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U.S. DOT FY 2024.1 Phase I Pre-Solicitation Q&A


* * * 2/6/24 Update: The Pre-solicitation is now closed. Topic questions are no longer being accepted. * * *

This U.S. DOT Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Pre-solicitation Q&A Forum provides small businesses an opportunity to submit clarifying questions on the topics published in the U.S. DOT Fiscal Year (FY) 2024.1 Phase I Pre-Solicitation. Questions will be answered by the Technical Experts/Topic Authors at the U.S.DOT Operating Administrations during this period. Questions shall be limited to improving the understanding of a particular topic's requirements and should not share proposal ideas nor proprietary information.

The U.S. DOT’s FY 2024.1 Pre-Solicitation period is January 4,2024, through February 6, 2024, at 5:00 pm Eastern Time (ET). Only questions posted within this period will be responded to.

How to Use the SBIR Pre-solicitation Q&A Forum:

Register: Anyone can view questions but registration is required if you wish to post a question and receive a notification when it is responded to.

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Search: Browse the existing questions by category to find the topic you are interested in and to see if your question has already been addressed. If you see a question you are also interested in ,you can add a vote to the question, or leave a comment.

Post: If your question has not already been posted, use the “Enter your idea” box at the top of the page to enter your question.

  1. Select the research topic your question is related to from the drop-down menu that appears when you begin typing.
  2. You may add more detail in the Description box(optional). Do NOT attach any files. The U.S. DOT shall not consider any submitted materials other than questions.
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Please note, all comments will be public information. Potential offerors shall not include in the question(s) or comment(s) any information that they do not wish to be made public. Telephone inquiries or meeting requests will not be addressed and may be removed. The U.S. DOT shall not respond to requests for advice or guidance on any offeror’s solution to any SBIR topic, and shall not consider any submitted materials other than questions.

Thanks for joining our SBIR Pre-solicitation Q&A Forum.

If you experience technical difficulties, please contact usat DOTSBIR@dot.gov.
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50 results found

  1. 241-FT1 EV Battery pack: Improved mitigation or cooling

    Raj Wrote: "Expectation from comprehensive review and analysis is a variety of solutions inside and outside but there is only so much you can tell battery OEMs for internal battery improvement. So, the focus is all solutions, but it might be more about mitigations outside the shell and outside the battery packs. The research should tell us what needs to be focused and mitigations developed"

    To me an EV Battery Pack is a set of cells or pouches, connected together in small numbers with sensors and put into subsystem bandoleers or cans, which are in turn connected to power/control/sensor lines…

    1 vote

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  2. 3) "The algorithm may process data sources from either: (1) real-time data collected from proprietary or commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) sen

    3) "The algorithm may process data sources from either: (1) real-time data collected from proprietary or commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) sensors selected at their discretion (e.g., Time-of-flight sensors, camera sensors, infrared camera sensors), or (2) pre-recorded data from proprietary or COTS sensors selected at their discretion." Does this mean that where the data is processed is left to the discretion of the DoT or the proposer?

    1 vote

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  3. 2) Does the solution need to include components that address both internal state, e.g., monitoring driver drowsiness, and external state, e.

    2) Does the solution need to include components that address both internal state, e.g., monitoring driver drowsiness, and external state, e.g., detecting surrounding traffic, or are you considering solutions that only address one of these two areas?

    1 vote

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  4. GM claims to have these capabilities

    New GM cars have 'driver attention assist' feature that detects drowsy driver. The 'attention alert' feature detects driver's eyes are off the road. What will be new and different in this project?

    1 vote

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  5. Open source modifications

    Do you suggest any specific open-source systems for modification, and what level of modification is expected?

    1 vote

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  6. Is the topic focused on detection, reaction, & suppression independent of root cause or

    The topic describes understanding research into common root causes, followed by a product of software or hardware (or both) that can mitigate thermal runway fires. Certain root causes might be chemistry based, or cell differences in charging, or mechanical such as measured by a *********** test. Do you have a perspective if this topic is focused more on detection, reaction, and suppression independent of root cause such that all causes of a fire are addressed, or if it is focused on trying to identify a single most common cause and working to eliminate that cause?

    1 vote

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  7. SBIR Eligible for Only Internal Computer Vision

    Would the SBIR consider our application if it only satisfies the first objective, detecting indicators of drowsiness, inattention, and incapacitation? We are working on an internal computer vision system, but it will not satisfy detection of surrounding traffic, vulnerable road users, and observable indicators of driving performance.

