FAR 13 Single Source_Final.pdf

United States Department of Agriculture Limited Source/Brand Name Justification

FAR 13.106-1(b)(1) Simplified Acquisitions Control No. (if applicable) ______________________

1. Identification of the agency and the contracting activity.

USDA Forest Service Washington Office, National Technology and Development Program

2. Description of supply or service 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 purpose 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.

3. The rationale or circumstances for limiting competition.

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:

Density = +/- 0.001 g/cm3 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.

The EMERSON Fork Viscosity Meter (FVM) Part No: FVM11C740EAC22FCEZZZ) is the Brand Name and part number that was identified to meet all criteria to effectively operate in the field. See Figure 2 for drawing. 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 EMERSON Fork Viscosity Meter (FVM) Model: FVM11C740EAC22FCEZZZ, with transmitter display attached. As designed in Figure 2.

4. A description of the market research conducted and the results or a statement of the reason market research was not conducted.

Several different density and viscosity 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.

5. Estimated price, including all options, if applicable.

The total estimated cost for the sensor is $16,000 USD, one-time purchase.

6. Recommended source(s).

EMERSON LLLP, parts division Micro Motion Inc.

The EMERSON Fork Viscosity Meter (FVM) Part No: FVM11C740EAC22FCEZZZ) is the Brand Name and part number that was identified to meet all criteria to effectively operate in the field. See Figure 2 for drawing. Pursuing other alternatives could provide lower quality measurements, require more frequent maintenance, and above all may cause safety incidents to airtanker base operators.

Certifications

Supporting data that is the responsibility of technical or requirements personnel and which form the basis for this justification are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge.

Hunter Jones NTPD - Chemist

The information contained in this justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief and in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation 13.106-1(b)(1), I hereby determine the circumstances described above deem only one source, or limited sources, reasonably available and competition is precluded for the reasons indicated in this document.

Nathan Heikkinen Contracting Officer