U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command Acquisition Center -- Washington Operations Office, 2461 Eisenhower Ave., Alexandria, VA 22331-0700

A -- FCATS-500 (0.5KW) AUTOMATIC FUEL CELL TEST STATION POC Naomi Lee, Procurement Tech, (703) 325-6066; Margaret Proctor, Contracting Officer, (703) 325-2859 E-MAIL: mproct@hoffman-issaa2.army.mil, Nlee@hoffman-issaa2.army.mil. The US Army CECOM Acquisition Center -- Washington intends to award a sole source purchase order with Hydrogenics Corporation, at 180 Geary Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M6H 2B9. The Contractor shall provide labor, deliver and warranty of parts, for the construction of the Hydrogenics' FCATS-500 (0.5kW) Automatic fuel Cell Test Station with optional modifications to monitor and control an existing environmental test chamber and programmable electronic load, (HP6050B), and an air/hydrogen humidification system. The system incorporates state-of-the-art safety shutdowns so that neither the test station nor the test facility comes to any damage during a fuel cell test. The FCATS-500 is an automated test station consisting of a data acquisition and control systems including national Instruments BridgeVIEWtm with Field Point control, hydrogen and air humidification systems, and software interfaces to existing electronic load bank and environmental test chamber. The stations need to be made handle a range of power levels and flowrates for the reactant gasses. The systems are mix and match, mainly for single cell testing, not full system/stack testing, with optional modifications to automated controls, data acquisition, and data management. The fuel cells use hydrogen and air to produce a DC current. These gases need to be monitored to ensure that they stay in their safety limits. The FCATS-500 test station monitors theses and will automatically shut down before a potential problem can arise. The Army now has several completed fuel cell systems that need to be characterized for operating capabilities and safety. Safety is of utmost importance to the Army while testing fuel cell systems. All work is to be performed under an anticipated fixed price order. The performance period will be for twelve months. Award will be made IAW Simplified Acquiisition Procedures. Posted 03/25/99 (W-SN312915). (0084)

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