NAICS Code: 541990 THIS IS A COMBINED SYNOPSIS/SOLICITATION FOR COMMERCIAL ITEMS PREPARED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FORMAT IN SUBPART 12.6, AS SUPPLEMENTED WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION INCLUDED IN THIS NOTICE. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONSTITUTES THE ONLY SOLICITATION. QUOTES ARE BEING REQUESTED, AND A WRITTEN SOLICITATION WILL NOT BE ISSUED. The solicitation number is RFQ-RT-02-00216, and the solicitation is being issued as a Request for Quotation (RFQ). The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 01-06. The associated North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code is 541990 which has a small business size standard of 500 employees, however, it is anticipated that the contract will be awarded as a result of full and open competition. The purpose of this notice is to inform all interested parties that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC intends to award a Firm-fixed-price purchase order as a result of this solicitation. Award will be made to a single contractor for all analyses. The primary focuses of this procurement requires the contractor 1) to prepare the Fluid Modeling Facility's Meteorological Wind Tunnel and all of it's associated flow and concentration instrumentation for a scale model study of the flow and concentration fields in lower Manhattan with tracers emitted from the World Trade Center Site and 2) to design, prepare, and execute a series of plume experiments in the Fluid Modeling Facility's Convection Laboratory including preparation and testing of all the instrumentation within the Convection Lab. The performance period is fourteen months from date of award. All equipment and supplies required to perform this work will be provided by the Environmental Protection Agency. Approximately 75% of the work to be performed under this contract will, by necessity, occur on site at the EPA's Fluid Modeling Facility (FMF) in Research Triangle Park, NC. The work to be performed under this contract, which is expected to occur over fourteen months, shall include the following tasks: 1) The contractor shall participate in the World Trade Center (WTC) study design with responsibility for: a) examining the climatological data together with expertise in the flow in and around complex building arrays to determine important wind directions for fully characterizing the flow-field throughout the urban model in the wind tunnel; b) determining the capabilities and limitations of the flow and turbulence instrumentation (LDV, pulsed-wire, and hot-wire anemometry) as they relate to the selection of practical locations within the model street canyons for characterization of the flow field; c) customizing the hydrocarbon analysis system (with the automated range switching system) for collecting concentrations at up to 120 fixed locations and many more variable locations and recommending specific concentration measurement locations to optimize identification of the distribution of concentrations (particularly the likely areas of highest concentration) throughout the urban model; and d) based on experience with laboratory flow measurements in and around multiple buildings recommending the tunnel speeds and scale for the model that will allow the concentration and flow measurements to be accomplished without violating similarity scaling limits (e.g. building and roughness critical Reynolds numbers, etc). The contractor shall meet weekly (and additionally as issues or problems arise) with the project officer and the remaining EPA collaborators to discuss the progress of this and all the tasks of this contract work. Concise summary of recommendations and work performed under this task shall be provided by the contractor as a deliverable for this task. 2) The contractor shall prepare and test the Meteorological Wind Tunnel to be ready to accept the WTC scale model. This includes: a) certification of the test-section velocity controls; b) testing for the proper operation of instrument carriage and computer controls with specific attention to the testing and repair (as needed) of the BCC52 Imbedded Computer for the carriage controls unit; c) reprogramming wind-tunnel data acquisition and control software (as needed); d) repair and replace (as needed) any of the wind tunnel hardware (i.e. data acquisition system); e) test, adjust and prepare the wind tunnel ceiling adjustment system; f) examine the wind tunnel test section for integrity (repair as needed); g) install spires and roughness elements to produce an upstream (of test section) turbulent boundary layer with specifications provided by project officer; h) repair the Scani valve in the concentration sampling system. Concise summary of the work performed under this task shall be provided by the contractor as a deliverable for this task. 3) The contractor shall prepare, calibrate and test the flow, turbulence, and concentration instrumentation for the Meteorological Wind Tunnel. The instruments (and their supporting data acquisition and analysis hardware and software) include: the laser doppler velocimeter, the pulsed-wire anemometer, the hot wire anemometer, the pitot tube anememometer (with MKS brand barometer), the hydorcarbon (flame ionization detector) analyzers (with custom automated range switching system), the overall data acquisition system including statistical analysis of turbulent velocites. The contractor shall modify the carriage system in the wind tunnel to accommodate rakes of concentration probes. Concise summary of the work performed under this task shall be provided by the contractor as a deliverable for this task. 4) The contractor shall design and implement a methodology for applying the laser-doppler-velocimeter system in the meteorological wind tunnel. Specifically, the LDV system will be configured to provide three-component turbulent velocities at selected locations within the selected scale model of lower Manhattan (actual measurements will be conducted by FMF personnel upon completion of this task). This requires a mobile support system for the probe (head) of the anemometer to allow frequent movement with accurate positioning of the sampling volume to quickly obtain profiles of velocity components at a number of specified horizontal locations. Concise summary of the work performed under this task shall be provided by the contractor as a deliverable for this task. 5) The contractor shall design, configure and conduct testing of the FMF Convection Laboratory to prepare it for sampling of simulated plume releases for scaled boundary layers and plume buoyancies as specified by the technical monitor. This will include (but not limited to): configuring and testing the laser-induced florescence system (laser and carriage system, scanner, mirrors, filters, cooling system,etc), calibrating and aligning the video data acquisition system (camera and carriage, digital frame grabber, related software), calibrating and testing the lab automation and syncroniztion system (including the computer control of laser beam scanning, filter placement, convection