66 -- RADIO FREQUENCY UNIT

Notice Date

January 10, 2001

Contracting Office

USDA, Agricultural Research Service, 5230 Konnowac Pass Rd., Wapato, WA 98951

ZIP Code

98951

Solicitation Number

RFP-JW-002

Response Due

February 12, 2001

Point of Contact

Judy Wilkinson (509) 454-6580

E-Mail Address

NA (jwpurch@yarl.ars.usda.gov)

Description

The USDA Agricultural Research Service in Wapato, WA has a requirement for a Radio Frequency Unit as follows: The multi-disciplinary project will require procuring a 6 kW 27.12 MHz radio frequency system, which operates directly off a 480 v 3-phase line. The electrode plates (30 in x 20 in) can be mechanically separated to have a maximum 12 in. gap. Power to the electrodes is controlled by a computerized project logic control (PLC) processor. The entire unit will cover no more than 10 ft. x 4 ft. floor area with the chamber opening at 3 ft. above the floor. The power can be continuously adjusted to control heating rate. The system is equipped with instrumentation to measure the amount of electromagnetic energy absorbed by the samples during the tests to provide information for scaling-up studies and for economic analysis. The commodities to be studied include cherries, apples, pears, squash, potatoes, onions, and other agricultural crops. The tests will be conducted in a batch mode, but will be designed to simulate as a continuous process. Commodity temperature will be measured using FISO fiber-optic sensors (UMI, FISA Technologies, Inc., Quebec, Canada) with 0.01% resolution, 20 Hz sampling rate and 0.5% accuracy of full scale that do not interfere with the microwave field. Four channels of temperature sensors will be monitored by an authomatic data acquisition system. The Government intens on negotiating with the only known source, Strayfield Ltd. A solicitation is not available for this notice. Interested firms are encouraged to submit proposals containing descrliptive literature to the mailing address shown in this notice. "See numbered note 22"

Web Link

NA (NA)

Record

Loren Data Corp. 20010112/66SOL002.HTM (W-010 SN50A695)