032-A RFQ (Amendment 02) attachment Specifications.docx

SPECIFICATIONS

Microscale Combustion Calorimeter

1. BACKGROUND

The Fire Research Division (FRD) in the Engineering Laboratory (EL) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) provides measurements observed in fire and combustion experiments to enhance the standards and practice of the U.S. firefighter services and other fire-related organizations. The Flammability Reduction Group uses a suite of thermal and analytical tools to study the kinetics, thermal dynamics, and pyrolysis species of materials and fire retarding technologies. The data from these tools is essential for fire modeling and understanding material and product flammability behavior. This data is used for many research projects within NIST that are focused on reducing the fire hazard of building contents and constructions materials in the Fire Risk Reduction in Buildings and Communities program.

A critical instrument in this suite of tools is a Microscale Combustion Calorimeter (MCC), originally created by the Federal Aviation administration (FAA) and compliant with ASTM D7309-21. This instrument heats mg-scale samples in a controlled environment (steady heating rate, dT/dt, and well-defined gaseous composition) and transports decomposition products to a high temperature combustor where they can be heated to complete combustion in an excess of oxygen. The gas stream is instrumented to measure oxygen consumption and gaseous flow rates to determine the heat release rate and associated properties such as the heat of combustion and heat release capacity.

1. OBJECTIVE/PURPOSE

The objective of this requirement is to obtain a MCC device that fulfills the following salient characteristics indicated as the essential requirements specified herein. Specifically, the required equipment shall be capable of displaying changes in combustion heat release rate as a function of specimen temperature during controlled heating and shall have the capability of subjecting specimens to different atmospheres of oxygen concentration at ambient pressure. The apparatus shall be capable of performing these measurements, with stated accuracy, for a range of synthetic and natural polymers including, but not limited to: thermoplastics, thermosets, porous polymer foams, natural fuels, and composites synthetic polymers (e.g., vegetation and wood species). Parameters of this apparatus include system capabilities, instrumentation, and an ability to run under specified test conditions, as described in the Specifications.

The required MCC shall be equipped with necessary measurement devices and connections to allow for measurement of heat release rate (HRR) of gaseous pyrolyzates produced by mg-scale samples (1-5 mg) heated during anaerobic or aerobic pyrolysis, with accuracy to allow for quantitative determination of the material’s heat of combustion and fire growth capacity. The purpose of this requirement is to obtain an MCC in accordance with the following specifications.

3. SPECIFICATIONS

The Contractor shall provide an MCC fully meeting the specifications identified below. All items must be new. Used or remanufactured equipment will not be considered for award. Experimental or prototype equipment will not be considered. “Gray market” components not authorized for sale in the U.S. by the proposer are not acceptable.

SPECIFICATIONS:

ITEM 0001: Microscale Combustion Calorimeter (quantity: One (1))

0. Complies with the requirements of ASTM D7309-21.

1. Pyrolyzer Temperature Range: 25C to 1000C (accuracy, +/-0.5K). Needs to be in compliance with the ASTM D7309-21b, specifically [Sections/Numbers] 7.5, 7.7, which state:

7.5 Temperature controller, capable of executing a temperature program that changes the specimen chamber temperature between ambient and 1123 K at a rate that is constant to within 5% of the nominal value in the range 0.2-2 K/s.

7.7 A temperature sensor, to provide an indication of the specimen temperature to 0.5 K

2. Pyrolyzer Heating Rate capable of being set between dT/dt = 10 K/min to dT/dt = 240 K/min.

3. Combustor Requirements:

3a. Peak combustor Temperature capable of being set between 800C - 1000C.

3b. Combustion chamber capable of maintaining a constant flow rate of oxygen at 0-50 cc/min, such that concentration of oxygen is maintained at 20% to 50%, (+/- 0.1%)

4. Oxygen sensor accuracy Requirements:

4a. Capable of measuring oxygen concentration in the range 0-100 vol.% 4b. Sensitivity <0.1 for volume percentage of Oxygen 4c. Response time: <6 s for 90 % deflection.

4d. Linearity: 61 % of full scale at constant temperature and pressure.

4e. O2 sensor requirements: System includes two oxygen sensors (hi and low sensitivity) and both flow and measurement control to allow the MCC to run tests using with either sensor in separate experiments. Specifically, both an electrochemical sensor (standard) and a paramagnetic O2 sensor must be installed, calibrated, and monitored and recorded by data acquisition system and a physical or electronic control (e.g., solenoid or valve) must be installed to be able to switch the instrument to run using only one of these sensors (i.e., flow path should).

