SOURCES SOUGHT
A -- Request for Expression of Interest Commercial Product Trials and Demonstrations with Alumina-Forming Austenitic (AFA) Steel
- Notice Date
- 9/18/2009
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 331221
— Rolled Steel Shape Manufacturing
- Contracting Office
- Department of Energy, Oak Ridge National Laboratory - UT Battelle LLC (DOE Contractor), Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Bethel Valley Road, P.O. Box 2008, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, 37831-6192
- ZIP Code
- 37831-6192
- Solicitation Number
- 3400124987
- Archive Date
- 10/30/2010
- Point of Contact
- Shannon E. Bridges, Phone: 8655761426, Christine M Sullivan, Phone: 865-574-7507
- E-Mail Address
-
bridgesse@ornl.gov, sullivancm@ornl.gov
(bridgesse@ornl.gov, sullivancm@ornl.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- Request for Expression of Interest Commercial Product Trials and Demonstrations with Alumina-Forming Austenitic (AFA) Steel Introduction UT-Battelle, LLC, acting under its Prime Contract No. DE-AC05-00OR22725 with the United States Department of Energy (DOE) for management and operation of Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), conducts technology research and development (R&D) in support of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Industrial Technologies Program (ITP). Its mission is to lead the national drive to reduce energy intensity and carbon emissions by changing the way industry uses energy. ORNL is requesting an Expression of Interest (EOI) from prospective vendors to select applications which promote and enhance the objectives of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009, P.L. 111-5, especially economic recovery in an expeditious manner. This includes the selection of projects that promote economic recovery, assist those impacted by the recession or provide general economic benefit. As part of this effort, new projects are being developed involving ORNL advanced materials R&D in support of the DOE/ITP mission. Advanced materials with enhanced high-temperature capability, performance, and reliability are essential to enable more energy efficient and cleaner power production, both for transportation and electric power generation applications. New materials that are cost competitive enhance the economic opportunities for improvements in energy efficiency. ORNL has developed a unique new family of alloys, alumina-forming austenitic (AFA) steels, which form a protective surface oxide of alumina rather than less-stable chromia on conventional austenitic steels. Thus, AFA steels can out-perform most conventional heat-resistant stainless steels and Ni-base alloys, as well as exhibiting excellent high-temperature creep strength. However, as a new material, this alloy needs trial demonstrations in potential commercial applications. It is, therefore, the purpose of this EOI request to encourage interested companies to engage in commercial scale trials of this new steel. Background Alumina-forming austenitic (AFA) stainless steels are a new class of high-temperature (600-950C; 1100-1750F) structural alloy with a wide range of energy production, chemical/petrochemical, and process industry applications. These steels combine the relatively low cost, excellent formability, weldability, and good high-temperature creep strength of state-of-the-art advanced austenitic stainless steels with fundamentally superior high-temperature oxidation and corrosion resistance due to their ability to form protective aluminum oxide (alumina or Al2O3) surface layers. Conventional high-temperature stainless steels rely on chromium oxide (chromia or Cr2O3) surface layers for protection from high-temperature oxidation. However, compromised oxidation resistance of chromia in the presence of aggressive species such as water vapor, carbon, sulfur, etc., typically encountered in energy production and process environments necessitates a reduction in operating temperature to achieve component durability targets. This temperature reduction reduces process efficiency and increases environmental emissions. Because of the higher thermodynamic stability of alumina and its slower growth kinetics, a significant increase in oxidation resistance has been observed for AFA steels in a variety of environments. Previous work has attempted to add Al to austenitic alloys but often a fully austenitic alloy was not retained and, therefore, did not achieve acceptable mechanical properties. By coupling an optimized base composition with a nanometer-scale MC carbide-strengthening concept, AFA steels are both creep- and oxidation-resistant. The typical AFA composition range is Fe-(20-25)Ni-(12-15Cr)-(2.4-4)Al-(1-3)Nb in weight %. Besides this nominal composition, higher Ni, Cr and Al contents have been used for >800°C temperature applications and Mn can replace some of the Ni for lower temperature applications where a lower cost alloy is desired. Preliminary screening evaluations also indicated that AFA steels are amenable to conventional welding techniques. The expected economic benefit of AFA steels depends on the application, as well as the materials it replaces or displaces for such applications. Energy savings can result from either 1) permitting higher process temperatures with improved efficiencies or 2) permitting fewer shutdowns for maintenance and material replacement due to improved component durability. Using just one example for AFA alloy use in industrial steam generation, where a 25% increase in process efficiency could be anticipated, a 10% market capture by 2020 could result in energy savings of 11 Tbtu/yr (trillion BTU per year), a CO2 output reduction of 0.2 TCE/yr (tons of coal equivalent per year), and a net economic benefit of $51M/yr for the U.S. economy. Requirements The intent of this EOI is to identify prospective Vendors who can propose a plan to demonstrate the use of AFA steel in new commercial applications. To support these plans, ORNL plans to award several cost sharing no fee subcontracts, with a maximum cost reimbursement of $450,000 per proposal (anticipated awards totaling $900,000). Prospective Vendors are envisioned to be capable of fabricating components and conducting component testing in relevant conditions or propose a team capable of fabrication and testing. ORNL will provide or assist in the procurement of the necessary AFA product forms to facilitate these demonstrations. To maximize the impact and effect of these special DOE/ITP ARRA funds, the minimum Vendor cost share contribution requirement is 50%. It is strongly encouraged that the Vendor be willing to produce components for additional property evaluations at ORNL. ORNL is encouraging end-users in these areas (but other applications will be considered): 1)Equipment for electric power generation, including coal-fired steam plants, gas-fired integrated combined cycle (combustion-turbine/steam-turbine support or hot-gas path components), fuel cell power systems or distributed power generation (e.g., microturbines, combined heat and power, fuel-cell/turbine hybrid systems). 2)Tubing or piping for chemical, petrochemical or other materials processing. 3)Passenger vehicle engine (diesel and/or gasoline) exhaust components or larger on-highway, off-highway, marine, stationary and locomotive diesel engines, or other reciprocating engines (i.e. natural gas). This proposed work is expected to begin in early 2010 and conclude by September 2011. ORNL desires the interest of Vendors that can manufacture and test real components, thereby expanding the future licensing and commercialization of AFA steels. A formal ORNL Solicitation will be issued for the scope to be subcontracted and will include specific requirements such as a willingness to cost share 50%. Please email the EOI, specifying project team members and proposed components, by 4:00 PM October 15, 2009. Mr. Shannon E. Bridges Subcontract Administrator UT Battelle, LLC c/o Oak Ridge National Laboratory PO Box 2008 Bldg. 1060 COM, Room 259-12 Oak Ridge, TN 37831-6337 Phone 865-576-1426 Fax 865-241-1034 bridgesse@ornl.gov http://www.ornl.gov/adm/contracts/
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/DOE/ORNL/ORNL/3400124987/listing.html)
- Place of Performance
- Address: (to be determined), United States
- Record
- SN01962117-W 20090920/090919002121-8910d821d0af4656f22a9d34363ae60f (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
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