QA Responses.xlsx

XLSX spreadsheet 38 KB Posted Jul 18, 2022

Attached to: Mach 6+ Rig
Solicitation number: W911QX22R0008
Issued by: Department of the Army Materiel Command Army Contracting Command Aberdeen Proving Ground

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Written by GovTribe AI · Dec 28, 2023

This document contains questions and answers related to a solicitation for a Mach 6+ Rig. Key details include:

The solicitation is seeking proposals to design, fabricate, deliver, and commission a Mach 6+ test rig for installation at an existing government laboratory facility. A firm fixed price will be required for the design plan, data deliverables, and rig warranty/training options. Cost/price proposals are also required for rig fabrication and data delivery options in order for the proposal to be considered responsive. The draft design plan is due three months after award. No site visits will be provided but additional information on existing facilities and equipment is included in an attachment. Questions were asked to clarify requirements for controls, sensors, structural and fluid system elements.

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Other files

File	Type	Posted
SF30 Formal Solicitation Amendment 0001.pdf	PDF	Jul 18, 2022
Section L (Instructions to Offerors) (Amendment 0001).pdf	PDF	Jul 18, 2022
Section M (Evaluation Approach) (Amendment 0001).pdf	PDF	Jul 18, 2022
Section L (Instructions to Offerors).pdf	PDF	Jun 27, 2022
Section M (Evaluation Approach).pdf	PDF	Jun 27, 2022
SF33 (W911QX22R0008).pdf	PDF	Jun 27, 2022
DD1423 (Solicitation).pdf	PDF	Jun 27, 2022

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General

OFFEROR QUESTION	GOVERNMENT RESPONSE
Because this effort is going into an existing government installation and interfacing with existing government equipment it would be beneficial to have the opportunity for a site visit/tour. Will the government be scheduling an industry day event with tours? Or will the government allow potential bidders to visit and tour the site?	The Government will not provide a site visit for this requirement. However, the PWS Attachment I has been updated to include additional information related to the current site and conditions of the facilities.
Can the response date be extended to allow for a site visit be arranged, and then at least 3 additional weeks after for bids to be prepared and submitted? This would enable us to have a better understanding of the site where the Mach 6+ Rig will be installed. This understanding will enable us to develop an optimum solution for the overall footprint of the rig, integration with existing equipment and systems, and expectations of the operations staff.	The Government will not provide a site visit for this requirement. However, the PWS Attachment I has been updated to include additional information related to the current site and conditions of the facilities.

Solicitation

OFFEROR QUESTION	GOVERNMENT RESPONSE
OFFEROR QUESTION	GOVERNMENT RESPONSE
For Item # 002, does the government require a separate price for the Data to be delivered, as it is not noted in Section L Volume III - cost Price description (1rst paragraph).	The Data Contract Line Item Numbers (CLINs), CLIN 0002 and CLIN 0004 are Not Separately Priced (NSP). In accordance with the DD Form 1423 Local Clause contained in the solicitation "As part of its proposal, the offeror shall provide the estimated total cost (if any) expected to be incurred in order to comply with the DD1423. The Data CLINs 0002 and 0004 are not separately priced (NSP). CLIN(s) 0001, 0003, and 0005 is/are the CLIN(s) under which the contractor shall bill for all costs associated with the DD1423 requirement."
For Item #003 -004, does the government require an estimated price for offeror to be responsive. And, if so, will this price serve as a basis of negotiation for the possible future award?	The Government requires a proposed price/cost for Option 1 and Option 2 in the PWS in order for the offeror to be responsive. Proposed costs/prices will be used for the purpose of establishing fair and reasonable price as well as realistic cost. Section L (iii) Volume III - Cost/Price paragraph 1 has been updated to clarify this requirement. Section M factor 3 (3) has been updated to clarify the evaluation approach for Option 1 and 2.
For Item #005, please confirm that the government is expecting a firm fixed price for this line item and not an estimated cost at this time.	In accordance with the SF33 Solicitation, CLIN 0005 is a Firm Fixed Price Contract Line Item Number. The Government requires a proposed price/cost for Option 2 in the PWS in order for the offeror to be responsive. Proposed costs/prices will be used for the purpose of establishing fair and reasonable price as well as realistic cost. Section L (iii) Volume III - Cost/Price paragraph 1 has been updated to clarify this requirement. Section M factor 3 (3) has been updated to clarify the evaluation approach for Option 1 and 2.

Section L

OFFEROR QUESTION	GOVERNMENT RESPONSE
Please clarify if a volume IV is required to be submitted with offerors proposal at time of submittal, as it is noted on page 9 but not on page 1.	Volume IV is required to be submitted with the Offeror's proposal at the response time stated on the solicitation. Page 1 of Section L has been updated to reflect the correct references to Volume IV.

