Industry QA 5.docx

Industry Q&A Responses

Q1: Single and multiple lift crane lift points?

Response: This requirement is being removed from purchase descriptions due to size and weight constraints.

Q2: Single vs dual bearing AC generator?

Response: The customer has requested dual bearing machines, which are longer. This is why The Government posed the open ended question regarding physical packaging of the unit. The Government is expecting industry feedback on overall length concerns with the larger dual bearing generator.

Q3: Simultaneous 400AC and 28.5 VDC power?

Response: The Government understands the tradeoffs, and this is why the Government posed the open ended question regarding physical packaging of the unit. The Government was expecting industry feedback on overall size dimensional concerns with that simultaneous power requirement.

This requirement is being removed from the 72kW Purchase Description due to size and weight constraints. Please note that the requirement for single phase, 120 VAC, 60 Hz output is still required to be available both by itself and simultaneously with all other outputs.

Q4: Is the Government going to dictate what initial power source the 270VDC converter is driven from?

Response: The Government understands the architecture can and will vary vendor to vendor. Further, the Government acknowledges it impacts dimensional packing of the GPUs, and it can impact program risks if the Government sets a particular architecture. The Government is not going to dictate how to package the LRUs and what powers what, as long as the ultimate power source is eventually 60Hz. The block diagram indicating power flow currently in the Industry Day version of the PD is being removed IAW industry feedback.

Q5: 12 hours @ 80% load fuel tank capacity vs. 8 hours at 100% load fuel tank capacity?

Response: The 72kW (which is physically smaller) will be required to have 8 hours at 100% load fuel tank capacity like it always has; the 144kW unit (physically larger unit capable of accommodating a larger fuel tank) will be required to have 12 hours @ 80% load fuel tank capacity.

Q6: Will foreign subcontractors be excluded?

Response: DFARS clause 252.225-7002 will be included in the solicitation and resultant contract. This clause identifies the countries of origin that are able to be subcontracted with.

Q7: Does the Government intend to continue to ask questions via BetaSAM?

Response: Yes, the Government is attempting to provide much more than normal levels of communication regarding many segments of the project (tech, pricing, programmatic, contracting). As the Government progresses further in the acquisition planning phase, the questions may change as the Government narrows in on the finalized strategy. The Government fully anticipates future dialog to continue in an effort to make the bidding process easy and timely.

Q8: Does the 144kW loadbank require 200% overload capability?

Response: One of the preliminary documents used for 144kW GPU and 144kW loadbank market research references some particular points at which hard and fast protective circuits on certain aircraft annunciate fault(s). This on-aircraft fault limit is completely separate from the overload requirement regarding capability of the 144kW loadbank. The Government understands how and why some of the phrasing used in the preliminary high level 10 page 144kW GPU and loadbank market research specification may lend itself to this question. The Government will be fully describing all of the loadbank performance and verification requirements in a stand alone purchase description. For planning purposes, the loadbank overload capability shall support operational checkout of the overload protective circuits on the power cart(s). No more capability than that is required/desired. As a reminder, power cart overload limits are:

AC mode, 125% (± 2%) of up to 144kW/180 kVA for approximately 30 seconds

28.5 VDC mode, 660 amps for approximately 30 seconds AND 2000 amps for approximately 10 seconds.

270 VDC mode, F-35 peculiar 72kW overloads AND 144kW at 125% for approximately 30 seconds (NOTE: the 144kW overload capability may be reduced to a limit closer to 110% based on customer requirements when the actual loadbank purchase description is published for industry review.)

Questions for Industry Feedback

1. What are the impacts of adding the requirement for the 72kW GPU and the 144kW GPU to be able to operate on both standard US power (3-Phase, 480 VAC, 60 Hz), as well as, standard European power (3-phase, 380 VAC, 50Hz)? We are interested in all impacts of adding this requirement, but are particularly interested in size, weight, and cost impacts.

2. Currently the PD’s steady state frequency requirement is +/- 1 Hz (399 Hz to 401 Hz). MIL-STD-704, Figure 5, shows the envelop for normal 400 Hz frequency transient. This figure has a steady state frequency requirement of +/- 7 Hz, and allows 10 seconds to return to this steady state range.

For the conditions below, what are the realistic envelops that would return the frequency to a steady state of 400 Hz +/- 1 H:

a) No load to full load?

b) Full load to no load?

c) No load to half load?

d) Half load to no load?

3. The Government has posted an updated (incomplete) version of the 72kW GPU purchase description (PD) along with this Q&A 5 document. Please note that the PD is export controlled and encrypted; as such, your company must request access, and provide your approved documentation for verification prior to receiving a copy of the PD. While the Government will accept feedback on the PD at any time, up to release of the final Request For Proposal (RFP), the Government requests an initial review of this (incomplete) PD version be completed no later than 15 JAN 2020.

The Government is particularly interested in Industry’s feedback on the Section 3 requirements. This portion of the PD includes the possible requirements included in Q&A 5, questions 1 and 2. In particular, the Government would like industry’s feedback on:

- Unfeasible requirements

- Contradictory requirements

- Requirements that could be made “tighter” or more stringent

- Requirements that if changed would make achieving the weight requirement less challenging, other than the requirement to use the 60 Hz architecture.

The Government will utilize industry PD review and feedback, along with comments from Q&A 5, to complete the final draft 72kW PD, including all requirements of Sections 1 to 6, for further industry comment and feedback, after 15 JAN 2020. Also note that industry feedback regarding the 72kW PD is being applied to the creation of the 144kW GPU PD and the 144kW Universal Loadbank (ULB) PD.