47 -- CONSTRUCTION OF THE SAFE-100 HEAT PIPE MODULE AND RELATED HARDWARE

Notice Date

April 20, 2001

Contracting Office

NASA/George C. Marshall Space Flight Center, Procurement Office, Marshall Space Flight Center, AL 35812

ZIP Code

35812

Solicitation Number

8-1-4-TD-D3182

Response Due

May 3, 2001

Point of Contact

Teresa A. Foley, Contracting Officer, Phone (256) 544-0335, Fax (256) 544-2812, Email teresa.foley@msfc.nasa.gov -- George E. Pendley, Contracting Officer, Phone (256) 544-2949, Fax (256) 544-2812, Email george.pendley@msfc.nasa.gov

E-Mail Address

Teresa A. Foley (teresa.foley@msfc.nasa.gov)

Description

THIS NOTICE CONSTITUTES AMENDMENT NO. 2 TO THE SOLE SOURCE SYNOPSIS FOR CONSTRUCTION OF THE SAFE-100 HEAT PIPE MODULE AND RELATED HARDWARE. Companies shall acknowledge all amendment(s) in their offer. This notice serves as the official amendment to the synopsis and a written amendment will not be issued. The purpose of this amendment is to delete the sole source synopsis posted on March 8, 2001, in its entirety. The Government has determined based upon information received to convert from sole source to full and open competition for the CONSTRUCTION OF THE SAFE-100 HEAT PIPE MODULE AND RELATED HARDWARE. The following replaces the sole source synopsis: This notice is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in FAR Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; offers are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. This notice is being issued as a Request for Offer (RFO) for the following effort: Statement of Work for Construction of SAFE-100 Heat Pipe Modules INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE The Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is conducting research and examining the feasibility of nonchemical advanced propulsion systems for in-space propulsion. While the U.S. has expertise in fission systems from the nuclear power industry, it has not used this technology in a space flight program for 35 years. Technology for fission-based subsystems has advanced tremendously in the last 35 years and MSFC is in the process of identifying this appropriate technology and determining the feasibility of using this technology through hardware based assessments. MSFC has completed a long test series that demonstrated a thermal environment of a fully loaded core through non-nuclear testing. Specifically, MSFC used resistance heaters to simulate the heat from fission. This core, if fully loaded with fuel instead of resistance heaters, would be capable of providing 30 kW of power. A unique concept to this testing was the capability of assembling a core from 12 heat pipe modules. These modules, when appropriately banded together are heated to simulate a fission heat pipe core start-up and operation. Specifically, the following was demonstrated in the SAFE 30 program and is a necessity for any company to demonstrate before receiving the SAFE 100 contract: 1) SAFE 30 demonstrated the ability to manufacture multiple "minimum acceptable bonded" modules. Specifically, SAFE 30 demonstrated the ability to braze 12 modules, where the braze completely filled all the interstices between the empty "fuel" tubes and the heat pipe in order to maximize the heat transfer from the heaters which are placed in the "fuel" tubes. A typical module consisted of four 1" 304 stainless steel (SS) empty "fuel" tubes, 17" long and 0.065 " wall thickness brazed in an asymmetric pattern to a 1" diameter, 51.2" long, outer stainless steel, sealed tube, filled with sodium (heat pipe). Each heat pipe has a composite annular wick structure consisting of a 100 mesh inner support layer, 400 mesh middle capillary layer and 60 mesh outer liquid phase layer. 2) SAFE 30 demonstrated the ability to manufacture multiple asymmetric modules with small straightness tolerances (a bowing in a module affects the ability to assemble multiple modules to make a core). Specifically, SAFE 30 demonstrated that upon fabrication completion, a tolerance of less than 0.010" total bow was experienced over the entire length of the modules. 3) SAFE 30 demonstrated the ability to make multiple robust modules that could withstand multiple operational cycles. Specifically, SAFE 30 demonstrated over 10 operational cycles which included heating up the "fuel tube" temperature of at least 700 deg C, cool down to room temperature, and re-heat. At the tenth cycle, each module demonstrated the ability to transfer at least 2 kW down the heat pipe in a vacuum environment with no additional bowing experienced by the module. 4) SAFE 30 demonstrated the ability of individual tricusps being used to not only increase heat transfer (between unbonded modules), but also to provide gas flow down the triceps (through the core). Deliverables: Given the tight schedule and criticality of the demonstration of the ability to Hot Isostatic Press (HIP) each module together, along with the requirement that MSFC is expecting to extrapolate this work to refractory alloy assemblies, it is required that the company demonstrate an already existing working knowledge on the HIP technique. Specifically, the company must demonstrate knowledge, skill and extensive experience in the area of HIP technique for both stainless steel and refractory metals. The company must demonstrate that they have fabricated items that use the HIP technique (stainless steel and refractory metal) for commercial use. This demonstrates the company's ability in this specific manufacturing technique area to make the SAFE 100 modules in the tight schedule and time required by MSFC. Additionally, because the SAFE 100 modules will be the same design for both non-nuclear testing at MSFC and for possible nuclear testing at a Department of Energy Laboratory (i.e. Sandia, Los Alamos), it is imperative that the contractor have extensive working experience specifically in the area of materials engineering for nuclear reactor design and development. This demonstrates the company's knowledge in materials and fabrication techniques for parts exposed to a nuclear environment (i.e. neutron flux). This is important because the company must know how nuclear core operation affects a material's properties during core operation. The proper Hot Isostatic Pressing materials and manufacturing techniques must be used so that the modules do not fail when exposed to a nuclear environment. Specific Deliverable to MSFC include the following: 1. After NASA Marshall Space Flight Center provides the contractor with engineering specifications and drawings of the module assembly (one month after the start of contract), the contractor shall provide NASA MSFC with a final fabrication design of the heat pipe module three months after the start of contract. 