Intent to Award Sole Source Contract

The Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration Oakland Operations Office plans to award a sole source contract to West Virginia University for conducting analysis and experiments on metal matrix composites (MMC) specifically for heavy vehicle applications. The project involves evaluating the current state-of-the-art MMC technology, advancing through engineering design and analysis phases, and investigating methods for joining MMC materials. This effort will leverage West Virginia University's extensive database of MMC properties as well as their expertise in combining experimental joining techniques with computational design tools. WVU's role will encompass both hands-on experimental work and the use of modern computational analysis to optimize MMC designs suitable for heavy vehicles, aiming to improve performance and reliability. The contract reflects a targeted approach to leverage WVU's unique capabilities and existing data resources to enhance the understanding and application of MMC technology in the heavy vehicle domain.