Section M

OFFEROR QUESTION

GOVERNMENT RESPONSE

Section M.B.Factor 3 (Cost/Price Evaluation) states that FFP will be used for Base and Option 2 and CPFF will be used for Option 1. Section L.3.iii.I (Firm Fixed Price CLINs) talks about pricing for Design Plan (Base) and Mach 6+ Rig (Option 1) and Rig Warranty and on-site Training for the Mach 6+ Rig (Option 2), Section L.3.iii.II (CPFF CLIN) does not reference any base or option tasks. Could you clarify which CLIN type is used for each of Base, Option 1, and Option 2? (We would suggest FFP for Base and Option 2, and CPFF for Option 1 as stated in Section M).

As stated in the SF33 on pages 2-3, a Firm Fixed-Price (FFP) CLIN will be issued for CLIN 0001 - Design Plan (Base Effort), CLIN 0002 - Data (Base Effort), and CLIN 0005 - Rig Warranty and Training (Option 2). A Cost Plus Fixed-Fee (CPFF) CLIN will be issued for CLIN 0003 - Rig Fabrication, Delivery, Commissioning (Option 1) and CLIN 0004 - Data (Option 2).

PWS

OFFEROR QUESTION	GOVERNMENT RESPONSE
Does the government have a specific off-the-shelf DAC software package already in mind for this project?	The Government does not have any specific off-the-shelf DAC software in mind. The DAC software shall meet the Government's minimum requirement stated in the PWS.
Does the government have a specific off-the-shelf DAC software package already in mind for this project?	The Government does not have any specific off-the-shelf DAC software in mind. The DAC software shall meet the Government's minimum requirement stated in the PWS.
Does the government have specific DAC hardware that is preferred for this project?	The Government does not have any specific DAC hardware in mind. The DAC hardware shall meet the Government's minimum requirement stated in the PWS.
Does this facility require a safety rated PLC to maintain a specific SIL rating for the fuel system control or facility safety in general?	The Government-owned building fuel system already contains its own safety systems. Offerors are responsible for including a gas heater in the Mach 6+ Rig design that includes the requirements established at C.3.2.6(f) of the PWS, which states "The system shall include automatic fuel and ignition shutoff capabilities to stop operation in case any safety limits specified by the user in the DAC system are exceeded."
How many Mach 6+ Rig channels/sensors and of what type (i.e. flow, thermocouple, RTD, pressure, strain, etc.) need to be acquired and at what rate (i.e. 100 samples/chan/sec) are they to be acquired and stored?	The DAC system shall have at least sixteen (16) low-speed channels, sixteen (16) high-speed channels, and thirty-two (32) thermocouple channels. The per-channel sampling rate of the low-speed channels shall be at least 50 samples per second (S/s), and the aggregate sampling rate of the high-speed channels shall be at least 200 kilosamples per second (kS/s). This requirement specification has been added to the PWS at C.3.2.2(c).
Are there any GFE sensors, control devices, etc. that will be included for the Mach 6+ Rig?	No GFE sensors or control devices will be provided for this contract.
What channel measurement accuracies are required for each type (i.e. +-0.5 deg C for T/Cs, +-0.05% for pressures and flows, etc.) ?	The pressure and temperature control accuracy shall be ±0.1 bar and ±5°C or better, respectively. The flowrate control accuracy shall be ±1% of the reading or better. This requirement specification has been added to the PWS at C.2.2.2(b).
Is there any special signal conditioning required (i.e. strain gauge measurements with excitation voltages, filtering, etc.) ?	The DAC system, sensors, and control hardware shall have electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding to maximize the signal-to-noise ratio. Otherwise this is dependent on the Contractor's design for the Mach 6+ Rig. This requirement specification has been added to the PWS at C.3.2.2(d).
What are the types and numbers of devices that need to be controlled (i.e. solenoid valves, servo valves, etc.)?	This is dependent on the Offeror's design for the Mach 6+ Rig. Offerors are responsible for this determination based on their own design.
Are there are any GFE control devices that will be provided for the Mach 6+ Rig?	No GFE sensors or control devices will be provided for this contract.
What is the control loop rate (i.e. 100 hz, 1kHz, etc.) that needs to be supported for the control devices?	The Contractor is responsible for the control loop rate based on what is needed to achieve the required control accuracies which is based on the design.
Could we get a list of any other digital devices that the DAC must communicate with?	The Government encourages interested offerors to review the existing commercial equipment contained on pages 3-4 of the updated PWS Attachment I referenced in the amendment to this Solicitation.
Please confirm the draft design plan is due to the government within two months after contract award, as this appears to be extremely short, and if offerors can propose a longer design schedule and still be considered responsive?	The Government recognizes 2 months is a short design schedule. To mitigate risk, we are extending the due date for the draft design plan to three (3) months after contract award. This requirement has been updated in the PWS at C.4.1.1 and C.4.1.2
Are there drawings of the existing infrastructure available to offerors during the bid process?	Existing commercial equipment for use in the Offeror's design is available on pp. 3–4 of the updated PWS Attachment I referenced in this Solicitation. Offerors are encouraged to review the PWS Attachment I in its entirety to review all existing infrastructure.
