J A_MPCUGLES_FedBizOps.doc

J&A Number: 0222-16-105-00

DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY

NAVAL SURFACE WARFARE CENTER

CARDEROCK DIVISION

J&A Number: 0222-16-105-00

Code: 8071

P.R. Number: TBD

JUSTIFICATION AND APPROVAL

FOR USE OF OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

LIMITED SOURCE JUSTIFICATION

1.

Contracting Activity Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA), Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division (NSWCCD) (Code 022).

2.

Description of the Action Being Approved This is a sole source action to be awarded without providing for full and open competition. The proposed contract action is a new Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract that provides for the issuance of completion type task orders (TOs) on a cost plus fixed fee (CPFF) basis. This contract is to be awarded to the University of Minnesota (UM).

3.

Description of Supplies/Services (Ref: 8.405-6(c)(2)(iii)) The Advanced Propulsors Development Branch, 8071, of the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division is supporting the OHIO Replacement Program Office, PMS397, in the Research and Development (R&D) work to develop a propulsor design that meets the vessel’s requirements. The support requires the use of specialized, complex software to run the computationally intensive problems that are being addressed. The approach for solving these problems is to use high-fidelity Large Eddy Simulation (LES) code called Massively Parallel Computations on Unstructured Grid Large Eddy Simulation (MPCUGLES) that runs with hybrid structured-unstructured meshes for the fluid loading in conjunction with a finite element analysis (FEA) program. MPCUGLES was developed at the University of Minnesota (UM) and is the only suitable code, based on extensive crashback validations. A crashback maneuver is described as avoiding the crashing of the primary vessel into any other vessel or structure, where the main propulsion unit and hull of the primary vessel are subject to severe stress and loading. The continued development, improvement, and modification of these tools requires expertise in both the software being used and the fluid dynamic mathematics, finite volume discretization and reconstruction algorithms the software is implementing.

UM will provide engineering services with an estimated value of $1,282,651 over a 5 year ordering period, to make modifications to the MPCUGLES code. These modifications will allow MPCUGLES to address Giga scale grid problems, to provide a fully coupled Fluid-Structure Interaction (FSI) capability, including Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) mesh motion, and to provide a cavitation problem solving capability. The contract will also allow for incremental improvements to the code as previous improvements are vetted. The Government’s minimum needs have been verified by the certifying technical and requirements personnel. Funding is estimated by fiscal year and appropriation as shown in the table below.

4.

Statutory Authority Permitting Other Than Full and Open Competition 10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(l), “Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements.”

5.

Rational Justifying Use of Cited Statutory Authority The MPCUGLES Simulation software, which was originally developed by the research staff at the University of Minnesota (UM), is a complex hydrodynamic simulation program used for analysis of complex turbulent phenomenon associated with US Navy military applications development. MPCUGLES is a highly complex and very large software application with tens of thousands of lines of code. As a recognized leader in hydrodynamics research, UM has the unique expertise and in-depth scientific understanding of the highly specialized and intricate mathematical algorithms and data structures of the MPCUGLES software. Manipulation of this complex code requires UM’s unique understanding of and expertise with the MPCUGLES fluid dynamics computations, finite volume discretization and reconstruction algorithms, numerical solvers, and multi-partition program structure. In addition, UM continues to be a recognized leader in the apply their cutting edge hydrodynamics research to MPCUGLES.

The MPCUGLES simulation software has unique and highly specialized attributes that make it the only LES capable of meeting the Navy’s requirements for analyzing the hydrodynamic phenomenon associated with propeller crashback and other similar hydrodynamic events of interest to the US Navy. The unique US Navy requirements that are met by MPCUGLES include simulations of complex propulsor geometries, geometries involving non-rotating azimuthally-asymmetric geometries, shear-induced turbulent flows, and scalability to massively parallel computer clusters necessary to perform rapid computational simulations.

Due to MPCUGLES unique and specialized capabilities, NSWCCD has been applying and validating MPCUGLES computational solutions since 2006 and has developed effective methodologies for predicting turbulent, unsteady loading of propulsion components during crashback maneuvers of US Navy Ships and Submarines. While there are other hydrodynamic simulations that share some of MPCUGLES capabilities, (e.g., Ansys, NavyFOAM, and CRUNCH), these simulations lack the extensive validation and verification of simulator accuracies that MPCUGLES has undergone. Due to this fact, MPCUGLES has been integrated into of the Ohio Replacement Program (ORP) simulation workflows for shafting, propulsor and hydro-acoustic evaluation programs.

