SOURCES SOUGHT
A -- REQUEST FOR INFORMATION FOR THE DESIGN DEVELOPMENT AND MANUFACTURE OFMECHANIZED DEVICE TO CONTAIN AND TRANSFER SUPERCRITICAL FLUID
- Notice Date
- 4/4/2014
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 332420
— Metal Tank (Heavy Gauge) Manufacturing
- Contracting Office
- NASA/John F. Kennedy Space Center, Procurement, Kennedy Space Center, FL 32899
- ZIP Code
- 32899
- Solicitation Number
- NNK14ZOPHW1L
- Response Due
- 5/7/2014
- Archive Date
- 4/4/2015
- Point of Contact
- Helena Jo Wilkas, Contract Specialist, Phone 321-867-4133, Fax 321-867-4848, Email helena.j.wilkas@nasa.gov
- E-Mail Address
-
Helena Jo Wilkas
(helena.j.wilkas@nasa.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- NASA Kennedy Space Center (KSC) is hereby soliciting information about potential sources for the design, development, and manufacture of a mechanized device to contain and transfer supercritical xenon or a reference fluid of similar physical properties. The device will use electromechanical action (e.g., piston, bellows, diaphragm, or other mechanism) to transfer fluid between two reservoirs at pressures up to 1500 pounds per square inch gauge (psig). The accumulator is intended to be used for pilot-scale ground testing and a possible low-Earth orbit demonstration, and eventually scaled up to transfer fluid to a spacecraft in cis-lunar space. The intent of this Request for Information (RFI) is to obtain information from industry to assist KSC in the development of this acquisition. NASA is soliciting initial intent of interest from all companies with past experience and qualifications in this type of design, fabrication, and qualification to the requirements of AIAA S-080 or a similar aerospace code. NASA reserves the right to share all information received in response to this RFI throughout NASA and to use all information submitted in response to this RFI in NASAs formulation of a solicitation seeking competitive proposals. However, any submitted competition sensitive data should be clearly marked as proprietary, and will only be shared with the NASA Xenon Transfer System team members. Although information contained herein represents current program content and acquisition planning, it is subject to change. Response to this RFI is requested within the context of the general approach described in the following paragraphs. Preliminary Product Requirements: 1. Design code: AIAA S-080 or similar aerospace code approved by NASA.Ground development units may be designed and fabricated to ASME B31.3 or similar with NASA approval. 2. Fluid volume: 100-250 standard cubic centimeters (std-cc). 3. Design pressure (housing): 1500 pounds per square inch gauge (psig). 4. Design pressure (internal, if applicable): 50 pounds per square inch differential (psid). The transfer fluid will be used to maintain an internal differential pressure, if required. 5. Temperature range: 0 to 150 degrees Celsius (C). 6. Fluid media: xenon or a reference fluid of similar physical properties (e.g., helium, krypton). 7. Materials: 304 or 316 series stainless steel, titanium, or other vendor recommended materials. 8. Number of cycles: at least 5000. 9. Compression mechanism: piston, bellows, diaphragm, or other vendor recommended mechanisms. 10. Actuation mechanism: motorized linear actuator. 11. Compression ratio: volume reduction of at least 50% desired for nominal stroke. Greater efficiency leading to reduced mass and volume will be a key consideration in NASA trade study evaluations. 12. Compression/expansion speed: variable, 5-50 strokes per minute 13. Allowable leak rate: less than 1 x 10-9 standard cubic centimeters per second of helium for flight and 1 x 10-4 standard cubic centimeters per second of helium for ground development units. 14. Operational lifetime: at least 5 years on orbit with high reliability. 15. Proof/acceptance testing (housing): 1.5 times design pressure (2250 psig). 16. Qualification: units shall be qualified for launch environment of medium class rocket (e.g., Atlas V-551, Falcon 9, etc.). 17. Power consumption: current and voltage requirements have not been determined, but minimization of power consumption will be a key consideration when evaluating potential technologies. Specific Information Solicited for this Request for Information: Responders to this RFI are encouraged to comment on any of the preliminary requirements listed and to express their interest in this proposed acquisition by submitting the following information: 1. Organization name, address, principal activity, business size, primary point of contact. 2. Rough order of magnitude cost for: (a) design and development, including consideration for submit of documentation for NASA formal design review / approval of all drawings, analysis, bill of material, qualification and test plans prior to fabrication start, (b) two prototype qualifying units, one for vendor testing, and one for KSC testing, (c) two additional production units for flight application. 3. Lead times for design and development, prototype/test units, and production/flight units. 4. Description of your companys experience in developing and producing devices of a similar nature for aerospace systems, similar to the requirements described in this RFI. Documentation demonstrating your companys core competencies (skills, knowledge, expertise, facilities, production equipment, and documentation systems). Response Instructions: The requested responses are for information and planning purposes only. NASA does not intend to post information or questions received to any website or public access location. NASA does not plan to reply to the individual responses, and 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. Feedback to this RFI may be utilized in formulating the Governments acquisition strategy and documents. All responses should be provided electronically in Microsoft Word document format. Font should be Times New Roman, size 12. Responses should not exceed 15 pages and should reference RFI# NNK14ZOPHW1L. Please submit electronic responses no later than 4:00 PM EST, May 7, 2014, to the NASA/KSC Procurement Office, e-mail address helena.j.wilkas@nasa.gov. This preliminary information is being made available for planning purposes only, subject to FAR Clause 52.215-3, entitled Solicitation for Information and Planning Purposes. It does not constitute a Request for Proposal, Invitation for Bid, or Request for Quotation, and it is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government to enter into a contract. Moreover, the Government will not pay for the information submitted in response to this RFI, nor will the Government reimburse an Offeror for costs incurred to prepare responses to this RFI. No solicitation exists at this time; therefore, do not request a copy of the solicitation. If a solicitation is released later this fiscal year as currently planned, it will be synopsized in the FedBizOpps and on the NASA Acquisition Internet Services (NAIS). It is the potential Offerors responsibility to monitor these sites for the release of any solicitation or synopsis. Please advise if the requirement is considered to be a commercial or commercial-type product. A commercial item is defined in FAR 2.101. NASA Clause 1852.215-84, Ombudsman, is applicable. The Center Ombudsman for this acquisition can be found at http://prod.nais.nasa.gov/pub/p ub_library/Omb.html. POINT OF CONTACT: Helena Wilkas Contracting Officer NASA/KSC Procurement Office Phone:321-867-4133 Email:helena.j.wilkas@nasa.gov
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- Record
- SN03330293-W 20140406/140404234537-e975b35033bedbf86d214d38d0945a86 (fbodaily.com)
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