A02.12_DOR_Laser Interrogators.pdf

Description of Requirement for

Laser Interrogators

Requirement: The Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), Geotechnical and Structures Laboratory (GSL) has a requirement to purchase fiber optic laser interrogators for distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) for use underground and under water. This solicitation is for mature laser interrogation technology that meet operational requirements; systems requiring specialty sensor cables and specialty processing software are not being sought at this time.

Government personnel will evaluate technical specifications, test documentation, and other materials provided by the respondents to this RFQ to determine if the interrogator unit meets technical requirements. This will be a firm fixed price (FFP) Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract with a five year ordering period. The government may procure up to four (4) copies of the selected interrogator this fiscal year, FY24. The Government anticipates four (4) interrogators each year.

The following equipment specifications are required:

1. Interrogator must be very mature, packaged in a single rack-mount unit, and providing high fidelity ready-to-process time-series data from each sensor zone. Raw data file format and headers must be provided for integration compatibility into existing army systems.

2. Interrogator must be designed to operate on standard single-mode fiber-optic telecommunications cables.

3. Interrogator must provide fully demodulated output (with amplitude and phase) that is consistent across time and across zones for the same applied strain.

4. The interrogator must be able to identify the location of seismic and acoustic disturbances to within 10 meters (maximum zone size). The desired localization capability is to within 5 meters. Interrogators that can localize disturbances with finer resolution will be given priority if all other specifications are equivalent.

5. Optical gain parameters for the laser and photo-detectors must be configurable by a nonexpert user. Configuration tools and instructions must be provided along with the unit. Fully automated configuration capabilities will be given preference.

6. Modular Design: The unit should be designed with an internal modular design, allowing for quick and easy maintenance for individual modules and components.

7. Required 100km range: Each unit should contain an optical module capable of simultaneously interrogating two sensing fibers - each up to 50km length. This represents the required 100km total range for one unit.

8. Quantitative Measurements: The laser interrogator unit should make coherent quantitative measurements over the full range. Machine learning algorithms should be able to be used reliably on the system.

9. Distributed Architecture: The system should be designed from the outset to be entirely distributed, minimizing downtime, and increasing system availability.

10. Laser Safety: The laser interrogator should be a Class 1 laser (eye-safe under all operating conditions), making the system inherently safer for use and increasing the life span of the optical components. This also eliminates the need for costly interlock safety switches and physical keys to operate the equipment.

11. Automatic Setup with integrated OTDR: The system should have an integrated OTDR [Optical Time Domain Reflectometer] capability and automated installation process, simplifying the setup, commissioning, and testing stages of system implementation.

Testing after award: Three systems will be purchased at award time. The selected sensor will be subjected to a battery of tests that include calibrated source responses (to assess signal fidelity and signal-to-noise ratio) and operational vignettes for threats of interest. A copy of the raw data collected during testing will be provided the vendor for their system. Data will be processed by government personnel for assessing whether the actual interrogator performance meets technical requirements and advertised specifications. The government makes no commitment to release processed data and final test reports.

Delivery Location:

Engineer Research and Development Center, Geotechnical and Structures Laboratory, POC: Jennifer Picucci/Amber Tillotson 3909 Halls Ferry Road, Vicksburg, MS 39180

Delivery Date: No later than 60 days after award for each order.

Pricing – Firm, fixed price for one unit shall be provided. Unit pricing for out years OR a unit price with an escalation rate shall also be provided to establish binding rates.

FIRST TASK ORDER: Pricing is also required for the first delivery order to be awarded immediately following award of the IDIQ contract. The first delivery order will be for 3 laser interrogator units.

Ordering Period: Five-year ordering period. Delivery orders will provide specific delivery requirements.