What total power availability (kVA) for the new Mach 6+ rig and it’s compressor?	The Government encourages interested offerors to review page 4 of the updated PWS Attachment I referenced in the amendment to this Solicitation.
Is there a know location with adequate power to house the air compressor?	The compressor shall be located on the building roof. (Refer to p. 11 of the PWS Attachment I for additional information.) This requirement has been added to the PWS at C.3.2.3(a).
Is there a specific dew point requirement for the air supply system?	In accordance with C.3.2.4(b) of the PWS, the air dryer shall reduce moisture in the compressed gas to prevent condensation in the downstream components of the Mach 6+ Rig.
Is there a designated area for the pressure tank(s)? Inside the building? In the equipment area East of the Lab building?	The compressed gas tank(s) shall be located on the building roof. (Refer to p. 11 of the PWS Attachment I for additional information.) This requirement has been added to the PWS at C.3.2.5(a).
Will the HPIR design details be made available to offerors?	The Government has determined that there is no need to provide the HPIR design details to offerors. The statement, "The laboratory's existing HPIR jet burner may be used to augment the gas heater." has been removed from the PWS. Offeror's are encouraged to review the updated PWS (Amendment 0001).
The PWS attachment lists the HPIR as atmospheric jet burner. Should it be presumed that it has no capability to run at the elevated pressure required to the M6+ Rig flow through the nozzle?	The Government confirms the HPIR does not have the capability to run at elevated pressures.
Have contours for the Mach 6 and 6.5 nozzles already determined or will they be part of the design process?	The contours for the Mach 6 and 6.5 nozzles are up to each offeror's individual design.
Are there specific flow quality requirements? Total pressure and temperature uniformity? Flow angle? Etc..	The total pressure and total temperature of the flow shall be uniform to within ±1%. The core flow angle shall have a deviation of less than 1%. This requirement specification has been added to C.3.2.8(b) and C.3.2.7(d)
Does "interchangeability with other nozzles" mean with existing nozzles or future nozzles?	"interchangeability with other nozzles" means interchangeability between the Mach 6 and 6.5 nozzles as well as any potential future nozzles.
That are the test section window optical quality requirements?	The surface flatness shall be λ/4 @ 633 nanometers (nm) or less, and the scratch-dig shall be 40-20 or less. This requirement specification has been added to C.3.2.8(c).
The notional schematic shows a vacuum pump and tank downstream of the test section. However, there is no mention of either in the PWS. Are there known requirements for a vacuum system?	The vacuum pump is optional depending on the Offeror's proposed design. The schematic listed in PWS Attachment I on page 2 is notional design of the Mach 6+ rig only. As stated in the PWS at C.3.2.6(b), "The gas heater shall match oxygen fraction corresponding to Mach 6+ flow between 20–40 kilometers (km) altitude. The Contractor shall provide any necessary oxygen injection systems to match oxygen fraction in the test section. as stated in the PWS at C.3.2.6(b)."
PWS (6/23/2022) Section C.5 (Unpriced Options) seems to indicate that Option 1 and Option 2 will be priced later, but Section L.3.iii (Volume III - Cost/Price) and Section M.B.Factor 3 (Cost/Price Evaluation) seem to be asking for us to provide cost proposal for Base + Option 1 + Option 2. If Option 1 and 2 are “unpriced options” should they be excluded from the current proposal?	The Government requires a proposed price/cost for Option 1 and Option 2 in the PWS in order for the offeror to be responsive. Proposed costs/prices will be used for the purpose of establishing fair and reasonable price as well as realistic cost. Section L (iii) Volume III - Cost/Price paragraph 1 has been updated to clarify this requirement. Section M factor 3 (3) has been updated to clarify the evaluation approach for Option 1 and 2.
PWS (6/23/2022) Section C.2 (Objective) states that construction work, renovations, or any modifications to the existing laboratory or building, including roof penetrations, are not within the scope of this procurement. And, installation and integration of the rig into the existing laboratory or building’s infrastructure systems will be covered under a separate contract. Yet C.5.1 (Option 1) require the contractor to fabricate, deliver, and commission the Mach 6+ rig. How will you handle the commissioning of the Mach 6+ Rig (this effort) with the modification and integration of the Mach 6+ rig into the facility contract (apparently a separate effort)? Is it correct to say that we are tasked to supply the Mach 6+ rig components but not install them?	The Government confirms the Contractor is not required to run the lines connecting the Mach 6+ Rig to the laboratory's existing infrastructure (building water, fuel, electric, etc.). This will be completed under the separate installation contract. Once the Mach 6+ Rig is installed, the Contractor shall commission the Mach 6+ Rig to show that it is fully operational.

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File details come from the government source that posted it. Updated Jul 18, 2022.