A - Xenon Reprocessing Specifications.pdf

ATTACHMENT A

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

John H. Glenn Research Center Cage Code No.: 1QFP5 21000 Brookpark Road, Cleveland, Ohio 44135

Xenon Reprocessing

Specifications

PART 1: GENERAL

1.1 DESCRIPTION

NASA uses high purity xenon (HP-Xe) gas as a propellent with electric propulsion systems, which are operated in ground test facilities that simulate the space environment. Much of this propellant is captured in cryogenic pumps throughout testing, along with other pumped gases, and then recovered when the testing is complete.

Dedicated, oil-free mechanical pumping systems are used to transfer the resulting gas mixture (xenon plus other atmospheric gases) from the test chambers into ambient-pressure storage bladders. This collected gas is then transferred to high pressure gas cylinders for ease of storage and transport.

The Government desires to have this recovered gas mixture purified or exchanged for HP-Xe for future electric propulsion system testing. The cost of either purification or exchange is expected to be much lower than the purchase cost of new HP-Xe.

1.2 SCOPE

During the contract period, the Government expects to require processing of approximately 500,000 liters of recovered xenon, with the annual amounts varying based on test schedule.

1.3 GOVERNMENT FURNISHED INFORMATION (GFI)

The Government will provide the following for each cylinder shipped to the Contractor.

a. Identification label

b. Cylinder pressure

The Government, at its discretion, may provide the following information for cylinders shipped to the Contractor.

a. Gas chromatography analysis of contents

b. Tare weight

c. Shipped weight

1.4 TRAVEL AND INSPECTION

The contractor shall allow the Government to inspect any or all work at the contractor’s location.

PART 2: STATEMENT OF WORK

2.1 CERTIFICATE OF ANALYSIS

A Certificate of Analysis is required for each cylinder of HP-Xe delivered to the Government. The measured impurities shall meet the requirements specified in Table 1.

The analysis shall be conducted using xenon captured directly from each HP-Xe cylinder to be delivered to the Government. Lot impurities or measured impurities prior to any xenon transfer are not valid. The contractor shall provide their measurement uncertainty for each constituent specified in Table 1 and the basis for the uncertainty.

Each bottle delivered to the Government shall have a Certificate of Analysis including:

• the quantity of xenon in liters at standard temperature and pressure (after extraction of sample as required for cylinder analysis),

• the actual measured impurity values for that cylinder,

• the measurement uncertainty for each impurity, and

• the measured tare weight of the bottle and valve (excluding plug and cap).

A liter will be defined at standard temperature and pressure conditions of 32 degrees Fahrenheit and 29.92 inches of mercury.

2.2 HIGH PURITY XENON CYLINDERS

The Government requires xenon that is high purity, propellant-grade (>99.999% Xe) delivered in clean gas cylinders. The contractor should assume as the basis for its bid that the Government will request a cylinder size with an internal volume of 44 liters that is nominally 9 inches in diameter and 51 inches tall, although the Government may specify an alternative cylinder size, type, and quantity of HP-Xe in each cylinder at time of service. Each cylinder shall be labelled with its tare weight and have a minimum of one (1) year remaining on its DOT certification.

Each cylinder shall be fitted with a rare gas valve or a bellows-sealed valve to eliminate stem leakage. The external connection shall be a CGA 580 valve fitting.

The cylinders containing HP-Xe shall become property of the Government.

2.3 XENON PURITY

The measured purity of the HP-Xe returned to the Government shall be ≥ 99.999% and shall meet the requirements for impurities listed in Table 1, Maximum Allowable Impurities.

Table 1 Maximum Allowable Impurities

Constituent Allowable Content, measured Oxygen (O2) ≤ 0.1 ppm Water (H2O) ≤ 0.1 ppm Carbon Monoxide (CO) ≤ 0.5 ppm Carbon Dioxide (CO2) ≤ 0.5 ppm

Carbon Tetrafluoride (CF4) ≤ 0.1 ppm Total hydrocarbons (THC) ≤ 0.1 ppm Nitrogen (N2) ≤ 1.0 ppm Hydrogen (H2) ≤ 2.0 ppm Krypton (Kr) ≤ 5.0 ppm Argon (Ar) ≤ 1.0 ppm Total Impurities ≤ 10.4 ppm (balance xenon)

2.4 CAPTURED XENON SUPPLIED BY GOVERNMENT

The Government anticipates providing the contractor captured xenon in clean, DOT-3AA Size T (49 liter) compressed gas cylinders. Each cylinder shall contain a minimum of 6 kg and maximum of 62 kg of xenon gas mixture. Each cylinder shall be pressurized to no more than 2,000 psi at room temperature.

The purity of the captured gas mixture supplied by the Government may range from 10% to 99.99%, with impurities largely or completely consisting of atmospheric gases, which leak into NASA’s high vacuum test facilities from the ambient environment.

The contractor shall conduct an analysis of each cylinder’s content upon receipt of the cylinder(s) and provide the test results to the Government before the contractor’s acceptance and further processing of the cylinder’s content. The Government retains the right to reject the contractor’s analysis of the content of any or all cylinders and require their return, after which the contractor shall return cylinder to the Government in no more than one (1) month. The xenon loss from the contractor’s analysis shall not exceed three

(3) standard liters per cylinder.

After the Government-supplied cylinders are emptied of recovered xenon gas mixture, they shall be shipped back to the Government.

2.5 SHIPMENTS TO NASA

The contractor shall ship the HP-Xe and empty xenon gas mixture recovery cylinders to one of the following addresses, which will be determined at each time of service. The shipments shall be addressed to the attention of the Government’s responsible party, which will be determined at each time of service. All cylinder CGA 580 fittings shall include an installed plug to provide a secondary seal against gas leakage. All cylinder stems shall be shrink wrapped or otherwise covered and marked to clearly indicate the cylinder has remained sealed until time of use by the Government. Digital copies of all contractor documentation, which shall be sufficient to describe the contents of each cylinder, shall be emailed to the Government’s responsible party, prior to delivery of the cylinders.

ATTN: (Insert Government’s responsible party) NASA Glenn Research Center Building 301 21000 Brookpark Road Cleveland, Ohio 44135

Or

ATTN: (Insert Government’s responsible party) NASA Glenn Research Center Building 16 21000 Brookpark Road Cleveland, Ohio 44135