Mobile High-Power Emergency BESS De-energizing System – Conceptual Design & Architecture

The contract seeks the development of a validated concept design for a mobile, high-power system capable of safely de-energizing battery energy storage systems on rail vehicles during emergency situations. The solution must be engineered to rapidly and reliably isolate electrical energy from BESS units under high-risk conditions, ensuring responder safety and preventing thermal runaway or fire propagation. The conceptual design must include detailed architectural specifications, operational protocols, safety interlocks, and validation methods demonstrating effectiveness across diverse rail vehicle platforms and environmental conditions. This is a total small business set-aside under NAICS code 541330, designated for engineering services, with a response deadline of May 29, 2026. The effort is being procured by the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center under the U.S. Department of Transportation to enhance rail safety infrastructure. While specific performance locations are not defined, the resulting system must be transportable and deployable at incident sites with minimal setup time. The design must account for field usability, compatibility with existing rail safety systems, and adherence to relevant transportation and electrical safety standards without requiring permanent installation on rail vehicles.