buoyancy, external system compatibility (FFMs, comms, etc.), part interchangeability between units, power sources, and human integration factors.

11) Potential failure modes of the system and recovery procedures in the event of a failure.

12) Companies that have been determined to meet the criteria above may be invited to attend an industry day on September 3-4, 2025 at Applied Research Laboratories-University of Texas in Austin, Texas at no cost to the Government. Attendance in person is preferred, but accommodations can be arranged for OEM that are unable to attend in person.

a. Industry day will be an opportunity to present all information requested in the RFI, as well as a functional prototype. This will allow the OEMs to present capabilities and exchange technical information with the government. A further outline of what is desired to be presented at industry day will be provided with written intent of attendance (virtual or in-person).

Only prime contractors and authorized distributors should respond. A list of responding prime contractors will be furnished to potential subcontractors upon request. This is not a solicitation, nor will a solicitation package be issued as a result of this announcement. No reimbursement will be made for any costs associated with providing information in response to this announcement or any follow-up information requests. In the event that a solicitation is developed, it will be assigned a formal Request for Proposal (RFP) number and the announcement will be published in the Government Wide Point of Entry Sam.gov.

Responses requested no later than 30 days after this announcement has been posted. Direct expression of interest as well as required documentation should be addressed in writing to:

NAICS: 339920

PSC: 4220

Size Standard: 750 employees