Man-Mounted Oxygen Regulator for Use in Tactical Aircraft

1. NAVAIRSYSCOM plans to field a new breathing system (mask and regulator) for OBOGS/OBIGGS equipped aircraft. The primary objective of this upgrade is to design and develop a regulator that is compatible with a Government furnished mask (to be named later) as an integrated system with specific attention on reducing the work of breathing. A secondary objective is to provide a replacement for the existing CRU-103 man-mounted oxygen regulator to be used with existing cockpit and Aviation Life Support System (ALSS) interfaces, and ALSS crew configurations in F/A-18, EA-18, T-45, E-2D, and V-22 aircraft. The Government plans to act as the lead systems integrator and plans to award contracts for each individual component. This announcement is focused on man-mounted oxygen regulator solutions. NAVAIRSYSCOM intends to award a procurement contract with deliveries beginning within 12 months (objective) or 24 months (threshold) of contract award. 2. THIS SOURCES SOUGHT IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL. It is a request for capability statements to determine which man-mounted oxygen regulators currently meet, or have the potential to meet, the NAVAIRSYSCOM requirements described herein prior to determining the method of acquisition, small business set-asides (if any) and issuance of a Request for Proposal (RFP). The contractor must be able to meet the minimum requirements with regard to regulator performance and delivery time to the fleet. No government funding is available for development or non-recurring engineering (NRE) associated with producing the capability statement submission. As part of its market research efforts under FAR Part 10, NAVAIRSYSCOM is interested in receiving information that demonstrates the ability to manage a performance work statement; technical ability, including technical specifications and test reports; and and capacity to provide a prototype within 12 months after a contract award. The North American Industry Classification Systems (NAICS) code for this requirement is 336413 - Other Aircraft Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing. The small business size standard is 1,250 employees. 3. Interested sources shall provide a capability statement detailing their man-mounted oxygen regulator's ability to meet mandatory paragraph 3.1 Threshold Parameters. The capability statement shall also detail breathing regulator's ability to meet para 3.2 and para 3.3 attributes. The capability statement shall not exceed 20 pages excluding technical specification, test reports, and drawings. 3.1 Key Performance Parameters (KPPs) Aircraft Interface[C(1] [R(2] [M(3] [R(4] The man-mounted oxygen regulator shall be able to receive pressurized breathing gas supplied by the aircraft's On Board Oxygen Generating System (OBOGS), Backup Oxygen Supply (BOS), and Emergency Oxygen Supply (EOS), and reduce the pressure to physiologically acceptable levels. The breathing regulator shall interface with the aircrew's lower oxygen hose using an AN-6 flared tube male fitting. The fitting shall be removable for replacement in the event it becomes damaged or cross threaded. The regulator shall interface with a Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) oxygen mask hose equipped with an MS27796 [C(5] [M(6] fitting. The GFE mask and performance tolerance data will be provided by 01 Jan 2024. The regulator shall have an inlet filter capable of filtering materials 70 microns in size. Any design bleed of the regulator shall not exceed 0.900 liters/minute. Dynamic Breathing Performance Mask pressures and Work of Breathing limits during dynamic breathing with a Government furnished oxygen mask shall be in accordance with MIL-STD-3050A (reference (a)), paragraph 5.3.1. The regulator shall be capable of meeting MIL-STD-3050A WOB requirements at anticipated aircrew workloads and while being supplied with oxygen as described below: Low workload (profiles 1 and 2) with supply pressures from 5 to 100 PSIG. Moderate workload (profiles 3 to 5) with supply pressure from 8 to 100 PSIG. Elevated workload (profiles 6 to 8) with supply pressures from 15 to 100 PSIG. High Workload (profiles 9 to 12) with supply pressures from 25 to 100 PSIG. Oscillatory pressures in the mask shall not exceed the limits as defined in MIL-STD-3050A, paragraph 5.3.6. Pressure Breathing Characteristics The regulator may be designed with, or without, Safety Pressure as defined in MIL-STD-3050A. If designed with Safety Pressure, the pressure in the mask shall be between 0.5 and 1.5 inWg with no flow being drawn from the mask. If the regulator is designed with Safety Pressure, it is desirable to have a crew accessible control to select Safety Pressure ON and OFF. If the regulator is designed without crew selectable Safety Pressure, it is desirable to have the regulator automatically provide Safety Pressure when the cabin altitude exceeds 10,000 ft. Hypoxia Protection The regulator shall provide physiological protection from hypoxia during and after a cockpit decompression. For F/A-18, EA-18G, and T-45 aircraft, cockpit decompression shall be as short as 1.0 second and meet the requirements of MIL-STD-3050A, paragraph 5.3.4. The regulator shall not alter the oxygen content of the breathing gas provided by the aircraft's primary or backup oxygen supplies. The regulator shall provide elevated pressure breathing gas sufficient to prevent hypoxia and physiological episodes from ground to cockpit altitude of up to 50,000 ft in accordance with MIL-STD-3050A, table III as specified for use with 94% oxygen. 3.2 Key System Attributes (KSA) Threshold (T) Objective (O) Weight/ Size[C(7] [M(8] The breathing regulator shall not exceed a weight of 350 grams and not exceed the size of 7.62 cm wide by 10.16 cm height by 5.08 cm in depth. O=T Safety The regulator shall have a relief valve to prevent excessive pressure (>25 inWg) delivery to the oxygen mask hose. The regulator shall be constructed with materials compatible with oxygen use up to a pressure of 250 PSIG as determined by an Oxygen Compatibility Assessment per reference (b) or (c). Reliability The regulator shall have a minimum operating life of 8,000 hours with minimal servicing and replacement of parts. Parts requiring scheduled replacement shall be approved for use by the Government.