Diesel/synthesis gas (syn gas)/natural gas motor generator test

The Air Force Special Operation Command (AFSOC) is in the process of determining the acquisition strategy for a potential requirement for AFSOC/A7AV support for/at Hurlburt Field, FL, with an estimated one-year period of performance starting on or about September 2010. The applicable North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code is 333618, small business size standard in number of employees is 1,000. Executive order 13423 mandates the Federal Government reduce energy consumption, increase the use of green products, reduce green house gases, and divert or reduce solid waste. The AFSOC/A7AV Transportable Plasma Waste to Energy System (TPWES), when complete, will convert unsorted municipal waste, medical waste, hazardous and non hazardous waste including used oil and off-spec fuel into a synthesis gas. The synthesis gas will then be converted to electricity using a commercially proven spark plug ignited - GE Jenbacher gas engine. The drawback of the TPWES operating using a gas engine is that it must be initially started up by pulling electricity either from an existing grid or from a stand-alone generator. This requirement limits the deployability of the TPWES if an adequately-sized generator or grid is not available. Dual fuel engines will transform the TPWES into a completely independent mobile unit, which can be deployed and operated at most locations, even those which have no access to the power grid. The TPWES would be started up using diesel or natural gas. Once the plasma system starts to produce synthesis gas from garbage, it will be blended into the dual fuel engine to dramatically reduce or eliminate other fuel consumption (i.e., diesel, biodiesel or natural gas). Performance Requirements: The contractor would support the TPWES program by developing, modifying and testing the production of electrical power using dual fuel engines, (i.e. diesel/synthesis gas (syn gas)/natural gas motor generators). The syn gas will be produced from organic waste using a Transportable Plasma Waste to Energy System (TPWES) located at Hurlburt Fld, Fl. Commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) engines, capable of working in a - dual fuel mode with synthesis gas or with conventional fuels, shall be modified to minimize conventional fuel requirements; i.e., run on syn gas produced from garbage, thus reducing the logistic tail for fuels in deployed locations. Various combinations will be tested to prove the concept and find the optimal syn gas fuel mix that operates reliably. Petroleum-based diesel, natural gas and green fuels such as bio-diesel shall be tested in three phases. The Contractor would provide all personnel, supervision, equipment and other services necessary to perform the dual fuel testing as described below. Personnel under this Performance Work Statement will not deploy. Performance Work Statement: Phase 1) Convert a COTS diesel engine into a dual fuel engine: This task will develop special gas mixtures/gas trains to mix and introduce synthesis gas and combustion air into a standard diesel engine. In addition, modifications to the intake manifolds, ignition sequence, the control/governing logic, etc, shall be accomplished to optimize electricity output in dual fuel mode, while reducing diesel fuel requirements. Phase 2) Convert COTS natural gas engine into a dual fuel engine: This task will develop special gas mixtures/gas trains to mix and introduce the synthesis gas and combustion air into a standard natural gas engine. In addition, the task will modify the ignition sequence and the control/governing logic to produce electricity in dual fuel mode. The engine parameters will be fine tuned to maximize replacement of the natural gas with the synthesis gas once the TPWES is operating at full capacity. Phase 3) Using bio-diesel in dual fuel mode: This task will be a follow on effort to Phase 1 in which the engine parameters will be further developed in an effort to replace standard fossil fuel diesel with bio-diesel produced by green technologies. Summary: It is anticipated that this procurement will be issued under the Foreign Comparative Testing program, and the purpose of this sources sought synopsis is to locate whether there are domestic companies capable of performing. This Sources Sought Synopsis is for planning purposes only, and shall not be considered as a Request for Proposal (RFP), or as an obligation on the part of the Government to acquire any products or services. Furthermore, we are not at this time seeking proposals and will not accept unsolicited proposals. Vendor participation is not a promise of future business with the Government. No contract award will be made on the basis of this SSS, and no funds have been authorized, appropriated, or received for this contemplated effort. The Government will not pay for any information received in response to this SSS, nor will the Government compensate any respondent for any cost incurred in developing the information. Any information provided in response to this market research will be used for informational purposes only and will not be returned. All proprietary information should be clearly marked as such. All information submitted by respondents to this SSS, including appropriately marked proprietary information, will be safeguarded and protected from unauthorized disclosure. Firms responding to this announcement should include company name, cage code, point of contact, address and indicate whether they are a small business, 8(a) concern, veteran-owned small business, service-disabled veteran-owned small business, HUBZone small business, or small disadvantaged business. Potential offerors should submit a 1 page report with the offeror's relevant experience and capabilities in modifying COTS engines to accept syngas and test the results, i.e. durability, diesel fuel savings, maintenance implications, etc. The Government reserves the right to set-aside any subsequent acquisition based upon known sources and/or responses to this synopsis. Interested companies may identify their interest and capability to respond to the requirement to Jeffrey L. Lowman at e-mail contact@example.gov.