Loren Data's SAM Daily™

FBO DAILY ISSUE OF AUGUST 10, 2005 FBO #1353
SOURCES SOUGHT

A -- Instrumentation and Measurement Techniques to Measure the Physical Parameters Involved During the Inflation and Descent Phases of Round Parachutes and Ram-air Inflated Parafoils

Notice Date

8/8/2005
 

Notice Type

Sources Sought
 

Contracting Office

RDECOM, Natick (Soldier Support Branch), ATTN: AMSRD-ACC-NM, Building 1, Kansas Street, Natick, MA 01760-5011
 

ZIP Code

01760-5011
 

Solicitation Number

DAAD15-AADD-INSTRMEAS
 

Response Due

10/31/2005
 

Archive Date

12/30/2005
 

Small Business Set-Aside

N/A
 

Description

The US Army Research, Development, and Engineering Command, Natick Soldier Center (RDECOM-NSC) in Natick, MA, is conducting a Request for Information (RFI) for white papers on instrumentation and measurement techniques to measure the physical paramet ers involved during the inflation and descent phases of round parachutes and ram-air inflated parafoils. The objectives of the measurements are to monitor the aerodynamics and structural dynamics of parachutes (full-scale and small-scale parachutes) and t o provide a database for the verification and validation of the mathematical/computer models currently being developed by NSC to predict the performance of parachutes. Highly sensitive, fast responding, light weight, and wireless sensors, and minimally or non-obtrusive measurement techniques are needed to monitor the transient air flow inside and outside the parachute canopy, the structural dynamics of the canopy fabric and the overall parachute shape and motion. Specifically, the following are the parame ters to be measured: spatial canopy position, motion and geometry, fabric strain, opening force, air velocity, air pressure, and overall flow field. Multiple sensors are required to fully monitor the large flow field and fabric of the canopy. Measurement s of the flow field desired include (but are not limited too) canopy surface fluid pressure, pressure field in the near wake of the parachute, velocity field in the near wake and internal flows of the canopy, and boundary layer profiles on the canopy surfa ce. Given the significant changes in the shape and the short time in which parachutes inflate, transient measurements of all these parameters are necessary and desired. Although it is desired to conduct full-scale parachute tests in an open atmosphere or a free-drop environment, it is necessary to conduct some parachute experiments under more controlled conditions, such as wind/water tunnels using small-scale parachutes. However, it is essential that instrumentation and measurement techniques be utilized in a larger scale environment, such as parachutes deployed from an aircraft or parachutes free-dropped inside a large, high ceiling, enclosed building (such as a blimp hangar or sports arena) with the instrumentation moving with the parachute or the parac hute moving past the instrumentation at a fixed region. Small-scale parachutes will also be tested in the free-drop environment. Full-size US Army parachute canopy size varies from 962 sq. ft. (35 ft. diameter) for personnel parachutes to 7,850 sq. ft. (100 ft. diameter) for cargo parachutes. Small-scale parachutes being considered for testing range in size from 0.8 sq. ft. to 200 sq. ft. (1-16 ft. diameter). Canopy fabrics are typically made of nylon having areal densities of 1.1  2.2 oz/sq. yd., and permeability of 0  140 cu. ft./min. at a ?-in. water pressure. The loading density of the canopy fabric is between 0.5 and 1 lb/ sq. ft. for full-size canopies (during steady descent) and 0.1 to 0.5 for small-scale canopies. Opening times of full-scale parachutes are on the order of seconds and those of small-scale parachutes for wind tunnel studies are less than one second. The a ssociated peak opening forces are on the order of 5 to 10 Gs. Vertical descent velocities are 15  30 ft/sec; some one-time use parachutes for humanitarian airdrop missions have higher descent velocities at about 70 ft./sec. Instrumentation is generally more developed for small-scale parachutes in wind/water tunnel studies than for full-scale parachutes. But a capability to monitor the detailed flow field of full-scale parachutes is particularly needed for parachute testing and development. All interested firms, regardless of size are encouraged to submit a White Paper to NSC in accordance with NSC Broad Agency Announcement 05-07 which can be found at https://www3.natick.army.mil/ssbaa.htm. Proprietary information will not be disclosed outs ide the U.S. Government. Nothing sha ll be construed herein or through the RFI process to commit or obligate the Government to further action as a result of this RFI. Firms responding to this RFI shall bear all risk and expense of any resources used to provide the requested information, and all information submitted in response to this request shall become the property of the Government and will not be returned to the submitter. Responses shall be submitted by 31 Oct 2005 and may be sent via email to Calvin.Lee@Natick.Army.Mil or by regular mail to US Army RDECOM, Natick Soldier Center, AMSRD-NSC-AD-AT (ATTN: Dr. Calvin Lee), Kansas Street, Natick, MA, 01760, Telephone (508) 233-4267, Fax (508) 233-5000. An alternative point of contact (POC) is Dr. Kenneth.Desabrais@Natick.Army.Mil, (508) 233 -4282.
 

Place of Performance

Address: RDECOM, Natick (Soldier Support Branch) ATTN: AMSRD-NSC-AD, Building 3, Kansas Street Natick MA

Zip Code: 01760-5017

Country: US
 

Record

SN00865377-W 20050810/050808213114 (fbodaily.com)
 

Source

FedBizOpps.gov Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)

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