SOURCES SOUGHT
20 -- MEDIUM-VOLTAGE, ALTERNATING CURRENT VACUUM CIRCUIT BREAKERS (VCB) FOR NAVY SURFACE SHIPS
- Notice Date
- 12/12/2012
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 335313
— Switchgear and Switchboard Apparatus Manufacturing
- Contracting Office
- N00024 Naval Sea Systems Command, DC 1333 Isaac Hull Avenue S.E. Washington Navy Yard, DC
- ZIP Code
- 00000
- Solicitation Number
- N0002413R4206
- Response Due
- 1/4/2013
- Archive Date
- 1/31/2013
- Point of Contact
- Mr. Joseph Tannenbaum at joseph.tannenbaum@navy.mil
- E-Mail Address
-
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- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- The Naval Sea System Command (NAVSEA) is hereby issuing a Request for Information (RFI) on behalf of PMS 320 (the Electric Ships Office) seeking information on medium voltage, alternating current vacuum circuit breakers (VCBs) for use on Navy surface ships. PMS 320 seeks to determine the industry capability, estimated costs, and development steps required to test and qualify first articles of these breakers in a timeframe necessary to support specification development for future ship acquisition programs. The Navy currently uses Air Circuit Breakers (ACB) for medium voltage circuit protection in several shipboard applications, which is specified by MIL-DTL-17587/4. Presently, there is little commercial demand for medium voltage ACBs and a small vendor base that supply mil-qualified ACBs to the Navy, because most of the industrial circuit protection industry employs VCB technology. To reduce system costs, the Navy seeks to leverage advancements made by industry in VCB technology and to understand the costs and schedule associated with developing and qualifying a VCB for future surface ships as a potential cost savings alternative to the existing, qualified ACB solution. It is anticipated that the total number of VCBs needed in the near future may be in excess of 400 breakers. VCB based switchboard solutions meeting the following high level requirements are sought: Nominal Operating Voltage: 4160 volts AC, 3 phase. Amperage: 1200 amps minimum, 2000 amps objective. Width: 23 inch cabinet. Depth: 55.5 inch (without drip shield) and 62 inch (with drip shield). Height: 80 inch (without foundation). Hard mounted. Minimum Interrupt rating: 40kA symmetrical and 68kA asymmetrical. Switchboard designs must accommodate vertical stacking of two VCBs within a single 23inch wide cabinet. Additional switchboard control hardware (such as protection relays) must be accommodated within a single VCB cubical space. As an example, a notional switchboard consisting of three breakers and associated controls and protection equipment must fit within 2 vertical sections, for a total length of 46 inches. Compliance to Standards: Notional Detail Specification for VCBs, Notional Detail Specification for Switchboards, and Notional Performance Specification for Relays have been developed that support this effort. All three documents are intended to be complementary. Expected compliances that the VCB system would have to adhere to are contained in these notional documents. Actual requirements are still under development by the Navy. These documents are marked DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT D (Distribution authorized to Department of Defense (DoD) and DoD contractors only; Critical Technology). A technical data package with the three notional specification/performance requirements can be provided upon request and upon verification that the requestor is a bona fide US Department of Defense (DoD) contractor familiar with the procedures to handle technical data package that may include limited distribution information. Evidence in the form of an executed DD Form 2345 (MILITARILY CRITICAL TECHNICAL DATA AGREEMENT) will be required prior to receipt of the technical data package. Please request the technical data package via email to the following address: joseph.tannenbaum@navy.mil. References in the technical data package to a Qualified Products List (QPL) are notional at this time. Responses: PMS 320 is seeking industry ™s feedback and commentary on the scope, schedule and rough order of magnitude costs associated with qualifying a VCB by February 1, 2014 (in time for supplying a qualified VCB switchboard by February 1, 2017). The Navy is also interested in responses to the following questions regarding VCB development and qualification: 1. Identify any issues or exceptions you may have with qualifying a VCB to the standards and requirements contained in the technical data package. 2. Identify any other objections, concerns or barriers that would prevent you from developing a qualified VCB in the aforementioned ratings, per the requirements contained in the technical data package. 3. Provide a rough order of magnitude cost for development (non-recurring engineering) of a VCB per the requirements contained in the technical data package. 4. Provide a rough order of magnitude cost to perform qualification testing on a VCB per the requirements contained in the technical data package. 5. What is your estimated timeline to complete qualification testing, including the steps required? (Objective is to have by qualified VCBs by February 1, 2014.) 6. Identify independent investments or efforts you may be taking to develop equivalent VCBs for Navy applications. 7. Comment on your ability to support the proposed breaker over a ship ™s 40 year service life. 8. How is the device you may propose for qualification different than commercial devices you may be producing today for industry or military applications? 9. If you intend to use a commercial device and qualify it to the referenced standards, can you elaborate on your qualification plans? Specifically, the Navy is interested in understanding qualification approaches and schedules that seek to address and retire Navy specific risks early on in the qualification process. 10. Do you intend to use a derated, commercial breaker with ruggedized packaging or do you have a different approach? 11. The draft specifications indicated several optional requirements. The Navy is interested in which of those requirements can be met within the space constraints requested in this RFI. 12. Which required specification could be eliminated by substituting a suitable commercial alternative? What should be considered as a suitable alternative to each of the ones you identified? Please identify the requirements that inhibit the use of commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) products or existing Non-Developmental Item (NDI) components. Responses and comments are requested by 4:00 pm (EST), on January 4, 2013. However, submissions will be accepted after this date, but feedback may not be as timely or contribute to NAVSEA ™s strategic planning. Responses should indicate enough detail so that potential Navy interest can be assessed. Responses are requested to be provided electronically and acceptable formats include Adobe PDF, Microsoft Word and Microsoft PowerPoint files. All inquiries and comment submissions should be emailed to joseph.tannenbaum@navy.mil. The information provided will assist NAVSEA in developing and further defining future procurement and acquisition strategies and should not contain proprietary information. However, if some of the background on the comments provided is considered proprietary to the respondent, that portion shall be segregated and labeled as such and will be treated as Business Sensitive and will not be shared outside of Government activities and agencies without the permission of the provider. This RFI in no way binds the Government to offer contracts to responding companies. The information provided will assist NAVSEA in developing and further defining future procurement and acquisition strategies. Defense and commercial contractors, including small businesses, veteran-owned businesses, service-disabled veteran-owned businesses, HUBZone small businesses, and woman-owned small businesses are encouraged to participate. This RFI is the initiation of market research under Part 10 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), and is not a Request for Proposals (RFP). All information shall be provided free of charge to the Government. NAVSEA may request further information regarding the capabilities of respondents to meet the requirements and may request a presentation and/or a site visit as deemed necessary. No written responses will be returned.
- Web Link
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FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/DON/NAVSEA/NAVSEAHQ/N0002413R4206/listing.html)
- Place of Performance
- Address: N00024 NAVAL SEA SYSTEMS COMMAND
- Zip Code: 1333 Isaac Hull Avenue S.E., Washington Navy Yard, DC
- Zip Code: 1333 Isaac Hull Avenue S.E., Washington Navy Yard, DC
- Record
- SN02947370-W 20121214/121212234630-85a44efeb2b62fd771b10e11d47ad3f5 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
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