Advanced Precipitation Identification (API) Weather Sensor
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS BEST VIEWED ON THE FAA CONTRACT OPPORTUNITIES WEB SITE: HTTPS://FAACO.FAA.GOV.
In accordance with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Acquisition Management System (AMS) Policy 3.2.1.2.1, this announcement is to conduct a Market Survey for the purpose of soliciting statements of interest and capabilities from interested vendors to provide information for the FAA to consider in choosing the type and number of winter weather sensors to procure and test which would provide data needed to go forward with proof of concept and prototyping activities. It is the FAAbs intent, subject to the availability of funds, to purchase a few sensors from the minimally acceptable companies in order to due field testing. It is not the FAAbs intent to purchase production quantities.
Only those respondents providing the required documentation and found to meet the requirements in response to this market survey will be considered on any future action taken by the FAA. Therefore, interested companies/vendors who can comply with this announcement are highly encouraged to respond.
This announcement is NOT A SCREENING INFORMATION REQUEST (SIR) or REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP). Further, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is not seeking or accepting unsolicited proposals.
The FAA will not pay for any information received or costs incurred in preparing responses to this market survey. Any proprietary information should be so marked. This announcement shall not be construed as a request for proposal or as an obligation on the part of the FAA to acquire these products or services. Responders to this announcement may be asked to provide additional details/information based on their initial response.
Funds are not presently available for this requirement. The Governmentbs obligation under this requirement is contingent upon the availability of appropriated funds from which payment can be made.
The principal North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this effort is 334511, Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing, with a size standard of 750 employees.
Background:
The automated aviation surface weather sensor network currently does not have ability to discriminate and report all precipitation types. As the FAA implements the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen), advanced weather sensing concepts are being explored to close these reporting shortfalls allowing for increased operational efficiencies and improved decision making.
The Government is seeking information from prospective companies/vendors to determine if an Advanced Precipitation Identification (API) weather sensor is available to address todaybs observing shortfalls while still meeting fundamental performance requirements for operational implementation. Interested vendors that have the capabilities to meet these requirements should provide sufficient information to describe those items and capabilities in a compelling manner. Submitted documentation must clearly demonstrate that the vendorbs sensor can meet the following requirements:
Reportable Precipitation Requirements
The sensor must be capable of discriminating among the following liquid and solid precipitation types as defined by the Federal Meteorological Handbook Number 1:
b" Drizzle (DZ) - Fairly uniform precipitation composed exclusively of fine drops with diameters of less than 0.02 inch (0.5 mm) very close together. Drizzle appears to float while following air currents, although unlike fog droplets, it falls to the ground.
b" Rain (RA) - Precipitation, either in the form of drops larger than 0.02 inch (0.5 mm), or smaller drops which, in contrast to drizzle, are widely separated.
b" Snow (SN) - Precipitation of snow crystals mostly branched in the form of six-pointed stars.
b" Small Hail/Snow Pellets (GS) - Precipitation of white, opaque grains of ice. The grains are round or sometimes conical. Diameters range from about 0.08 to 0.2 inch (2 to 5 mm).
b" Hail (GR) - Precipitation in the form of small balls or other pieces of ice falling separately or frozen together in irregular lumps.
b" Ice Pellets (PL) - "Precipitation of transparent or translucent pellets of ice, which are round or irregular, rarely conical, and which have a diameter of 0.2 inch (5 mm), or less. There are two main types:
1. Hard grains of ice consisting of frozen raindrops, or largely melted and refrozen snowflakes.
2. Pellets of snow encased in a thin layer of ice which have formed from the freezing, either of droplets intercepted by the pellets, or of water resulting from the partial melting of the pellets"
Precipitation Intensity Requirements
For precipitation types of drizzle, rain, snow, and ice pellets the sensor must be capable of reporting the following precipitation intensities:
b" Light (-)
1. Drizzle < 0.254 mm/h
2. Rain / Ice Pellets < 2.54 mm/h
3. Snow < 1 mm/h
b" Moderate
1. Drizzle 0.254 = INT < 0.508 mm/h
2. Rain / Ice Pellets 2.54 = INT < 7.62 mm/h
3. Snow 1 = INT < 2.5 mm/h
b" Heavy (+)
1. Drizzle = 0.508 mm/h
2. Rain / Ice Pellets = 7.62 mm/h
3. Snow = 2.5 mm/h
For precipitation types of small hail/snow pellets and hail, no determination of precipitation intensity is required.
