Aircraft Nitrogen Generator

INTRODUCTION: The Aviation Ground Support Equipment Product Office (AGSE PO) located at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the Army's lifecycle manager for Aviation Ground Support Equipment. For the purposes of market research and a possible follow-on request for proposal (RFP), AGSE PO is interested in obtaining information on currently available Aircraft Nitrogen Generator. DISCLAIMER: This RFI is issued solely for information gathering purposes; this RFI does not constitute a formal solicitation for proposals. In accordance with FAR 15.202(e), responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. The Government will not provide reimbursement for costs incurred in responding to this RFI. No classified information should be included in the RFI response. Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted under this RFI. After reviewing the requirements, if you desire to participate in this RFI, you should provide documentation that supports your organization's capability in meeting the requirements. Failure to provide requested and supporting documentation may result in the Government being unable to adequately assess your capabilities and product market availability. If you lack sufficient experience in a particular area, please provide details explaining how you would overcome the lack of experience/capabilities in order to perform that portion of the requirement. Participants are encouraged to explain in detail any business and engineering methods used to manufacture an Aircraft Nitrogen Generator. Please provide as much technical data and specifications as possible. Images and/or design models are welcomed. You are also encouraged to identify known and potential problem areas and solutions. It is the Government's desire that interested participants provide the production unit cost and part number of the system(s) submitted in their response. The Government desires that responses be submitted via email in an electronic format that is compatible with Microsoft Windows/Office and/or Adobe Acrobat and addresses each of the below characteristics and any other important technical aspects of the product. BUSINESS INFORMATION: Please provide the following business information for your company and for any teaming or joint venture partners: Company Name: Address: City/State/Zip: Point of Contact (POC): Phone # for POC: Fax # for POC: E-mail Address: CAGE Code: Web Page URL: North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code: Based on this NAICS Code, state whether your company is: Large Business (YES / NO) Small Business (YES / NO) Woman Owned Small Business (YES / NO) Small Disadvantaged Business (YES / NO) HUB Zone Certified (YES / NO) Veteran Owned Small Business (YES / NO) Service Disabled Small Business (YES / NO) System for Award Management Registered (YES / NO) Please provide a statement as to whether your company's ownership is domestic or foreign (if foreign, please indicate the country of ownership). Information Required to Respond To This Request For Information: All vendors with an appropriate product relating to the requirements in this RFI are invited to respond to the following as pertaining to requirements and desired capabilities What is the cost of the Nitrogen Generator? What is the Mission Reliability Rating? Will the Nitrogen Generator be able to operate on the standard JP-8 fuel, diesel fuel, multi-fuel or commercial equivalent? Please indicate if the engine will require any additives to operate on multi-fuels? Will the Nitrogen Generator be capable of permeating (percolating/transfusing) the fast gases (i.e., water vapor, oxygen, carbon dioxide, etc.) to provide 95.5 percent pure gaseous nitrogen, with the desire to provide 99.9, for meeting nitrogen servicing requirements for all Army aircraft? Will the Nitrogen Generator be fully operational and begin producing nitrogen gas at 4,000 pounds per square inch (PSI) within 60 minutes after initial start-up? Will the Nitrogen Generator have a minimum production rate capable of filling an empty nitrogen bottle from a Nitrogen Servicing and Boost Cart in 30 to 40 minutes at 4,000 PSI? Will the Nitrogen Generator be capable of storing a minimum of 300 to 400 standard cubic feet (SCF) of nitrogen at 4,000 PSI? Will the Nitrogen Generator be equipped with adjustable pressure controls from 50 to 4,000 PSI for the operator to regulate the pressure, when required to meet different nitrogen servicing requirements? Will the Nitrogen Generator be operational and maintainable by one soldier, both day and night, in the same climatic conditions Army aircraft are expected to operate in? Will the Nitrogen Generator be capable of continuous operations without creating a detectable noise or infrared (IR) heat signature greater than other ground support equipment assigned to the unit? Will the Nitrogen Generator be equipped with compartments to store hoses, cables, fittings and connectors? Will the Nitrogen Generator be capable of connecting directly to and servicing Army aircraft systems. This is a desired capability Will the Nitrogen Generator have a Mean Time Between Mission Affecting Failure (MTBMAF) of 120 hours? Will the Nitrogen Generator require no more than .19 Maintenance Man Hours (MMH) per operating hour (excluding Preventive Maintenance Checks and Services (PMCS)? Will the Nitrogen Generator require no more than eight MMH to repair at Direct Support/General Support (DS/GS)? Will the Nitrogen Generator require no special tools or test equipment to maintain? Will the Nitrogen Generator have a time between calibration (if required) to be no less than 360 days? Will the Nitrogen Generator be Nuclear, Biological and Chemical (NBC) contamination survivable? Will the Nitrogen Generator have (chemical agent resistant coating), and be capable of easy decontamination to negligible risk levels? Will the Nitrogen Generator be capable of checking nitrogen purity with the use of monitors/devices. Will the Nitrogen Generator be capable of automatic shutdown to prevent damage to the Nitrogen generator, the aircraft, and nitrogen bottles? Will the Nitrogen Generator be capable of preventing the aircraft system from contaminating the Nitrogen Generator with hydraulic fluid? Will the Nitrogen Generator be capable of operating at temperatures between -25 degrees Fahrenheit to +120 degrees Fahrenheit at altitudes up to 5,000 feet above sea level? Will the Nitrogen Generator be operational and maintainable by aviation maintenance personnel when wearing cold weather clothing, combat protective gear and Mission Oriented Protective Posture (MOPP) 4 clothing? Will the Nitrogen Generator be capable of producing nitrogen gas that does not exceed the maximum acceptable levels of hydrocarbon and moisture content as specified in aircraft technical manuals? Will the Nitrogen Generator require the design of the outlets to prevent connecting the low pressure hose to the high pressure nitrogen outlet? Will the Nitrogen Generator be operated and maintained using standard Army Test Measurement Diagnostic Equipment (TMDE), tool kits and shop sets? Will the Nitorgen Generator meet Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Environmental Protective Agency (EPA), Compressed Gas Association and Army safety and health hazard requirements? Will the Nitorgen Generator be capable of unrestricted highway, rail and marine transport worldwide and will be capable of internal transport in the CH-47 helicopter, C-130 and larger aircraft? Will the Nitorgen Generator be capable of transport by the unit's organic vehicles during deployment? Please submit responses to this RFI via email no later than (NLT) by Noon Central Standard Time (CST). POINT OF CONTACT: All communication must be directed to the names below. Contracting Officer Name: Samuel Cornelius Email: samuel.e.cornelius.civ@army.mil Contract Specialist Name: Christopher Leonard Email: christopher.w.leonard2.civ@army.mil Please submit your companies answers to the RFI questions.