Phillips Laboratory/PKVA, Directorate of Contracting, 3651 Lowry Avenue SE, Kirtland AFB NM 87117-5777

J -- REPAIR OF A RESEARCH ELECTRON ACCELERATOR SOL F29601-96-R-0017 POC S. Knickerbocker, Contract Specialist 505-853-3238, Barbara M. Steinbock, Contracting Officer, 505-846-5935. TITLE: REPAIR OF A RESEARCH ELECTRON ACCELERATOR Solicitation F29601-96-R-0017. DUE: 03 October 1996. POC Shirlee Knickerbocker, Contract Specialist, (505)853-3238 and/or Barbara M. Steinbock, Contracting Officer, (505)846-5935. Notice of intent to award sole source to Radiation Dynamics,Incorporated for the repair of the CW Electron Accelerator. The electron accelerator, model EA 1.5, was manufactured in the late 1950s by Radiation Dynamics, Incorporated. REQUIREMENTS: PL/VTET requirements for the electron accelerator are operation at a minimum end-point energy of one million electron volts (1EMeV) at an output current of 1 milliampere. This is a continuous-operation (CW) accelerator as opposed to a pulsed accelerator. REPAIR DESCRIPTION: The main cascaded rectifier system of the aforementioned electron accelerator no longer operates properly. The existing rectifier system is driven by a high-frequency oscillator at a radio-frequency (RF) of 300 kilohertz. Power to the rectifiers is capacitively coupled from an internal RF power supply to an array of corona rings thereby eliminating the need for conventional filter condensers. The present rectifier system configuration has 32 vacuum tubes (Dunlee VR-24), which are no longer manufactured nor otherwise available. Therefore, the present rectifier system must be replaced with a solid state rectifier system that has been engineered to properly power the accelerator. Since the existing system uses the existing corona ring assembly to provide impedance matching between the rectifier and the power supply, the replacement system must be impedance matched as well. Assembly is needed to match the capacitive coupling characteristics of the tank oscillator of the electron accelerator's present configuration. The high frequency RF power is coupled through a solenoidal RF transformer which must be compatible with the new solid-state rectifier system. This requirement makes the replacement of this transformer likely to ensure compatibility with the power and impedance requirements of the new rectifier assembly. With the change of the rectifier system, new optical monitors will be required to detect arcing (corona current) within the accelerator. These monitors shall be integrated into the operation of the accelerator to prevent excessive corona current from being drawn and thereby prevent damage to the accelerator. An organizational conflict of interest clause may be required in any resulting contract to provide access to the manufacturer's proprietary data. An Ombudsman has been appointed to hear concerns from offerors or potential offerors during the proposal development phase of this acquisition. The purpose of the Ombudsman is not to diminish the authority of the Program Director or Contracting Officer, but to communicate contractor concerns, issues, disagreements, and recommendations to the appropriate government personnel. When requested, the Ombudsman will maintain strict confidentiality as to the source of the concern. The Ombudsman does not participate in the evaluation of proposals or in the source selection process. Interested parties are invited to call the PL Ombudsman, Colonel James Ledbetter in the Operations Directorate (505) 846-4964. The Ombudsman should only be contacted with issues of problems that have been previously brought to the attention of the Contracting Officer and could not be satisfactorily resolved at that level. For Contracting issues, please contact Barbara M. Steinbock, Contracting Officer, at (505) 846-2246. For Technical issues, please contact Mr. William Kemp, Project Officer, at (505) 846-4500. Mail all requests for the solicitation referencing RFP number F29601-96-R-0017 to: Phillips Laboratory/PKVA, Attn.: S Knickerbocker. (Note 25 and 26 of this CBD shall also apply). (0247)

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