Instrumented Aerodynamic Interface Plane (AIP), a Mass-Flow Measurement/Throttling Systems, and Ejector Systems

Notice of Intent to Sole Source, IAW FAR 6.302-1(10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(1)), Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies Will Satisfy Agency Requirements; whereby Arnold Engineering Development Complex (AEDC), Arnold AFB, TN, intends to award a sole source, fixed price purchase order to Aircraft Research Association Ltd, Manton Lane, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK417PF, United Kingdom (ARA). ARA is the only qualified firm capable of meeting the technical requirements of the mass flow plugs. This notice is not a request for competitive proposals. Interested parties may submit their interest and capability to the contract specialist below not later than, 24 Dec 2016, 12:00 p.m., Central Time. Based upon the responses to this notice, the Government will determine if this proposed acquisition should be opened to competition. Note that responses must include a fully developed capability statement. Oral communications are not acceptable in response to this notice. AEDC will not pay any costs associated with responses to this notice. Arnold Engineering Development Complex (AEDC) requires an instrumented Aerodynamic Interface Plane (AIP), a Mass-Flow Measurement/Throttling Systems, and Ejector Systems for testing pressure distortion caused by air flowing from the aircraft's inlet to the turbine engine face. This system will be used for subscale aircraft engine model testing and will simulate the effects of an actual engine on the model. The system will do this by varying the amount of air flowing through the inlet by moving a plug (similar to a door). The more open the mass flow plug, the more air goes through. The amount of air is measured in pound mass per second (lbm/sec) and is referred to as mass flow for the purpose of this notification. The ejector creates a low pressure environment behind the mass flow plug this environment causes a sucking effect through the system. The pressure rakes will hold the high response pressure instrumentation (transducers) in place. To ensure the entire engine face has been mapped for pressure distortion, a grid of 80 transducers (equally spaced based on area) will be required; thus 16 pressure rakes with five transducers on each arm will be needed. This grid of pressure makes up the instrumentation on the AIP. The system must operate from Mach numbers of 0.0 (simulating an aircraft on the runway) to Mach 4.0 (very high supersonic) with pressures ranging from 200 pound per square foot to 3950 pounds per square foot (PSF), and temperatures ranging from 80 to 250 degrees F (this equates to Reynolds numbers from 0.05 to 5 million per foot). The data will be acquired from the pressure rakes using transducers supplied by Kulite Semiconductor Products, Inc. These high sample rate pressure transducers must be accurate in both the constant pressure plus oscillating pressure mode, and in oscillating pressure only mode (known as DC and AC coupled modes). The requirement for highly accurate pressure measurements will reduce the risk of engine failure (due to surge, planer wave or engine stall) for the engine manufacturers. A sources sought synopsis was issued on 17 December 2015 with a response date of 21 January 2016. Only one firm, ARA responded to the sources sought synopsis. In addition to the sources sought synopsis, AEDC contacted our list of customers (AFRL, LMCO, Boeing, NGC) that use mass flow systems and asked for additional information regarding companies that could build mass flow systems. In all cases there was no other suggested company than ARA as a possible supplier. Several of the companies contacted build their own mass flow systems, however they did not express any interest in building mass flow systems for sale to AEDC. Additionally current mass flow systems used by these companies do not meet the requirements set out by the sources sought synopsis. To this end, the companies that do build their own mass flow systems would have to redesign their current mass flow systems design. ARA currently has designs capable of meeting the design. On 10 October 2016 Boeing, NGC, and LMCO were informed that AEDC would be purchasing two mass flow systems instead of one. Consistent with our earlier market resource the before mentions companies did not show any interest with suppling AEDC with two mass flow systems.