Draft_SOW.pdf

STATEMENT OF WORK

OICR Solvent Testing Phase II

1.0 INTRODUCTION

The Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Corona Division, Measurement Science and Engineering Department, code MS33 requires laboratory-based research support to develop gas-phase chemical sensors for the Navy calibration laboratories and to conduct testing and evaluation required to permit the Navy Metrology and Calibration (METCAL) Program to deploy such sensors in Navy calibration laboratories.

2.0 BACKGROUND

Navy calibration laboratories currently use the solvent CFC-113 (Freon 113, or 1, 1, 2-Trichloro-1, 2, 2-trifluoroethane) to clean all test instruments (TIs) from oxygen systems and critical applications systems1 that they calibrate. The Navy’s oxygen safety requirements mandate that these labs verify the cleanliness of all oxygen calibrated gauges. These labs must also verify the removal of cleaning solvent vapors for all Tis from critical applications systems to help protect users from unsafe vapor inhalation exposure.

Both of these operations- oxygen cleanliness verification and solvent removal verification- require instruments that are designed to work with the cleaning solvent-that is used.

This project is driven by a Navy-wide curtailment of CFC-113, the cleaning solvent that the Navy has used for over 40 years in these applications. OPNAVINST 5090.1D prohibited Navy use of the CFC-113 after 31 December 2014 because the solvent is an ozone-depleting substance (ODS). The CNO granted conditional waivers to enable the Navy METCAL program to develop methods and instruments to support non-ODS solvents and to enable the METCAL program to comply with the Navy instruction. NAVSEA 05 is responsible for selecting and approving suitable substitute cleaning solvents for oxygen systems and critical applications systems.

They previously identified 3M Company solvents Novec 71DE and Novec 7100 as long-term replacements for CFC-113 in these applications and Navy METCAL’s efforts have been focused on these solvents. However, 3M Company announced that these solvents will no longer be manufactured after 2025 and NAVSEA 05 has not yet identified or approved any alternate replacement solvent(s) for CFC-113 in these applications. Accordingly, the CNO has granted Navy METCAL an additional 5-year conditional waiver to comply.

Phase I of this R&D effort is complete but was focused on vapor sensors for 3M Company’s Novec solvents. The Navy METCAL R&D Program and MS Department are seeking to continue collaborating with researchers at University of California, Riverside (UCR) and the University of Notre Dame (UND) to modify the sensors developed in Phase I to work with new replacement solvents.

Currently, Solstice PF-HP, manufactured by Honeywell. Phase II of this project will focus on modifying Phase I sensors so that they can accurately measure low vapor concentrations of Solstice PF-HP in nitrogen gas. The Navy also requires additional research directly related to developing measurement methods for oxygen cleanliness verification and solvent removal verification. These research efforts will initially be focused on the solvent Solstice PF-HP but will also enable Navy METCAL R&D to address other replacement solvents that may be identified by NAVSEA 05 in the near future.

3.0 SCOPE

The scope of this effort is to provide research and development support to create sensors for vapor-phase measurements of solvents and to develop a deployable measurement method and apparatus design. The scope includes performing testing needed to validate Navy procedures that will incorporate these sensors and investigating potential cleanliness verification measurement methods. This work will develop sensor technologies and laboratory methods to enable Navy calibration laboratories to meet Navy measurement requirements that will support NAVSEA-05-approved long-term solvent replacement(s) for CFC-113. It will also enable these laboratories to meet the Navy-wide mandate from the CNO to cease using Ozone Depleting Substances (ODSs). MS Department is seeking collaboration with researchers at University of California, Riverside (UCR), and the University of Notre Dame (UND) that are known to possess the expertise required to develop the sensors needed for this project. These researchers have successfully completed Phase I of this research effort.

4. APPLICABLE DOCUMENTS

ATTACHMENT DOCUMENT TYPE/NO. TITLE DATE

Attachment 1

MIL-STD-1622B

w/Change 1

Standard Practice for Cleaning of Shipboard Compressed Air Systems

15 Nov 2006

Attachment 2

MIL-STD-1330E

w/Change 1

Precision Cleaning and Testing of Shipboard Oxygen, Helium, Helium-Oxygen, Nitrogen, and Hydrogen Systems

28 June 2007

Attachment 3 Workplace Environmental Exposure Level

OARS WEEL, trans-a-Chloro-3,3,3-Trifluoropropene (1233zd(E)) 2013

Attachment 4 Safety Data Sheet Solstice® PF-HP, SDS No. 10640064, Version 1.3, Honeywell International, Inc.

25 Aug 2021

5. REQUIREMENTS

The Offeror shall provide the research and development support for the services identified below in accordance with the target measurement values shown in Table 1 below. The Offeror shall be responsible for planning and executing the following work areas as well as offering labor services, equipment, and materials necessary to accomplish the work assigned.