2. One module shall be delivered to NASA MSFC for evaluation four months after start of contract. These modules shall have the following general attributes: 7 Each heat pipe module shall be delivered in a state ready to be charged with alkali metal. The interior of each heat pipe shall be delivered filled with argon at atmospheric pressure. 7 Each module shall consist of a heat pipe approximately 1.2-m long and 1.59-cm OD and 1.41-cm ID. Diffusion bonded to twenty inch long fuel tube sections to form a single module. All interstices between the fuel tubes and heat pipe must be completely filled to maximize the heat transfer from the fuel tubes. The heat pipe shall therefore be completely embedded within the module and bonded by hot isostatic pressing such that the assembly is comprised of a solid structure with thermal conduction equivalent to a solid structure. The number of shorter tubes will vary depending on the module from one to three. It is intended that a later phase of this program will use refractory alloys (molybdenum and niobium) for both the fuel tubes and the heat pipes it is therefore necessary and essential that the diffusion bonding technique used for these assemblies be extrapolatable to refractory alloy assemblies. 7 The heat pipe tube shall be closed with caps on evaporator and the opposing condenser end. A tube to allow charging of the heat pipe with liquid metal shall penetrate the cap on the condenser end of the module. 7 Each heat pipe shall enclose a porous mesh tube consisting of approximately seven layers of 400 by 400 mesh stainless steel screen. These layers shall be annealed, mechanically compressed and sintered together during processing. A solid stainless steel plug shall be attached to the evaporator end of the heat pipe wick. This plug shall be attached to the porous mesh tube to maintain capillary continuity of the working fluid at the operating temperature. The completed wick for each module shall be tested to determine maximum pore diameter in the wick and plug joint. The measured maximum pore diameter shall be less than that specified by NASA MSFC. The contractor shall provide NASA MSFC with test results. 7 Before welding all interior heat pipe parts shall be chemically cleaned to remove surface impurities such as residual carbon. Each part contained within the heat pipe shall be heated to 1000C above the maximum heat pipe operating temperature under 10-6 torr vacuum for two hours. The maximum heat pipe operating temperature is 7000C. Once the interior surfaces are fired at 8000C, the end caps shall be electron beam welded to the fill tube and heat pipe tube. Following the welding operation a similar vacuum-heating step shall be performed. 3. The remaining nineteen modules of design described in deliverable #2 shall be delivered to NASA MSFC nine months after the start of contract. The provisions and clauses in the RFO are those in effect through FAC 97-24. This procurement is a total small business set-aside. See Note 1. The NAICS Code and the small business size standard for this procurement are 331316 and 750 employees, respectively. The offeror shall state in their offer their size status for this procurement. All qualified responsible business sources may submit an offer which shall be considered by the agency. Delivery to MSFC is required within 12 months ARO. Delivery shall be FOB Destination. The DPAS rating for this procurement is DO-C9. Offers for the items(s) described above are due by May 3, 2001, at 4:30 p.m. CST to Teresa A. Foley, PS52B, MSFC, AL 35812; and must include, solicitation number, FOB destination to this Center, proposed delivery schedule, discount/payment terms, warranty duration (if applicable), taxpayer identification number (TIN), identification of any special commercial terms, and be signed by an authorized company representative. Offerors are encouraged to use the Standard Form 1449, Solicitation/Contract/Order for Commercial Items form found at URL: http://procure.arc.nasa.gov/Acq/Forms/Index.html to submit a offer. Offerors shall provide the information required by FAR 52.212-1. Addenda to FAR 52.212-1 are as follows: (d), (h), and (i). If the end product(s) offered is other than domestic end product(s) as defined in the clause entitled "Buy American Act -- Supplies," the offeror shall so state and shall list the country of origin. FAR 52.212-4 is applicable. Addenda to FAR 52.212-4 are as follows: 52.204-4, 52.211-15, and 52.247-34. FAR 52.212-5 is applicable and the following identified clauses are incorporated by reference: FAR 52.212-5(b), 52.222-27, 52.222-35, 52.222-36, 52.225-3, and 52.232-34. The FAR may be obtained via the Internet at URL: http://www.arnet.gov/far/ The NFS may be obtained via the Internet at URL: http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/procurement/regs/nfstoc.htm Questions regarding this acquisition must be submitted in writing no later than April 27, 2001. Award will be based upon overall best value to the Government, with consideration given to the factors of proposed technical merits, price, and past performance; other critical requirements (i.e., delivery) if so stated in the solicitation will also be considered. Unless otherwise stated in the solicitation, for selection purposes, technical, price, and past performance are essentially equal in importance. It is critical that offerors provide adequate detail to allow evaluation of their offer. (SEE FAR 52.212-1(b)). Offerors must include completed copies of the provision at 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications -- Commercial Items with their offer. These may be obtained via the internet at URL: http://ec.msfc.nasa.gov/msfc/pub/reps_certs/midrange/ . These representations and certifications will be incorporated by reference in any resultant contract. An ombudsman has been appointed -- See NASA Specific Note "B". Prospective offerors shall notify this office of their intent to submit an offer. It is the offeror's responsibility to monitor the following Internet site for the release of solicitation amendments (if any): http://nais.msfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/EPS/bizops.cgi?gr=C&pin=62 Potential offerors will be responsible for downloading their own copy of this combination synopsis/solicitation and amendments (if any). Any referenced notes can be viewed at the following URL: http://genesis.gsfc.nasa.gov/nasanote.html

Web Link

Click here for the latest information about this notice (http://nais.msfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/EPS/bizops.cgi?gr=D&pin=62#8-1-4-TD-D3182)

Record

Loren Data Corp. 20010424/47SOL003.HTM (D-110 SN50J848)