JOFOC - UPWT VFD Upgrade_Redacted.pdf

Rev.: 10/2025

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

AMES RESEARCH CENTER (ARC)

JUSTIFICATION FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

(JOFOC)

For Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel (UPWT) Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) Upgrade

1. Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.104-1(a)(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) ARC.

The procuring agency is the NASA, and the contracting activity is ARC, Code JAI. This JOFOC is recorded in the ARC JOFOC Log as #JA-FY26-J06.

2. FAR 6.104-1(a)(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 contract to ABB, Inc for the equipment necessary to update the UPWT VFD. Specifically, four (4) ABB ACS5000 Converters, two (2) Specialtrasfo Converter Transformers, and all documented control devices and equipment.

3. FAR 6.104-1(a)(3) – A description of the supplies or services required, to meet the

Agency’s needs (including the estimated value):

The equipment purchased will support two 65,000 HP motors of the Ames Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel. Each motor requires two electrical converters which controls speed and torque by varying electrical voltage and frequency. Each converter must be supplied by a transformer that is configured specifically for the application, as the transformer acts as a filter to dampen electrical noise generated by the converter. Specific items include:

• 4x ABB ACS5000 Converters, which have been configured based on an engineering study done by ABB in 2021 to meet the requirements of the existing facility equipment. Two converters are needed to supply each of the 65,000 HP motors. The converters are manufactured in Turgi, Switzerland and are estimated to cost each.

• 2x Specialtrasfo Converter Transformers, configured to supply two ABB ACS5000 converters. They are 55.8 MVA, 18-pulse units manufactured in Milan, Italy and are estimated to cost each.

The final cost of these items will be dependent on the commodity process of copper and steel and the currency exchange of US Dollars to Swiss Francs or Euros on the date of purchase.

Rev.:10/2025

4. FAR 6.104-1(a)(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 6.104-1(a)(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)(1) is the need for highly specialized equipment as described below.

In July 2020, a Request for Proposal (RFP) was published for the UPWT VFD Upgrade conceptual design. Four vendors submitted bids with ABB ultimately being selected as the winner. A detailed design was completed in January 2022. Four converters and two converter-transformers, essentially half of the equipment, have been purchased from ABB and are in transit to ARC.

Utilizing a different manufacturer with the current system is not feasible. Each converter manufacturer has a unique control system that is not cross-compatible with hardware from other manufacturers. If units from multiple manufacturers were used on various motors, each would need its own control system, and a substantially more complex overall system would be needed to integrate them together. This effort would need to be reviewed before purchases could be made and this would create an unacceptable delay to the overall project schedule.

The current detailed engineering of the present system design took more than a year to complete at a cost of Competing the project for a new design would result in an unacceptable delay to the project with duplicative costs.

6. FAR 6.104-1(a)(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 part 5 and, if not, which exception under part 5 applies:

A notice to the Government Point of Entry (GPE) website (Sam.gov) was published on March 17, 2026, in accordance with FAR part 5. This posting informed potential sources of NASA’s intent to award this sole source to ABB, Inc. The results of this synopsis are summarized in Section 10 below.

7. FAR 6.104-1(a)(7) – A determination by the contracting officer that the anticipated cost to the Government will be fair and reasonable:

The contracting officer’s signature on this document indicates that the contracting officer has determined that the anticipated cost to the government will be fair and reasonable. The contractor must be required to submit a proposal to be evaluated and negotiated by the Government. Prior to execution of the contractual instrument, a proposal analysis will be performed. The proposal analysis will ensure that the final agreed-to price for the contract action is fair and reasonable.

The analysis of the proposal will be conducted in accordance with FAR 15.404, and include a detailed cost element analysis, a comparison of the Independent Government Cost Estimate, and other appropriate cost and price evaluation techniques to ensure the final agreed-to cost is fair and reasonable. Pre-negotiation objectives will be prepared in accordance with FAR

15.408 prior to conducting negotiations. A price negotiations memorandum will also be prepared to document the outcome of the negotiation.

8. FAR 6.104-1(a)(8) – Description of the market research conducted, and the results, or a statement of the reason market research was not conducted (e.g., urgent, and compelling requirement):

Market research was performed in March 2026, which included a presolicitation notice posted to the GPE, as stated in paragraph 6 above. The purpose of the synopsis was to: (1) notify industry of NASA’s intent to contract with ABB, Inc on a sole-source basis; and (2) solicit information about interested sources that can provide the required support during the extended period of performance. Interested parties were requested to submit their capabilities and qualifications in writing. The Contracting Officer received no capability statements in response to the synopsis.

The contract specialist also contacted ABB, Inc via email on March 27, 2026, regarding the possibility of completing the requirement amongst an authorized ABB distribution network.

The ABB representative confirmed no distribution network existed for this equipment.

An internet search regarding compatibility of multiple converters verified that converters from different manufacturers do not have an industry-standard architecture and are not cross-compatible.

Based on market research, while there are firms in the industry, different manufacturers are not compatible with the current system. Competing the requirement at this point would impact the project completion date of Fall 2028 with duplicative costs.

9. FAR 6.104-1(a)(9) – Any other facts supporting the use of other than full and open competition:

Awarding directly to ABB, Inc will result in a use tax savings of approximately . The state of California provides a sales and use tax exemption for manufacturers. The previous purchase did not allow for this cost savings as it was performed via a third party.

10. FAR 6.104-1(a)(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 was synopsized on the GPE website (Sam.gov) per FAR part 5 (See Section 6 above). The response/closing date of the synopsis was April 1, 2026. There were no responses of interest expressed nor were any written capability statement submissions received.

11. FAR 6.104-1(a)(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.