Precipitation Rate Requirement
If the precipitation rate is recorded the resolution of the precipitation rate must be at least 0.1016 mm/hr at an accuracy of 0.1016 mm.
False Reporting Requirements
When no precipitation is occurring, the sensor must not report more than four false occurrences of precipitation within any six-hour period and no more than one occurrence of precipitation within any ten-minute period.
Mixed Precipitation Requirements
During periods when more than one precipitation type is occurring, the sensor must, as a minimum, report the precipitation type as the dominant present weather type occurring and must report the intensity of the combined present weather types occurring at the time.
During mixed precipitation events, it is permissible for the sensor to report two present weather types however if this is the case, the API must report the present weather types in order of decreasing dominance.
The reported intensity value must correspond to the intensity of the combined present weather types occurring at the time.
Precipitation Rates Requirements (See Attachement A for Table 1)
Table 1 provides the precipitation rate requirements.
Precipitation Type METAR code Detection Accuracy Requirement Identification Accuracy Requirement Acceptable Reportable Values for Detection Acceptable Reportable Values for Identification
Light Drizzle - DZ 90% 65% -DZ, DZ, +DZ, -RA, RA -DZ, DZ
Moderate Drizzle DZ 95% 90% -DZ, DZ, +DZ, -RA, RA -DZ, DZ, +DZ
Heavy Drizzle + DZ 95% 90% DZ, DZ, +DZ, -RA,RA, +RA DZ, +DZ, -RA
Light Snow - SN 95% 90% -SN, SN, +SN -SN, SN
Moderate Snow SN 97% 95% -SN, SN, +SN -SN, SN, +SN
Heavy Snow + SN 99% 97% -SN, SN, +SN SN, +SN
Light Rain - RA 95% 90% -RA, RA, +RA, -DZ, DZ, +DZ -RA, RA
Moderate Rain RA 97% 95% -RA, RA, +RA, -DZ, DZ, +DZ -RA, RA, +RA
Heavy Rain + RA 99% 97% -RA, RA, +RA, DZ, +DZ RA, +RA
Ice Pellets PL 90% 80% GS, SN, PL GR, GS, PL
Small Hail and/or
Snow Pellets GS 90% 80% GS, SN, PL GR, GS, SN, PL
Hail GR 97% 90% GR, GS GR
TABLE 1: Precipitation Rate Requirements
The API must report occurrences of hail having a diameter of 5 mm (0.2in) or greater.
Software and Algorithm Requirements
The sensor must be designed to output raw internal parameters (e.g. fall speed or particle size) which are used to derive the meteorological information measured by the sensor.
The vendor must include adequate documentation describing the algorithm(s) needed to produce finished data products that can be run on processors external to the sensor.
The sensor must be designed to be configurable so that any general meteorological data needed for operation (e.g. temperature or dew point) can be supplied directly to the sensor via its external interface from an external source.
The sensor must be able to accept external meteorological data that will be inserted into the sensors algorithm(s).
The sensor shall provide an interface capable of providing both a Command Mode and Data Mode communications.
Operational Environment Requirements
The API sensor must provide accurate reporting of precipitation types and intensities without degradation of performance in severe outdoor environments consistent with all U.S. states.
The API sensor must minimize the negative effects of freezing and frozen precipitation accreting on critical surfaces.
The API sensor must meet all requirements of this specification when exposed to any combination of the following environments:
b" Dust/Pollen - Continuous exposure to wind driven respirable dust and/or pollen.
b" Salt Spray/Fog Fog - Continuous exposure to severe coastal marine environment.
b" Temperature Extremes - Continuous exposure to a wide range of ambient temperatures.
b" Rain - Exposure to continuous heavy rain.
b" Freezing Precipitation - Exposure to continuous freezing rain and/or drizzle.
b" Solar Insolation - Exposure to desert environments.
b" Electromagnetic Interference - Exposure to radio frequency energy as may be experienced in a typical airport environment.
b" Snow and Blowing Snow - Exposure to continuous white-out conditions due to snow and/or blowing snow.
Performance Consideration Requirements (See Attachement A for Table 2)
The sensor must be designed to eliminate detrimental effects in performance due to contamination of the sample volume by environmental elements such as dust, smoke, insects, spiders, etc.
The mechanical design must include appropriate deterrents to discourage perching and nesting birds and beebs nests.
