N6134019C0050_Sole_Source_JA_NHT_N2_Generators_Redacted.pdf

IN REPLY REFER TO:

J&A 19-0306

JUSTIFICATION AND APPROVAL (J&A)

FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

1. Contracting Activity.

Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division (NAWCTSD) Orlando, FL

2. Description of the Action Being Approved.

This Justification and Approval (J&A) authorizes and approves a sole source contract action to The Titus Company (Cage 0X9M7) for the acquisition of three Nitrogen Generation Systems (NGS), based on the Titus TN2U2000ACA00 air separation unit, for the Normobaric Hypoxia Trainers (NHT), Device 9A19, at Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola, NAS Norfolk, and NAS Patuxent River.

3. Description of Supplies/Services.

Each nitrogen generation system includes a Titus TN2U2000ACA00 expandable polysulfone membrane-type air separation unit and associated compression, filtration, sensor and control equipment. The systems are to be delivered to the NHT sites and the major components moved into place by the contractor.

The total cost of the acquisition is $314,790. Delivery of the Norfolk system is to occur by 18 September 2019, the Pensacola system by 30 October 2019 and the Patuxent River system by 11 December 2019.

4. Statutory Authority Permitting Other Than Full and Open Competition.

FAR Part 6.302-1, Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements.

5. Rationale Justifying Use of Cited Statutory Authority.

The nitrogen generation system to be acquired is a sub-system of the Normobaric Hypoxia Trainer, Device 9A19. This acquisition is for additional copies of a tested and approved nitrogen generation system already deployed to two sites.

Extensive market research was conducted prior to acquisition of the first trainer’s nitrogen generation system as part of NAWCTSD’s development of the NHT. The development team searched the commercial marketplace for air separation technologies and manufacturers, finding six candidate systems. The team concluded that a system based on the Titus TN2U2000ACA00

DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY

NAVAL AIR WARFARE CENTER TRAINING SYSTEMS DIVISION

12211 SCIENCE DRIVE

ORLANDO, FLORIDA 32826-3224

air separation unit was the only available nitrogen generation system able to meet the trainer’s performance and control requirements.

A reduced-scale system of similar Titus components in the same series was built to test component and control system performance. During system development, the team used the sweep-purge mass balance model to predict the performance of nitrogen generation systems in the trainer. The scaled system was found to perform as predicted by the sweep-purge model and achieved its controllability and time-to-altitude targets, giving the team the confidence to procure a full-scale Titus system for use in NHT S/N 1. The first article nitrogen generation system was installed aboard NAS Jacksonville and subsequently tested through NHT Test Plan AR17-11- 0721A0. The Titus nitrogen generation system met or exceeded all performance requirements.

The NHT was approved for training and further production.

Analysis performed during system development lead to the conclusion that only a nitrogen generation system based on a Titus TN2U2000ACA00 air separation unit could meet the trainer’s requirements for nitrogen flow rate, purity and controllability. The NHT incorporates a programmable logic control (PLC) system and a unique control algorithm to interface with and control the nitrogen generation system.

to enable the precise control of output nitrogen purity needed to accurately attain and hold specific oxygen concentrations inside the NHT training enclosure. The monitoring and control scheme used in the Titus TN2U2000ACA00 air separation unit is specific to that unit. No other commercial gas separation unit from any vendor would be able to work with the NHT PLC and control algorithm, therefore no nitrogen generation system other than one based on the Titus TN2U2000ACA00 air separation unit could be technically acceptable. Since the Titus Company does not use resellers they are the only source of the air separation unit and the only vendor that can meet the Government’s requirement for the acquisition of the NHT nitrogen generation systems.

6. Description of Efforts Made to Solicit Offers from as Many Offerors as Practicable.

The test and approved NHT nitrogen generation system utilizes a specific configuration of Titus components. As documented above (Section 5), analysis performed during system development lead to the conclusion that only a nitrogen generation system based on a Titus TN2U2000ACA00 air separation unit could meet NHT requirements. Titus does not utilize a network of resellers, therefore Titus is the only possible offeror.

7. Determination of Fair and Reasonable Cost.

In accordance with FAR 15.402(a), the PCO shall ensure that all supplies provided under this contract are procured at a fair and reasonable price. For this contract action, the Contractor will submit data other than certified cost or pricing data in accordance with FAR 15.403-3. Analysis of the proposal will be performed by NAWCTSD engineers and contract specialists. The PCO will use price analysis as a basis for negotiating a fair and reasonable price as outlined in FAR 15.404-1(b).

8. Actions Taken to Remove Barriers to Competition.

This acquisition is for a nitrogen generation system that is a subsystem of the Normobaric Hypoxia Trainer. The NHT is a Government-unique, limited-production design based on specific requirements of Naval Aviation. The NAWCTSD in-house development team conducts continuous market research into the technologies necessary to meet the performance requirements of a given task. Future efforts will take similar steps to determine the best fit technology or parts for a given requirement at the time of system development.