12441924Q0036 BRAND NAME JUSTIFICATION FINAL.pdf

SOLE SOURCE or BRAND NAME JUSTIFICATION (FAR 13 Under the SAT)

1. DESCRIPTION OF THE SUPPLIES/SERVICES REQUIRED

The National Technology and Development Program Wildland Fire Chemicals Group is seeking an industrial in-line process density and viscosity sensor to compare against other process monitoring equipment to determine suitability in the field. This sensor is being requested to field test as a business case study to determine if there is a more cost-effective way of running quality control tests for the National Retardant Program. The purposes of the study is to perform a direct comparison of performance against another sensor with similar capabilities. The total estimated cost for the sensor is $16,000 USD. The delivery timeframe is proposed as September 2nd 2024.

2. JUSTIFICATION FOR SOLICITING FROM A SINGLE SOURCE or FOR A BRAND NAME

The sensor requires to operate as a quality control sensor inline density and viscosity sensor as part of the retardant delivery process to safely load airtankers with long-term fire retardants. The accuracy and sensitivity of this equipment is critical to loading product safely. Operating in this environment requires very robust characteristics. Market research has indicated there are only 2 sensor models that meet all the requirements of in-line testing of refractometer measurements for retardant loading operations, each being requested as a sole source for the purposes of comparison in this field study. The sole purpose of this work is to validate a robust sensor that can be compared against existing equipment and sensors and evaluated to perform under the conditions required to load aircraft.

Figure 1 identifies the unique configuration of plumbing to validate and test each of these sensors.

Item number 7 in the drawing is specific to the item being requested for in this purchase.

The current National Contract for Long-Term Retardant requires a flow rate of 500 gallons per minute, operating under the environmental conditions listed herein. The field requirements of the sensor being requested are as follows:

Compatible with liquid wildfire retardant salts (usually ammonium phosphates or magnesium chloride) to report both product viscosity and density.

Requires compatibility as installed on a DN 80/3 inch pipe using a 2-1/2-inch tri-clamp Installed and mounted outdoors (potential 0-30 degree C difference between air and fluid), Average flow rate of 500 gallons per minute Line pressure will vary from 60psi to 100psi; must be able to operate across the full range.

Must be able to operate with air bubbles in the fluid from mixing Shall be compatible in an environment with minimal vibration Density ranges between 1.000g/ml to 1.150 g/ml Operating viscosity range 0.5 20,000 cP Operating temperature across a range of -40 C 150 C Operating voltage of 24V DC nominal Shall make measurements once a second (1/s) Shall have a Electropolished finish to prevent scaling and buildup Accuracy/precision requirement of:

. The total estimated cost for the sensor is $16,000 USD. Th o Density = +/- 0.001 g/cm3 o Viscosity = +/-1% across 100 - 1000 cP range Shall not encumber the airtanker base personnel during daily fire operations Shall be low-maintenance, easy to operate/clean, and cannot be installed on a bypass line, must be in-line.

Figure 1. Drawing of airtanker base loading configuration.

The Rheonics SRD X-5 is the Brand Name and part number that was identified to meet all criteria to effectively operate in the field. Pursuing other alternatives could provide lower quality measurements, require more frequent maintenance, and above all may cause safety incidents to airtanker base operators.

Technical Data Information Rheonics SRD X-5 Density Viscosity Meter

Part number 9 from Figure 2 is the specific sensor being requested for this application. This shall be compatible with flange (part number 12) from the drawing; McMaster Carr part number #44685K15 and with a sensor insertion/depth of 8.41-inch / 213.61mm. See Figure 2 for additional dimensions and detail. This is a custom configured part to be able to properly be mounted in the plumbing for safe and accurate operation.

Figure 2. Rheonics SRD X-5 Diagram and mounting alignment.

Rheonics SRD X-5 Density Viscosity Meter Inline process density meter and viscometer, online, real-time fluid density meter with viscosity

Single instrument for simultaneous process density (specific gravity), viscosity and temperature measurement

Compact form-factor for simple installation Real-time, stable, repeatable and reproducible measurements in Newtonian & non-

Newtonian fluids Measures kinematic and dynamic viscosity All metal construction Completely insensitive to mounting conditions Operational to 500 bar and 300°C (7500 psi, 575°F) Threaded, flanged and sanitary process fittings Easy to clean, no maintenance or re-configurations needed Scale across multiple locations/installs without application re-engineering

3. EFFORTS TO OBTAIN COMPETITION

Several different viscosity and density meter manufacturers were contacted to determine suitability of different sensors. Some suppliers did not respond to online website inquiries, and others did not provide an in-line option. The documentation from the companies that did respond is captured in the Market Research document.

The Brand Name and model are the critical components of this validation study, it does not matter which vendor provides the sensor.

4. STEPS TO PRECLUDE FUTURE SINGLE SOURCE (or BRAND NAME) AWARDS

This validation field study will help to justify performance of which sensor(s) and types will be most suitable for operating in the airtanker base environment. If multiple sensors and brands become validated, this will open the opportunity for future purchases to refer to the results of this study to choose the best options for a given site, application, or plumbing configuration.

I have determined, in accordance with FAR 13.106-1(b) that the circumstances of this contract action deem only the brand name is available for the required services and performance.

Requesting Office:

Hunter Jones NTDP Chemist Hunter.jones@usda.gov

Concur/Does Not Concur:

Nathan Heikkinen Contracting Officer