SOURCES SOUGHT
A -- AIRCRAFT CONCEPTUAL DESIGN TOOLS
- Notice Date
- 8/25/2004
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541710
— Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences
- Contracting Office
- NASA/Langley Research Center, Mail Stop 144, Industry Assistance Office, Hampton, VA 23681-0001
- ZIP Code
- 23681-0001
- Solicitation Number
- RFI-NNL04ACDT
- Response Due
- 10/25/2004
- Archive Date
- 8/25/2005
- Point of Contact
- Liliana J Richwine, Contract Specialist/Contracting Officer, Phone (757) 864-2478, Fax (757) 864-7709, Email Liliana.J.Richwine@nasa.gov - Nancy M Sessoms, Contracting Officer, Phone (757) 864-2471, Fax (757) 864-7709, Email Nancy.M.Sessoms@nasa.gov
- E-Mail Address
-
Email your questions to Liliana J Richwine
(Liliana.J.Richwine@nasa.gov)
- Description
- This notice is issued by NASA/Langley Research Center to post a Request for Information (RFI) via the Internet, and solicit responses from interested parties. This document is for information and planning purposes, to allow industry the opportunity to provide feedback on their capabilities, to verify reasonableness and feasibility of the requirements, as well as promote competition. Prospective offerors are invited to submit written comments or questions via electronic transmission (i.e. e-mail) to: Liliana J. Richwine at liliana.j.richwine@nasa.gov, no later than Oct 25, 2004 at 4:00 pm E.S.T . When responding reference RFI-NNL04ACDT. This RFI is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government, nor will the Government pay for the information submitted in response. Respondents will not be notified of the results. No awards will be issued as a result of this RFI. However, the information received through this RFI will be utilized to assist in formulating the Conceptual Design Shop implementation strategy which may include competitive procurements in selected areas. Background: Conceptual Design Shop (CDS) resides within the Efficient Aerodynamic Shapes and Integration (EASI) project under NASA?s Vehicle Systems Program. The objective of the CDS is to establish a rapid variable fidelity numerical capability for developing and evaluating novel aircraft concepts and component vehicle technologies in a conceptual design environment. CDS is envisioned to be an integrated software system for rapid conceptual design of flight vehicles that represent the next generation of revolutionary, unconventional aircraft configurations. This new generation of vehicles will greatly increase mobility by utilizing advanced drag reduction and high lift technologies while protecting the environment through low noise and low emissions technology advances. These advanced technologies will be developed within the Vehicle Systems Program at NASA or elsewhere in the aerospace industry. Current conceptual design practice as applied to unconventional configurations is unacceptably time consuming and laborious using today's processes and methods. CDS will serve to re-vitalize the conceptual design capability at LaRC, supporting the critical sizing and early configuration trade studies of unconventional designs that constitute the foundation of new program efforts and provide guidance for the investment of scarce resources. RFI Requirements: The development of CDS will be guided by requirements that have been generated by the CDS customers and stakeholders. These requirements have been prioritized and white papers are requested that address the focus areas identified by this initial requirements set. Listed below are the key focus areas and brief descriptions of the desired capabilities in each area. White papers that examine one or more of these areas are invited. White papers should be consistent with the separately attached Draft CDS Scope Document (dated August 10, 2004). Key Focus Areas: Variable Fidelity Framework ? An engineering framework implementation is needed that can integrate both legacy and new aircraft conceptual design software modules. The framework must be flexible and facilitate a modular plug-and-play environment that enables the direct integration of higher fidelity codes. Initial variable fidelity capability is targeted for the aerodynamics and structures disciplines. Specific needs in these areas are subsonic transport class configuration (both conventional and unconventional) takeoff and landing aerodynamic analysis, subsonic transport drag build-up including the transonic regime, and subsonic transport structural weight estimation. Geometry and Structural Layout ? A user-friendly adaptable and expandable interface is needed that enables rapid creation and high fidelity visualization of aircraft geometry. The tool must generate exportable CAD-grade geometry for high fidelity aerodynamic meshing tools and finite-element analysis and meshing code at all fidelity levels, yet remain easy to use and intuitive for the conceptual designer by utilizing a parametric based geometry interface. In addition the parametric geometry representation should enable seamless linking with sizing and performance codes for real-time updates. Noise and Emissions ? A capability is needed to perform both conceptual-level and higher levels of fidelity of aircraft noise assessments, including an automatic noise prediction capability for non-expert users. The emissions capability should quantify the level of harmful emissions from aircraft propulsion systems, including the incorporation of a physics based combustion simulation tool that can generate NOx, CO2, aerosol and particulate emissions automatically for any mission segment. Stability and Control ? A capability is needed to perform conceptual-level stability and control (S&C) assessments, including static and dynamic stability, and ride and handling quality metrics. This capability should translate expert-level metrics into readable information for the non-expert conceptual design user. Uncertainty Methods ? A capability is needed to quantify the impact of multidisciplinary