U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 26 W. Martin Luther King Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45268

66 -- SOLE SOURCE ACQUISITION OF VEHICLE EMISSIONS, CVS SAMPLING AND ANALYSIS SYSTEMS SOL 98-14 POC Pam Legare (513)487-2015 E-MAIL: U.S. EPA -- Cincinnati Contracts Management Division, legare.pamela@epamail.epa.gov. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) plans to negotiate on a soles source basis with Horiba Instruments, Inc. to provide multi-range critical flow venturi and integrated span gas selector valve modules for CVS Sampling and Analysis Systems used for motor vehicle emissions testing in accordance with CFR Part 40 Subpart 86. Negotiations shall be conducted pursuant to the authority of 41 U.S.C. 253 (c)(1), which allows for negotiation without full and open competition if there is only one responsible source. The basis for this determination is that the U.S. EPA-National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory (NVFEL) in Ann Arbor has a requirement to obtain two component subsystems -- an integrated CVS module and a set of span and midspan gas line selector valves for a MEXA 7200 analyzer system. The integrated CVS module shall mount vertically on a 10' high 4" thick metal wall and have a footprint no larger than 24" x 24". This module shall contain two stainless steel critical flow venturis (350 cfm and 500 cfm) that can be operated by pneumatic valves to provide three flowrates (350, 500, 850 cfm) on the dilute exhaust flow mixture. The inlet piping shall be 6" OD 16 gauge stainless steel and the outlet shall be 8" OD heavy gauge metal. Plenums shall be provided to assure that the entrance and exit conditions from the CFVs are stable and consistent with good flow engineering practices. All components that contact the sample mixture prior to sampling shall be made from stainless steel. This module shall be instrumented with all the pressure, temperature, and sample ports required to conduct the Federal Test Procedure in accordance with the CFR. The second subsystem shall provide the capability to select up to four span gases and four midspan gases per analyzer on the MEXA 7200 analysis system. These gas selector modules shall fit within the MEXA cabinet and be fully integrated with the computer and gas calibration software. The two subsystems shall be installed and integrated with the Horiba CVS, Horiba MEXA 7200 gas analysis system and the Horiba CDTCS computer control system. Horiba Instruments, Inc. is installing new sampling and analytical systems under contract 68-C4-0081. The systems proposed in the contract incorporated Subsonic Flow Venturis (SFVs) and single range gas analysis instruments. The new systems are being installed in Sites D003 and D004, which are the sites used for official Light Duty Vehicle Certification, Recall, and Fuel Economy testing. These tests must comply with all of the provisions of CFR Title 40, Part 86, Subpart B, which include the use of Critical Flow Venturis and multiple range span gases. These capabilities must be integrated into the systems and have to be provided by the proposed vendor because the components need to be integrated physically and configured in the software which controls the systems. The span gas selector valves are specific miniaturized modules that plug into slots that are part of the original system hardware. These modules already contain all the wiring and signals to enable their control through the main user host system (Chassis Dynamometer Test Control System) and by a proprietary dedicated instrument interface network (MEXA IFC software). There are no other sources known to have the required modules, nor the software access and knowledge needed to install and integrate their operation. Horiba Instruments, Inc. provides the complete system in various configurations and has demonstrated that this configuration complies with the CFR requirements. Horiba Instruments, Inc. is the only known source able to satisfy the Government's requirements. As the vendor for the MEXA and CDTCS system, they possess the skills and knowledge to accomplish the necessary work. Therefore the EPA has determined that a contract with Horiba Instruments, Inc. Is appropriate under the current conditions stated above. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals. However, interested parties may identify their interest and capability to respond to the requirement by submitting documentation to Pam Legare at the office identified above which establishes that their specifications meet the EPA's requirement. Documentation must be received within fifteen (15) days after the date of publication of this synopsis to be considered by the EPA. A determination by the EPA not to compete this proposed contract based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the government. Information received will normally be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. See Note 22. Posted 07/27/98 (W-SN228736). (0208)

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