    1 vote

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  8. Collaboration of laboratory, device companies, and system developer

    The topic understandably describes two phases, the first for exploratory research, and the second for product development and prototyping. Conducting research on battery fires in the first phase could require a laboratory function to initiate cell runaway and measure effectiveness of countermeasures. The second phase of design and build with testing would require skill sets different from a laboratory to build hardware. It could be the case that no single entity has all these functions in-house. Is it desirable to have a collaboration of companies / entities such as a laboratory, a sensor company and a development company to integrate…

    1 vote

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  9. Pipeline Questions

    1) Is this primarily geared toward transporting hydrocarbons?
    2) How corrosive is the environment (are the hydrocarbons likely processed or is a solution for a pipeline that can transport raw hydrocarbons from a well needed – i.e., is a sour service steel grade needed)?
    3) Would it be acceptable to develop models (e.g., collect corrosion data and generate a machine learning or empirical corrosion model) in phase I or does this need to be direct to developing a prototype material?
    4) What level of strength is needed? Is there any value in this application of having stronger steel to reduce…

    1 vote

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  10. Is 24-NH6 open beyond the UMTRI UDIG geometry?

    The SecureRide Coalition is reviewing different geometry and locations beyond the UDIG concept specific to UMTRI.

    The Coalition is developing a wheelchair securement standard that can be applied to personal vehicles, rideshares, public transit, as well as buses, rail and low-speed shuttles. University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) is one of the Coalition members. The Coalition will address the technical solutions for a wheelchair securement standard (such as WC19) and publish test results on various securement systems, i.e. wheelchair tiedowns and occupant restraint systems (WTORS). https://unitedspinal.org/secureride/

    1 vote

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  11. Is 24-NH-4 open beyond the UMTRI UDIG geometry?

    The SecureRide Coalition is reviewing different geometry and locations beyond the UDIG concept specific to UMTRI.

    The Coalition is developing a wheelchair securement standard that can be applied to personal vehicles, rideshares, public transit, as well as buses, rail and low-speed shuttles. University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) is one of the Coalition members. The Coalition will address the technical solutions for a wheelchair securement standard (such as WC19) and publish test results on various securement systems, i.e. wheelchair tiedowns and occupant restraint systems (WTORS). https://unitedspinal.org/secureride/

    1 vote

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  12. Size of Pipeline

    What is the size of the pipes in terms of length and diameter?

    1 vote

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  13. Proposal submission

    Are we required to submit letter of intent or pre-proposal? If so, could you please advise how we can submit this?

    1 vote

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  14. Image Requirements

    Does the recorded data have to include an image of the scan, or can it just record relevant measurement parameters?

    1 vote

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  15. 24-FT1 EV Battery cooling and mitigation

    the topic talks to "The primary goal of this project is to conduct a comprehensive review and analysis of research and data
    related to battery fire issues and design, and then develop a viable or conceptual solution to manage
    overheating and mitigate battery fires that may be hardware, software, or both. The product will apply to
    any battery packs used on electric vehicles or Battery Electric Buses."

    Is the focus here on endogenous solutions to improved cooling/fire mitigation or are solutions that go outside the battery system allowable? Are any approaches required to be contained within the battery shell or…

    1 vote

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  16. 24-PH1- Corrision mitigation

    The topic talks about "Prevent, detect or mitigate " corrosion.
    Is mitigation limited to chemical processes or are mechanical processes acceptable? Are repair processes concerned mitigation?

    Are processes expected to work with the pipeline full of product or can we approach this from a drained/inert section approach?

    1 vote

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  17. 24-PH3 Testing of Cylinders

    The topic talks about cylinders and also bulk hazardous material tanks, is there a preferred target storage vessel size? Are we supposed to focus on solutions for DOT Cylinders like K bottles or T Bottles, or is the focus on Tube trailers like a CNG-1 (Type-2) tube traileror a DOT-105/112 tank car?

    The Topic mentions hydrogen cylinders, is the focus on Liquid Hydrogen transport and delivery at ambient or cryo-compressed at <600 PSI? Is the expectation that this is targeted at vacuum jacketed cylinders or are we looking at foam insulated tanks? If it's foam insulated will we be able…

    1 vote

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  18. 24-PH2 survivability of hazardous material placards

    I previously asked "he topic description says in general "Placards are often subjected to harsh conditions during transportation, including exposure to weather elements, chemical exposure, and physical damage". But then, in the specific description of the desired solution, only one environmental factor is mentioned: "The overall solution . . . must be able to survive high excessive heat". Is excess heat the most important factor in evaluating a solution, and is there a quantitative criteria anticipated for the final solicitation? (e.g. temperature and time of exposure)" and a Mr Andrew Leyder replied "Excess heat is a factor in evaluating the…

    1 vote

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  19. Questions on 24-PH3

    1. Can we get a rough geometry and wall thickness of the pressure cylinder?
    2. On the environmental conditions of the "continuous monitoring": Will that happen on a pressure cylinder stored stationary somewhere in a warehouse or that should be done on a moving transportation vehicle?
    3. Following the above question, how do the pressure cylinders mechanically coupled to their storage environment?
    1 vote

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  20. Please define "Flex" and what is specifically of interest here?

    Is flex referring to deflection in the trailer front versus the trailer rear, twist, or some other metric?

    1 vote

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