5. Contains ability to incorporate, control, and record measurements from additional/replacement paramagnetic gas sensors (O2, CO, CO2).

6. Control Software Requirements:

6a. Must be fully compatible with most recent FAA software 6b. Must define heating rate of 10 to 240 K/min [0.167 to 4 K/s], define volume flows of O2, N2 [50, 100 cc/min, respectively], and define combustor temperature (up to 1000 C) 6c. Must perform heat release rate (HRR) calculations that account for volume changes in measured gas flow due to combustion stoichiometry (i.e., account for CO2 production and its impacts on flow meter reading).

6d. Must contain adjustable Calibration constants for measurement devices (i.e., for the O2 and N2 mass flow controls, final flow meter, O2 sensor…) in National Instrument Measurement & Automation Explorer (NI MAX).

7. Analysis software Requirements.

7a. Output files saved in a format compatible with the data calculation software used by the FAA.

7b. O2 baseline correction determined as per [doi: 10.1520/JTE20160651]. Analysis software included with this instrument must allow for, within 30 days of installation, the calculation of a baseline correction to HRR measurements that includes both the effects of combustion gases codified in [ASTM D7309-19] (and subsequent versions of this document) and the temperature-dependent (thermal/physically based) baseline reported in [DOT/FAA/TC-12/53; Revision 1].

7c. Volumetric flow (at output) able to be calculated with explicit consideration for CO2 generated during combustion [see: 10.1520/JTE20160651] 7d. Output files able to report time(s), temperature (C), N2 and O2 flow (cc/min) total end flow (cc/min), O2 concentration (vol. %) and HRR (W/g) at a minimum frequency of 2 Hz or 0.5 K (whichever offers a finer resolution)

8. Includes a sample carrier/platform + thermocouple.

ITEM 0002: Contractor shall provide one additional sample carrier/platform + thermocouple (quantity: one (1)) that is compatible with item no. 0001.

4. DELIVERY: Shipping is the contractor’s responsibility. Delivery shall be FOB destination and shall occur no later than 20 weeks after award. However, delivery shall not take place until the contractor coordinates with the designated TPOC and Contracting Officer. Prior to shipment, the Contractor must ensure NISTs campus is open and accepting deliveries.

FOB Destination means: The contractor shall pack and mark the shipment in conformance with carrier requirements, deliver the shipment in good order and condition to the point of delivery specified in the purchase order, be responsible for any loss of and/or damage to the goods occurring before receipt and acceptance of the shipment by the consignee at the delivery point specified in the purchase order; and pay all charges to the specified point of delivery.

Delivery shall be made to the NIST Shipping and Receiving address identified below. The delivery will then be directed to the equipment’s final destination, also identified below. The final building destination is equipped with a loading dock.

NIST Shipping & Receiving:

100 Bureau Drive Building 301 Gaithersburg, MD 20899-0001

NIST Final Equipment Destination:

100 Bureau Drive Building 224 Room A268 Gaithersburg, MD 20899-1640

5. INSTALLATION: The Contractor shall install the equipment in Building 224 at NIST in Gaithersburg, MD to occur within 14 days of delivery at a time mutually agreed upon with NIST. . The Contractor shall demonstrate immediately following installation that all performance standards in accordance with this Specifications document have been met and that the system has been properly installed and is fully operational. For Power Availability in the final room location of where the equipment will be installed, the lab space in A268 currently is supplied with a 100-amp 3 phase 120/208-volt 60 cycle panel. There are 12 available 20-amp 120 volt duplex outlets installed in the lab raceway [approximately 2-4 of these will be available for the MCC].

Installation shall take place during normal business hours, between 8:30 am and 5:00 pm Eastern Time, Monday through Friday except Federal Holidays, and shall be coordinated with the NIST Technical Point of Contact (TPOC) prior to scheduling.

6. TRAINING: The Contractor shall provide training at NIST for up to five (5) NIST personnel covering normal operation, troubleshooting, and routine maintenance. The training shall include instruction on the routine and specific operation of the unit. Training shall be provided on the same day as installation during normal business hours, between 8:30am and 5:00pm Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, except Federal Holidays, and shall be coordinated with the NIST TPOC to ensure maximum availability of NIST personnel.

7. INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE: The Government will complete inspection of the MCC within business days after installation and training have been completed. In addition to the inspection and acceptance terms articulated in 52.212-4, the Government reserves the right to perform such performance tests and evaluations as defined below to verify specified system performance. Such tests and evaluations, if performed, shall be conducted within the environment that the system is to be operated in. The Contractor has the right to be present during the tests and evaluations, if performed, at the Contractor’s expense.

