Personal Cooling System RFI Product Manager- Soldier Survivability (PM-SSV) is seeking information regarding the availability of Commercial-off-the-Shelf (COTS) and Government-off-the-Shelf (GOTS) Personal Cooling Systems (PCS). This notice constitutes a Request for Information only , THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION, no award will be made for this effort at this time. BACKGROUND: PM-SSV is conducting a market survey to determine the availability of COTS, modified commercial products or GOTS that can provide a level of protection for Soldiers against heat injuries/dangers due to exposure to extreme heat environments/cond itions. After review and evaluation of industry's submissions, samples of the most promising candidates may be procured for the Soldier Protection Demonstration (field testing) to evaluate the efficacy of the products and determine suitability for Army us e. DESCRIPTION: The Army seeks PCS that meet the requirements outlined. PCS requirements are expressed as Threshold (i.e. minimum) and Objective (i.e. desired) requirements, where applicable. If a parameter has only one value, it is the threshold requirement . PCSs will be used with clothing and individual equipment (CIE), and/or Interceptor Body Armor (IBA) worn and carried by Soldiers, excluding chemical protective clothing and equipment. (1) Weight. 8 pounds (Threshold-T); 5 pounds (Objective - O). Weight includes the cooling system, power source (if applicable), and cooling garment. (2) Cooling. 120 watts (T), 180 watts (O) average heat removal at a 95°F ambient environment, as measured in accordance with F2371-05 Standard Test Method for Measuring the Heat Removal Rate of Personal Cooling Systems Using a Sweating Heated Manikin. (3) Duration. 2 hours (T); 4 hours (O). Duration is defined as the point at which the net cooling level provided by the PCS drops to less than 50 watts, as measured in accordance with the test method cited in 2.2 above. (4) Size. 150 in3 (T); 120 in3 (O). This includes the cooling unit and power source, but not the cooling garment. The thickness of the cooling garment must not exceed 0.375 inch (T); 0.25 inch (O). (5) Logistics. Logistics shall consist of the replacement of the power source (e.g. batteries), dust filters, etc. Systems requiring water, refrigerators/freezers and/or air conditioned spaces to recharge or replenish the cooling medium cannot be suppor ted and, therefore, products requiring this logistics tail will not be considered. (6) Orientation. The PCS must operate at its threshold performance level at orientation changes of up to 15 degrees from vertical (T); orientation insensitive (O). (7) Compatibility with CIE or IBA. a. No specification shall be made to legacy CIE to facilitate integration of the PCS. b. The integration of the PCS shall not require the resizing of legacy CIE or IBA. c. The PCS must include all hardware to mount it securely on the body. It shall not interfere with other items typically carried/worn by Soldiers (e.g., helmet, body armor). d. Wearing the PCS shall not compromise the protection provided by legacy CIE. e. The PCS shall not require a tether to an auxiliary device (e.g. power generator) during operation and dismount operation. (8) Power. If needed, the PCS power source must operate on standard military or commonly available COTS batteries (T); standard military and commonly available COTS batteries (O). (9) Operations. a. Controls. The PCS shall have provisions to allow users to turn the system on or off (T); high, low, off or skin temperature feedback (O). b. The PCS controls must be easily accessible and distinguishable when operated with a gloved hand and in low light, but have sufficient safeguards to avoid inadvertent activation during execution of Individual Movement Techniques (IMTs). c. The PCS shall be capable of being donned/doffed without assistance. The PCS must have a quick release mechanism that allows the user to doff the system in less than 30 seconds, without compromising the protection provided by the CIE. (10) Environmental. The PCS will be evaluated in a simulated operational environment; therefore, it must be capable of withstanding associated environmental insults such as sand/dust, rain, vibration, and mechanical shock. (11) Support Equipment. PCS support equipment must be minimized. Any support equipment must be provided with the PCS. (12) Tools. The PCS shall not introduce/require any special tools to operate or maintain the system. (13) Reliability. The PCS must be capable of operating for 200 hours (T), 500 hours (O) before system failure (note: periodic maintenance, described in 2.14 may be performed). (14) Safety/Health Hazards. a. Health hazards associated with the PCS will be eliminated or reduced to acceptable levels. b. The PCS will be constructed of materials that are non-toxic when in contact with the skin and open wounds. If components are burned, fumes will be no more toxic than legacy electronic or CIE currently worn/carried/used by Soldiers, if inhaled. The PC S will neither contain nor produce hazardous waste more than legacy electronic or clothing equipment of similar construction. c. The PCS design must not present a safety hazard to personnel; sharp edges or corners must be eliminated and sufficient safeguards on moving parts must be included to prevent bodily injury or damage to other CIE. d. During operation, the PCS shall not present a contact burn hazard to users. (15) Maintenance. There shall be no maintenance required of the PCS during its operation. Maintenance should be restricted to pre/post-operation system checkout. At this time, PM-SSV is seeking sources, technical and product information for PCS. This market survey is for informational purposes only; this is not a Request for Proposal (RFP). All interested firms, regardless of size, are encouraged to respond to thi s RFI by submitting product literature, technical specifications, pertinent test data, cost, material safety data sheets (if applicable), and product availability. Responses are due 1 June 2007. Please only submit information on products that are currentl y commercially available or products that are in the final stages of development and will be available for purchase and delivery NLT 30 July 2007. Vendors who meet the requirements outlined above may be invited to provide an on-site product demonstration to PM SSV. Products must comply with the Buy American Act and the Berry Amendment. Proprietary information will not be disclosed outside the US Government. The Government will not pay for information received in response to this RFI and is in no way obli gated by the information received. Inclusion in this RFI or the resulting database does not constitute Department of the Army approval for any product. Responses may be sent via e-mail to
[email protected] or by regular mail to PM Soldier Survivabil ity, ATTN: Maj Carl Fulmore, 10170 Beach Road, Bldg 328T, Fort Belvoir, VA 22060.