SOURCES SOUGHT
A -- Sources Sought Market Survey for RF Noise Mitigation Red Team
- Notice Date
- 9/25/2002
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- Contracting Office
- US Army Communications-Electronics Command, CECOM Acquisition Center Washington, ATTN: AMSEL-AC-W, 2461 Eisenhower Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22331-0700
- ZIP Code
- 22331-0700
- Solicitation Number
- DAAB15-00-C-1011REDTEAM
- Point of Contact
- Peggy Melanson, 703-325-6096
- E-Mail Address
-
Email your questions to US Army Communications-Electronics Command, CECOM Acquisition Center Washington
(peggy.melanson@cacw.army.mil)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- NA THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL. The U.S. Army is seeking experts to support development of a sensor for buried landmine detection based on the nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) phenomenon. NQR allows detection of specific explosives in mines and eli minates false alarms from other objects in the ground. However, the NQR response from a mine is very weak relative to the background RF noise and mitigating that RF noise has been one of the biggest challenges of the Ground Standoff Mine Detection System (GSTAMIDS) program. The Army has run into some technical problems with the NQR sensor arising from RF noise mostly at the NQR frequencies for TNT, but RDX detection is also an issue. The TNT frequencies (near 842 kHz) are in the AM radio band. RDX frequencies are near 3.41 MHz. The sensor picks up the magnetic-field component of the noise, which can be 20 to 40 dB above thermal noise. The NQR signal is only about 6 dB above the thermal noise after several seconds of signal averaging. While the basic dimensions of thi s RF noise problem have been understood since the beginning of the NQR landmine detection project, it has recently become clear that the problem is not well in hand, especially for night time operation with the changed propagation path and increased RF pow er levels after dark in some parts of the world. Quantum Magnetics, Inc. (QM) has designed a unique kind of gradiometer NQR antenna design to pick up NQR signals from the explosives and RF noise. For this antenna, the far field rejection ratio is only about 15 dB, but the near field loss is not as great as with a conventional gradiometer. QM also designed a separate RF noise reference antenna consisting of orthogonal magnetic field coils to pick up only the RF noise. This approach to RF noise mitigation is complicated because the NQR antenna is pu lsed and rings down, so subtraction of RF noise is difficult during transients. Furthermore, there is a limit to the number of far-field radiators that can be removed with this remediation. An added complication is that the coupling coefficients between the RF noise reference antenna and the NQR antenna may change with time, especially at night with the scattering off the ionosphere. Recent testing resulted in good performance during the day, but poor performance beginning shortly after sunset. A relate d problem was observed during daytime near an electric power line since it acts like an antenna picking up and re-radiating RF noise. The Army is putting together a Red Team to take a fresh and in-depth look at this problem of RF noise mitigation.. Specifically, the purpose of this red team is, over the course of several months, to study the RFI problem and the NQR system in depth and devise potential solutions which will lead to improved performance in the field. NVESD is seeking experts around the world in RF noise reduction techniques from academia, government, and industry. The plan is for the team to meet initially at QM's fac ility in San Diego to obtain the necessary detailed information from QM. Then, the team acting individually and collectively will develop detailed solutions to the NQR RFI problem. The potential solutions will be reviewed in depth by the red team and the army with the purpose of pursuing the most promising approach or approaches.. The members of the Red Team would report progress monthly to CECOM-NVESD and assemble at QM's facility about every three months to report progress and exchange ideas. If you think you can assist the Army in solving this challenging problem, please provide information that fully describes your qualifications to support this effort by 11 October 2002 This information shall be provided via email to peggy.melanson@ca cw.army.mil. The army will invite red team participants based on their relevant qualifications and with the objective of achieving a balance of technical skills and backgrounds. All participants will be required by sign nondisclosure statements and may be reimbursed for travel associated with this endeavor. Please direct questions to Peggy Melanson at 703-325-6096. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL.
- Place of Performance
- Address: US Army Communications-Electronics Command, CECOM Acquisition Center Washington ATTN: AMSEL-AC-W, 2461 Eisenhower Avenue Alexandria VA
- Zip Code: 22331-0700
- Country: US
- Zip Code: 22331-0700
- Record
- SN00175572-W 20020927/020925214106 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps.gov Link to This Notice
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