SPECIAL NOTICE
66 -- Deep-Ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunamis Pressure Sensors
- Notice Date
- 3/1/2022 8:38:35 AM
- Notice Type
- Special Notice
- NAICS
- 334519
— Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing
- Contracting Office
- NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION US
- ZIP Code
- 00000
- Solicitation Number
- NWWG2100-22-00414
- Response Due
- 3/16/2022 12:00:00 PM
- Point of Contact
- Shelley Neubert, Phone: 8162267121
- E-Mail Address
-
shelley.neubert@noaa.gov
(shelley.neubert@noaa.gov)
- Description
- The U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Eastern Region Acquisitions Division-Kansas City office intends to award, on a sole source basis, under the authority of FAR 13.106-1(b)(1), with Paroscientific, Incorporated, 4500, 148th Avenue NE, Redmond, WA 98052 �for the purchase of 8 model 410K-272 pressure sensors, 8 model 410K-LV-316 used, and 16 intelligent Kit interface board that converts the frequency output of the pressure sensors into engineering units in RS-232 format in support of the Deep-Ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunamis (DART�). This purchase is for the National Data Buoy Center (NDBC) at Stennis Space Center, MS. Sole Source Justification The Deep-Ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunamis (DART) program is a scientific research program developed several years ago by the NOAA Office of Atmospheric Research (OAR) at their Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL) facility. The current DART program consists of a network of 39 buoys having bottom pressure sensors on the ocean floor that provide early reporting and warning of tsunamis in the Pacific Ocean and in other oceans. The DART program was declared fully operational in 2003, and full responsibility for the operation of the deployed network of DART buoys was permanently transferred to NDBC in FY2004. Due to the harsh marine conditions and occasional vandalism the NDBC is unable to recover and reuse approximately 5 systems per year. To try and improve the survivability of the BPR side of the system the PMEL designed a bottom pressure recorder that has all of the electronics, batteries, sensor, and acoustic modem in one pressure vessel housing. This procurement is for 8 of the original model 410K Paroscientific pressure transducers for the legacy systems, 8 of the single housing pressure sensors, 16 interface boards, and one pressure standard. All of the DART electrical, mechanical, and electronic equipment currently used in the DART program and on DART buoys is the result of custom engineering design and fabrication accomplished by PMEL directly, or through sole-source contractors, and much of it is proprietary. During the design process, PMEL integrated several custom manufactured electronics assemblies into the electronic sensor and data acquisition system used on the DART buoys. The buoy electronic assembly is the DART Acoustic Modem/CPU Assembly, which PMEL built, and which consists of several proprietary, custom designed printed circuit boards for controlling the Acoustic Modem and Iridium modem link. Three Dart Benthos Acoustic Modem/CPU Assemblies and one Paroscientific Bottom Pressure Transducer are used on every DART buoy in the present PMEL designed configuration. Two of the Modem/CPU assemblies are used in the DART buoy hull, one for primary data acquisition, and one as a secondary system in case of failure of the primary unit; the third is used in the Bottom Pressure Sensor suite. There is also other custom designed peripheral equipment integral to the operation of the DART buoy, including two Benthos Acoustic Modem Transducers used for wireless acoustic signal communications with the bottom pressure sensor equipment suite, an EdgeTech Acoustic release Module which can be used to release the Bottom Pressure Sensor suite from the mooring for recovery. Data is transmitted back to the NDBC and the tsunami warning centers through the Iridium uplink. The Bottom Pressure Sensor suite of equipment which includes the third DART Acoustic Modem/CPU Assembly, also contains a very special Paroscientific pressure transducer as the ocean floor or seabed sensor. This is one of the most critical parts of the system because the pressure transducer sits on the ocean floor and monitors the changes in the pressure of the water column above the sensor. The systems then send pressure data back to the electronics data acquisition units on the buoy via acoustic modems, and changes in the pressure data is the first sign of an approaching tsunami. PMEL selected the Paroscientific Model 410K-272 for use as the DART Bottom Pressure Sensor and it is now integral to the design; no other known sensor meets the design requirements, and Paroscientific is the only vendor who can supply these subassemblies because they are proprietary to the company. To try and address pressure spiking issues detected in the BPR systems, Paroscientific developed a new ceramic buffer tube that will prevent and electronic, sound, or vibration bounce back from the acoustic modem when it transmits. This change in the dilution tube is reflected in the part number as a model 410K-LV. This new buffer system design will not fit in the 3G and 4G BPR systems but does fit into the new PMEL designed single housing BPR. PMEL design proprietary printed circuit boards to interface to the bottom pressure sensor that transform frequency data from this pressure sensor into pressure data that can be incorporated into forecasts and warnings for tsunamis. With the development of the new electrically isolated pressure sensors PMEL worked with Paroscientific to develop a counter interface board to replace the PMEL board for this purpose. Special Notice This is the only notice to be posted.� This special notice is not a request for competitive offers and no solicitation package is available. However, firms that believe they can provide the needed pressure sensors may submit substantiating documentation in writing within the open period of this notice.� Responses can be sent via e-mail to shelley.neubert@noaa.gov. Documentation will be evaluated solely for the purpose of determining whether or not to conduct this procurement on a competitive basis. A determination by the Government not to conduct a competitive procurement, based upon response to this notice, is solely within the discretion of the Government. Oral communications are not acceptable in response to this notice. If no documentation is received, award will be made directly to Paroscientific, Inc. DOC, Eastern Region Acquisition Division requires that all contractors doing business with this office be registered with the System for Award Management (SAM). No award can be made to a company not registered in SAM. For additional information and to register in SAM, please access the following web site: www.sam.gov. To register, all contractors must have a Dun and Bradstreet number. A Dun and Bradstreet number may be acquired free of charge by contacting Dun and Bradstreet on-line at http://www.dnb.com/eupdate or by telephone at (800)333-0505.
- Web Link
-
SAM.gov Permalink
(https://sam.gov/opp/fe670a694d7648dbae2a761ba95c062d/view)
- Place of Performance
- Address: WA 98052, USA
- Zip Code: 98052
- Country: USA
- Zip Code: 98052
- Record
- SN06253384-F 20220303/220301230058 (samdaily.us)
- Source
-
SAM.gov Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
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