Slug Calorimeter Design and Fabrication

The contract involves the full lifecycle development of a slug calorimeter specifically engineered for hypersonic aerothermal testing, requiring end-to-end execution from initial design through to final integration into high-enthalpy test hardware. This includes rigorous material selection to withstand extreme thermal and mechanical loads, precision machining to tight tolerances, and assembly processes validated for performance in demanding flight-like environments. The device must reliably measure heat flux and thermal loads in transient high-speed airflow conditions, making technical excellence and thermal response accuracy critical to mission success. The opportunity is structured as a subcontract under a Total Small Business Set-Aside, reserved exclusively for small businesses as defined by the SBA, with a NAICS code of 332994 indicating specialized fabrication services. It is issued by the Naval Air Warfare Center Air Division, part of the Department of Defense, and the work is to be performed at a designated location in St James, Maryland, with a firm response deadline of July 24, 2026. The project supports critical defense research and development efforts aimed at advancing hypersonic vehicle technology through accurate thermal data collection in ground-based testing environments.