SOLICITATION NOTICE
99 -- FUEL CELL POWER UNITS
- Notice Date
- 7/15/2002
- Notice Type
- Solicitation Notice
- Contracting Office
- 3610 Collins Ferry Road (MS-002) P.O. Box 880 Morgantown, WV 26507-0880
- ZIP Code
- 20585
- Solicitation Number
- DE-RQ26-02NT02494
- Response Due
- 7/31/2002
- Archive Date
- 8/30/2002
- Point of Contact
- Robert Mohn, Contracting Officer, 412-386-4963, mohn@netl.doe.gov;Robert Mohn, Contract Specialist, 412-386-4963, mohn@netl.doe.gov
- E-Mail Address
-
Robert Mohn, Contract Specialist
(mohn@netl.doe.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- SUBJECT: FUEL CELL POWER UNITS DESC: The U.S. Department of Energy"s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), Morgantown, WV site intends to award a fixed priced purchase order to Fuel Cell Technologies Ltd., 20 Binnington Court, Kingston, ON Canada to purchase the following: 1. Introductions: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has a need for 3-5 kW fuel cell power units that can provide electricity for instrumentation and communications gear positioned at abandoned hardrock mines for the purpose of environmental monitoring. These mines are in remote locations, and are typically visited by EPA technical personnel 2-3 time/year. Winter weather conditions may prevent access to these mines for a period of up to 6 months. Power sources that are presently being used are limited by the expense of the power, low power density, unattended operating life, sensitivity to climate (especially cold temperatures), and reliability, as well as compatibility with mine environments. The technical requirements for this application are somewhat representative of portable power units used in a broad variety of market applications (e.g., camping, military, etc.). The U.S. Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) will procure a single 3-5 kW fuel cell system that meets the requirements described in the following sections. The NETL will then conduct performance tests of the power unit in Morgantown, WV, publish the results, and, upon validation of the requirements, deliver the unit to the EPA. 2. General Requirements: The power unit should be suitably designed for use at remote hard rock mines sites in Montana. Since these mine sites are officially designated as abandoned, there are no specific requirements regarding Mine Safety Standards per se. However, the unit is expected to follow NFPA and IEEE safety standards for the design and operation of general-purpose power units. Of equal importance is the general environmental performance of the unit. The proposed unit should provide equal or better environmental performance than competing technologies currently on the market; e.g., diesel and gas generators. The evaluation of this factor includes both criteria pollutant emissions as well as net fuel efficiency. The proposer is required to include references to available competing technology and show the magnitude of improvement their unit offers in pollutant emissions rates. 3. Detailed requirements: 3.1. The power unit shall be complete package with a fuel cell, reformer, inverter, etc., such that the input will be fuel and the output will be grounded split-phase 120/240 VAC, 60 Hz electrical power. 3.2. The power unit shall be able to start-up and operate in a remote location where no utilities (natural gas, electric, phone, city water, etc) are available. 3.3. The power unit shall be easily transportable by truck (over rough road) to the remote location. If the system consists of numerous individual sub-systems, multiple trips to deliver the complete unit are acceptable. 3.4. Maximum electrical output is 3-5 kW continuous, 10 kW peak for 5 seconds (during startup of motors); a storage device (e.g., batteries) may be used for load-buffering. 3.5. The system should be able to be operated in an idle state (zero loading) for up to several days. 3.6. All equipment within the power unit shall be capable of running unattended continuously (24 hours/day 7 days/week) for 6 months without maintenance or breakdown. The system shall be capable of operating at least 40,000 hours with routine maintenance when subjected to normal use. 3.7. Fuel efficiency over a variable loading is critical for this application given the extended, remote unattended operation of this unit. 3.8. The power unit shall be able to be started, operated and monitored remotely (using standard digital and analog inputs/outposts for communication), with appropriate remotely monitored status indication provided to indicate malfunction of the power unit. 3.9. The power unit must be capable of automatic self-diagnosis and re-set. 3.10. Digital and analog communication signal lines must be included for indication and control as follows: 3.10.1 - Fuel level indications. 3.10.2 - Safety/operational status indication. 3.10.3 - Remote control request for startup and shut down. 3.11. The power unit shall be suitable for outdoor installation in and around mine applications and able to operate at elevations of 5,000 to 7,000 feet in ambient temperatures between -52 F (-47 C) and 100 F (38 C). The unit may be placed within a protective heated enclosure, if necessary. If such an enclosure is required, the technical requirements of such an enclosure should be included as part of a quotation in his bid or quote. 3.12. The power unit shall be capable of safe, routine operation in and around a hard rock mine by non-technical personnel. 3.13. The total harmonic distortion (THD) of the output voltage shall be less than 5% when supplying power to a non-linear load of two computer power supplies over any range of output. 3.14. Output voltage tolerance shall be no more than +/-6%, and frequency shall be 60 Hz -/-0.1 Hz, from no-load to full-load conditions., 3.15. Able to meet FCC Class A-industrial requirements for conducted and radiated EMI. 3.16. Self-protection against output short circuit, over current, over temperature, over voltage, and under voltage or loss of input fuel shall be provided to prevent damaging the power unit. 3.17. If submitting a quotation it must be accompanied by the following additional information: 3.17.1 - Statement regarding acceptable fuels for use. 3.17.2 - Statement regarding fuel-to-electric efficiency for each fuel under specified nominal full power, 1/2 power, and 1/4 power operating conditions. 3.17.3 - Statement regarding the system acoustic noise. 3.17.4 - Statement regarding the system lifetime when operated at specified nominal operating conditions. 3.17.5 - Statement regarding maximum permissible maintenance intervals. 3.17.6 - Statement regarding lowest survivable (non-operating) temperature. 3.17.7 - Statement regarding lowest ambient temperature for startup. 3.17.8 - Statement regarding the length of time for startup. 4. Deliverables: 4.1. A complete power unit built to the specifications listed in sections 2.0 and 3.0. 4.2. Three (3) copies of operation and maintenance manuals (specify maintenance intervals) for the power unit. 5. Delivery: The vendor is responsible for shipment of all deliverables to: DOE/NETL Building 19 3610 Collins Ferry Road Morgantown, WV 26505. This purchase order is being issued to Fuel Cell Technologies Ltd., because this vendor is uniquely qualified to provide such a unit since Fuel Cell Technologies Ltd (FCT) has a unique relationship established with EPRI. FCT will be able to provide to the government a low cost power system, through leveraging of appropriated funds. Time is important since the EPA desires that testing at NETL occur in "winter time" conditions. To meet these conditions, it is important that a purchase order be placed as soon as possible given the lead time necessary to provide a unit that meets the government requirements and initiate testing during the coming winter which FCT is able to do. A previous attempt was made to acquire such a power unit and was published in FEDBIZOPS for sources sought by no quotes were received by NETL except from FCT. This request is considered to be sole source to Fuel Cell Technologies LTD. Therefor, no solicitation will result from this announcement. This award shall be made using simplified acquisition procedures. Request for information should be addressed to Mr. Robert L. Mohn, FAX 412-386-5770. The Technical Representative for the above purchase is Mr. Randall Gemmen, phone (304) 285-4536
- Web Link
-
Click here for further details regarding this notice.
(http://www.eps.gov/spg/DOE/PAM/HQ/DE-RQ26-02NT02494/listing.html)
- Record
- SN00117099-F 20020717/020715215835 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps.gov Link to This Notice
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