Phase I is complete; the target measurement values in Table 1 are shown for reference.

In Phase II, the Offeror will work with the Navy to develop data sets for presentation to Navy authorities to demonstrate acceptable solvent vapor measurements. The Offeror shall submit reports and testing results as noted in the following sections.

5.1 Sensor Performance Requirements

Table 1. Target Measurement Values Sensor Analyte Background Gas Target Vapor-Phase concentration Target Accuracy

Phase I

001 3M Company Novec 7100 Nitrogen (99.9%)a 100 ppm mol/mol or lessb ± 5 ppm mol/mol (5% indicated value)

002 3M Company Novec 71DE Nitrogen (99.9%)a 1.9 ppm mol/mol or lessc ± 0.095 ppm mol/mol (5% indicated value)

003 CFC-113 Nitrogen (99.9%)a 100 ppm mol/mol or lessb ± 5 ppm mol/mol (5% indicated value)

Phase II

004 Solstice PF-HPd Nitrogen (99.9%)a

Threshold:

80 ppm mol/mol or less

Objective:

10 ppm mol/mol or less

Threshold1 ± 4 ppm mol/mol (5% indicated value)

Objective1 ± 0.5 ppm mol/mol (5% indicated value)

Alternate solvent identified by NAVSEA Headquarters

Nitrogen (99.9%)a TBD TBD aNitrogen shall meet the requirements of A-A-59155, grade A or B, or MIL-PRF-27401, type I, grade B or C, or CGA G-10.1, grade L or M bRef.: MIL-STD-1622B with Change 1, Appendix C, §C.5.5 cThis is the Navy 8-hour OEL for Novec 71DE dBest available information. Navy will immediately communicate any changes from NAVSEA Headquarters to offeror.

5.2 Methods

5.2.1 The Offeror shall use the calibrated vapor generation apparatus constructed in Phase I or functional equivalent. The apparatus will be capable of producing solvent vapors at and below the target analyte concentrations shown in Table 1.

The Offeror shall develop sensors capable of performing the measurements shown in the Phase II Requirements in Table 1. The sensors should build on the platform and user interface/display developed in Phase I. The Offeror shall provide test reports to document the test results of sensor performance (CDRL A002) as validated by the vapor generation system and to formally describe the communications capabilities. (CDRL A001)

The Offeror shall validate sensor performance by challenging sensors with known concentrations of analyte vapors generated by the vapor generation apparatus. The Offeror shall provide a test report to document the validate test results of sensor performance. (CDRL A002)

5.3 Phase II Sensor Development/ Solvent Sensor System Prototyping

5.3.1 Building from the sensor design developed in Phase I, the offeror will make a best effort to develop a sensor system to detect an alternate solvent (e.g., Solstice® PF-HP) to be specified by NAVSEA Headquarters at the target concentrations (Table 1) in a nitrogen environment. Tasks include:

a. Design and fabricate next generation sensor system for Phase II

i. Design and fabricate next generation embedded system.

ii. Design and fabricate enclosure.

iii. Design user interface.

iv. Prototype integrated sensor system.

b. Investigate alternate solvent (e.g., Solstice® PF-HP)

i. Modify the process to produce target solvent vapor concentrations for the alternate solvent. Calibrate the vapor generation apparatus and assist NAVSEA personnel in providing traceability to nationally accepted measurement standards.

ii. Provide one or more test reports documenting the performance of the vapor generation system.

iii. Obtain training data by using sensors to make time-series measurements for different concentrations of alternate solvent.

iv. Use the data to train a machine-learning algorithm to identity the alternate solvent.

v. Modify the sensor firmware to include the machine-learning model for the alternate solvent.

5.4 Optimize Sensor System for Navy Use

5.4.1 Building on the sensor design developed in Phase I research:

a. Determine the lifetime of sensor system (minimum number of uses with acceptable accuracy).

b. Provide estimates of manufacturing costs at various scales of production.

c. Optimize the system design to simplify operation for Navy personnel. Desired objectives (if possible):

ii. Offeror will investigate an operating protocol in which nitrogen is used as the background gas for test (sample) measurements, but sensors are exposed to ambient air prior to measurements (i.e., examine the possibility of eliminating the current need to expose a sensor to pure nitrogen prior to making a test measurement).

iii. Offeror will investigate an operating protocol to minimize the sensor flow-through rate and exposure time, or possibly eliminate flow-through.

iv. Offeror will investigate an operating protocol to eliminate the need for a circulating pump to sample a gauge.

d. Optimize the system design to facilitate manufacturing.

e. Identify methods of manufacturing the system at the level of volume needed by the Navy.

f. Offeror will assist NAVSEA personnel in developing a Calibration and Measurements Requirements Summary (CMRS) for the sensor system in accordance with MIL-STD-1839D (DoD Standard Practice, Calibration and Measurement Requirements, 12 May 2010, revalidated 19 Dec 2016) and DI-QCIC-80278C (Data Item Description, Calibration and Maintenance Requirements Summary (CMRS), 23 Jan 2017). NAVSEA personnel will provide the calibration standards necessary to prepare this document.