The API sensor must be designed to operate continuously in all types of wind driven precipitation (liquid, freezing, and frozen) while performing within the specification. Table 2 provides the operational and withstanding test limits along with the test procedure for each environmental condition.
Environmental Condition Operational Test Limit Withstanding Test Limit Test Procedure(1)
High Temperature 120B0F 130B0F 1
Low Temperature -60B0F -80B0F 2
Temperature Shock 70B0F/-60B0F 70B0F/-80B0F 3
80B0F/+120B0F 80B0F/+130B0F
Temperature Cycling 100B0F/45B0F @ 20% RH same as operational 4
50B0F/0B0F @ 60% RH
Humidity 95B0F/74% RH to 80B0F/100% RH 110B0F/45% RH to 84B0F/100% RH 5
Wind Steady to 50 kts to 73 kts 6
Wind Gust to 66 kts to 125 kts 6
Rain to 3"/hr with 30 kts wind to 5"/hr w/73 kts wind 7
Freezing rain ice accretion to 1.0" with 20 kts wind rate: B=" per hr ice accretion to 3.0" with 35 kts wind 8
Dust exposure to dust laden environment same as operational 9
Insolation (Sunshine) heat buildup when exposed to 90 watts/ft2 @ 120B0F heat buildup when exposed to 104 watts/ft2 @ 130B0F 10
Low Pressure to 15.7 in. Hg same as operational 11
Electromagnetic Interference exposure to airport environment same as operational *
Salt Spray/ fog N/A exposure to coastal marine environment **
TABLE 2: Environmental Performance Conditions
(1) Referenced test procedures above are sections contained in the document WS-STD-2; "NWS Standard Environmental Criteria and Test Procedures" except:
* EHB 3-11A NWS Transient Susceptibility Standard
** MIL-STD-810F Environmental Test Methods and Engineering Guidelines
Core Capabilities: Prospective companies/vendors must possess knowledge, capabilities, and experience in the following areas:
b" Surface Weather Sensor manufacturing, quality control, certification.
b" Deployment and maintenance of weather sensors into the NAS environment.
b" Knowledge of FAA weather sensors, weather formats, and the integration of weather sensor information into air traffic management systems
Submissions provided to the Government must address the following:
1. Capability Statement that addresses the following:
a. Type of services or products provided by your firm that demonstrate ability to perform the services described above.
b. Services or products provided under previous contracts to enable the measurement of weather information that are similar in size, scope and complexity to this effort.
c. Provide detailed information and past performance information for previous contracts including program title, customer name, project dates, project value, customer point of contact, and description of work performed.
2. Estimated Cost breakout (to be used for budgetary purposes) as follows:
a. Cost for an API sensor
b. Overhead/General & Administrative Costs
3. Vendorbs ability to provide an API sensor within a 6 week period.
4. Completed Business Declaration Form (attached). Include a copy of SBA 8(a) Certification Form and/or proof of service-disabled veteran-owned small business status, if applicable.
It is the intention of the FAA to utilize non-government advisors, Basic Commerce and Industry (BCI), for the technical evaluation of submissions for this market survey, and any future actions as a result of this announcement, as applicable. All personnel participating in the evaluation will be required to sign Non-Disclosure and Conflict of Interest Agreements. The exclusive responsibility for evaluating the market survey submissions remains with the FAA.
Electronic submissions are required. Submissions must not exceed 20 pages total in length (page count is applicable to submissions 1-4 above). The electronic submission should be in either Microsoft WORD format or portable document format (PDF). Please note that the FAA e-mail server restricts file size to 10MB per email message, therefore, responses may have to be submitted in more than one e-mail in order to be received. All Submissions must be received by 1:00pm Eastern Time on Thursday, July 10, 2014, to Colleen McGuire, via E-mail to [email protected]. Submission must include company Point(s) of Contact, telephone number(s), FAX number(s), E-mail address, and mailing address.
Questions regarding this market survey may be submitted no later than 1:00pm Eastern Time on Wednesday, July 2, 2014 to Colleen McGuire, via E-mail to [email protected].
While registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) database is not required at this time, vendors participating in this market survey are advised that if any future requirement(s) result from this announcement, a vendor must be registered in the SAM's database.
If you're viewing this announcement from a source other than Federal Aviation Administration Contract Opportunities (FAACO), visit https://faaco.faa.gov/index.cfm/announcement/view/16881 to view the original announcement.
Colleen McGuire, [email protected], Phone: 609-485-9038
Click here to email Colleen McGuire
