SOURCES SOUGHT
43 -- MICROGRAVITY-CAPABLE REFRIGERANT COMPRESSOR
- Notice Date
- 11/3/2004
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 333415
— Air-Conditioning and Warm Air Heating Equipment and Commercial and Industrial Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturing
- Contracting Office
- NASA/Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Houston Texas, 77058-3696, Mail Code: BH
- ZIP Code
- 00000
- Solicitation Number
- Microgravity-Compressor-1
- Response Due
- 11/22/2004
- Archive Date
- 11/3/2005
- Description
- NASA/JSC is hereby soliciting information about potential sources for: Microgravity-Capable Refrigerant Compressor; JSC is developing heat rejection systems that may one day be used on exploration vehicles or planetary bases. A vapor compression heat pump system is currently being tested as part of this development program. The current heat pump being tested is made up of commercial off-the-shelf hardware, and while the system was developed to simulate the function of a heat pump to be used in space, the compressor selected is only suitable for ground-based systems and must be oriented properly in order to function. JSC is interested in determining if there are commercially available off-the-shelf or custom-built compressor candidates that would not only provide the necessary refrigerant conditions for the heat pump, but also perform this in a microgravity environment. This compressor would also be expected to operate in partial gravity (such as the moon or Mars) and in Earth?s gravity environment. It is the goal of JSC to integrate such a compressor into a heat pump system similar to the current setup, and determine by testing in different orientations whether or not the compressor would function independent of gravity. Information is requested regarding potential gravity-insensitive compressors that could be integrated into a heat pump which is absorbing approximately 15 kW of heat at an evaporator temperature of 40 F, with a temperature lift of approximately 90 F (difference between the evaporator and condenser saturation temperatures). Refrigerant type is flexible, however it is noted that the current heat pump being tested at JSC operates using R-134a. The compressor design life should be 35,000 hours or more. It is believed that for efficient heat pump system operation, the compressor needs to be capable of variable speed operation down to 20 or 30% of full speed. If a motor controller is available with the unit, please describe its characteristics separately, or the requirements for an external motor and controller to drive the compressor. There is not a specific maximum power requirement or voltage requirement or mass or volume requirement, but this information is solicited and the more efficient it is, the better candidate it is. Information about control of the compressor and any built in safety features is also desired. 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 potential offeror?s responsibility to monitor these sites for the release of any solicitation or synopsis. Vendors having the capabilities necessary to meet or exceed the stated requirements are invited to submit appropriate documentation, literature, brochures, and references and capabilities statement. Please limit the capability statement to less than 7 pages. Responses must include the following: name and address of firm, size of business; average annual revenue for past 3 years and number of employees; ownership; whether they are large, small, small disadvantaged, 8(a), HUBZone, and/or woman-owned, and point of contact - (address and phone number). Please advise if the requirement is considered to be a commercial or commercial-type product. A commercial item is defined in FAR 2.101. This synopsis is for information and planning purposes and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government nor will the Government pay for information solicited. Respondents are not to submit any information that is restricted or confidential. Respondents will not be notified of the results of the evaluation. Respondents deemed fully qualified will be considered in any resultant solicitation for the requirement. The Government reserves the right to consider a small business or 8(a) set-aside based on responses hereto. All responses shall be submitted to Keith Hutto, no later than November 22, 2004. Please reference, Microgravity-Capable Refrigerant Compressor in any response. 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=73#113218)
- Record
- SN00703444-W 20041105/041103212314 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps.gov Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
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