Given all these factors, UM is deemed to be the only entity capable of providing the quality and level of support required by NSWCCD to successfully modify the MPCUGLES software. The Office of Naval Research (ONR) has invested over 16 years in MPGUGLES research, testing and integration costs, including $6 million invested through grants directly to the university, and an additional $1.6 million has been invested through NSWCCD contracts. In order to compete this requirement, the Government subject matter experts estimate it would require a minimum of one year and an investment of $350,000, assuming other interested vendors can be found in the hydrodynamic and the mathematical algorithm experience required to understand and modify the code. Additionally, the cost and schedule risks to ORP program would increase, due to the uncertainties associated with bringing an inexperienced vendor up to speed on such a complex software effort. The vendor would also be required to have the experience in mathematics and algorithms that are the foundation of the code developed by UM.

6.

Description of Efforts Made to Solicit Offers from as Many Sources as Practicable An RFI was posted to FedBizOps on 05 December 2014 to identify potential sources, through submission of white papers, which are technically capable of performing proposed modifications to the MPCUGLES finite volume, unstructured mesh high-accuracy Large Eddy Simulation code. History of the code and detail of the code modification objectives of the requirement was included in the RFI, specifically in two task areas: (1) extension of its pre- and post-processing capabilities to perform giga-scale problems and (2) development and validation of an ALE methodology and fully-coupled fluid structure interaction capability. No responses from industry were received.

The proposed contract was synopsized on the Federal Business Opportunities (FEDBIZOPS) website on TBD. No responses have been received to date. No further market research is anticipated because it is not practicable, for the reasons discussed in paragraph 5 above, for any other vendor other than UM to provide the required engineering services.

7.

Determination of Fair and Reasonable Costs In accordance with FAR 15.402, the Procuring Contracting Officer (PCO) shall ensure that all supplies and services provided under this contract are procured at a fair and reasonable price. The contractor will submit a formal price proposal with certified cost or pricing data and sufficient information to support the accuracy and reliability of the estimate. The contractor’s proposal will be reviewed by experienced technical analysts and contract specialists with the aid of necessary field pricing support. The PCO will use cost and price analysis as the basis for negotiating a fair and reasonable price.

8.

Actions to Remove Barriers to Competition

For the reasons set forth in Section 5, NSWCCD does not believe it can effectively compete a contract for the types of supplies/services covered by this document in the near term. Long term, it is essential to position the Government to be able to compete as many of the capabilities covered by this proposed contract as possible. In fact, NSWCCD plans to make sure that the existing and new codes are well-documented and that NSWCCD develops an in-house expertise in the code developments. In addition, NSWCCD will continue to take an active approach to developing requirements that will foster open competition in the future.

TECHNICAL AND REQUIREMENTS CERTIFICATION – (FAR 6.303-2(b)) I certify that the facts and representations under my cognizance, that are included in this justification and its supporting data, including the Acquisition Strategy, except as noted herein, are complete and accurate to the best of my knowledge and belief.

TECHNICAL COGNIZANCE:

Signature

Jessica Kleist, Code 807 Branch Head Phone No.

Date

REQUIREMENTS COGNIZANCE:

Signature

David McAfee, Code 8072

Phone No.

Date

LEGAL SUFFICIENCY REVIEW

I have determined that this justification is legally sufficient.

Signature

Name (Print) and Title (Code)

Phone No.

Date

CONTRACTING OFFICER CERTIFICATION - FAR 8.405-6(c)(2)(ix) (Note: Pursuant to FAR 8.405-6(d)(1), this certification also serves as approval of J&As not exceeding $650,000)

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

Signature Christine Mitchell, Code 02212 Phone No. Date

APPROVAL BLOCK (FAR 6.304 for Approving Official)

Upon the basis of the above justification, I hereby approve, as Designee of the Head of the Procuring Activity, the solicitation of the proposed procurement described herein using other than full and open competition, pursuant to the authority of 10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(1).

Designee of the Head of the Procuring Activity

Signature

Name (Print)

Date

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