[G(9] [M(10] The regulator shall have a predicted MTBF of at least 6,300 hours and a lower test MTBF of 2,800 hours. The regulator shall be capable of 100[G(11] ,000 breathing cycles and 1,000 cycles to altitude (ground to 50,000 ft) without failure or need for adjustment. Aircraft Compatibility The System shall be compatible with the aircraft without requiring aircraft modifications. The regulator shall be capable of regulating breathing pressures during cabin pressure changes of up to .04 psi/sec. The flow noise from the regulator shall not interfere with hot-mic operations and shall not exceed 95dB (referenced to 2.0 x 10-4 dyne/cm2) at 1/3 octave band center frequencies from 320 to 6300 Hz. The breathing regulator shall be worn at chest level by the aircraft pilot. While seated in the aircraft, oxygen from the aircraft's OBOGS shall be delivered to the regulator on the pilot's left side. 3.3 Additional Performance Attributes (APA): Threshold (T) Objective (O) Maintenance System maintenance shall not require specialized tools. The System shall be capable of being maintained using current - O Level and - I Level tools. Mean time to repair (MTTR) and retest shall be no more than 3 hours for 90% of failures. Environmental Compatibility The System shall be compatible with the full range of environmental conditions experienced throughout its life cycle including operational, maintenance, transportation, and storage conditions. O=T Quality Assurance ISO 9000 certification is required for manufacturing capabilities. 4. In addition to the parameters and attributes identified in paragraph 3, the Government is also interested in learning about companies' manufacturing capabilities, including: Similar or comparable products produced by the company, and how they could be modified to meet the requirements herein. Manufacturing capability and current production status of similar or comparable products. Estimated in-house verses outsourced components of the intended design. Proposed manufacturing schedule including acquisition of new tooling or manufacturing equipment need to (a) produce a working prototype, and (b) to produce the final production configuration. 5. POC Tyesha Parker It is not the Government's intention to provide written responses to all questions asked. However, if the Government finds a question would benefit all interested parties, the question and response will be shared through the Government-wide point of entry (GPE) SAM/Navy Electronic Commerce Online. 6. Data Protection Information contained in the capability statements received as a result of this request are expected to be sensitive and/or proprietary to the responding company and will be protected as such. Any proprietary information received in response to this request will be properly protected from any unauthorized disclosures; however, it is incumbent upon the respondent to appropriately mark all submissions. In order to complete its review, NAVAIRSYSCOM must be able to share the information within the Government and any responses marked in a manner that will not permit such internal Government review may be returned without being assessed or considered. 7. Instructions Interested regulator manufacturers shall submit a capability statement detailing how its candidate regulator meets or exceeds all the performance parameters and attributes listed in this RFI. CAPABILITY STATEMENTS THAT FAIL TO MEET/ADDRESS THRESHOLD KPP REQUIREMENTS WILL NOT BE GIVEN FURTHER CONSIDERATION AT THIS TIME. Companies will be required to provide the following on the cover page: Company Name Company Address Company point of contact Company point of contact's phone number and email address Company Size Small Business Status (e.g., 8(A) Program, HUBZone Program, Service-Disable Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), Veteran-Owned Small Business (VOSB), Economically Disadvantaged Woman-Owned Small Business (EDWOSB), Woman-Owned Small Business (WOSB), Small Disadvantage Business (SDB), etc.). Submission of test reports as an enclosure is strongly recommended and shall be identified as internal, external, or Government. Respondents are welcome to include in their capability statement any information that details their ability to deliver a low cost, reliable man-mounted regulator in a timely manner. No classified data shall be submitted. The capability statement must address all the data and information requested by the Government in paragraphs 3 and 4, be clear, concise, and shall include sufficient detail to substantiate the validity of stated claims. Capability statements shall be no more than 20 pages (excluding technical specification, test reports, and drawings), double-spaced, 11- point font, and must be in English. Additionally, the unclassified response must be submitted via DOD Safe (https://safe.apps.mil/) with electronic media that is Microsoft Office 2010 compatible (that is non-write protected), 4:00 PM Eastern Standard Time, References (a) MIL-STD-3050A, Aircrew Breathing Systems (ACBS), Department of Defense Design Criteria Standard, of 1 July 2022 (b) NASA/TM-2007-213740. Guide for Oxygen Compatibility Assessments on Oxygen Components and Systems, Rosales, K.R, Shoffstall, M.S, Stoltzfus, JM, NASA Center for AeroSpace Information, 7121 Standard Drive, Hanover, MD, 21076-1320. (c) ASTM Manual 36. Safe Use of Oxygen and Oxygen Systems: Guidelines for Oxygen System Design, Materials Selection, Operations, Storage, and Transportation, ASTM Manual 36, Beeson, H.D., Stewart, W.F., and Woods, S.S. Editors, American Society for Testing and Materials, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 2000