5.5 Investigate processes for using alternative solvent (e.g., Solstice® PF-HP) with a Navy-Supplied King Nutronics Instrument Cleaning System

5.5.1 The alternate solvent (e.g., Solstice® PF-HP) may be a gas at room temperature. Investigate methods to enable its use with the Navy-Supplied King Nutronics Instrument Cleaning System.

a. Verify NASA gauge cleaning processes to demonstrate repeatability and reproducibility.

5.6 Examine the Effectiveness of Solvent Removal via Vacuum Oven Treatment (if necessary)

5.6.1 If it necessary, determine if vacuum oven treatment can reduce solvent vapors from cleaned pressure gauges to Phase II target levels.

a. Make a best effort to identify operating cycle parameters that enable the Phase II solvent vapor concentrations listed in Table 1 to be achieved. The Navy will provide the vacuum oven used for this work.

b. Using lab equipment to determine if Phase II vapor concentrations listed in Table, I are achievable.

c. Once operating parameters have been identified, use Phase II sensors to collect proof-of-concept test data to support the use of a vacuum oven method in Navy calibration labs. (The Navy intends to present the data to Navy requirement holders and Navy System Commanders for method approval.)

d. Testing will be performed by first filling Navy-supplied closed-end Bourdon tube pressure gauges with solvent using a Navy-supplied King Nutronics Instrument Cleaning System, then using the system to remove and vacuum dry test gauges for 5 minutes. Gauges so prepared are to be used to test the effectiveness of one or more vacuum oven drying cycles to further reduce vapor samples from test gauges below Phase II target levels.

5.7 Investigate Phase II Sensor System as Potential Ambient Room Air Monitor

5.7.1 Investigate the performance of the Phase II sensor system in ambient air conditions considering factors such as humidity and temperature. (Developing a room air monitor is not within the scope of this contract.)

5.8 Investigate purification of Alternative Solvent (e.g., Solstice® PF) Using Distillation Processes.

5.8.1 The Navy will provide the distillation equipment used for this work. If necessary, examine the feasibility of purifying an alternative solvent (e.g., Solstice® PF) via distillation. This work will be performed using Navy-supplied distillation equipment

5.9 Investigate Infrared Absorbance of Mineral Oil-Dosed Solutions of Alternative Solvent (e.g., Solstice® PF).

5.9.1 Determine if mineral oil can be measured in condensed phase solutions of Solstice® PF in concentrations between 0 to 10 ppm (by wt) using IR transmission techniques. If quantitative measurements are possible, determine the optimal optical path length for a transmission cell.

5.10 Analyze Alternate Solvent for the Formation of Residues at Ambient Temperature

5.10.1 Using similar procedures employed in the Phase I Extension, quantify residue formed from ambient temperature evaporation of alternate solvent (e.g., Solstice® PF-HP). Identify residue chemical composition and determine if the Navy’s vacuum-based cleaning process will deposit residues inside a glass test article simulating a closed-end Bourdon tube.

5.11 Create an Operating Protocol for Using the Phase II Sensor System in a Navy Calibration Laboratory to Measure Gas Samples From Closed-End Bourdon Tube Pressure Gauge.

5.11.1 Develop a standard operating procedure (SOP) for operating the Phase II sensor system. NAVSEA personnel will provide relevant information about their laboratory facilities and equipment. The protocol will be provided as a document containing the information necessary for Navy personnel to operate the system.

5.12 Provide Laboratory Space at the University of California- Riverside for Use by Navy Personnel I Performing Support Operations for Test Instruments from Oxygen and Critical Applications Systems.

5.12.1 The University of California, Riverside will provide approximately 250 ft2 of wet lab space, including a fume hood, for the duration of this contract.

5.13 Provide Laboratory Space at the University of Notre Dame for Use by Navy Personnel in Performing Support Operations for Test Instruments from Oxygen and Critical Applications Systems.

5.13.1 The University of Notre Dame will provide approximately 250 ft2 of wet lab space, including a fume hood, for the duration of this contract.

6. GOVERNMENT-FURNISHED PROPERTY

6.1 Government Furnished Material

N/A

6.2 Government Furnished Equipment

Current Navy METCAL RDT&E monthly inventory

6.3 Government Furnished Information

N/A

7. DELIVERABLES

CDRL # DESCRIPTION DID

A001 Scientific and Technical Report DI-MISC-80711 A002 Test and Inspection Report DI-NDTI-80809B

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

A. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

June 1, 2023 through May 31, 2025

B. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

Offeror Facility