tank heating, temperature sampling, source release and movement, laser/camera shychronization, frame grabbing and storage), testing of the convection tank recirulation and cooling system, and testing of boundary layer and convection generation system (temperature profiling system, electrically heated surface system). This includes demonstration of the successful acquisition of plume dispersion data using in-house analysis software. Problems with design and instrumentation shall be diagnosed and corrected as needed. The contractor will examine the convection tank for structural, electrical, and mechanical integrety, diagnose and correct any problems. Concise summary of the work performed under this task shall be provided by the contractor as a deliverable for this task. 6) The contractor shall conduct a series of approximately 40 plume experiments with plume buoyancies and boundary layers established according to specification provided by the project officer. Throughout the experiments, the contractor shall diagnose operational problems with the measurement system and provide repair of malfunctioning systems. The raw data collected under this task shall be provide by the contractor on compact disc as a deliverable for this task. 7) The contractor (using software available at EPA) shall analyze the individual experimental data and provide a summary of the data in each case with all the data files placed on compact disc. This will include an examination of plume statistics, computation of ensemble statistics over multiple repeated cases, and delivery of raw and processed data to EPA project officer. 8) The contractor shall provide a complete written data report of the experiments including a description of the experimental design, an overview of the results with extensive graphical display, an summary and analysis of problems (and solutions) encountered and a compendium of the data on compact disc. TOUR OF FACILITY: Potential applicants are welcome and invited for a tour of the EPA Fluid Modeling Facility during the week of 8 April 2002 - 12 April 2002 by contacting Dr. Steven Perry @ 919-541-1896. The following FAR provisions apply to this solicitation: 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors-Commercial Item; 52.212-2, Evaluation-Commercial Item. Evaluation criteria to be included in paragraph (a) of provision 52.212-2 are as follows: (i) Evaluation Criteria - The applicant must demonstrate his/her expertise (personal skills) through lists of publications, products, previous experience, and previous projects. Contacts or references for previous performance should also be provided. Note that more weight in the evaluation will be given to the demonstration of technical expertise than to cost. Specific Skills Required (upon which applicants will additionally be evaluated) 1) General knowledge and understanding of fluid dynamics. A thorough knowledge of computer hardware and software and a wide range of mechanical, electrical, and electronic systems as related to laboratory instrumentation. 2) Thorough understanding of the fundamental principals of fluid modeling as specifically related to the theory and operation of meteorological wind tunnels and convective water tanks. This includes a demonstrated ability to both collect fluid modeling laboratory data and to analyze and publish results. 3) Experience in designing and managing laboratory scale model studies. 4) Demonstrated knowledge of the theory, operation, and limitations of the following instrumentation: Laser Doppler Velocimeter, Pulsed-wire anemometer, hot-wire anemometer, pitot-tube (with MKS-brand baratron), Hydrocarbon (flame ionization detection) analyzer with custom automated range switching system, laser-induced florescence, video data imaging and acquisition systems, and wind tunnel instrument carriage controls (including a BCC52 Imbedded Computer). Demonstated knowledge of PC-based data acquisition systems for the instrumentation listed here. 5) Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of atmospheric boundary layer flows and the limitations imposed by similarity scaling in laboratory studies. Working knowledge of the Guidelines for Fluid Modeling of Atmospheric Diffusion (Snyder, 1981) and the practical limitations of scale modeling of atmospheric flows. Reference: Snyder, W. H. 1981: Guideline for Fluid Modeling of Atmospheric Diffusion. EPA-600/8-81-009, U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC, 200p. (ii) PAST PERFORMANCE - Provide at least 2 references for previous related projects conducted in the last 3 years. Include project description, contact person and telephone number. (Past performance will be evaluated on quality of product or service, timeliness of performance, ability to adhere to deadlines, and overall customer satisfaction.);and (iii) PRICE. Technical capability and past performance when combined are significantly more important than price. Award will be made to the offeror whose offer represents the best value to the Government, price and other factors considered. Price each task separately. All offerors are to include with their response a completed copy of provision 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items. The following FAR clauses apply to this acquisition: 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions-Commercial Items, 52.246-11, Higher Level Contract Quality Requirement, 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders--Commercial Items and the following additional FAR clauses which are cited in clauses 52.212-5: 52.222-21, Prohibition of Segregated Facilities; 52.222-26, Equal Opportunity, 52.222-35, Affirmative Action for Special Disabled and Vietnam Era Veterans; 52.222-36 Affirmative Action for Handicapped Workers; 52.222-37, Employment Reports on Special Disabled Veterans and Veterans of the Vietnam Era; 52.222-41, Service Contract Act of 1965, As Amended. Any applicable wage determination(s)(if required) will be made a part of the resultant purchase order. Technical questions are to be forwarded via email no later 12 April 2002 to the Contract Specialist at the following email address:
[email protected]. In addition to this Request for Quotation, offerors should review the Statement of Work and other information posted with this Request for Quotation on EPA's web site at http://www.epa.gov/oam/rtp_cmd. Arrow down to the REQUEST FOR QUOTATION section and click on the solicitation. Arrow down below that section to COMMERCIAL BUY CLAUSES AND FORMS which are provided for your convenience. Please submit two copies of the technical proposal and two copies of the price proposal to Joy Kimble, Contract Specialist, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, RTP-POD, D143-01, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711. Courier Delivery Address is: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, RTP-POD, D143-01, 4930 Old Page Road, Attn: Joy Kimble, E105-02, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709. All offers are due by April 22, 2001, 4:00 p.m. ET. No telephonic or faxed requests or offers will be honored.