SOURCES SOUGHT
A -- Combined Plasma Arc/Cryofracture System
- Notice Date
- 3/26/2004
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- Contracting Office
- US Army ARDEC, AMSTA-AR-PC, Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey 07806-5000
- ZIP Code
- 07806-5000
- Solicitation Number
- W15QKN-04-X-0811
- Response Due
- 4/16/2004
- Point of Contact
- MAGDA SZYMANSKI, Contract Specialist, (973)724-3066
- E-Mail Address
-
Email your questions to MAGDA SZYMANSKI
(mszyman@pica.army.mil)
- Description
- The U.S. Army Research Development and Engineering Command, Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center (RDECOM-ARDEC), Picatinny, NJ 07806-5000 seeks to acquire the services of a qualified vendor to provide system design, fabrication, installation, start-up, testing and operation of plasma arc thermal treatment systems for the demilitarization of military ordnance. The services are required in order to complete two on-going projects as well as fully execute one new project. The two on-going projects are the Plasma Ordnance Demilitarization System (PODS) being implemented at Hawthorne Army Depot, Hawthorne, NV and the Mobile Plasma Treatment System (MPTS) being implemented at Talon Manufacturing Company, Herndon, WV. Both of these projects employ plasma arc furnace systems designed and fabricated by MSE- Technology Applications, Inc. of Butte, MT. The new project will be a transportable plasma furnace system that is integrated with a munitions pre- processing operation known as cryofracture. Development of the integrated cryofracture portion of the combining system is the responsibility of others. The combined plasma arc/cryofracture demilitarization system will be implemented at a DOD facility to be determined at a later date. This system is presently in the conceptual design stage. The PODS is a full scale plasma arc treatment system that includes a 400 cubic foot primary processing chamber, state-of-the-art pollution abatement system, feed system, water treatment system, PC based control system, and all ancillary support systems (deionize water, chiller, compressed air, etc.). The furnace operates in an oxygen- enriched environment and contains a 1MW universal plasma arc torch (i.e., can operate in both transferred/non-transferred mode) and 500kW non-transferred torch. The system has a 500 lb/hr nominal throughput of pyrotechnic ordnance, which consists of high thermal output and high off gas output burning devices contained in metal, plastic, and cardboard casings. The system has been designed, fabricated, installed and partially tested at HWAD. Services would be required starting in FY04 to complete start-up testing, train HWAD personnel, conduct environmental compliance tests, obtain final environmental permits, update engineering and maintenance documentation, perform process demonstration/validation/optimization tests, perform system maintenance as may be required, and transition the system to full-scale production operations. The MPTS is a transportable plasma arc treatment system that includes a primary processing chamber (furnace), state-of-the-art pollution abatement system, feed system, PC based control system, an air compressor, a 4160V generator, a cooling system and a deionized water system. The furnace operates in an oxygen-deficient (reducing) environment and contains a 500kW non- transferred plasma arc torch. The system has a 300 lb/hr nominal throughput for fuzes and fuze components, which is the feed material that will be processed at the Talon site. The system is skid mounted and can be transported on 9 flat bed trailers for set-up and operation. Services are required starting in FY04, at which time the system will have already been installed, started-up, tested, and will be ready for operation at Talon. Services are required to operate the MPTS for a period of not less than one year in order to complete the fuze demilitarization campaign, evaluate process performance, perform system maintenance, decommission and disassemble the system, load it onto flat bed trailers and transport it to a location to be designated. The combined plasma arc/cryofracture project is intended to provide complete demilitarization of high explosive-containing submunitions downloaded from Cluster Bomb Units (CBUs) and 105MM/155MM artillery rounds as well as other small ammunition items that are determined to be suitable for processing. The process involves downloading of the submunitions, handling of the submunitions, cryofracture of the submunitions, transfer of the cryofractured debris into a plasma system, where the debris will be converted in a benign solid phase (slag) or recovered metal and a clean off gas compliant with environmental emission requirements. For the plasma arc process portion of the combined system, the prospective contractor is required to design, fabricate, start-up, demonstrate and transition the system to full scale demil operations, as well as obtain all environmental permits and provide training and maintenance documentation. Integration of the system with the cryofracture portion of the process (Government furnished) is also required. The contractor shall use the existing conceptual design as a starting point for the detailed design, in order to maximize lessons learned and minimize technical risk. For each of the above projects, the prospective contractor should have the following: a. Experience and familiarity in the design, fabrication, installation, testing, and prove-out of plasma systems tailored for the processing of military munitions, of similar design configuration, size, complexity and throughput as the above. b. Test data supporting the ability to operate plasma furnaces in both oxidizing and reducing environments for a continuous 120 hours without torch electrode replacement. Firms with experience in the areas cited above should provide a summary of their company?s capabilities, including a description of facilities, equipment, personnel and past experience to meet this requirement. This shall include documentation describing actual systems designed, fabricated, installed, started-up, tested, and operated, as well as a description of operating experience including wastes processed, processing rates achieved, operating hours logged, torch electrode life data, and maintenance issues/malfunctions encountered. Interested firms are invited to indicate their interest by providing specifications, brochures, and/or drawings within fifteen days of the date of this notice to US Army RDECOM-ARDEC, ATTN: Francis Sullivan, AMSRD-AAR-AEE-P, Bldg. 321 Room 5, Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey 07806-5000, email: fsulliv@pica.army.mil. The POC for any technical questions is Francis Sullivan at (973) 724-3538. In addition, please provide the company?s name, address, point of contact with telephone number and email address, size of business (small/large) and country represented. This is a market survey for information only and shall not be construed as a request for proposal or as an obligation on the part of the US Government. The US Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this market survey or otherwise pay for information solicited.
- Web Link
-
US ARMY TACOM-Picatinny Procurement Network
(http://procnet.pica.army.mil/dbi/Download/GoGetSourcesSought.cfm?SolNum=W15QKN-04-X-0811)
- Record
- SN00555056-W 20040328/040326212334 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps.gov Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
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