Inspection of the MCC will include testing the normal motion and operational functionality of the system. The MCC will be tested for conformance to the requirements described herein and all original equipment manufacturer specifications. If the MCC fully meets all specifications, the instrument will be accepted.

The place of acceptance shall be:

National Institute of Standards and Technology 100 Bureau Drive Building 224 Room A268 Gaithersburg, MD 20899

8. WARRANTY: The contractor shall provide a standard commercial warranty, in accordance with the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) specifications, for all equipment for a minimum period of one year after acceptance. The warranty shall cover costs for all parts (excluding consumable items), labor and travel. Only new OEM certified parts shall be used in the repair and maintenance of the instrument. The vendor must have the ability to provide replacement parts (specifically main furnace tube + thermocouples, oxygen sensor, sample platform/stage + thermocouple, mass flow meters/controllers) in the event of system malfunction as part of the warranty. The warranty shall commence upon acceptance of the MCC by the government. During the warranty period, the Contractor shall provide telephone support during normal business hours, and on-site service and replacement of any defective equipment or software. Telephone calls made after hours shall be returned by the Contractor not later than the next business day.

Service / Support: US based technician available for repairs and support (48-hour response time [2 business days] to email/calls). 1-year standard warranty for service/support, Replacement parts: Manufacturer/supplier will be able to provide replacement parts if needed, specifically main furnace tube & heater + thermocouples, oxygen sensor, sample platform/stage + thermocouple, mass flow meters/controllers.

9. OPTIONAL EXTENDED WARRANTY REQUIREMENTS

The requirements below are optional and may or may not be exercised by the Government in accordance with FAR Clause 52.217-9: Option to Extend the Period of Performance. The options may be or may not be exercised at time of base award at Government discretion per FAR Clause 52.217-4.

A. One additional year of warranty, including service/support and replacement parts as described in the warranty section above.

B. One additional year of warranty, including service/support and replacement parts as described in the warranty section above C. One additional year of warranty, including service/support and replacement parts as described in the warranty section above.

Each option year of warranty exercised will extend the award period of performance by 12 months. If warranty support is not available as option years and is only available in accordance with manufacturer’s standard commercial practices in single extended periods of time, then the Extended Warranty Requirement may be quoted for the period of time during which the extended warranty applies.

10. OTHER CONSIDERATIONS:

SITE ACCESS AND SECURITY REQUIREMENTS:

NIST is a Federal facility and access is controlled at all entrances to the campus. Only Government employees may grant access to non-Government employees. All non-Government employees must be registered with security prior to site access. Non-Government employees, including those with Visitor Passes (Yellow Badges), must be escorted by Government employees at all times. The Contractor shall notify the TPOC a minimum of 48 hours prior to site access. Contractor shall provide the TPOC with first and last names, country of citizenship, and whether the individual has a permanent resident card, (a.k.a. Green Card), of all personnel requiring site access. If any individuals are here on a work visa, they must complete a NIST 1260 form and return to the COR.

Please refer to the following web site for additional Visitor Information http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/visitor/ Automobile & Personnel Access:

Contractor personnel arriving in cars on their first day must check in at the visitor center to receive a temporary paper badge prior to proceeding to the project site. Hours of operation of the visitor center are 6:00 AM to 5:00 PM EST. Once in possession of a valid NIST badge, workers may enter via the Main Gate and proceed to the project site. Note that all automobiles are subject to a random inspection.

Trucks:

All Trucks are to enter NIST via the gate located at approximately 705 Quince Orchard Rd. Gaithersburg, MD 20899, between 6:00 AM and 4:30 PM daily. No deliveries will be allowed after 4:30 pm. “Trucks” include such vehicles as pick-ups with storage compartments, delivery trucks, delivery vans, and tractor center. Trucks arriving at NIST shall be inspected at the Truck Inspection area near Building 301. Any truck which exits NIST will have to be re-inspected upon re-entry. A vehicle dashboard placard will be placed within the truck. Placards change daily.

NIST Truck Inspection Stations hours are:

6:00 AM -4:30 PM at Truck Inspection area near building 301 Equipment Safety Requirements:

Contractor equipment on the NIST campus may not be left in emergency response locations, or other locations pertinent to general safety such as crosswalks, next to campus perimeter fences, areas which may block traffic or exits, etc. Prior to the contract’s start of performance, the Contractor shall furnish a list of equipment that is expected to be left on NIST’s campus during the installation process. The list shall be discussed with the NIST Office of Security to determine locations which meet security requirements and are reasonable for the work to be performed.