80SSC022K0001 QA.pdf

Question Answer

1 When does the period of performance begin?

We are currently in the market research portion of this acquisition; therefore, there is not a period of performance specified.

Is this in addition to or in replacement of the current liquid nitrogen deliveries?

As the RFI states, this would be a supplemental system to our current system.

3 Are we able to visit the site prior to December 6, 2021?

The Industry Day was set for 12/1/2021. No additional site visit is scheduled at this time.

Could SSC explain its rationale on requesting a nitrogen generator for half of its total demand?

SSC will maintain its current infrastructure/capacity. With this in mind, we only require Half of total demand.

Would SSC entertain an option for a nitrogen generation system that supplies the full 100 TPD nitrogen requirement?

No, we will not entertain that option. NASA's desire is to maintain the existing liquid system in conjunction with a new GN system. Having a total capacity of 100 TPD would result in a system larger than what is needed and result in wasted commodity and electricity due to the amount of time the existing system would need to run in order to remain active. Given these operational preferences, NASA does not see the benefit in acquiring a 100 TPD system.

It is still not understood why the pressure requirement is 4,000 psig if the gas is continuously generated. Are there users on the pipeline that require 4,000 psig?

No, no users on the system require 4,000 psig. Maintaining the system at that pressure buys margin during high bleed-down times. There are relatively short demand rates that occur at roughly 37,000 SCFM for short durations. Keeping the system at 4,000 psig keeps sufficient mass quantity in the system to maintain the system above the minimum requirement of 2,700 psig.

What happens when the pipeline pressure drops to 2,700 psig? Are they not able to use the nitrogen at the lower pressure?

Process changes and system hardware changes would be required for multiple end point users if the pressure were maintained below 2,700 psig. Both require a significant analysis and review which are not desired. No, when the pressure drops below 2700 psig numerous systems begin to react which causes issues across site with significant pressure fluctuations.

We really need to analyze you flow pattern to get to the right option for SSC. Does SSC have a flow profile from the exit of the vaporizers that they can supply? Need to understand average flow, peak flows and duration of peaks.

No. We do not have a flow profile. We have pressure changes that we have translated to flow rates for the system. We have measured the flow with portable flow meters at various points in the system to verify pressure-based flow measurements. Our highest flow was 36,686 SCFM which occurred for about 6 minutes. About 6-13 times a year we have a flow of approximately 16,000 SCFM that lasts for about 2-1/2 minutes. Our average flow during nominal operational times is approximately 1,400 SCFM. Our average flow during long periods of lull time (government shutdowns, ice storms, hurricane recoveries, etc.) is approximately

1,200 SCFM.

What type of flow meters have you installed (Coriolis, orifice plate) and are they pressure and temperature compensated?

Flexim Fluxus G721 Ultrasonic. Yes, the meter compensates for live pressure and temperature readings. We just finished installing these at the gas house. They are up and running.

Would SSC provide a list of the users’ pressure and flow requirements and locations with distances on a map of the pipeline network? No names are needed, just user 1 or A with flow X and pressure Y on a map with pipeline lengths and diameters.

We do not have that information. It exceeds the scope of the analysis performed.

The largest demand users are the farthest away and each have a local accumulation system (bottle bank). Total system volume is 16,836 ft^3.

11 Please supply makeup water specifications.

SSC’s water quality is hard; average water testing results in neighboring areas indicate an average water hardness of 148 PPM for calcium deposits. Full water quality report available upon request.

Please clarify wastewater disposal (compressor condensate, cooling tower blow down, stormwater, plant washdown water).

All non-contaminated wastewater would be routed to the SSC Sanitary Sewer System.

What is the voltage/capacity of the generator and will it have an automatic transfer if normal power is lost?

The generator requirements will be provided by the vendor to power the vendor's equipment. Current plan is to provide a manually started system.

14 How will permitting be handled?

It depends on the permit that's required. Various permitting is required from construction through operations. Any permitting required for construction would likely be levied on the entity performing the construction (NASA for pad, power and connecting piping construction; vendor for N2 Gen Sys construction). Operational permitting is usually handled through NASA's Environmental department.

The RFI states, “Minimum of 900 SCFM via dual-redundant Nitrogen Generation system (i.e. two 450 SCFM units, etc.)” but two 450 scfm units is not considered dual-redundant at 900 scfm.

Can you please clarify this statement?

All documents will be updated to reflect this updated language:

Design Flow Rate: Two 450 SCFM units working together to produce a combined flow rate of 900 SCFM

80SSC022K0001 - Nitrogen Generation System RFI Questions and Answers

Is there any quality standard that will be required for this acquisition?

Since we are conducting market research, current quality requirements are being discussed, and any quality requirements will be included in the subsequent procurement requirement. Please include any concerns of the below quality standards (including if your company complies with ISO 9001 and/or AS9100) in your RFI response. NASA documents available upon request. The following are the quality standards currently being discussed:

standards of the National Electrical Code

• ISO 9001 certified and/or AS9100 qualified

Can the RFI submission date be extended from December 20, 2021, to January 14, 2022?

SSC will extend the submission date from December 20, 2021 to January 7, 2022.

Q&A