Cleaner for the Time Domain Reflectometer Tank Level Indicator

SBIR topic DON27BZ01-NV001 (U.S. Department of Defense – Navy), Phase I and II. Open to U.S. small businesses. Opens: October 28, 2026. Closes: November 25, 2026. Fouling on the TDR sensor used for TLI is a persistent problem. The TDR is necessary to provide accurate and precise readings for fuel measurement. Over time, TDRs can experience sensor fouling through a buildup of crystallization and other contaminants on TDR rods and tubes, contributing to false readings or other failures if not properly maintained and cleaned. The operational readiness of the U.S. Navy's DDG 51 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers is being undermined by a persistent and unsolved equipment failure. The TDR sensors, a TLI technique, which are critical for managing fuel, buoyancy, and stability, are consistently rendered unreliable due to fouling. Current cleaning methods are operationally untenable; they require taking fuel compensating tanks offline, emptying fuel and/or compensating seawater, and significant follow-on maintenance, which directly reduces the Fleet's readiness and deployability. These efforts are not a permanent solution and often fail to resolve the underlying issue, making this a high-priority challenge for the DDG 51 Program Office. The Navy urgently seeks an innovative solution that remedies fouled TDR units without requiring ships to cease operations or undergo costly, invasive maintenance, thereby increasing mission readiness and reducing the risk of fuel spills. Effective methods for cleaning these sensors in-situ are very limited. The existing approach involves decompensation of fuel tanks (removal of fuel and compensating seawater) and manual removal of TDR sensors for cleaning, which can be costly and time consuming. It is not generally feasible while the ship is underway. Removal of TDR sensors during these manpower-intensive efforts can sometimes lead to TDR sensor miscalibration during re-installation. The inability to effectively clean TDR sensor fouling is…