uncertainty on vehicle design and performance. Areas of interest include uncertainty propagation, probabilistic decomposition and probabilistic design. Knowledge Database ? A knowledge database is needed for advanced conceptual design that can be easily accessed by the conceptual designer to examine past development on similar advanced concepts. This database could identify past "show stoppers" and direct an optimization process in those directions to establish current viability or areas of concentration. The database would incorporate a robust search capability, and contain a wide variety of data, including expert guidance obtained from interviews with experience aircraft conceptual designers, tool and methods documentation, input/output files, and titles of reference papers and reports. The database should have a web interface to enable wide access. Website ? A conceptual design shop website is needed to organize and distribute the conceptual design information developed under this project. The website must be secure and link user privileges to login ID. General aircraft design expertise along with web development capabilities are desired for this focus area. Any information obtained as a result of this RFI is intended to be used by the Government on a non-attribution basis for program planning and acquisition strategy development. Providing data/information that is limited or restricted for use by the Government for that purpose would be of very little value and such restricted/limited data/information is not solicited. Multi-disciplined review teams that draw on CDS customers and stakeholders from relevant NASA Centers will review the white papers. Review teams may be comprised of Government personnel from NASA Centers, and/or other Government agencies and may include Swales Aerospace, a NASA LaRC support contractor under the Systems Analysis contract. As such, to the extent that any information submitted in response to this RFI is marked as or construed to be proprietary or business-sensitive, submitters are hereby notified (a) about the potentiality that such information may be disclosed to Swales Aerospace and (b) that submission of information in response to this RFI constitutes consent to such handling and disclosure of submitted information. This RFI is being used to obtain information for planning purposes only and the Government does not presently intend to award a contract at this time. As stipulated in FAR 15.201(e), responses to this notice are not considered offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. No solicitation exists; therefore, do not request a copy of the solicitation. If a solicitation is released, it will be synopsized in FedBizOpps and on the NASA Acquisition Internet Service. It is the offeror?s responsibility to monitor the Internet cite for the release of any synopsis or solicitation and amendments, if any. Preparing white papers: Interested offerors/vendors having the capability to meet or exceed the requirements summarized above and in the Draft CDS Scope Document should submit three hardcopies of your capability statement/technical information of 15 pages or less including the ability and recommended approach to perform all or some of the effort described in the focus areas above. One electronic copy using Microsoft Word is also required via CD or email to liliana.j.richwine@nasa.gov. In addition, interested offerors/vendors may provide any relevant catalogs or other published product literature that may be generally available in hardcopy form or on-line. There is no page limit for this information. Responses must also include the following: name and address of firm, size of business using the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code of 541710 with a size standard of 500 employees; average annual revenue for the past 3 years and number of employees; ownership; whether large, small, small disadvantaged, 8(a), HUBZone, Veteran, Service Disabled Veteran, and/or Women Owned; number of years in business; list of customers covering the past five years (highlight relevant work performed). All comments/questions should be directed to: Liliana J. Richwine - Address: NASA/LaRC, Mail Stop 126, Building: 1195B, Room 235, Hampton, VA 23681-2199, phone: (757) 864-2478, fax: (757) 864-7709, E-Mail: liliana.j.richwine@nasa.gov Please advise if the requirement is considered to be a commercial or commercial-type product. A commercial item is defined in ?Note A? (commercial product definition). If the requirement is considered to be a commercial-type product, please include information on customary practices regarding customizing, modifying, or tailoring of items to meet customer needs and associated costs. An ombudsman has been appointed -- See NASA Specific Note "B". The Government reserves the right to consider a small business or 8(a) set-aside based on responses hereto. The solicitation and any documents related to this procurement will be available over the Internet. These documents will reside on a World Wide Web (WWW) server, which may be accessed using a WWW browser application. The Internet site, or URL, for the NASA/LaRC Business Opportunities home page is http://prod.nais.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/eps/bizops.cgi?gr=D&pin=23 It is the offeror's responsibility to monitor the Internet cite for the release of the solicitation and amendments (if any). Potential offerors will be responsible for downloading their own copy of the solicitation and amendments, if any. Any referenced notes may be viewed at the following URLs linked below.
- Web Link
-
Click here for the latest information about this notice
(http://prod.nais.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/eps/bizops.cgi?gr=D&pin=23#112210)
- Record
- SN00654212-W 20040827/040826080314 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps.gov Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
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