JOFOC_25_SEP_2023.pdf

Rev.:4/2023

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

AMES Research Center

JUSTIFICATION FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

(JOFOC)

For Wind Fan Array

1. Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.303-2(b)(1) – Identification of the agency and the contracting activity, and specific identification of the document as a “Justification for other than full and open competition.”

This document is a justification for other than full and open competition prepared by

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) AMES Research Center.

The procuring agency is the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the contracting activity is NASA IT Procurement Office.

2. FAR 6.303-2(b)(2) – The nature and/or description of the action being approved:

This justification provides the rationale for contracting by other than full and open competition to award a sole source for a Wind Fan Array, a laboratory device containing several internal fans for generating time-, speed-, and spatially-varying wind fields useful for the indoor large motion testing of aerial robots.

3. FAR 6.303-2(b)(3) – A description of the supplies or services required, to meet the

Agency’s needs (including the estimated value):

NASA Ames is seeking to procure a wind-generating system for an indoor laboratory designed to study aerial robotics. The system should be composed of numerous, individually controllable (via a laptop-class computer) small (but powerful) fans, with the fans mounted in a rectangular modular array that can be repositioned (rolled) within the confines of an existing 40 foot by 70-foot indoor robotics laboratory test area at Ames (building M45). This indoor test area is currently outfitted with an OptiTrack motion-capture system (a set of high-performance cameras) that allows for the attitude and motion of flying robots to be recorded. In order to study the effects of time-, speed-, and spatially-varying winds on flying robots, NASArequires the array of fans to be approximately 9 feet wide by 6 feet tall and capable of providing accurate and finely-detailed control over individual regions of the array (the mental notion of a ‘fan/wind pixel’ may be helpful here). NASAestimates that to provide the required ‘wind resolution’ for an array of this size, each ‘fan/wind pixel’ should be approximately 2” to 5” in diameter, with the system consisting in total of approximately 500-600 individual high-powered fans. To provide the best flow quality (free of excessive swirl from individual fans), the fans should counter-rotate. All electronics and wiring should be integrated within the fan array housings and supports, and the power supply and connections should be compatible with industry standards for laboratory equipment. Each fan must have the capability to communicate with the control computer via software, and that software should be easily configurable by the user (via a modern programming language) to create a variety of user-defined flow patterns that can vary in wind duration, pattern, and/or wind strength.

4. FAR 6.303-2(b)(4) – An identification of the statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition:

The statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition is 10 U.S.C. 3204(a)

(1), as implemented by FAR 6.302-1 Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements.

5. FAR 6.303-2(b)(5) – A demonstration that the proposed contractor’s unique qualifications or the nature of the acquisition requires use of the authority cited:

The rationale supporting the use of 10 U.S.C. 3204(a) as described below.

WindShape, located at 1211 W 36th St. N. Tulsa, OK, 74127-1517, USA (CAGE CODE

9DZS1), is currently the only vendor producing large fan arrays with computerized control over individual fans. The WindShape CEO has sent a letter (attached) attesting to their being the sole provider of this equipment. WindShape owns the key patent portfolio around this technology, and NASAhas been unable to find any other providers of similar systems.

There are no solutions that have the ability to individually control small regions within the resultant flow. This fine control capability is essential for replicating (in a laboratory environment) both the temporal and spatial variations that occur in nature. Lacking this capability will hamper NASA’s ability to accurately develop and test the advanced technologies required to safely operate future autonomous robots and aircraft within windy urban environments.

6. FAR 6.303-2(b)(6) – A description of the efforts made to ensure that offers are solicited from as many potential sources as practicable, including whether a notice was or will be publicized as required by Subpart 5.2 and, if not, which exception under 5.202 applies:

A notice to the Government Point of Entry (GPE) website (Sam.gov) was published on

September 6, 2023, in accordance with FAR Subpart 5.2. This posting informed potential sources of NASA’s intent to award this sole-source to WindShape. The results of this synopsis are summarized in Section 10 below.

A Request For Information with the SOW was posted on SEWP and GSA with (NAICS)

541715, “Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except

Nanotechnology and Biotechnology)” for 5 days and there were no responses.

7. FAR 6.303-2(b)(7) – A determination by the contracting officer that the anticipated cost to the Government will be fair and reasonable:

It is determined that the anticipated cost to the government will be fair and reasonable. The

Contractor shall be required to submit a quote to be evaluated and negotiated by the

Government. Prior to the execution of the contractual instrument, a quote analysis will be

Performed. The quote analysis will ensure that the final agreed-to price for the contract action is fair and reasonable per FAR 15.4.

8. FAR 6.303-2(b)(8) – Description of the market research conducted, and the results, or a statement of the reasons market research was not conducted:

The following websites were examined for products that might be similar to the embedded fan panels sold by WindShape. These websites were suggested and found through a combination of several independent web searches for similar wind tunnel testing equipment along with several interactive session with ChatGPT. In no case did I find any provider of a product with the control capabilities provided by WindShape.

Except for Aerolab, all of the companies above provided either: 1) engineering consulting services with some combination of design, test and analysis services for small UAS; 2) wind tunnel testing services within their wind tunnel facility; 3) support products, individual components, or complete autonomous vehicles; or 4) benchtop wind tunnels for electronic cooling testing or small to medium-sized single-fan wind tunnels for schools and education.

The closest competition found was the “wind-generator” from Aerolab (Wind Generators -

Aerolab). This device appears to be an industrial-scale blower that incorporates a large single fan but has no capability to modulate or fine tune individual regions of the resultant flow.

No product with the large size and fine control capabilities were found similar to the

WindShape panels. The other providers of small wind tunnels produce products inherently unsuited for large room research, as the high-speed winds are produced within a very constrained venturi region unsuitable for the flight testing of larger drones and multirotor vehicles.

9. FAR 6.303-2(b)(9) – Any other facts supporting the use of other than full and open competition:

WindShape SA known as windshaper – modular multi-fan wind facilities – is unique and no other companies make a similar or competing product. A sole manufacturer certificate was provided by WindShape.

10. FAR 6.303-2(b)(10) – A listing of the sources, if any, that expressed an interest in writing in the acquisition:

A notice of NASA’s intent to award this sole-source action will be synopsized on the GPE website (Sam.gov) per FAR 12.603 (See Section 6 above). There are no other sources of providers for listed products/services.

11. FAR 6.303-2(b)(11) – A statement of actions, if any, the agency may take to remove or overcome any barriers to competition before any subsequent acquisition for the supplies or services required:

The Agency will continue to examine the market in the future for alternative solutions or new sources before executing any subsequent acquisitions for the same requirements.

https://www.aerolab.com/aerolab-products/wind-generators/ https://www.aerolab.com/aerolab-products/wind-generators/

WIND ARRAY

JUSTIFICATION FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

SIGNATURE PAGE

I certify that the facts presented in this justification are accurate and complete.

John E. Melton

Technical Representative

I hereby certify that the above justification is complete and accurate to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Christy R. Moody

Contracting Officer